She is starting to live her life
From the inside out
Sound of failure calls her name
She's decided to hear it out

So go tell Britney
And go tell Gwen
She's not trying to go
Against all them

Because she's too scared, and she
She can't pretend
To understand where it begins or ends
Or what it means to be dead
It's just a sound going through your head
Let them go on, let them go on

Standing there in the graveyard
While the moon sprays its fireworks in your hair
The sound of failure calls her name
She's decided to hear it out

So go tell Britney
And go tell Gwen
She's not trying to go
Against all them

Because she's too scared, and she
She can't pretend
To understand where it begins or ends
Or what it means to be dead
It's just a sound going through your head
Let them go on, let them go on

Where it begins or ends
What it means to be dead
It's just a sound going through your head
Let them go on, let them go on

Where it begins or ends
Or what it means to be dead
It's just a sound going through your head
Let them go on, let them go on

She doesn't know where it will take her
And she's going into the unknown


Lyrics submitted by christsizeshoes

The Sound of Failure/It's Dark... Is It Always This Dark?? song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    seems to me like this song is a critique of the music industry. from what i can tell, he is suggesting that the industry as it is now is composed of artist like Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears, who, although their music is insanely popular, fail to actually discuss anything of importance in their music, or even question much of anything. It seems as though Wayne views this as a failure of the music industry as a whole, yet he also realizes there is nothing "she" or anyone can do about "a sound going through your head" and that the solution is to just let them go on.

    that is just my interpretation anyway

    alsoaon April 02, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i read that they wrote this for some friends whose father was dying of cancer. they were fed up with pretending to be optimistic, and also with having to hear fake enthusiastic pop music everywhere they went. it's about a girl whose best friend died and accepts that it's ok to fail to understand such darkness and not parade around shitting rainbows.

    crustyknickerson June 27, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "where it begins or ends / or what it means to be dead" these two lines and graveyard setting unlock the song.

    mavs41on April 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    alsoa- couldn't have said it better myself.

    Wayne has turned into a little bit of a cynic, but everyones a cynic this day in age, iv'e just never really heard anything cynical in his music before and AWWTM has it's moments,i.e. Yeah Yeah Yeah, Sound of Failure, Haven't Got a Clue, Free Radicals

    loaferon April 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    If you like cynical music, check out Pink Floyd. I'm trying to get into the Flaming Lips, and I'm listening to this song right now. It seems to have promise.

    inpraiseoffollyon May 22, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    inpraiseoffolly you are right about Pink Floyd. The only thing I would add is that the cynicism is in almost all of their songs but it is sometimes hard to pick up since even the cynicism is accurate since they put a spin on the essence of reality.

    Pink Floyd is by far the best "band" ever, both musically and lyrically. I hope I am alive to hear another band that can be compared to them. There will be another one... I'm being optimistic. There is too much crap out there to think that good music is falling by the wayside.

    Themactatoron June 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it's about a girl who's trying to be herself. Either that or a girl who doesn't realize she's dead.

    Anderson_Councilon September 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i agree. pink floyd is musically and lyrically the best band ever in my opinion

    Kaja117on April 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    No mavs41...you are wrong.

    The song is about a woman going through things that are tough (such as death) and then hearing the crappy happy songs of Gwen and Britney Spears in the background.

    Imagine you are visiting your grandmother in the hospital and these two jackasses are singing their asinine songs and that is the soundtrack of your visit to the hospital.

    They know nothing of what it means to be dead or what they are even singing about. They are puppets. It is a very angry song.

    shiftinatoron May 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    crustyknickers has it right, but gwen and britney were metaphors for her cheery happy friends, it isnt a criticism of the music at all

    piecebypieceon May 31, 2008   Link

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