Only If You Run

-{ I've had my frustrations about the pains of daily life -{ I've tasted degradation and found the lace and candle light

The way this is phrased and spoken, sounds like it could be paraphrased simply in to "I've had my share of troubles" which is easier to translate:

-----------------> Everybody goes through depressing situations at one time or another.

-{ But we have the weights, we have the measures of our days and nights -{ I've had my frustrations, but now, I've found my place

We make do. We deal with these situations as best we can. We can control enough of what we have to give ourselves a chance to make something more of our earth-bound situations. ---- Simplified more: Yes, it's tough, but we cope.

-{ And you will make it -{ But only if you run

These lines are the ones that really get you pumped up. It redirects any bad beliefs you have about your current situation by saying "if you fight hard and long enough (if you run, not walk or sit around waiting), you will come up with a solution (you will make it)"

-{ These lonely dedications I've found, they bring me peace and light -{ When three-fold applications of doubt surround my fate, you might say -{ We have the weights, we have to wage an assault on what it is -{ 'Cause harmless medications abound, and you're not sick

I think its best to go line for line with this verse:[ .These lonely dedications I've found, they bring me peace and light. ==== Personal ambitions and undertakings are what give us a drive, give us something to do and live for. They serve as a distraction that is acceptable to sustain our will to live.

.When three-fold applications of doubt surround my fate, you might say. ==== So many issues contradict all our beliefs. No matter what your beliefs are there are strong philosophies that can counter them and make you question yourself. But it’s not just one opposing idea, it’s more. Everything you think and decide can be attacked from multiple angles, and generally the things you pay attention to and love the most WILL be attacked from multiple angles. This effectively makes you question who you are and centres depression once again by making us feel useless, defunct, incapable etc….

.We have the weights. We have to wage an assault on what it is. ==== An overwhelming desire to crush whatever is depressing us. We are filled with hatred for the opposition. More directly it is saying we have to go out of our way to directly confront the issue.

.'Cause harmless medications abound, and you're not sick. ====The medication is harmless to you and to the issue. It’s a time waster or a distraction. But foremost it creates an idea in your head that the depression you are experiencing is ‘wrong’ and unnatural. In truth EVERYONE goes through similar experiences at times. Everyone you know, even your greatest heroes will experience doubt and depression because that is the world we live in. From birth we are taught that medication is an assault on a ‘problem/illness’ which makes anti-depressant medication of any kind sound like it is trying to ‘repair’ a person to a ‘natural’ state. Unfortunately for the medication that natural state does not exist on this planet.

You will make it But only if you run

Surprise Surprise Surprise Surprise === Who could ever really interpret this? This repetition of the word surprise could be construed to be left open (more open than normal art) to interpretation on purpose. So any person can look at it and gather there on assumptions. I’ll guess a few possible interpretations…

1. You will surprise yourself with your own strength if you put up a good fight.
2. As you continue to learn and do battle with the every-day world (that is naturally challenging and complex) you will find yourself hit with new surprises continuously (good and bad). In the end it can be surmised that this is all that life consists of when you detract the common pattern.
3. If the information in the song is new to you, you could be simply ‘surprised’ at the possibility of the idea. As if the singer is saying “It’s hard to believe but it’s true. Don’t try to understand. Just do it”. And I’m certain there’s plenty of other ways you can analyse the same word repeated four times.

You will make it But only if you run

Great song... to me it's about the dullness of a "normal" life. >.<

oh, i thought there is "no frustrations") the new meaning to me)

i love this song very good opening for the album!

I think its a pro gay song, because people try to fix them but theres nothing wrong with them "Cause harmless medications abound, and you're not sick"

These lonely dedications I've found, they bring me peace and light When three-fold applications of doubt surround my fate, you might say We have the weights, we have to wage an assault on what it is 'Cause harmless medications abound, and you're not sick

There is a lot of symbolism in this song, the new world order forming,and the discovering of the inner higher self, the only way to do that is to run fast from the craziness that surround us..

a line by line analysis that could either be unbelievably insightful or utter bs.

you choose.

"I've had my frustrations about the pains of daily life" ...clearest paul banks line in a long time.

"I've tasted degradation and found the lace and candle light" gone through the paradox of brutality and civility. degradation mixed with the markers of civility and all that's proper, like candle-lit dinners.

"But we have the weights, we have the measures of our days and nights" all i can come up with is something to do with the standards of living...?

"I've had my frustrations, but now, I've found my place" coming into a means of expressing yourself, i.e. his role as a songwriter

"And you will make it But only if you run" sort of an uplifting, 'you'll get there too' vibe. only if you run, hmmm, perhaps referring to the energy highs of art? (wow that sounded pretentious.) i like the 'run from the craziness' idea too.

"These lonely dedications I've found, they bring me peace and light" dedications as in his songs, references to people he once knew hidden inside

"When three-fold applications of doubt surround my fate, you might say We have the weights, we have to wage an assault on what it is" all i can get is a rather menial 'stick it to the man'. hope there's more to it.

"'Cause harmless medications abound, and you're not sick" harmless medication, while not being sick, sounds like the escapism we all fall prey to. from heavy stuff like drugs to the lull of reading. there's nothing inherently wrong with us, nor with most of the methods we use to cope. i'm not too sure about the ritalin reading because of the choice of 'harmless'.

all in all, it reads like a sort of older brother-younger brother dynamic, promising more beyond the various valleys we may find ourselves in. god my homework is so boring. i should probably apply myself more.

I think this song is talking about how life can be difficult and abusive at times, (Frustrations with daily life...tasted degradation...) but overall, we're in control of how our life plays out (we have the weights and we have the measures of our days), and with that in mind, you can find your place and be happy.

With the "lonely dedications", I think he's talking about something to apply yourself to. In his case, I assume it's music, but it could be anything to anyone. Essentially, he says that you can fight the despair (we have to wage an assault on what it is), by fighting to be happy. The medication line I think refers to feeling depressed, saying it's not abnormal and you don't need pills, it's normal to be sad, you just need the will to fight it.

"You will make it, only if you run." - Basically compacts the whole song. You can be happy, you can be content with life if you choose not to dwell in the problems and getting the hell out of despair.

Don't get the gay vibe at all, would imagine you're pushing your own agenda there.

More likely to be about over medication of people so say "depressed" and the crazy amount of kids diagnosed with ADHD and on Ritalin, they're just fucking kids.

"I've had my frustrations about the pains of daily life" Opening line says it all = Life sucks = Depression. Doesn't mean you have to go on mood "stabilising" drugs. I think the word suppression might be a better word.