Used to come around here every day
Now you're breakin'
Used to be the one that is not ashamed
Now you shamin'
Lost in all the wars we fought
Never saw a road
Now that I think about you in the skies
And tomorrow
And I wonder where you are
Now I wonder where you
Are
(Ooh)

Take yourself down
Pick yourself up
Everything changed when you got along
Seven point one, took it all down
Suddenly you can't even be found
I said, all night long

Missing person's in the window
Staring at me
Saying things I cant hear
A missing person's in the window
Staring at me
Haven't seen them in years

First things first
Second in command
Right as I'm trying to change my plan
Second gonna die
Oh he can't breathe
Everybody's staring straight at me
You spend it all chasing those lies
I don't really wanna take that chance
I don't really wanna do that dance
I don't know what to do till you say

Oh I don't wanna let you go
But I can't keep holding on
Skies of silver, stars of gold
And now you know just what you like

So far this love is all I have
So far this hurt is all I have

Missing person at the window
Missing person at the window
A missing person at the window
Missing person at the window
I wonder where you are
I wonder where you are
I wonder where you are
Wonder where you


Lyrics submitted by fabregas111, edited by Fogmoz

Missing Persons 1 & 2 Lyrics as written by Ryan Tedder

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Missing Persons 1 & 2 song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    7 point 1 took it all down - this made me think of an earthquake - i.e. 7.1 on the richter scale brought about the tragedy that took the lives away - making them all missing persons. Then the faces and memory of those missing haunt the singer at their window, but they are never found so there's no closure and it leaves them to 'wonder where you are' at the end.

    A tad depressing! His voice makes me think of Coldplay's Chris Martin in this song.

    Polka.doton November 30, 2009   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    I'm don't really understand the meaning completely either, but I agree with GrandeGris that he's really talking about himself and that the title Missing Persons 1&2 refers to him switching back and forth between first person and second person narrative.

    "A missing person's in the window staring at me. Haven't seen them in years."

    He sees his reflection in the window and is surprised, because he doesn't know who he really is anymore.

    "Now you're breakin'... Lost in all the wars we fought... First things first. Second in command. Right as I'm trying to change my plan, second's gonna die. Oh! he can't breath... I don't know what to do 'til you say."

    He seems to be going through some inner conflict, struggling with himself as he tries to decide what he really wants to do and where he really wants to go.

    "I wonder where you are, I wonder where you are..."

    I believe he's going through some sort of identity confusion, struggling to find out who he really is. The confusion he feels about this may be part of the reason why the lyrics are so vague and unclear; because he doesn't really understand what he's feeling either, so he can't express it clearly.

    gingenon January 17, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think it has kind of a third-person feel to it, like he is actually talking about himself... i think we get the name (as in the 1&2) from where the songs changes to something completely different. otherwise,i agree with you guys.

    GrandeGrison November 25, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Obviously this song can be taken either literally or metaphorically.

    If taken literally, the second stanza explains the setting. Polka.dot made a cool comment on the 7 point 1 thing being about an earthquake. Which makes sense. I see that part of the song basically saying that after some disaster occurred (physically, or mentally) that person disappeared. Maybe to get away from it. Whether they were killed or left of their own will, we don't know. That's what makes them missing.

    After than I think the song goes pretty much into metaphor mode, but I can't for the life of me figure out what the heck it's supposed to be. This song has so many possible meanings it's crazy.

    But I would like to point out the part "second gonna die, oh, he can't breathe. Everybody's staring straight at me" either means everyone's blaming him for that, or they're trusting that he'll save them.

    I love how this song's lyrics are so confusing, almost surreal. I honestly hate songs with an obvious meaning.

    altrockfanon August 23, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not quite sure what this means, but I think it's about a couple getting lost, not even knowing each other or themselves.

    azncravin08on November 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I really am not clear on the meaning either. I think it could mean diff. things. I think the main idea of the song is that the singer feels like someone he used to know well has changed.They went away & they've com back & he feels like they're a totally different person now. Also get the vibe that hes haunted by something. He doesnt want to turn out a certain way or make the same mistakes he's seen this person make.

    seastar623on November 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it's weird because it's Missing Persons, like there's more than one person. So that kind of tells me it's not a couple.

    I don't know, maybe it's about friends. Like how sometimes you are such good friends with people but as time goes on you go your own separate ways and they essentially become strangers to you.

    krachael00on October 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is open for many different types of interpretation. I think it could be about a military couple, the one waiting for his/her loved one to return from deployment. They don't know if they want to stick around much longer waiting for them to come home and not leave anymore, or not. A part of them cant let go, they keep holding on. If you read the lyrics from that point of view it makes sense.
    When it says "i wonder where you are " and "suddenly you cant be found", for me personally being in a military relationship I really relate to those lines in the song and "missing person's in the window staring at me" because when he's gone you don't know where they could be and the missing person is myself, because a part of me is missing without him, and it seems like they've been gone for years. And the love is all I have, but it brings a lot of pain wondering if/when he will return. Its not a matter for me if I'll stick around because he's the love of my life, but many couples in military relationships always have that thought of will they be here when i return or will they stay true to me. That's my interpretation of this song!

    sky03on December 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    I agree with all of you but I read somewhere else that this song is dedicated to all the american soliders out there serving its country. "Lost in all the wars we fought" But idk.. :)

    bbaharon January 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This guy doesnt seem like he plays when he's in love. Sounds like if no one shows him love the way he wants then to, he would get suicidal.

    "Second gonna die/Oh he cant breathe/Everybody's staring straight at me"

    I think this song is about the two females he was in love with before he met his current wife. I saw in am interview that he was in love 2 times before he and his wife began seeing one another. So those are probably the missing persons he is talking about. Most likely he wrote the song before he met his wife.

    MsWomanlyon August 27, 2011   Link

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