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Theater Lyrics
My life is a musical
I know how to put on a pretty pathetic show
I hide backstage, keep the curtains closed
'Cause I'm scared, I'm scared
I'm getting pretty good at feeding them the lines they like
But I don't recognize the girl that I face each night
I can compromise 'till I'm convinced it's right
PRE-CHORUS:
What happened to the girl who could overlook the world?
She never gave a second thought to what the other people thought
What happened to the dream of rejecting the routine
'Cause it never worked for me
CHORUS:
I'm gonna burn this theater down
And pray to God for the strength to help me face the crowd
I wanna live like I lost the script
And scream every line like this is it
They say all the world's a stage
Rewriting your identity is all the rage
Well, next act, please, I'd like a change
I don't really like pretending this way
PRE-CHORUS
CHORUS 2X
BRIDGE:
And the sad thing is we're all in on the action
We're all holding our breath waiting for a reaction
Ah, you play your part and I'll be playing with matches
And if you'd like a show, you can follow the ashes
CHORUS 2X
I know how to put on a pretty pathetic show
I hide backstage, keep the curtains closed
'Cause I'm scared, I'm scared
But I don't recognize the girl that I face each night
I can compromise 'till I'm convinced it's right
What happened to the girl who could overlook the world?
She never gave a second thought to what the other people thought
What happened to the dream of rejecting the routine
'Cause it never worked for me
I'm gonna burn this theater down
And pray to God for the strength to help me face the crowd
I wanna live like I lost the script
And scream every line like this is it
Rewriting your identity is all the rage
Well, next act, please, I'd like a change
I don't really like pretending this way
And the sad thing is we're all in on the action
We're all holding our breath waiting for a reaction
Ah, you play your part and I'll be playing with matches
And if you'd like a show, you can follow the ashes
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I instantly understood this song at first listen. It's about rebirth, starting over.
The chorus is pretty much straightforward.
"I'm gonna burn this theater down."
Theater = life. The protagonist is going to start all over again.
"And pray to God for the strength to help me face the crowd."
Some masses say Icon for Hire is a Christian band which is probably because of lyrics like this, and the other way round. She says she's going to pray for help and strength to get through the surprised faces and reactions of people she knows now. I understand how she feels. Recently I "converted" from Christianity to Buddhism and changed a huge part of my beliefs, looks on the world etc. and everyone was like "What? But how? How can you?". So I understand.
"I wanna live like I lost the script."
The script is her daily routine. She wants to forget about it forever and be free in her actions and dreams.
"And scream every line like this is it."
Her (probably) final desire is to live every day like her last. Everyone wants, but only a few succeed. Great song.
To be fair, all the members are Christians and their older songs had lyrics like "I wait for mercy in Your bleeding hand" and "How could a sinner be worth saving?", both clear Christian references. I think that, like a lot of Tooth and Nail bands, they just want to make good music and spread a positive message without alienating non-Christian fans. The Classic Crime and August Burns Red are doing the same thing.
To be fair, all the members are Christians and their older songs had lyrics like "I wait for mercy in Your bleeding hand" and "How could a sinner be worth saving?", both clear Christian references. I think that, like a lot of Tooth and Nail bands, they just want to make good music and spread a positive message without alienating non-Christian fans. The Classic Crime and August Burns Red are doing the same thing.
As for the song's meaning, I kind of had a different interpretation. To me, it's more about her putting on a facade...
As for the song's meaning, I kind of had a different interpretation. To me, it's more about her putting on a facade to fit in with the popular crowd, and one day deciding to drop it and live life without worrying what others think. Looking at it through the members' Christianity, you could interpret it as rejecting the materialistic falseness of the world in favor of spiritual fulfillment, but I think it's a pretty open-to-interpretation song.