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Radioactive Lyrics

Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa
I'm waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
I'm breathing in the chemicals
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
I raise my flags, don my clothes
It's a revolution, I suppose
We'll paint it red to fit right in
Whoa
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
All systems go, the sun hasn't died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Song Info
Submitted by
morfinx On Mar 20, 2012
152 Meanings
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I strongly believe this song "Radioactive" is about the singer's realization of the power within himself. "I'm waking up through ash and dust." to me says that he is shaking off all the preconceived notions that all the people in his life had for him. "Breathing in the chemicals" to me signifies the getting charged over the positivity of all that life has to offer. When he mentions the apocalypse, I feel he means that today he must make a decision to either change and succeed or do nothing and become like everyone else. "I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones, (enough) to make my systems go, welcome to the new age..." Yes he actually says "enough" but nonetheless I feel that he accepts he will change for the better and rejoices in that decision.

"I'm radioactive!" shows nothing will stop him from succeeding, nothing will get in his way and he will succeed.

The song's video with the little bear victoriously fighting off the monster further illustrates this point.

Furthermore, Imagine Dragons song "It's time" also talks about moving forward and bettering yourself.

My Interpretation

Agree completely. I'll add a few things:

In the vid, the 'puppets' are actually their stuffed animals from childhood. This adds a growing up tinge to the "breaking the mold" motif. At the end when they escape the 'prison of their former selves' they leave their stuffed animals behind as well.

"I'm breathing in the chemicals" could be an acknowledgement that our brains are chemical machines and we're not really as in-control as we may have thought before this transformation. Not sweating stuff that's out of your control is a crucial milestone in the path to a...

@JimWalshJ You're 99% right, even Reynolds explained that the song is meant to evoke a feeling of "empowering" - and it does. But I would like to add a little "apocalypse" feel if you let me: notice how the uses words like Chemicals, Rust, BUS, Paint, Revolution, etc. All these words describe very clearly a post-apocalyptic decaying world, full of zombies if you wish.

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Reynolds explained the song's meaning to MTV News: "'Radioactive,' to me, it's very masculine, powerful-sounding song, and the lyrics behind it, there's a lot of personal story behind it, but generally speaking, it's a song about having an awakening; kind of waking up one day and deciding to do something new, and see life in a fresh way," he said. "A lot of people hear it in a dark way, but, I think, without saying the word too many times, it's empowering, and so we wanted to display that in a way that the listener wouldn't see normally."

I think this may have originally come from a feeling of over coming a heavy past. I don't think his point was to be political, or even talk about drugs. I can definitely see depression. But a lot of this sounds like coming out of an obviously poisonous situation and getting up and finally seeing and feeling the need for change.

Song Meaning

Yep, you got it, its all those things. He is deciding he doesn't want to be a junkie anymore and his battle for sobriety

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It's not about an apocalypse, it's about spiritual awakening. The spiritual awakening process sparks the activation of awareness and once someone have completed their spiritual awakening and they go and look back on their life before the awakening began they may see how much they were just existing in robot mode, a spiritual awakening brings them out of this robot mode and in to awareness mode which wakes them up and they start to exist with a new and positive lease of life. December 21, 2012 marks Earth’s entrance into a new stage in the evolution of human consciousness. There is a mass of "awakenings" occurring seen in highly sensitive creative individuals. They can be very outspoken and tend to go against the grain of main society and have always felt like outcasts. They are unwilling to conform to societies standards if it isn’t congruent with the way they believe things should be done. While they may attempt to go with the flow, they cannot suppress how against the “system” they really are, and simply cannot and will not accept things that do not make sense to them.

Break down:

I'm waking up to ash and dust, I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust, I'm breathing in, the chemicals. (This is in regards to the fluoride, Monsanto, GMO's etc. in our bodies. Fluoride for example calcifies the pineal gland in our brain "our third eye", blocking our path to higher consciousness)

I'm breaking in, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus. This is it, the apocalypse, whoa. (Not apocalypse end of world, but end of old world consciousness//beliefs. Starting to "wake up" entering a stage of higher consciousness, the "New Age")

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones. Enough to make my systems blow. (Symptoms of "awakening")

Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Welcome to the new age, to the new age. (New Age: A movement drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational psychology, holistic health, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics)

Whoa, whoa, radioactive, radioactive. Whoa, whoa, radioactive, radioactive. (Radioactivity has everything to do with energy.According to quantum physics, we are part of a vast, invisible field of energy, which contains all possible realities and responds to our thoughts and our feelings. Related to The Law of Attraction, The Law of Vibration, each frequency of vibration has a certain radiation )

I raise my flags, don my clothes, It's a revolution I suppose. We'll paint it red, to fit right in, whoa. (Realizing all the awakenings lately, in songs, media, movies, joining the new age revolution) I'm breaking in, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus. This is it, the apocalypse, whoa.

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones. Enough to make my systems blow. Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Whoa, whoa, radioactive, radioactive. Whoa, whoa, radioactive, radioactive.

All systems go, sun hasn't died. Deep in my bones, straight from inside.

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones. Enough to make my systems blow. Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Whoa, whoa, radioactive, radioactive. Whoa, whoa, radioactive, radioactive.

Hate to break it to you jenpen114, but this interpretation is based on unscientific dillusions that the members of Imagine Dragons don't subscribe to. It's actually about a communist revolution

" It you thought that science was certain – well, that is just an error on your part. " - Richard Feynman

I think your right about the awakening or spiritual emergence. Further I would add that term 'Radioactive' in the context of the song may refer a new consciousness about songs on the radio as opposed anything nuclear and/or being suddenly 'wired up' to the Universe. Also, the 'chemicals' he is breathing in may be drug related rather than pollutant as there is more of an eager spin and tone regarding these ' chemicals' and not negative (which may have been taken before the 'awakening'....or not, as you mentioned there can be chemicals triggered in the brain due to...

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I believe that its "enough to make my system blow" not "love to make my system go"

Lyric Correction

I concur.

In addition: Whoa. Whoa. Radioactive. Radioactive. Whoa. Whoa.Radioactive. Radioactive.

Should be: Whoa. Whoa. I'm Radioactive. Radioactive. Whoa. Whoa. Radioactive. Radioactive.

It changes how the song could be perceived

Makes sense guys. I'll make the change.

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it's a dark bittersweet yet hopeful song. it's how someone feels when they are coming out of depression & things are brighter. you are hopeful & you know that since you went through what you went through, you are different & there is something different about you. a new strength that you didn't have before. the "new age" is the age after your dark time/hole of depression. it is bright & a new chapter in your life. you have broken free & hope to not get there again & even then, you have survived so you know you are strong & you fought this fight & came out a veteran even of you have a codition where it can come back sometimes. thats just how i see it. a hopeful song

My Interpretation
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The lead singer said, in an interview, that it was about when you come out of depression and you have to start over completely. You have to try not to slip back into depression, and you basically feel stronger but even more broken at the same time.

Song Meaning

I know what that's like. Whenever I pull myself out of a depressed state, I feel rejuvenated, like I've just woken up and into a new age, but I feel something slowly eating at my and decaying many parts of me, physically and psychologically, much like the effect of radiation. It slowly eats at you until you complete decompose and can never be completely purged from you. Depression is very similar.

I agree justme1999. & wow AltRock55 that is so true. a perfect description of what depression does to you. sad but true--you'll never be the same as you once were.

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It's definitely "enough to make my system blow" not "love to make my systems go." Currently addicted to this song, btw.

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"I'm waking up to ash and dust, I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust, I'm breathing in, the chemicals. "

The singer is recognizing a toxic atmospher. He's not implying negativity on his part, so much as negativity in his surroundings

"I'm breaking in, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus."

This is him preparing to break free from that aforementioned atmospher. Prison implying that something is controling him against his will.

"This is it, the apocalypse, whoa."

The apocalypse, the end of the era, or the end of the situation.

"I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones. Enough to make my systems blow." (It's actually glow, not blow, meaning he's gaining strength)

He is awakened to the negative surrounding/situation, and he feels enough strength to break free.

"Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Welcome to the new age, to the new age."

This is intresting, the new age is a 20th century spritual movement. (a positive spiritual movement, implying he's creating or aiding in the movement for change and positivity)

Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive. Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive.

Radiation is toxic to humans but this is not literal. Being radioactive means that an energy is emitted, releasing a stream of particals from an instable atom. being Radioactive means he's being liberated from something instable (Negative connotation implied) Very creative way of saying that =D

I raise my flags, don my clothes, It's a revolution I suppose. We're painted red, to fit right in, whoa.

Raising flags and doning clothes is a sign of independence from the negative influence Revolution- literal, it's a war for independence. painted red, to fit right in, is saying how they are being labled for not conforming.

All systems go, sun hasn't died. Deep in my bones, straight from inside.

All systems go- He's ready for whatever comes his way Sun hasnt died--theres hope for the cause Deep in my bones, straight from inside- he's got the strength.

**Think about the world we live in, think about our controling and corrupted government, think about what the future holds without a change. Think this song is a coincidence? I dont, and I absolutly LOVE the message it's sending.

My Interpretation

Nice interpretation! Best one around here.

@DFox yes your very correct. Only the awakened will actually understand the real meaning. "breathing in chemicals" think contrails and the new additives in food that we banned but now perfectly legal. " Wakimg up and checking out on the prison bus" look to what mainstream society looks at as conspiracy therorists who believe when martial law is activated the awakened one's who are whistle blowers, outspoken, or ones who are seen to resist our up coming NWO will be rounded up with prison like vehicles. And taken to fema camps. That were built in every state in the USA...

@DFox they deleted one of my posts lol. What I said I'm my deleted post is there is a group called Anonymous that is fighting exactly what this song is warning against research them as well please.

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I would like to disagree with the majority of you, in a respectful way.

To me this song is more futuristic. Much closer than many might thing. This is evident in the repeat of "welcome to the new age"

In this new age, war is evident. Waking up to ash and dust is an alluding to war stricken times, and what I believe to be (call me crazy) but perhaps some sort of socialist/communistic agenda. "we'll paint it red, to fit right in", red has been synonymous to order and power, similar to the USSR and Nazi party.

Essentially the song elaborates a prophecy of the dawning of war, control of the masses, loss of freedom, and corruption of the higher ups. It's a beautiful song, incredibly well written, catchy, and deep.

One Love

Song Meaning
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I think its a bout someone realizing the modern age we live in and how messed up it can be and how worse it could get. Here's my breakdown

"I'm waking up to ash and dust" A reference to all the pollution and stuff in the air

" I wipe my brow and sweat my rust" Working for the machine

"I'm breathing in, the chemicals" Yet another reference to the pollution and crap in the air we breath

"I'm breathing, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus" Getting on the bus to go to work where you slave at a job for less then what it's worth

"This is it, the apocalypse" Everyone thinks the world is going to end any day now now day

"I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones, enough to make my system blow" The awareness hits him and thus he wakes up from the fantasy that many people live in. But the awareness is more then just being aware it's a deep realization of whats really going on.

"Welcome to the new age" We live in a new age like no other one that has come before it.

"I raise my flags, don my clothes, it's a revolution I suppose" These lines could be reference to the change in the way man lives and how it's revolution against nature it's self or they're about the corrupt governments that say they will change the world and how their going to fix all their problems

"We'll paint it red, to fit right in" A reference to how everyone acts the same and strives to fit in or how all the changes and revolutions world leaders try to start usually end up in blood shed and death like every other one before them.

Then his talk about being radioactive I think is a kind of a testament to what mankind has and can be which is very destructive and harmful to everything around it. Plus with all the lights we glow.

But then I think who ever realizes all this finds some hope and looks to fix and help the world thus the "All systems go, the sun hasn't died" and then the going back into the waking up and what not.

That's what I think the song is about.

My Interpretation

I really like your break down of the song. Best one I read so far.

I think you are a bit hung up on the ash and dust. it's not alluding to physical dust and pollution per se, but more of a reference to debris caused by man in the form of war. Just my interpretation.

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