Radioactive

"That's basically a song about my struggle with anxiety and depression," Reynolds says. "It's about becoming self-empowered and rising above that. I wanted to write a masculine and primal song about conjuring and rising above human weakness..."

Read more: rollingstone.com/music/news/imagine-dragons-go-radioactive-on-the-charts-20130508

This is an anthem of empowerment. Overcoming something that is supposed to oppress you. Radiation kills white blood cells, internal tissues. It destroys the body slowly.

• I'm waking up to ash and dust,

He was asleep for a looong time. That's usually what those w/ depression & anxiety do, they stop "living." From exp, excessive sleep is a symptom.

• I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust,

Sweat my rust, could be another analogy, calling himself a robot (like that antidepressant commercial with the windup doll). When you haven't moved in a while, you start to rust.

• I'm breathing in, the chemicals.

Chemicals could symbolically represent something that resurrects his soul falling in love, inspiration, a new atmosphere. Remember, this whole song is symbolic...

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

He's breaking into the idea of freedom. Learning what he needs to understand from this troubling situation. Getting fit and ready to escape.

Then checking out like it's a hotel stay. He's not meant to stay in that prison. He's leaving the prison of his mind. Reynolds was still doing things, going places (bus takes you places) but he was still trapped inside himself.

• This is it, the apocalypse, whoa.

He's breaking free and fighting back. Overcoming his depression and anxiety. The apocalypse is a time of turmoil, do or die. This is his mindset.

• I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones. Enough to make my systems blow.

He's waking up and it feels so intense, so invigorating, he feels like he's gonna explode.

• Welcome to the new age, to the new age.

He says it celebratory which is why I don't think it's NWO related. It's a new time in his life, an awakening. A new awareness.

• Whoa, whoa, radioactive, radioactive.

"having or producing a powerful and dangerous form of energy"

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radioactive

• I raise my flags, don my clothes,

He's changing his outward appearance and personality to fit his new outlook.

• It's a revolution I suppose.

Now he's raising a revolt, bringing his band into the mix. They're all fighting back

• We'll paint it red, to fit right in, whoa.

Sure it's related to Communism, but for his song, he's doing it b/c that's the color of war and opposition. They're fighting their oppressors.

The fact that the war is against mental illness is lame, yes, but inspirational nevertheless. It's a general "you can conquer w/e is holding you back" song. If you wanna view it as more than it is by claiming it's an anti-illuminati tune. I won't stop you.

There are always double meanings to songs written by powerful minds. But based on his vocal interpretation, this is what the song means.