Drop Dead Cynical

I think their saying to open up your mind to its full potential and look around you and not to be close minded and you can be happy by knowing what's around you and what your possiblys are . Hope that makes sense to you

What does this mean? Sounds to me about sexual pleasure but what does being cynical have to do with it??

This has been bugging me since the song came out. I love it, but "cynical" just doesn't make any sense at all. I figure either they were stuck for a word that worked, poetically and lyrically, and finally just stuck "cynical" in there, or it was a language issue.

They're Swedish, and often foreign songwriters write lyrics in their native language and translate them to english. Once in a while they'll get a clinker where a word is a synonym in some uses, but not the one in the context of the song.

So I keep trying to figure out what word they might have mistranslated to end up with "Cynical" - maybe something like "cautious" or "discerning"? Being less gullible and not as trusting?

I’m a bit late to the party, but I think there’s some sneaky philosophy going on here. (Note: I think the lyrics here are misheard. azlyrics and LyricsGenius are a lot closer to what I hear when I listen)

In the second bridge, they name-drop Diogenes (I’m assuming Pre-Socratic Cynic philosopher) and Zeno (also assuming that’s “of Citium” because he was inspired by the aforementioned Diogenes). Their whole deal was living virtuously and in harmony with nature, doing away with material or conventional goods (money, power, fame, etc.)

Now look at the verses: “I need attention.” “Feed my addiction” “your illusion’s fatal contradiction”. That’s philosophical cynicism 101. “You’re addicted to stuff and praise, but it’s not real.” And then the chorus, talking about paradise and opening your mind. I think they’re using “Cynical” in the philosophical sense, rather than the colloquial sense; being Cynical means being free from so-called “civilising influences”, living more simply and happily.

I worked with a guy once who told me his secret to happiness was to live like a dog: be unironically enthusiastic to see people you care about and don’t bother worrying too much about baubles and trimmings. The simple pleasures, ya know?

MAYBE I’m reading way too much into this and I’m WAY off the mark but that’s the only way I can bend these lyrics to make any kind of sense. Could just be the wackiness resultant form English not being their first language.

P.S. I will also point out that Diogenes literally lived in basically a giant clay bowl and peed in the street, which is why people called him “kynikos” meaning “dog-like”, which is where the Cynics got their name, so there’s that.