Jailbreak

For me at least, this song is about depression. This "dream" is actually depression. He wants to escape this prison of depression. He got here because of a girl that rejected him. He rushed his relationship with her except of trying to get her to know better so now he lost her.

Life is a jail. It is time to break out of this jail. End all the struggle. They'll replace me anyways. Once I break out I will never wake up. I'll forever be living in a dream. I just wish I could of given more time to get to know someone special. But I can't since I'm no longer in this life.

To me, this song has a hidden meaning of drug addiction. “Jailbreak” refers to the escape that he feels whilst under the influence of the drug. The jail being his mind/mental illness, the the drug breaking him out of the prison of his mind. “Working on a jail break” could refer to sourcing the drug, it becoming his main priority/focus. It could also be referring to the drug being a source of power to get him out of financial distress “Got no time for a mistake” could mean his means of sourcing the drug are illegal or deceptive. It could also mean his life is on the line and the drug helps him with his problems. “Any moment til the day breaks” could be his referral to the effect of the drug when he finally gets his hands on it. It could also mean that any moment his whole world could come crashing down. “Keep it calm with the fast pace” suggests he is eager to source it but has to stay calm and composed. Or the drug makes him feel calm and fast, motivating him in his pursuit. “No more time to get to know you” suggests he is already in the grips of the addiction and didn’t slowly ease his way into it, but quite the opposite. He doesn’t mind this.

“Now I’m living in a dream” suggests he is under the influence of the drug and all his pain has lifted. Or he has succeeded at work due to the drug helping him. “And I don’t think I’m ever gonna wake up” could suggest he has either taken a large dose of the drug to numb his pain, or he has succumbed to the addiction and knows he doesn’t want to give it up. Or this drug he speaks of is his new medication that he has accepted he will take for the rest of his life. Or, he doesn’t want to accept that he succeeded through the use of drugs.

“Got no time for a new fate” could mean he believes he’s too far gone in his addiction, too deep in to turn his life around. It could also be suggestive of something he has to do that the drug helps him get done, and he’s in it for the long haul. “Any moment they’ll replace me” could mean he is losing his friends and all respect from people he knows, due to his addiction. It could also mean something is on the line that he needs to attend to, the drug perhaps assisting him in this. “I’ve been working on my timing” could mean he has been spacing his intake of the drug out to be more effective and efficient so his usage is more hidden. “Insecurity beside me” he is insecure of his drug addiction, his reliance on the substance and insecure about being caught. “But you tasted so inviting” the drug was always so enticing and temptation got the better of him, meaning he overdid the drug far more than he intended to. “Should have tried to get to know you” suggests he wishes he found out more about the drug before delving into using. He is now hooked and wishes he didn’t jump straight in without knowing what would happen to him.

“Mama, it’s a jailbreak” Repeating over and over, would be his constant excuses to the people who love him, worried about him. Or his conscience feeling incredibly guilty toward his mother and how she feels, but he wants her to know that the drug takes his pain away. Maybe she has passed away and he is almost speaking to her as he knows what she would be thinking if she could see him. There are many things that line could mean.

I find this song very dark and sad, yet soothing all the same. The slow beat combined with the “laaaa” vocals suggest the drug of choice is a pharmaceutical medication, something numbing. But it really could be anything, a combination of drugs.. The possibilities are endless. Very interesting song.

I agree with you, decayedCell. I find myself listening to it over and over.

I think, like most of his songs, he's again talking about his struggle to make/maintain relationship with God. Maybe he's picturing himself meeting God in heaven and thinking "should've tried/no more time to get to know you". "The dream" could mean heaven - he made it there, but he wishes he had used his life more effectively and more intentionally to spread more love. I think this is why he mentions the "fast pace" (as he does in other songs as well) – because the fast pace of our life makes it harder for us to pause and connect with God.

Any moment till the day breaks: when he dies or when Jesus returns

Any moment THEY'LL replace me: they=the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (aka don't you worry WE love you more than you know and other songs where he speaks in plural).

I enjoyed AWOLNATION for years before I suddenly heard this meaning in his lyrics. That's when my life changed. Love it. God bless you ❤️

For more mainstream music about spirituality, I recommend twenty one pilots, two door cinema club, paramore, and foster the people