Bored To Death

Here's my more detailed interpretation of the song:

There's an echo pulling out the meaning Rescuing a nightmare from a dream (I think this line is a metaphor and means that the rational voice in his head is telling him to end the nightmare by ending the relationship.. Originally the relationship started out great (a dream relationship) but over time the relationship has deteriorated and he is no longer happy (a nightmare). So the dream relationship turned into a nightmare relationship which he is now trying to end/rescue).

The voices in my head are always screaming That none of this means anything to me (The rational voice in his head is telling him that the relationship isn't working and that he needs to end it, and that deep down the relationship doesn't mean anything to him).

And it's a long way back from seventeen The whispers turn into a scream And I'm, I'm not coming home (Pretty easy to interpret, they've been together for a long time - since they were 17. The voice in his head that was telling him the relationship needs to end started out as a whisper but is getting louder and louder until eventually he is out by himself or with friends one night and decides he isn't coming home).

Save your breath, I'm nearly Bored to death and fading fast (His girlfriend is arguing with him and he is telling her that she's wasting her time by arguing with him and that the relationship is nearly over).

Life is too short to last long (Life is too short to spend it in a dead-end relationship).

Back on earth, I'm broken Lost and cold and fading fast (Back on earth could be a metaphor that is saying his girlfriend's head is up in the clouds or it's like she's living in a different world by being in denial about their problems). Life is too short to last long

There's a stranger staring at the ceiling Rescuing a tiger from a tree The pictures in her head are always dreaming Each of them means everything to me (I'm not really sure what this verse means other than perhaps talking about a new woman he has met. Perhaps he's talking about her day dreaming and how he cares about this new woman and likes her so much that he even cares about her day dreams).

I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown but all my friends are daring me to come over so I come over and over and over (perhaps he is reminiscing about how he met his girlfriend back when they were 17). so let me buy you a drink and we'll pretend that you think that I'm the man of your dreams come to life in a dive bar (he isn't confident so he tells her that he's a let down and isn't the man of her dreams, but he'll buy her a drink and he will pretend that he is the man of her dreams). and we'll go over and over and over and we'll go over and over and over and we'll go over and over and over and we'll go over and over and over

I'm absolutely obsessed with this song!!! Who's Tom??

I think the meaning is pretty simple. The singer is in a relationship and he's getting bored with it, the voices in his head keep getting louder telling him he needs to end it. He finally has enough "I'm not coming home".

And even though the relationship does have some good times, he knows it won't work in the long run so better to end it now instead of wasting time in a dead end relationship "life is too short to last long".

I also think part of this Singh could be about Tom leaving Blink. Maybe Mark got bored waiting now for Mark wanting to record new music. "A long way back since 17" could be a reference to when their friendship started.

I love this song though and I always preferred the songs Mark sang over Tom so I'm not devastated he left. I love the bridge part of this song "I think I met her at te minute that the rhythm was set down...". I think the new singer sounds a lot like Mark though which is good and bad. I really can't tell what parts Mark songs and what parts the new singer sings. Anyone know?

What are you trying to say?

Personally I think this song is about Tom leaving the band, but was written as a relationship song.

1. There's an echo pulling out the meaning Rescuing a nightmare from a dream The voices in my head are always screaming That none of this means anything to me

-->You know when something is said or done so many times ("an echo") that it loses it's meaning? The band was in turmoil and with Tom in one day and out the other (Im sure there were other issues as well) and they tried to save the band from itself but you can only go round and round so many times until it gets to the point where it just isn't worth it anymore.<--

2. And it's a long way back from seventeen The whispers turn into a scream And I'm, I'm not coming home

--> 17 referencing when they first started jamming together in high school. Also this line is suggesting, 'we're not teenagers anymore dude'. There were probably red flags here and there that became irreconcilable differences in time (whispers turning into a scream) and they're just like f*** it, it's time to be done<--

3. Save your breath, I'm nearly Bored to death and fading fast Life is too short to last long

-->This part is written as if it is sung by Tom. He's bored to death with the band, has completely mentally checked out. Life is too short to last long (as a band)<--

4. Back on earth, I'm broken Lost and cold and fading fast Life is too short to last long

-->This part being Mark/Travis response. Back on earth (Tom's got his head in the clouds these days... earth to Tom!), the band was left in disarray due to him leaving multiple times. Mark and Travis are feeling bitter, fearing for the future/longevity of the band, and are thinking Where do we go from here? (Lost and cold and fading fast). But also acknowledging that life's too short to waste time on a lost cause. <--

5. There's a stranger staring at the ceiling Rescuing a tiger from a tree The pictures in her head are always dreaming Each of them means everything to me

-->Stranger; they don't even recognize Tom anymore. If you haven't noticed, he's been a little bit "out there" in recent years. Not necessarily in a bad way, but different than the guy they once knew. Also he's big into the extraterrestrial, always looking up and having his head in the clouds. To them he may even seem a little bit delusional (rescuing a tiger from a tree). He's a dreamer, they still care about him, but his ideas and attitude are now incompatible with the future of the band<--

6. I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown

-->Recognizing their humble beginnings and Mark is being a smartass, like geez sorry you're too good for us now.<--

7. but all my friends are daring me to come over -->After their first hiatus and ever since then, there's pressure for a reunion and for them to get back together and make new music.<--

8. so I come over and over and over so let me buy you a drink -->They've tried so many times since then to extend the olive branch, keep the peace, get back together... <--

9. And we'll pretend that you think that I'm the man of your dreams come to life in a dive bar And we'll go over and over and over -->...but at the end of the day, they were just going through the motions. Its evident (IMHO) on their last 2 albums (neighborhoods and dog eat dog) that they just weren't meshing and couldn't agree on a musical direction - this sentence of course is my personal opinion, but of course there was turmoil within the band nonetheless.<--

10. Save your breath, I'm nearly Bored to death and fading fast Life is too short to last long -->Now this last part is TO Tom from them. Now they're bored to death and just over the bullsh**<--

Just my personal thoughts on the song! I love Tom and don't mean for my interpretation to seem like I'm pinning all the blame on him - I'm sure there's more to the story - just wanted to share the vibe I get from this song. It's an awesome, badass song no matter what! \m/

Long time, hardcore Blink fan here. Will always love Tom. But I'm REALLY digging California and I also am a fan of Alkaline Trio, and I just think Matt Skiba is fantastic and fits in very well with the band. Excited for the concert and to see what's in store for the future! Wouldn't be opposed to Tom coming back someday.

A Freudian interpretation might ascribe a double meaning to the term high maintenance. In the song this term, like "the meaning" of the opening line, isn't explicit. But there are lots of clues the lyricist is giving us:

"There's an echo" of an erection... "pulling out" of home base. Presumably after spending meaningful time in there. Not to mention at 1st, 2nd & 3rd. "The meaning: rescuing a nightmare" of frustration, realized by his partner's demand to prolong the climax to the point of exhaustion... "from a dream" of how good it could've been.

"The voices in my head" -- she's already one of them, another is his need for consummation. "always screaming that none of this means anything to me" as there's no real arguing over whose unrealistic demands are failing to make the two of them closer. She may be more upset with the failure itself, blaming him for coldness. His libido's yelling about trying too hard to please.

"it's a long way back from seventeen" -- maybe an overstatement. Or maybe centimeters. "the whispers turn into a scream" -- this is the 1st true rhyme with "dream" which could have involved a screaming climax, but... "I -- I'm not coming home" despite having meaningfully rounded the bases & gotten there. Though the next words imply an oral alternative. "Save your breath" as there's no point still demanding to keep it hard. "I'm nearly bored to death" -- maybe he's saying it on the stiffy's behalf. Maybe on behalf of his end of the relationship. Or should we take it more literally? Well...

"...a stranger staring at the ceiling" remains fixed on that vision of up. "rescuing a tiger from a tree" -- house cats can stay up there for days; the tiger may represent male virility that she dreams will be rescued (frustrated) in a global sense.

"pictures in her head are always dreaming / each of them means everything" -- if she's the same antisocial angel of the next track on the album, who says he no longer dreams of anything, then he may be hopelessly struggling to agree that his ordinary masculine wet dreams just don't count. So he fails at sharing her dreams. Too bad. By the track after that, he's looking for a rescue of his own from a whole city of angels.

"I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down" -- maybe she was a blink-182 fan. Maybe his destiny. "I'm a bit of a let-down" as opposed to a keep-up. "I come over and over and over" -- his dreams aren't boring. And E.D. isn't the problem. "we'll go over and over and over" -- there's no end of ruined dreams in sight, the kind that try to keep going instead of coming, while...

"back on earth, I'm broken, lost & cold," thanks to this alienating & destructive relationship that had such potential to be heavenly & healing. Will it ever end? The repeating deep percussion pattern underlying the refrain...

(pause) DA-da-da DA-da-da-da (pause)

...suggests a slowing of his once excited breath, ending altogether with "life is too short to last long". Then the song, and the album, pick up again rockin' as ever. Could the uplifted left hand with uplifted fingers and thumb, smack in the center of the cover, suggest the histrionic equivalent of beating a dead horse, as the right hand's forever out of sight somewhere down there? We see just enough upper arm to suggest where. And is that a hint of the L.A. skyline reflected in the headlights?

The interpretation that this is about Tom makes sense and I get it but I'm unsure that was Marks actual intention here. Their manager has admitted that San Diego is about Tom but that he really had to push Mark to write it. The fact is I don't think Mark is real interested in singing/saying anything about Tom right now.

Or maybe Mark was writing about Tom subconsciously. Who knows but I like the song and as a very old blink fan I am surprisingly happy with this album. It's got some good stuff on it even though I cannot accept anyone as a new member. Blink will always be Mark tom and Travis ( sorry Scott)