Paradigm

So. Contrary for what this other due said about people tapping into a matrix type of situation this is more about human "upgrading" them selves and becoming more a machine than human. Becoming immortal while becoming more of a machine and losing "that boy you used to know". Basically becoming a cyborg and starting to be better than other mortals thus becoming god among them. But the further he "upgrades" the less human he becomes. almost like the movie Transcendence from 2014 which is not far fetch that this might have been an inspiration for this song because that's when A7x were prolly planing and writing new songs for the new album.

Also with a quick googling I found out that "Paradigm shift" refers as a scientific revolution in some context and in the song it states "Final Paradigm" thus refereeing that the transformation going on in the song or the "events" is the final revolutionizing thing in scientific realm. This might be human merging with AI or just AI gaining and upgrading it self and becoming ever more intelligent with no stopping.

Also to me there are other song on this album that actually feel more like Matrix scenario than this song. Like Simulation like the name suggest (then again that feels a bit Westworldy as well, in liek its a simulation for the machines/Ai to keep them in check so they wont revolt against human overlords).

I'd wager the song is about a person, naturally fearing death, succumbing to his wishes for immortality. Technology has created a way for immortality to happen, through what seems to be a Matrix-type computer generated consciousness, but by "plugging in" humanity loses something core to them; perhaps a yearning for freedom.

This whole album plays off of the idea of the singularity: an event in which technology gets so advanced and AI's are created. This causes such unimaginable exponential scientific growth that humans become obsolete and are likely to be enslaved by the AI's they've created. The Matrix is an exploration of this event as well SPOILER ALERT: the humans are put into a digital existence and the electricity generated by their perception of reality is used to fuel the AI's ships, etc.

I believe that this song has more of a deep personal meaning, at least for me. Throughout the song Matt speaks about “what it’s like to be a man.” I like to think that it’s himself asking these questions while on his path to adult hood with the real world crashing down on to him. In the chorus of the song, he’s yelling to his own parents for guidance but they’ve been negligent of his needs. You can tell in the final chorus as he yells to both of his parents saying, “Mother, oh father. Have you lost that boy you used to know?” Signifying his entry into adulthood straying away from his early childhood stages where everything was peaceful. Now the boy is in a hurtful world begging for help from his parents who just don’t see it.