Pain

In general: the song seems to describe an internal struggle within the main character, probably a dark side versus a bright side, could be related to mental disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or just the struggle every person has to deal with. I think this follows from the meaning of the lines in the chorus, but also from the grammar, like “Pull me close and let me hold you in” and “Hang your head and let me in, I’m waitin’”. He’s combining first and second person.

Go to bed now I can tell Pain is on the way out now Look away, a domino falls away

He’s losing consiousness, because of sleep or otherwise (drugs, medication). Finally the pain is released. “Domino falls away” indicates that he can’t see cause and effect anymore, what’s in the past and what is now (this is continued later in the lyrics).

I know it's hard lookin' in Knowin' that tomorrow you'll be back again Hang your head and let me in, I'm waitin' So long

Still falling out of conciousness, but looking from the outside. He’s disappointed with himself, it’s hard to look at himself. His outside self says to his inner self to hang his head (be ashamed). Let me take over from now. So long - he’s asleep

I was staring into the light When I saw you in the distance, I knew that you'd be mine Am I movin' back in time? Just standin' still?

In his sleep he encounters some past trauma, it’s not made clear what it is. The cause and effect are still gone, he can’t tell if this is now or the past (moving back in time), it probably feels terrifyingly real. He feels that he is stuck with this trauma, standing still.

I met a man with a broken back He had a fear in his eyes that I could understand I can't even shake the pain without breakin'

Still in his dream he encounters a very broken and vulnerable man, this might be himself. He can’t help himself without making things worse, without breaking more stuff.

I'm just pullin' on a wire, but it just won't break I've been turnin' up a dial, but I hear no sound I resist what I cannot change, own it in your own way Yeah, I wanna find what can't be found

This is by far the most profound part in the lyrics, very emotional and universal. It’s about the pain of living, for every human, and the paradox of acceptance. Most of us spend our times worrying about the things we can’t influence, but the things we can influence we let untouched. When we stop resisting, when we stop searching, that is when we will notice other beautiful things and start finding new meaning.

I'm aware you're tired and lost Like a demon in a doorway, waiting to be born But I'm here all alone, just beggin'

His alter ego in his sleep reflects on the fact that he is tired and lost. In his sleep he can already predict that he will wake up and be his miserable self again, the demon that will be born (every day). He begs to himself to stay there.

Pull me close and let me hold you in Give me the deeper understanding of who I am Yeah, I'm going back again, I'm waiting here

His inner and outer self interacting again. Trying to comfort himself after the dream, before waking up. He’s going back again into the dream realm, but he will be waiting there for the next encounter tomorrow night.

I have probably listened to this song a hundred times over the past couple of months. While his descriptions are general enough -- "i was staring into the light", "turning up a dial, but I hear no sound", "i wanna find what can't be found" -- and therefore could be about a number of things, I feel really strongly that this song is primarily about bipolar depression. Yes, I know he did the interview where he talked about the pain from his back operation. But having gone through cyclical depression personally and being at the lowest low point these past couple of months, I am amazed at how accurately this song represents my situation.

"Go to bed now I can tell Pain is on the way out now Look away and a domino falls away"

The depression cycle. Being consciously aware that mood is on the rise. This transition period between depressed and “less depressed” (I would not say I have an extreme case of bipolar disorder where I am ever “manic”) also signals the countdown until the pain returns. This is the domino reference – the moment the depression lets up, and you turn your focus to enjoying life, the dominos have already started falling and the depression will inevitably return. Expanding on that interpretation – this switching from depressed to “less depressed” is just another iteration of the cycle, and so the domino represents one of the countless depression cycles that you have experienced in life. There were many before and will be many after, just like a line of dominoes.

“I know it's hard looking in Knowing that tomorrow you'll be back again Hang your head and let me in, I'm waiting So long”

My interpretation is that this is an internal dialog with oneself. Between the “Light”(not depressed) and “Dark” (depressed) versions of you:

Light – “I know it’s hard looking in, knowing that tomorrow you’ll be back again.” Dark – “Hang your head and let me in, I’m waiting.” Light – “So long.”

Here, the Light/not depressed version of self is telling the Dark/depressed version of self how difficult it is to self-examine while being acutely aware that the current feeling of wellbeing is fleeting. He is resigned to losing himself to the Dark/depressed self, and it’s only a matter of time. The Dark/depressed self picks up on this resignation and mockingly tells the Light to “hang your head and let me in, I’m waiting.” The Light is not impressed and tells the Dark to get lost.

More on this internal dialogue later! E.g. “pull me closer, let me hold you in”

“I was staring into the light When I saw you in the distance and knew that you'd be mine. Am I moving back in time? Just standing still?

I think this is pretty self-explanatory – I was experiencing happiness/well-being when I started to get the feeling that another depressive cycle was forthcoming. “Am I moving back in time? Or just standing still?” The cycle repeats itself and I find myself at this familiar junction of depression. Just as I did a year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago.

“I met a man with a broken back He had a fear in his eyes that I could understand I can't even shake the hand Without breaking it”

So I have to reach a little bit here for my interpretation, but I don’t feel like it’s too much. The man with the broken back has a fear in his eyes, because knows that with any action, however small it may be, he could throw his back out and be laid up for months. This is analogous to bipolar depression – any little thing could upset the balance and send you into a depressive state. It’s not a perfect interpretation, but overall it is consistent with the rest of the song.

“I've been pulling on a wire, but it just won't break I've been turning up the dial, but I hear no sound”

The two extremes of bipolar depression. Manic self pulls on the wire to no avail – it doesn’t matter how hard he pulls, the wire cannot be broken. Not even by the frantic, force of energy that is manic self. Depressive self turns up the dial, in the hopes that he might hear the faintest notes of happiness. To live with depression means that you might not experience any enjoyment/happiness for weeks on end. You try “turning up the dial,” but nothing. It’s like trying to hear sound, but you are deaf. This one really hits me in the feels, every time.

“I resist what I cannot change And I wanna find what can't be found”

Bipolar depression is not something you can cure by eating better, quitting smoking, etc. It is hardwired in the DNA. No one wants to admit that they are “faulty”, and no one wants to take a bunch of meds with terrible side effects. So we resist what we cannot change. And secretly dream of finding what can’t be found – a cure for depression/to be normal. The 3 lines of “turning up the dial”, “resist what I cannot change”, and “find what cant be found” are so incredibly moving to me. It’s difficult to put into words.

“I'm aware you’re tired and lost Like a demon in a doorway, waiting to be born But I'm here all alone, just begging Pull me close and let me hold you in Give me the deeper understanding of who I am Yeah, I'm moving back again, I'm waiting, yeah”

More of that internal dialogue between the Light (not depressed) and Dark (depressed). At this point, they’ve almost become a single voice, as we prepare to transition from not depressed to depressed. I should also mention that there are pieces of who you are as a person that are tied to each of these states of being. Personally, some of my deepest, most insightful, most creative thoughts are only possible when I am depressed. On the other hand, my interpersonal skills, ambition, planning, etc. are seriously heightened during my “manic” phases. So the two are linked, and in order to be whole as a person, you need a little bit of both. Light acknowledges that the Dark self is tired and lost from being away from its other half. Dark then begs (like a demon trying to trick you) that he’s all alone and needs his other half. The Light then concedes and admits that the Dark should “pull him close” so he can “hold him in” in order to get “the deeper understanding of who I am”. Another one that hits me in the feels. Just like “I resist what I cannot change”, this is a line that is all about acceptance of what we are. By experiencing the depth of the hardship brought on by the depression, we can begin to understand ourselves and take the next steps for improving our mental wellbeing.

“I'm just pulling on a wire, but it just won't break I've been turning up a dial, but I hear no sound I resist what I cannot change Yeah, I wanna find what can't be found”

The guitar solo following this final chorus is another perfect representation for the state of living with Pain/depression. He plays a single note, repetitiously, with more and more vigor. Just like pulling on a wire or turning up the dial – you can’t WILL the emotion into existence, as much as you try. I feel the frustration in that guitar string as it tries desperately to play a melody, each picking of the string a fullhearted attempt to bring color to the world.

I can honestly say that no song has moved me quite like this one has. It is a masterpiece.

This song is about pain, obviously but this is how I break it down line by line.

Go to bed now I can tell - either really drunk / smashed or generally tired Pain is on the way out now - because he can sleep Look at the way the domino falls away - I see this as a moment where he watches a domino topple that hes playing with and its either in slow motion or significant due to the fact hes so out of it.

I know it's hard looking in - he doesnt like think about himself and sorting out something about himself

Knowing that tomorrow you'll be back again - he will wake up to be himself again Hang your head and let me in, I'm waiting - waiting to drift off away from his troubles

So long

I was staring into the light When I saw you in the distance, I knew that you'd be mine Am I moving back in time? Just standing still?

• i think this is a memory of someone he loved back in the day and now he thinks he isnt moving forward from it, maybe this is the root of his troubles

I met a man with a broken back He had a fear in his eyes that I could understand I can't even shake the hand Without breaking it

• best lyrics in the song i think, he has the same fear as a man with broken back but couldnt even relate and thank the man, he feels wherever he goes he breaks everything, maybe the relationship above

I've been pulling on a wire, but it just won't break I've been turning up the dial, but I hear no sound I resist what I cannot change And I wanna find what can't be found

• many people feel they are looking for things, not content, and really they just need to enjoy what they have

I'm aware of the time we lost Like a demon in the doorway, waiting to be born But I'm here all alone, just begging

Pull me close and let me hold you in Give me the deeper understanding of who I am Yeah, I'm moving back again, I'm waiting, yeah

• i think he is talking about his love again, wishing her back, when hes with her, she helps him look inwards and understand why he is the way he is and come to terms. Very spirtitual i think, you must look within to understand the world.

I'm just pulling on a wire, but it just won't break I've been turning up the dial, but I hear no sound I resist what I cannot change, own it in your own way Yeah, I wanna find what can't be found

He wants to gain a 'Deeper Understanding' of himself and believes he can do it by examining and letting in pain. Through the deeper exploration of his pain, he can gain a more intimate knowledge of who he is.

As a mother who lost her only son in 2012 at the age of 22 to an accidental heroin overdose this song echoed the pain I have felt nearly every day since. The pain is always waiting at my doorstep...ever line in their song speaks to me. I wish I could just give them a hug...

First of all I see this song in colours cause my brain has this tendency of showing waves of lights when I hear music so I see this song as a piece of art, a paint and there I can see images, and there I see a man who met a woman and for some random event in life stopped seeing her and his feelings for her started to fade in time, then he met a man with a broken heart and a pain he could recognize, then he meets her again and he recognize love and he tells her he has being focusing in work as a way to find a meaning for his life but there's no meaning, he has also try to create a connection with others but no luck, and he belives she is his true love despite not having her, at some point he thought he could live without love yet here he is begging for her attention and stuck in the days when he first met her and hoping he can find in here that love that cannot be found, now this is only my interpretation and I'm sure others will have better interpretations but this is how I see it, as a person who wants to find what cant be found.

He’s hurtin’.

Frontman Adam Granduciel told Q Magazine this anxiety-ridden tale of physical agony was inspired by an operation on his ruptured disc.

I wanna find what can\'t be found.... thats it

I think this song is about someone in pain wanting to get over an addiction or evil habit so badly. They know that they need to stop but they can't seem to do it alone, and they know that only with God they can get better. They are so ashamed at their past that they feel terrible begging for God's mercy but still they know it is the only way. They want to feel what they have not felt in a long time or ever: to be free from addiction.

"Pull me close and let me hold you in" -- singer wanting to be close to God/Jesus and wants to keep God/Jesus in

"Give me the deeper understanding of who I am" -- only God can do this

"Yeah, I'm moving back again, I'm waiting, yeah" -- Struggle of recovery is real and they may mess up and fall but they keep waiting and keep getting back up to try