I'm not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Or maybe just happy
Think I'm just happy
My heart is broke
But I have some glue
Help me inhale
And mend it with you
We'll float around
And hang out on clouds
Then we'll come down
And have a hangover, have a hangover
Skin the sun
Fall asleep
Wish away
The soul is cheap
Lesson learned
Wish me luck
Soothe the burn
Wake me up
I'm not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Or maybe just happy
Think I'm just happy
My heart is broke
But I have some glue
Help me inhale
And mend it with you
We'll float around
And hang out on clouds
Then we'll come down
And have a hangover, have a hangover
Skin the sun
Fall asleep
Wish away
The soul is cheap
Lesson learned
Wish me luck
Soothe the burn
Wake me up
I'm not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
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DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS COMMENTARY
all the comments are either arguing back and forthon whether or not this song is about drugs ("omg, like that is so, like clichè and, like overly used, like what is like wrong with you? It's like obviously about soming really deep and profound, like loooovvveee..... no one writes songs about love anymore :( :p :@") or whether or not Kurt killed himself, completely with an extremely witty burn ("courtney love shld chng her nm 2 courtney HATE! coz thts wat sh ds, hate.... ppl...yeah....")
let Kurt rest in peace, turn around, go back to your ipod/mp3/cdplayer/whatever and just rock on...
ok ok... ps its actually safe until you get to floppy... then make sure you turn back (though it is kind of funny...)
oh yea...pps maxxie, sorry I took up your reply space... but its been seven years...you don't mind, right?
I'm not like them, but I can pretend
-he knows he's different, so he's doing drugs feel like everyone else
the sun is gone, but i have a light
-a lighter for marijuana, something to stay up for, the high
the day is done, but i'm having fun
-being high is how he has fun
i think i'm dumb, or maybe just happy
-by doing drugs he knows he's either dumb for doing them, or happy because of them
i think i'm just happy
-he's high, he's happy
my heart is broke, but i have some glue
-he's sad and lonely, and drugs are his glue
help me inhale, and mend it with you
-he's doing drugs to make himself happy, to take his mind off his broken heart.
we'll float around, and hang out on clouds
-he's high, happy, up
then we'll come down, and have a hangover
-eventually, it goes away and he goes back to being sad and lonely
skin the sun, fall asleep,
-maybe referring to the hangover, he really loses me here, it makes him tired, cause weed really does.
wish away, the soul is cheap,
-refering to how drugs help his soul, and they cost money, and a soul should be priceless, but his only requires $20-$100 for weed
lesson learned, wish me luck,
-he learned something from his high? he's asking for you to wish he's happy?
soothe the burn,
-i always burn my fingers, he uses that as a metaphor, asking someone to soothe his burn from smoking weed, to help him so he doesn't need it anymore
wake me up,
-take him away from his false reality, make it so he doesn't need drugs anymore. he's asking for help, because he knows he is living a dream and he isn't really happy.
---then at the end----
i think i'm dumb, or maybe just happy
-he's reconsidering his life, his drugs
i think i'm dumb
-he realizes he's not really happy, he's stupid. he knows he is gaining nothing. he knows he's being stupid and killing himself, even if marijuana isn't fatal.
kurt is my role model, although not a very good one. i respect him as an amazing musician, and i have never read any lyrics like his. his lyrics all have hidden meanings, he uses metaphors. email me with your thoughts on my song meanings, and yes he was killed. he attempted suicide one month before, heroin overdose.
"I'm not like them but I can pretend" as far as I can tell referencing this realism (cynicism) and inability as a person of superior faculties of recognition (as I think this song is actually very self-laudatory) to generally concede to any degree of temporal (and unreasonable) optimism.
This song is, I believe, a serenade to such visceral, illogical, and ephemeral joy and the awareness that trusting it is perilous and "dumb."
"He who binds himself to joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise" -- William Blake
I don't really have much to say about the first verse. The second one I believe is about finding your refuge in drugs.
"My heart is broke/I have some glue"
Depression, obviously.
"Help me inhale/mend it with you"
Inhaling glue apparently gets you high, I've never done it, but whatever. You also inhale cocaine, etc. Doing drugs helps his heart "mend."
Again, the third verse, I don't have much to say. The last verse is a repeat of the first, but with a little more on it.
"I think I'm dumb, maybe just happy," I've always seen as "Am I really happy, or am I just oblivious to all the terrible, hurtful things around me? (Dumb)" In the first verse, he claims that he's just happy. At the end, he comes to the realization that there is no possible way that he's happy, and that he's just "dumb" to the things around him. Songs like this really make you wonder why this man never recieved any help. It's a damn shame he killed himself. Poor man. :[
The song is relatable and genius. "Dumbing" yourself down just to be like everyone else. To try to fit into everyone's happiness; thinking it will do the same to you. It's what we all do. Sometimes we become so ashamed of ourselves, that the very thought of us makes us sick.
"The sun is gone, but I have a light." There's nothing left of him, but if he uses this artificial, fake light, then he'll regain his somewhat "happiness." Which is fake. It's like also saying "I'm pretty dumb for doing this but whatever, if it means that I get to be somewhat "happy" and people will see that, then so be it." He's given up with honesty of himself. He's given up in general, I should say.
We've been there, even Kurt. He just couldn't handle it obviously. Like people say: "Sometimes you gotta fake it to make it."
God bless him.