Same In The End

I think there's likely a lot of different meanings to these lyrics and I've read here a variety of interesting opinions, some of which never occurred to me before.

Perhaps it takes one to know one however because for someone acquainted with opiate addiction, as Bradley was, there are quite a few obvious references to heroin use and abuse. It's my opinion that the underlying theme of the song is that of conveying some of the sad realities of opiate -- specifically heroin -- abuse.

As a fellow opiate addict, this is what I'm sure of:

"Tricks up one's sleeve" refers to the track marks left on one's arms by persistent IV drug use. Each injection site represents an injury to the body and repeated punctures lead to, at best, scarring. At worst, whether the injections be intravenous or intramuscular ("skin popping"), abscesses can develop and result in even more disfigurement.

"Itchy rash" and the references to "Rectite" are well-known to those who suffer from opiate abuse and withdrawal. Abusing opiates like heroin can cause elevated levels of chemicals called histamines in one's bloodstream. This causes your skin to itch and the resulting repeated scratching can lead to a rash. Also, a common symptom associated with opiate withdrawal is diarrhea. "Rectite" refers to a fictional product designed to seal up one's anus, thus curing persistent diarrhea. As far as I know, there's no such product. It's more of an urban legend, though Google seems to indicate that "Rectite" is also a French medical term related to the diarrhea caused by radiation treatment.

"Kentucky Fried Chicken" is another reference to track marks that can be caused by IV drug use, specifically the terrible damage caused by untreated abscesses. The resulting pockmarks and ridged scar tissue is said to be reminiscent of a piece of KFC fried chicken. Seeing that as you "hit your wake-up" (your first dose of the day) is truly a "hellified" way to start your day.

There are also other lyrics in this song which clearly can be interpreted in different ways. Here's what I speculate:

I don't know much about Bradley's upbringing or family life, but the first verse seems to indicate that his father wasn't much of a role model to say the least. Perhaps he leaves some of the blame for his later struggles with narcotics at the feet of a father absent for much of his life.

The references to mornings and the beginning of a day loom large for opiate addicts. It's the worst time of the day for someone in active addiction because one typically wakes up "sick," meaning the initial effects of opiate withdrawal can be felt. As I said before, it really is a "hellified way to start your day" and getting on your knees and praying for some sort of release from that Hell is not uncommon.

The phrase "it ain't me" is one that I can identify with as a recovering addict. We will do whatever is necessary to "get well" (once addicted, using opiates becomes less about getting high and more about staving off the effects of withdrawal) and that includes lying, cheating, stealing, etc. These behaviors shock those that know us best because our actions and the single-mindedness with which we pursue getting high are completely at odds with what our loved ones expect out of us. Truly though, our bad behavior isn't personal. It's simply a reflection of the hold dope can have over one's life.

Though it's obviously easy to construe the meaning of "take a load from my big gun" to be overtly sexual, I think that to an IV drug user, it clearly refers to the "shot" delivered by a hypodermic syringe.

Lastly, I think Bradley engages in a little irony towards the end of the song when he describes being able to "see for miles and miles," which is not an uncommon way to describe being high, while at the same time being broken-hearted. This resonates deeply with me because it's a perfect description of the allure of opiate use followed by the painful reality that the euphoria they cause comes with an incredibly painful price.

Regardless of what Bradley intended the song to mean in relation to his own life, "Same in the End" fucking rocks! :o)

Honestly I really think its about the effect his Dad had on him. At the beginning of the song he tells us how his dad rolled away, he was hurt by that. And because Bradleys such a wise guy he starts telling us what kind of man he's turning into. The same man who rolled away at the beginning of the song. He gets angry, he gets irritated, he gets upset just like every other human does. But he's aware of jt, and in his mind it really hurt him

This song is about the dark "evil" trashy gutter parts of man's personality; specifically Brad's personality. When I say trashy, I'm not saying mildly trashy. I'm talking: Mississippi, Hitler, junky, hillbilly, fatherless bastard, domestic abuser, druggie psycho. That's what Brad was, and we love him regardless. This song is about him learning to love himself. The plot of the song is him integrating these undesirable negative parts of his character into how he views himself, and accepting these dark parts of his personality without judgement.

It starts with a metaphor about Mississippi, which represents Brad himself. Mississippi isn't regarded as a good place with good people; instead it is known as the worst place even though the sun shines. Like Brad, Mississippians give up what they could otherwise be and choose a low-life, and no one knows why. None the less, like Brad, they voluntarily decide to be backwards ass hillbillies. Then he talks about his dad abandoning him. (hmmm, maybe that's the answer to the "no one knows why". It explains why "Mississippi", aka brad, became the garbage dump it is).

Then he goes on to describe all his dirt. It has numerous references to heroin and alcohol use. It references Hitler (Brad once got caught graffiting a swastika, and got into a lot of trouble because of it). Therefore, Brad must have some bit of Nazi punk as a part of him. He must have previously considered hitler's ideas to have done such a thing and also to have written that line. He talks about self delusion, willful ignorance, getting crazy, fist fights, making his girl cry, having passionate domestic dispute make-up sex, stealing, lying, kissing butt, getting mean, raging, and otherwise being a son of a bitch. It sounds to me like he was inspired by being high on meth when he wrote it (and that's not a bad thing).

Though he initially disavows these parts of his personality (it aint me), by the end of the song; he acknowledges that they are a solid unchangeable part of himself (24/7 devil's best friend); he recognizes with insight and satisfaction all the bad parts of himself, and sees that they are caused by his broken heart (largely resulting from his lack of a father); finally, he stoically accepts his flaws (it makes no difference it's all the same in the end).

We all have pain & broken hearts which makes us do bad things that we feel ashamed about. It's better to own it, accept it, and understand yourself. This is definitely the best sublime song, and has powerful lyrics about living passionately even if you aren't perfect and integrating your personality without shame.

This is my favorite sublime song. Unfortunately, I have no idea what he's talking about because he was a musical genius on mad drugs. Towards the end it seems like he's talking about someone broke his heart but he feels like he shouldn't give a shit and gets all crazy in the process of trying to make himself immune to any emotional pain because he figures everything evens out in the end anyway. just a guess.

i think it's about people who try to be something their not... but in the end it dosen't matter because god knows who you really are.

i think it's just some laid back bad ass sublime that you don't need to figure out

i don't think this song is laid back at all

This songs about how Brad's sometimes arrogant and how he has problems with that. I love the line "the day that i die will be day that i shut my mouth and put down my guitar" I feel the same way. I just hope that the day that i die wont be the day that i overdose.

this song is about bad things happening in his life but hes saying its all the same in the end so he doesnt care, hell do what he want.

MetalKronic you're fucked up man. Stop smoking crack while you analyze lyrics.