Lyric discussion by EphemeralArcs 

Cover art for Pride lyrics by Manchester Orchestra

It's pretty obvious this is about more than one thing. I was reluctant to take it at first, but I think I agree, that in part this song is about cigarette addiction. IT also seems to be vastly personal interpretations of the way he views himself and his art, sound, music. It is one way he can communicate what he feels, maybe words are not enough, he sings. Too in the following:

After all its you, my pride, and me I can't speak whatever I can speak You see

And also: After all its me and the king and the the beast Whatever Whatever I can't speak I sing

He seems to be hinting at being at struggle with some force he views as part of him. Then this is wound with the fact he has a beastly need to use cigarettes, to use music, and appease his beast in the lines following: I think i'm dying for another one The sound what a broke neck What a lion I need another and another one The sound what cheap trick What a habit, what a habit when I need it yeah The sound what a dead neck What a lion I need another and another one The sound What a cheap trick

Too, I think he feels it is somewhat destroying him, and he feels guilt about it. But he continues on. He has pride in his body, that he can resist the effects of his addiction. He has pride in his music, the sound which fixes something in him something he is then dependent on much like cigarettes. Music, money, and all of it become a vicious cycle. He has pride that it won't effect him. He realizes that this is an unlogical view, and so it tears him up. So then he begins to feel guilty, and feels he's less than he can be. He sees some visage of hitting the ground, dead pose awkward with a dead neck. His head is broken, his thought is broken. The beast enslaves him. He even thinks he might not be good (at music in general), but he 'can keep crying as long as the money is seen'.