To me this song is really obviously about coming out (as a homosexual), being kicked out of the parade is a reference to the St Patrick's Day parades where homosexuals were kicked out, "couldn't bend to fit myself inside the lines / and have wasted all this time just trying" - reference to attempting to lead a hetereosexual life, "They're so convinced that everything is black and white / That we are wrong and they are right" is a reference to the heteronormative society, and the entire verse
"To lose the mask you always hid yourself behind
To live a life of your design
To say what's really on your mind
To come out of the dark and shine"
makes it even more obvious, if it needed to be. "everything you are is beautiful" just underlines the point. I know that some people will probably disagree with me here, but I can't see how this song could realistically be read in any other way when there are so many references!
To me this song is really obviously about coming out (as a homosexual), being kicked out of the parade is a reference to the St Patrick's Day parades where homosexuals were kicked out, "couldn't bend to fit myself inside the lines / and have wasted all this time just trying" - reference to attempting to lead a hetereosexual life, "They're so convinced that everything is black and white / That we are wrong and they are right" is a reference to the heteronormative society, and the entire verse
"To lose the mask you always hid yourself behind To live a life of your design To say what's really on your mind To come out of the dark and shine"
makes it even more obvious, if it needed to be. "everything you are is beautiful" just underlines the point. I know that some people will probably disagree with me here, but I can't see how this song could realistically be read in any other way when there are so many references!