There is a video on YouTube of David Bazan explaining the meaning and inspiration of this song. His uncle was a paramedic for 12 or 15 years. They were told to tell stories of what had happened to family and friends after they got off work. David said most of these were messed up, but funny. Towards the end of his uncle's career as a paramedic, he was also a pastor; starting a church in his home and eventually moving to a big building. The people in the church took care of a meth addict and took him to the hospital frequently. One day, the man's meth lab blew up, burning over 90% of his body. When they put him in the ambulence, he woke up, freaking out and screaming, "Oh my god! Am I gonna die!?" Paramedics are told to just tell people to calm down and avoid the situation, but Bazan's uncle told him, "Yes, you're going to die in about 10 minutes." The man then became silent, and died shortly after.
Bazan wanted to relay this story as a song. After writing the first verse, he felt this was to be the best song he'd ever written. While writing the song, he felt the events and story were too personal, and came up with what he described as a "cartoony" ending.
There is a video on YouTube of David Bazan explaining the meaning and inspiration of this song. His uncle was a paramedic for 12 or 15 years. They were told to tell stories of what had happened to family and friends after they got off work. David said most of these were messed up, but funny. Towards the end of his uncle's career as a paramedic, he was also a pastor; starting a church in his home and eventually moving to a big building. The people in the church took care of a meth addict and took him to the hospital frequently. One day, the man's meth lab blew up, burning over 90% of his body. When they put him in the ambulence, he woke up, freaking out and screaming, "Oh my god! Am I gonna die!?" Paramedics are told to just tell people to calm down and avoid the situation, but Bazan's uncle told him, "Yes, you're going to die in about 10 minutes." The man then became silent, and died shortly after.
Bazan wanted to relay this story as a song. After writing the first verse, he felt this was to be the best song he'd ever written. While writing the song, he felt the events and story were too personal, and came up with what he described as a "cartoony" ending.