This song was written for Big Hero 6 so everything applies to the movie - mostly Tadashi and Hiro's relationship.
First of all, Tadashi is talking to Hiro in this song giving him advice from the grave in a sort of way.
"They say we are what we are,
But we don't have to be"
Society puts a lock on people and tells them they can never be more than what they are. This song is saying that it doesn't have to be that we and we can do whatever we want. Tadashi is telling Hiro that he can be whatever he wants.
"I'm bad behavior but I do it in the best way"
This line really STUMPs me. (pun intended)
"I'll be the watcher (watcher) of the eternal flame,
I'll be the guard dog of all your fever dreams"
I interpret eternal flame as passion in the world and peoples' dreams, so I think Tadashi is reassuring Hiro that he'll protect him. And he'll protect Hiro's dreams, as well.
(Ooh)
"I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass" (glass, glass)
Sand at the bottom of an hourglass is time that has passed and can never come back again, therefore saying that Tadashi's time is over, but Hiro's time is still running. I also like what misstori123 wrote about how Hiro is taking Tadashi's role as the hero.
(Ooh)
"I try to picture me without you but I can't"
Tadashi means so much to Hiro that Hiro doesn't think he could be anything without him. Tadashi completes Hiro.
"'Cause we could be immortals, immortals
Just not for long, for long,"
This is honestly one of the best lines in a song I've ever heard. The literal concept of living forever but not forever is contradictory - it doesn't work, and that's so creative and I love Pete Wentz. So I like to think that immortal doesn't mean literally living forever, but feeling like you could live forever. There are moments when you feel on top of the world, like nothing could take you down, but that feeling doesn't last for long. This applies to Big Hero 6 because when Hiro won the scholarship, he felt like everything was right, but that ended quickly with the fire and all.
"And live with me forever now,"
Also, Tadashi can live forever in Hiro's memory, living with him.
"You pull the blackout curtains down,"
Pulling curtains down is like ending the show, like blacking out the rest of the world, and you can be immortal in that way, when you're isolated.
"Just not for long, for long,"
None of that is actually forever though, because everything ends.
We could be immor- immortals,
Immor- immortals,
Immor- immortals,
Immor- immortals,
"Sometimes the only pay off for having any faith,
Is when it's tested again and again everyday,"
Faith is believing in something or someone or a religion or an idea or whatever, and the only real prize for holding onto that faith so strongly is when it becomes stronger from being tested and questioned all the time.
"I'm still comparing your past to my future,"
Hiro is comparing what Tadashi was to what he will be. He wants to be just like his big brother.
"It might be your wound but they're my sutures,"
This line is separate from all others. It's about how someone's pain or trauma can be another person's safety net. Perhaps this person doesn't realize how difficult something was for another and perceives it as a good thing.
Then the chorus repeats.
This is only my take on the song - feel free to agree or disagree or add more or whatever.
This song was written for Big Hero 6 so everything applies to the movie - mostly Tadashi and Hiro's relationship.
First of all, Tadashi is talking to Hiro in this song giving him advice from the grave in a sort of way.
"They say we are what we are, But we don't have to be"
Society puts a lock on people and tells them they can never be more than what they are. This song is saying that it doesn't have to be that we and we can do whatever we want. Tadashi is telling Hiro that he can be whatever he wants.
"I'm bad behavior but I do it in the best way"
This line really STUMPs me. (pun intended)
"I'll be the watcher (watcher) of the eternal flame, I'll be the guard dog of all your fever dreams"
I interpret eternal flame as passion in the world and peoples' dreams, so I think Tadashi is reassuring Hiro that he'll protect him. And he'll protect Hiro's dreams, as well.
(Ooh) "I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass" (glass, glass)
Sand at the bottom of an hourglass is time that has passed and can never come back again, therefore saying that Tadashi's time is over, but Hiro's time is still running. I also like what misstori123 wrote about how Hiro is taking Tadashi's role as the hero.
(Ooh) "I try to picture me without you but I can't"
Tadashi means so much to Hiro that Hiro doesn't think he could be anything without him. Tadashi completes Hiro.
"'Cause we could be immortals, immortals Just not for long, for long,"
This is honestly one of the best lines in a song I've ever heard. The literal concept of living forever but not forever is contradictory - it doesn't work, and that's so creative and I love Pete Wentz. So I like to think that immortal doesn't mean literally living forever, but feeling like you could live forever. There are moments when you feel on top of the world, like nothing could take you down, but that feeling doesn't last for long. This applies to Big Hero 6 because when Hiro won the scholarship, he felt like everything was right, but that ended quickly with the fire and all.
"And live with me forever now,"
Also, Tadashi can live forever in Hiro's memory, living with him.
"You pull the blackout curtains down,"
Pulling curtains down is like ending the show, like blacking out the rest of the world, and you can be immortal in that way, when you're isolated.
"Just not for long, for long,"
None of that is actually forever though, because everything ends.
We could be immor- immortals, Immor- immortals, Immor- immortals, Immor- immortals,
"Sometimes the only pay off for having any faith, Is when it's tested again and again everyday,"
Faith is believing in something or someone or a religion or an idea or whatever, and the only real prize for holding onto that faith so strongly is when it becomes stronger from being tested and questioned all the time.
"I'm still comparing your past to my future,"
Hiro is comparing what Tadashi was to what he will be. He wants to be just like his big brother.
"It might be your wound but they're my sutures,"
This line is separate from all others. It's about how someone's pain or trauma can be another person's safety net. Perhaps this person doesn't realize how difficult something was for another and perceives it as a good thing.
Then the chorus repeats.
This is only my take on the song - feel free to agree or disagree or add more or whatever.