I have trouble deciding if this song is really about the death of youth as the song title would dictate or if it's about the loss of innocence causing actual suicidal tendencies. I think it might be a combination. He has lost his youth, and this song is the funeral for the loss. With the loss of youth/innocence he has decided that he wants to die.
It starts here:
"When I can't breathe, I won't ask you to stop
When I can't breathe, don't call for a cop"
where you see that he really does want to die.
and then you see:
"I was naive and hopeful and lost
Now I'm aware and driving my thoughts"
where it becomes pretty clear that he has lost his naivete and that has caused him to want to die.
The reason I really don't think it's just a metaphor for the loss of youth/innocence is in the lines:
"And you can play this at my funeral
Tell my sister don't cry and don't be sad
I'm in Paradise with Dad
Close my eyes and then cross my arms
Put me in the dirt, let me dream with the stars"
which clearly dictates a funeral, joining his (presumably) dead father and then being buried.
The other part of this song that I find extremely interesting is the Kurt Cobain references in the video - He goes to pretty great lengths to look like Kurt growing out and dying his hair to his exact shade, the facial hair, even the sunglasses.
Some people maintain a myth of many of the major members of the 27 club having white bic lighters with them at their deaths. While this can't be true, the myth is still alive enough that the using white lighters to see could either be just a general wish for bad luck/death to great him or it could be a reference to the idea of wanting to join the club combined with the Cobain references.
There are some parts of the song - like his mother needing to worship him and him not believing if he doesn't keep proof that don't have an obvious correlation with this interpretation but I think that the rest of the song really explains it all.
I have trouble deciding if this song is really about the death of youth as the song title would dictate or if it's about the loss of innocence causing actual suicidal tendencies. I think it might be a combination. He has lost his youth, and this song is the funeral for the loss. With the loss of youth/innocence he has decided that he wants to die.
It starts here: "When I can't breathe, I won't ask you to stop When I can't breathe, don't call for a cop" where you see that he really does want to die.
and then you see: "I was naive and hopeful and lost Now I'm aware and driving my thoughts" where it becomes pretty clear that he has lost his naivete and that has caused him to want to die.
The reason I really don't think it's just a metaphor for the loss of youth/innocence is in the lines: "And you can play this at my funeral Tell my sister don't cry and don't be sad I'm in Paradise with Dad Close my eyes and then cross my arms Put me in the dirt, let me dream with the stars" which clearly dictates a funeral, joining his (presumably) dead father and then being buried.
The other part of this song that I find extremely interesting is the Kurt Cobain references in the video - He goes to pretty great lengths to look like Kurt growing out and dying his hair to his exact shade, the facial hair, even the sunglasses. Some people maintain a myth of many of the major members of the 27 club having white bic lighters with them at their deaths. While this can't be true, the myth is still alive enough that the using white lighters to see could either be just a general wish for bad luck/death to great him or it could be a reference to the idea of wanting to join the club combined with the Cobain references.
There are some parts of the song - like his mother needing to worship him and him not believing if he doesn't keep proof that don't have an obvious correlation with this interpretation but I think that the rest of the song really explains it all.