I pretty much agree with everyone that the song covers the thoughts and actions of a disturbingly obsessed person, but I think the song gives a bit more history that may not have been touched upon. Perhaps I am just making things up with the lines given in the song, but I think it all makes sense.
There is this guy (or girl even...Tillian and Jon are just a voice to the thoughts of this character) who is clearly in love with this girl. I am presuming he has been for a while (to be explained below). However, he has never actually met this girl. Just fantasizes about it, knowing he could be something really good for her. Instead, he watches from a distance, perhaps under the pretense of protecting her. The first section of the song shows this. Here I grouped up the lines into sections that validate the ideas above
-I will never let you leave my sight
-I've been staying up lately, all night
-Making sure you get to bed safely
(It almost sounds benevolent. Like he is truly intending to keep her safe. On my initial listen, I didn't think this more than a love song...which it is...in a way)
-You go there and I'll go too
-I'll be the one that follows you
-Watch you sleep and watch you wake
-Notice all the moves you make
(Confirmation that he is, in fact, following her. He outright admits it. No debate there)
-Dreaming of when it will be you and me
-Be your rock, I'll be your guide
-Without you it's suicide
(This is more an indication of his infatuation. His developing obsession with the girl. He must have her. He could be everything she needs or wants. Without her, he would die. Also note here that Jon also screams during these lines...remember that. It comes up later)
-Can't wait till the day we meet
-Until then I'll watch you sleep
(But alas, they have yet to meet. So he will continue to watch her.)
I am sure many of us have had crushes before. Hopefully not to this extent, but to the timid of apprehensive, going to talk to your crush can be nerve wracking. Perhaps it is for the guy. As such, the girl is not aware of him. I doubt it she has even considered his existence. She continues her life under the ever watchful eye.
The guy is in love with what he has imagined this girl to be. But when you are always observing, you are likely to see things you don't want to see. Another guy with her, likely doing things our main character had reserved for himself. Over and over this happens. Check this out:
Body count competition
Childhood memory demolition
Slap your wrist, accept the sentence
Ain't my fault if I'm irrelevant
"Body count" assumes murder, but "competition"? Who is competing? My thoughts lead me to believe that the guy, our character, may be killing the people she has been with. For every person she lays with, there is a point. He has to then match that point with a murder. Pretty dark, but I think it exposes the obsession even more.
Now for "Childhood memory demolition". I initially thought this was referring to some emotional or psychological trauma the character had as a kid, which still isn't out of the question. But I think he has actually been watching the girl since childhood, where he saw her as innocent and flawless. It is this version of her he is obsessed with and in watching her be with other men, the created image of her is destroyed. The destruction of the image is changing him, how he sees her, and what he wants to do.
Before looking at the last two lines of this phrase, it is worth mentioning how Tillian and Mess use clean and screamed vocal respectively to personify the idyllic and aggressive natures of the character. The sections fully vocalized by Mess are how he is carrying out his plan to take her.
-I've got the sickest picture, of you in my mind
-I get the strangest urges, all of the time, inside
(I am pretty sure that this is where rape makes it's way into everyone's interpretation. As he continually watches her with other guys, maybe he starts to want that. His thoughts lead towards something more carnal, likely contrary to his thoughts to protect her or his role as an observer. He screams earlier--"Be your rock, I'll be your guide"-- which I haven't quite figured out. Seems)
-Take part in this demonstration, rope mixed with wine
-I hope to follow through with you cause the timings right
(Follow through further emphasizes the maliciousness of his intent. Rope for binding/choking/potential torture. The wine, possibly to drug her, inebriate her, or some twisted perversion into creating romance of the eventual assault. "Take part in this demonstration"...an illusion of choice, but more like a declaration that she will be involved)
In Jon's voice, he says, Slap your wrist, accept the sentence." Perhaps he has passed judgement on the girl. "This is only happening because of what you have done. I forgive you (it was just a slap on the wrist after all). But this is going to happen. This has to happen." Maybe he has found a way to justify what he is doing. Note that Tillian is singing this. I think at this point, there is no longer a difference. Accepting the sentence is directed both toward the girl, and himself. He is acknowledging his obsession... and claiming it.
If for some reason you still haven't hopped aboard the obsessive observer idea yet. then you only need to actually look at the lines from what I would call the chorus.
-Oh
-I'm just tying the knot
(Did you catch what happened here? Jon screams out this line, particularly relevant earlier in the song. Interesting thing about tying the know is the double entendre. There was rope being used for some purpose, presumably to bind the girl. He literally tied a knot to bind her. But tying the know also means to marry someone. Perhaps he is marrying himself to the idea of what he has become. Maybe in doing what he is doing to the girl, he is performing some wedding like ritual.)
-Can't wait to catch you all alone
(When I first heard the song, I thought the first time this part came on, "get" eas said instead of "catch" which totally changed the meaning. It would have further enforced my earlier idea that maybe the guy was just trying to be sweet and was looking forward. The word catch can entail a chase or something elusive. Perhaps she was always with someone, or always with another guy. Maybe the fact that he has to wait is just a nod to the line "I hope to follow through with you 'cause the timings right")
-Girl, then I swear I'll take you home
(Typically, taking someone home can be interpreted as "going back to have sex". Maybe the wine mentioned above was taken in at a public place. He gets her drunk or drugs her and carries her off. I may be thinking too much into it though.)
-Whether you want it or not
-Whether you like it or not
(I mean, do I really need to elaborate?)
I hope that all made sense. There was one section I really couldnt make sense of.
-Stuck inside the living room
-Tangled faces, glow in tune
-Commenting is hardly rude
-I can't monitor what I consume
Seems pretty clear that she is bound or tied up in the living room. The tangled faces I am not sure of. Part of me wants to say that the bodies of those he has killed are lingering about or something. Might be a little bit much and it is completely contingent upon my own speculation. It could represent his orgasming face and the terror and pain in hers. Glow in tune I would assume to mean there is some sort of lighting in the room. perhaps a fireplace. When "commenting is hardly rude", I wonder if he wants the girl to say something or scream, but maybe she is gagged and literally cannot speak. This would emphasize the character's complete loss of reason. As for "I can't monitor what I consume", it may be that he is delighting too much in the depravity of what is going on. How was he supposed to know that he would enjoy it. I want to also tie this in to the wine mentioned above, but I think it is deeper than being intoxicated. These lines were pretty tough.
I think I got it all. This ended up being longer than expected, but I hope it made sense. A bit wordy, but I really do think the song is a lot more detailed than most people see. I know I sort of created a story to make the lines fit, but I think I was able to incorporate them all sensibly. For such an updeat catchy song, it is really dark. Hope you enjoyed the interp.
I pretty much agree with everyone that the song covers the thoughts and actions of a disturbingly obsessed person, but I think the song gives a bit more history that may not have been touched upon. Perhaps I am just making things up with the lines given in the song, but I think it all makes sense.
There is this guy (or girl even...Tillian and Jon are just a voice to the thoughts of this character) who is clearly in love with this girl. I am presuming he has been for a while (to be explained below). However, he has never actually met this girl. Just fantasizes about it, knowing he could be something really good for her. Instead, he watches from a distance, perhaps under the pretense of protecting her. The first section of the song shows this. Here I grouped up the lines into sections that validate the ideas above
-I will never let you leave my sight -I've been staying up lately, all night -Making sure you get to bed safely (It almost sounds benevolent. Like he is truly intending to keep her safe. On my initial listen, I didn't think this more than a love song...which it is...in a way)
-You go there and I'll go too -I'll be the one that follows you -Watch you sleep and watch you wake -Notice all the moves you make (Confirmation that he is, in fact, following her. He outright admits it. No debate there)
-Dreaming of when it will be you and me -Be your rock, I'll be your guide -Without you it's suicide (This is more an indication of his infatuation. His developing obsession with the girl. He must have her. He could be everything she needs or wants. Without her, he would die. Also note here that Jon also screams during these lines...remember that. It comes up later)
-Can't wait till the day we meet -Until then I'll watch you sleep (But alas, they have yet to meet. So he will continue to watch her.)
I am sure many of us have had crushes before. Hopefully not to this extent, but to the timid of apprehensive, going to talk to your crush can be nerve wracking. Perhaps it is for the guy. As such, the girl is not aware of him. I doubt it she has even considered his existence. She continues her life under the ever watchful eye.
The guy is in love with what he has imagined this girl to be. But when you are always observing, you are likely to see things you don't want to see. Another guy with her, likely doing things our main character had reserved for himself. Over and over this happens. Check this out:
Body count competition Childhood memory demolition Slap your wrist, accept the sentence Ain't my fault if I'm irrelevant
"Body count" assumes murder, but "competition"? Who is competing? My thoughts lead me to believe that the guy, our character, may be killing the people she has been with. For every person she lays with, there is a point. He has to then match that point with a murder. Pretty dark, but I think it exposes the obsession even more.
Now for "Childhood memory demolition". I initially thought this was referring to some emotional or psychological trauma the character had as a kid, which still isn't out of the question. But I think he has actually been watching the girl since childhood, where he saw her as innocent and flawless. It is this version of her he is obsessed with and in watching her be with other men, the created image of her is destroyed. The destruction of the image is changing him, how he sees her, and what he wants to do.
Before looking at the last two lines of this phrase, it is worth mentioning how Tillian and Mess use clean and screamed vocal respectively to personify the idyllic and aggressive natures of the character. The sections fully vocalized by Mess are how he is carrying out his plan to take her.
-I've got the sickest picture, of you in my mind -I get the strangest urges, all of the time, inside (I am pretty sure that this is where rape makes it's way into everyone's interpretation. As he continually watches her with other guys, maybe he starts to want that. His thoughts lead towards something more carnal, likely contrary to his thoughts to protect her or his role as an observer. He screams earlier--"Be your rock, I'll be your guide"-- which I haven't quite figured out. Seems)
-Take part in this demonstration, rope mixed with wine -I hope to follow through with you cause the timings right (Follow through further emphasizes the maliciousness of his intent. Rope for binding/choking/potential torture. The wine, possibly to drug her, inebriate her, or some twisted perversion into creating romance of the eventual assault. "Take part in this demonstration"...an illusion of choice, but more like a declaration that she will be involved) In Jon's voice, he says, Slap your wrist, accept the sentence." Perhaps he has passed judgement on the girl. "This is only happening because of what you have done. I forgive you (it was just a slap on the wrist after all). But this is going to happen. This has to happen." Maybe he has found a way to justify what he is doing. Note that Tillian is singing this. I think at this point, there is no longer a difference. Accepting the sentence is directed both toward the girl, and himself. He is acknowledging his obsession... and claiming it.
If for some reason you still haven't hopped aboard the obsessive observer idea yet. then you only need to actually look at the lines from what I would call the chorus. -Oh -I'm just tying the knot (Did you catch what happened here? Jon screams out this line, particularly relevant earlier in the song. Interesting thing about tying the know is the double entendre. There was rope being used for some purpose, presumably to bind the girl. He literally tied a knot to bind her. But tying the know also means to marry someone. Perhaps he is marrying himself to the idea of what he has become. Maybe in doing what he is doing to the girl, he is performing some wedding like ritual.) -Can't wait to catch you all alone (When I first heard the song, I thought the first time this part came on, "get" eas said instead of "catch" which totally changed the meaning. It would have further enforced my earlier idea that maybe the guy was just trying to be sweet and was looking forward. The word catch can entail a chase or something elusive. Perhaps she was always with someone, or always with another guy. Maybe the fact that he has to wait is just a nod to the line "I hope to follow through with you 'cause the timings right") -Girl, then I swear I'll take you home (Typically, taking someone home can be interpreted as "going back to have sex". Maybe the wine mentioned above was taken in at a public place. He gets her drunk or drugs her and carries her off. I may be thinking too much into it though.) -Whether you want it or not -Whether you like it or not (I mean, do I really need to elaborate?)
I hope that all made sense. There was one section I really couldnt make sense of.
-Stuck inside the living room -Tangled faces, glow in tune -Commenting is hardly rude -I can't monitor what I consume Seems pretty clear that she is bound or tied up in the living room. The tangled faces I am not sure of. Part of me wants to say that the bodies of those he has killed are lingering about or something. Might be a little bit much and it is completely contingent upon my own speculation. It could represent his orgasming face and the terror and pain in hers. Glow in tune I would assume to mean there is some sort of lighting in the room. perhaps a fireplace. When "commenting is hardly rude", I wonder if he wants the girl to say something or scream, but maybe she is gagged and literally cannot speak. This would emphasize the character's complete loss of reason. As for "I can't monitor what I consume", it may be that he is delighting too much in the depravity of what is going on. How was he supposed to know that he would enjoy it. I want to also tie this in to the wine mentioned above, but I think it is deeper than being intoxicated. These lines were pretty tough.
I think I got it all. This ended up being longer than expected, but I hope it made sense. A bit wordy, but I really do think the song is a lot more detailed than most people see. I know I sort of created a story to make the lines fit, but I think I was able to incorporate them all sensibly. For such an updeat catchy song, it is really dark. Hope you enjoyed the interp.