I think it's about the shallowness of society and bullying (in school too, but mostly in society in general).
There is a "right" way to be and anybody who wants to be accepted or even allowed to live has to meet that standard (in both physical appearance and psychological state / lifestyle):
The scene is contagious / For the pretty / But I'm fat and ugly
Deep as the surface / For the happy / But I'm sad and lonely
Whoever doesn't has to either fake it or suffer the consequences, because people rally against those who are perceived as different.
Whoever builds for themselves an image of flawlessness, power, wealth, beauty and conformity (whether based in some grain of reality or completely faked) is loved by everybody, put on a pedestal and imposed as an example of how everybody is supposed to be, even though their qualities are inflated or even invented.
The result is that everywhere you look there's a crust of fake happiness, fake health and shallow good looks, the everyday problems, pain and loss being hidden from view just underneath the surface; it's a lie:
These are the lies, the lies that you wanted
Say with a straight face, blink and you bought it
Pretend not to notice, that's my kind of stupid
Most of the people who don't meet the standard, partly or at all, pretend all the time in order to get acceptance from others and through making extra efforts to keep the appearances they cripple themselves even further than the level of ill that had prevented them from meeting the social standard in the first place:
And follow the things, the things that you lost
Give up what you have, to get what you want
The pretense is a cage that perpetuates itself by the unwillingness of the trapped to admit to being weak, ugly, flawed and mortal (human, not gods as we all like to believe we are). And any moment of clarity is very disturbing for those who believe in the fake image everybody upholds:
Free makes you nervous
It must feel like you're almost human
As for the people who don't fit and choose not to pretend, they are attacked by both the people who fit and by those who don't fit but are willing and able to fake it, because they remind everybody of the existence of pain, helplessness, ugliness, mortality etc.
The song is from the perspective of such a person who doesn't want to (or simply can't) fake it any more. The chorus is what the narrator tells herself, having internalised others' hatred and disgust:
You're not cut out for this
You've got that lemon scent
(You're too ugly and damaged to be accepted)
Fuck your instincts
Everything you do is for somebody else
(You do try to give in to others' demands in order to be loved)
You're my breakdown
Your skin like leprosy
I just don't fade well
(but you're just too ugly, damaged and self aware to ever succeed at being accepted, at playing this masquerade)
Then the aggression of the others who pick her apart and say hurtful things:
This is the part where it gets kind of personal
Say what you mean, does it make you uncomfortable?
Take it to heart and describe it in detail
And the narrator's rebellion against them and against the role they're trying to impose on her:
Your lies will never sell
It's similar to "Everybody's fool" by Evanescence, at least the interpretation the music video is implying: the narrator struggling with herself because of having faked her life to please others/gain fame.
I think it's about the shallowness of society and bullying (in school too, but mostly in society in general).
There is a "right" way to be and anybody who wants to be accepted or even allowed to live has to meet that standard (in both physical appearance and psychological state / lifestyle): The scene is contagious / For the pretty / But I'm fat and ugly Deep as the surface / For the happy / But I'm sad and lonely
Whoever doesn't has to either fake it or suffer the consequences, because people rally against those who are perceived as different.
Whoever builds for themselves an image of flawlessness, power, wealth, beauty and conformity (whether based in some grain of reality or completely faked) is loved by everybody, put on a pedestal and imposed as an example of how everybody is supposed to be, even though their qualities are inflated or even invented.
The result is that everywhere you look there's a crust of fake happiness, fake health and shallow good looks, the everyday problems, pain and loss being hidden from view just underneath the surface; it's a lie: These are the lies, the lies that you wanted Say with a straight face, blink and you bought it Pretend not to notice, that's my kind of stupid
Most of the people who don't meet the standard, partly or at all, pretend all the time in order to get acceptance from others and through making extra efforts to keep the appearances they cripple themselves even further than the level of ill that had prevented them from meeting the social standard in the first place: And follow the things, the things that you lost Give up what you have, to get what you want
The pretense is a cage that perpetuates itself by the unwillingness of the trapped to admit to being weak, ugly, flawed and mortal (human, not gods as we all like to believe we are). And any moment of clarity is very disturbing for those who believe in the fake image everybody upholds: Free makes you nervous It must feel like you're almost human
As for the people who don't fit and choose not to pretend, they are attacked by both the people who fit and by those who don't fit but are willing and able to fake it, because they remind everybody of the existence of pain, helplessness, ugliness, mortality etc.
The song is from the perspective of such a person who doesn't want to (or simply can't) fake it any more. The chorus is what the narrator tells herself, having internalised others' hatred and disgust: You're not cut out for this You've got that lemon scent (You're too ugly and damaged to be accepted)
Fuck your instincts Everything you do is for somebody else (You do try to give in to others' demands in order to be loved)
You're my breakdown Your skin like leprosy I just don't fade well (but you're just too ugly, damaged and self aware to ever succeed at being accepted, at playing this masquerade)
Then the aggression of the others who pick her apart and say hurtful things: This is the part where it gets kind of personal Say what you mean, does it make you uncomfortable? Take it to heart and describe it in detail
And the narrator's rebellion against them and against the role they're trying to impose on her: Your lies will never sell
It's similar to "Everybody's fool" by Evanescence, at least the interpretation the music video is implying: the narrator struggling with herself because of having faked her life to please others/gain fame.