Camera One

okay, i'm not really taking my time to read other people's comment, so forgive me if someone already said this, but i think this song is about a guy who gets all caught up in the glamour of hollywood, and when he realizes what he was doing, and that everyone is lying to him, he commits suicide.

I always saw this song as being not about celebrities acting,but how so many of us in the "real world" havetry to to be something or someone we're not,as a means of coping with being unable to accept the actual role life has handed us - but when the day comes when we finally have to be what we truly are("you're playing you now"),we're not successful at it. Imagining yourself as something/someone better can provide the confidence to face life sometimes(albeit temporary),but sooner or later you have to play yourself,and that sense of confidence dissipates. The "take a bow" part is ironic because in this case playing onesself is their worst performance.

Great song. I think the guy Josh is singing about is lying to himself, according to the line ",Yor playing you now." Shows that celebrities have their secrets.

yea i agree, this is a great song, i wish it would've gotten more play. Josh joplin is a great songwriter.

Yeah I thought the character was committing suicide as well.

Me too, but I think overall it's about doubting yourself. The first person doubted too much and had too little faith so he kills himself, the second person doubt and wonders if she would do things differently and the third person doesn't doubt his choices and has faith in himself so he is happy.

This is probably the most brilliant song I've ever heard & that's saying something. It's about how everyone's kind of the star of their own movie -- but you don't need to be on the silver screen to be important or relevant. Heck, some people that are on the silver screens aren't even important or relevant & feel that way so that's why they do things like hang themselves on the shower rod. If you're satisfied with yourself, that's all that matters, and you can "take a bow."

"selling star-maps to the sun"... seems to mean that society gives life advice to and perhaps forces opinions each person, though each person already knows how to live his or her life. The sun already knows stars, it doesnt need a map

I don't get the feeling that the son of Hollywood was successful. I think he was either a child star or the son of celebrities that didn't go anywhere. Either way, the song is about people who get pigeion-holed into playing the role that is expected of them insteading of "playing you." The same goes for the prom queen who now wonders if she could have been something more if she hadn't just played the part of a beautiful barbie doll everyone expected her to be.

While I think elpierogigrande's interpretation is awesome, I think it is also literal. The failure who's childhood was based on expectations of being a star now makes his living on those Hollywood memories, making them pathetically inescapable.

Also, the character in the last verse also killed himself. "He never seemed depressed" be he still hung his clothes on the shower rod without getting undressed.

I like the use of the phrase "take a bow." It can represent death, as they chose, or it can mean the end of the role they were playing. They could simply take a curtain call on the role that was expected of them and leave the stage to play themselves.

It's about what lies behind the facade of fame and success. So many people buy into the myth that those things will lead to happiness. "Sightseers see What they want. They're selling star-maps To the sun"

This song is about what happens when these actors and trophy wives are "off camera".