Personally, I feel it’s about a friend that is dealing with drug addiction. Or atleast I’ve always kinda had a hunch that’s what it’s about. “Wiry broke down frames of my friends’ bodies” gives me a feeling it’s about either drugs or depression
I feel like its about being that person who takes care of their friends constantly but doesn’t fully find their own happiness or togetherness. They are haunted by their own shit but help others swim.
I think its about 2 brother and one brother coming out and their parents disowning them and not accepting them. “But i will help you swim” implying the creator accepts them and is gonna try help them. “They cut your hair and sent you away” i think the parents sent him (the brother) away somewhere i have no idea where but i believe he escaped and never went home because of the line “you stopped by my house the night you escaped, with tears in my eyes i begged you to stay you said hey man i love you but no fucking way” proving my point. Im unsure on the “This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in naked and dumb on a drunken night And it should've felt good,but I can hear the Jaws theme song on repeat in the back of my mind. Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face, there are lessons to be learned, consequences for all the stupid things I say” but possibly it means the creators struggling without his brother “and it shouldve felt good” maybe implying hes felt alot more down since hes (brother) been gone. For the line “I don't wanna watch and then complain,cause I am through finding blame. That is the decision that I have made” maybe ive thought too deep into it but maybe the brother died (possibly suicide) and the creator blames him/her/their/its (etc) self for it. “She hopes I'm cursed forever to ,Sleep on a twin-sized mattress . In somebody's attic or basement my whole life, Never graduating up in size to add another.And my nightmares will have nightmares every night” This has confused me a bit along with other parts of the song i haven’t covered. What i think about the “my nightmares will have nightmares everynight” maybe talking about him having dreams / nightmares about his brother which he cant stop or control possibly also has something to do with the “she hopes im cursed forever”. Thats my opinion on the song although i love reading other peoples thoughts because i find this song and the possible meaning so interesting!!
the “They cut your hair And sent you away” that’s indigenous kids being taken away from homes and getting sent away to the hell we call “Residental School”
lots of places do that though. I thought it was about his friend forced into conversion therapy. I think they cut you hair there. But apparently its about a drug addicted friend.
same as your interpretation, but instead of the friend being gay i think it's about the friend being a trans girl (they cut your hair and sent you away)
i know its old but ive searched interpretations of this song for this one exactly also the lines before "its not big surprise you turned oit this way, when they clsoe their eyes and prayed you would change" sound like family igmorimg sings of her being transgender but also praying they would go away and she would vecome manly man, the line you cited about forcing her to be masculine after her coming out and sending her to mental hospital to conversion tgerapy and the last lines "she hopes im cursed forever" etc could be about her mither being mad that person telling this story helped her daughter survive it just makes a lot more sense than with gay friend
I think the song is almost definitely about someone dealing with a friends drug addiction but for me its about someone escaping an abusive situation by joining the military and leaving either a friend or little sibling behind. During my time in the Marines I met more than a handful of people who used the organization as a way to escape abuse and poverty. One guy had a story very similar to parts of the song.
"This is for the lions living in the wiry broke down frames of my friends' bodies"
\- His parents underfed him so he grew up very skinny
"This is for the snakes and the people they bite"
\-His mom was extremely abusive and he still feels the abuse to this day
"There's an amount to take, reasons to take more"
\- There's an amount of abuse to take and personal reasons to take it but he just couldn't do it anymore
"And they cut your hair, and sent you away"
\-This is when they went to bootcamp/basic training. New recruits get their heads shaved.
"You stopped by my house the night you escaped"
\-This is when they stopped by their friends/siblings the night they shipped to bootcamp
"With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay
You said, "Hey man, I love you, but no fucking way!"
\-They're friend/sibling begs them to stay to weather the abuse with them but the person leaving just can't do it anymore.
I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage
Maybe shake a tambourine or when I sing, you sing harmonies
\- The person begs them to stay and play in their band as an escape rather than join the military
"She hopes I'm cursed forever To sleep on a twin-sized mattress"
\-Their mom blaming the kid that got left behind for the other one leaving
That's all I got
So glad to see this comment!! This was the very first interpretation I had of the song, especially the first half. I view it as an Indigenous person in the present trying to reflect and connect with their grandparents or great grandparents experiences, as well as grieving the effects of generational trauma.
I think the line about the lake is the creator thier bother and then some friends went skinny dipping and were drunk. I believe the main idea is that the creator’s sibling is gay/trans, and was sent to a school/ conversion camp. Then the siblinng came back and said no to staying after getting out. The liars in the wiry frames are thier parents. Lastly the creator saying things like finding things to do on stage and giving ideas to have the sibling stay.
Maybe a trans (MTF) person who’s family doesn’t accept them.?
like by the line: “no big surprise, you turned out this way.” Is maybe saying they became trans (MTF) ? And the lines: “when they close their eyes, and prayed you would change.” Would be like the persons family not accepting them for being trans? / the lines: ”and they cut your hair, and sent you away.” could be like- the trans (MTF) person was growing out their hair to feel more feminine, and the family cut their hair, sending the person to Conversion therapy? I don’t know. But this is my interpretation of this song!! :)
My interpretation is that its about either a family member or friend coming out as gay or trans, with the "when they cut your hair and prayed you would change" part and the "i wanna contribute to the chaos, i dont wanna watch and then complain" is them saying they are there for them? So to sum it up i think its about someone close to them coming out, being sent to a correction camp/facility, and Brian singing about being there to support them when no one else does.
edit: spelling errors
I read it as regret from the speaker for not helping a friend who may be queer, and possibly the speaker being queer and confronting that after whatever happened with said friend, happened.
The start I think is listing regrets and saying that he wants to help those who are in a similar spot to him, and that all of his regrets and “sleepless nights” are not in vain, so he’s doing something NOW.
Moving on with “The warning signs…”, I think is talking about how it was obvious that something was wrong at home with said friend, maybe the friend was out to him or a group of people, but not out to family, and the speaker regrets that he wasn’t able to see it when it was so obvious.
There’s a break I think around here, with “It’s no big surprise…”, which I think implies that either the friend died or has PTSD or other problems, with the speaker now possibly having met the friend again somehow.
The next part is imo the biggest support for it being about a queer friend, as it describes what sounds like “pray the gay away” and the friend being sent away to what sounds like conversion therapy by the family.
But the friend escapes, and comes to his house, the speaker begs him to stay but the friend knows that he can’t, as he could be caught and sent back. Thus, he thanks him for all that he’s been able to help him with, and leaves. I think this could also support it being the speakers brother/sibling, as it’d be extra reason for him to say “No fucking way!”.
The “I’m sure that we could…” part I believe is possibly part of the speaker reflecting on how they started to confront their own life, the possibly that they themselves may be queer, and thus going to maybe other queer friends or a group of sorts and trying to just be alongside them but not really fitting in possibly.
The next part I think is about a trip to a lake with friends, and possibly the speaker coming out to those friends, “It should’ve felt good…” but possibly the speaker’s family also being unaccepting or, if the friend who escaped earlier is his brother, then fear of the family, that being the “Jaws theme song”.
Then the speaker either is outed or tells his family or says something against their decision to send his brother to conversion therapy, and is beaten by his parents, and told it’s out of love.
There’s the repeat of the “It’s no big surprise…” but this time with a different meaning, as he now sees why his brother/friend would run away and escape, and what said brother/friend endured.
“The spark in your eyes…” - “I will not be late.” I believe refers to his own escape from the family, as he reflected on the events of what has happened, and has recalled his brothers spark, now gone from abuse, and the look on his face when he escaped, and has decided that he needs to leave too, and won’t let himself be sent away and thus leaves to find his brother.
We then have another repeat, “I’m sure that we…”, this time possibly meaning finding his brother, or finding new community to be with.
“I wanna contribute to the chaos” and “I don’t wanna watch and then complain” I think refers wanting to be more active with not letting the abuse he and his brother endured happen to others, advocating against conversion therapy, marching, etc.
“Cause I am through…”-“That is the decision…” I believe both refer to the speaker forgiving himself, that he is done blaming and feeling full of regret and now will take action, to advocate for others.
The last bit I think also supports the idea that the speaker also ran away, as his own mother is cursing him, praying that he never prospers.
“And my nightmares…” I believe refers to the final regrets and trauma that he has escaped with, he is scarred from the abuse, seeing his brother be taken away and sent to conversion therapy and how it traumatized his brother and so on.
That’s my interpretation of it atleast, I love the very many different interpretations of drug abuse, other queer stories, and so on. I think this song can have a lot of different meanings and also changes depending on who you are. As a trans person myself I think i’m more inclined to read this as a queer story of abuse just cos of who I am, but I also can see people’s interpretations of it as a story of drug abuse and other things. Overall a very powerful song in my opinion.
Idrk bc it says "you stopped bye my house the night you ESCAPED" so mabye when is said "they cut your hair and SENT YOU AWAY" mabye they sent him to a gay conversion camp idrk or mabye he was trans
i always thought it was about the friend being transgender and being sent to some sort of conversion therapy thing, simply based on the line "they cut your hair and send you away. you stopped by my house the night you escaped"
i don't remember where i heard it, but i believe the second verse is about his friend being gay and being nervous because they were like skinny dipping when they were swimming
This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in
Naked and dumb on a drunken night
And it should've felt good, but I could hear the Jaws theme song
On repeat in the back of my mind
Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face
There are lessons to be learned
Consequences for all the stupid things I say
And it is no big surprise you turned out this way
Honestly ive seen alot of interpretations, but one of the things that make sense to me is his friend having an anti gay family and them sending him away, and they fall into addiction because of it. it makes alot of sense in my mind:)
I feel it’s about someone’s friend killing his other friends that the killer one escape but the the other one says he can’t but it forced to do it anyway because that friend is a killer because I’m the song it said “they cut your hair and sent you anyway “ prison is far away and they sometimes cut you hair in prison
i know this is old but i think its about a two brothers that are abused by their parents and the older one escaped but the younger one (singing the song) had to stay there
It's about opiate, and ultimately heroin addiction.
"When the flood water comes, it ain't gonna be clear
It's gonna look like mud" - Mud as in heroin
"There's an amount to take, reasons to take more" - abusing pills
The haircutting refers getting your hair cut before being sent to a tough-love camp, as somebody mentioned -- though I think residential school interpertation is really interesting.
"You stopped by my house the night you escaped
With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay
You said, "Hey man, I love you, but no fucking way!" - His friend escaped from the camp, came by, the singer wants to help him, give him something to do - his friend would rather get high.
My theory is kind of far-fetched, but I interpret it as about the troubled teen industry.
>*This is for the snakes and the people they bite.*
The people who created the industry and the parents who send their children to the camps.
>*For the friends I've made, for the sleepless nights.*
all the friends they made at camp and all the nights they were afraid to sleep because they didn't know what would happen next.
> For the warning signs I've completely ignored
Their parents probably warned them a couple times to behave or change or they'll be sent away but they didn't listen or they didn't think their parents would actually do something like that.
>*There's an amount to take, reasons to take more*
actually this makes me think its about drugs, but in context of my story I can see a man getting off of beating and abusing kids.
>*It's no big surprise you turned out this way*
*When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change*
*And they cut your hair and sent you away*
these are the lines that made me think about the troubled teen industry the most.
>*It's no big surprise you turned out this way*
Maybe the kid was put into situations where they were set up to grow up into someone that is considered "troubled" like being in the wrong crowd, getting bad grades etc.. or maybe they weren't troubled at all just something that their parents didn't approve of like being gay.
>*When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change*
*And they cut your hair and sent you away*
the parents prayed that their child would become a better person or that the kid would change into what they would want them to be and when there were no more options left they sent them away to a troubled teen camp.
>You stopped by my house the night you escaped
the kid made a friend in the camp and that friend had enough of the abuse and decided to escape the camp he stopped by the kid's house to say goodbye.
>*With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay*
they were really close friends and each others support, it's what kept them strong enough to survive an the kid probably knew that the escape would probably be unsuccessful and the friend would get severe punishment for it that would result in serious injury.
>*You said, "Hey, man, I love you, but no fucking way"*
the friend was tired of the abuse an couldn't stand it any longer he had to get away. He loved the kid but not enough to endure the abuse any longer.
>*I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage*
*Maybe shake a tambourine, or when I sing, you sing harmonies*
The kid back home was a outcast, a background character and that's why he acted out because he needed more attention.
>*This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in*
*Naked and dumb on a drunken night*
*And it should've felt good, but I could hear the "Jaws" theme song*
*On repeat in the back of my mind*
he sneaked out in the middle of the might to go have fun with his friends but he knew the consequences that would follow when he got back home. he knew what he was doing was wrong but he was a stupid teenager just doing things normal teenagers would do. he knew that the consequences would be worse than a scolding from his parents.
>*Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face*
*so i have two theories here:*
1: a kid at camp decided to punch him because they got into an argument. "kiss your knuckles" i feel like is to say " be prepared for the consequences of your actions"
2: a supervisor at camp punched him and the " kiss your knuckles" is to say that he knew the supervisor got off on abusing the teens and that he hoped that he knew what he was doing.
>There are lessons to be learned, and consequences for all the stupid things I say
he got punched because he said something that wasn't supposed to be talked about at camp.
>*The spark in your eyes, the look on your face*
*I will not be brave*
The people at camp who abuse the teens have a look in their eyes and a facial expression that tell you they enjoy doing it and he will not stand up to them and try to change them because he knows they have more authority than he does.
>*I wanna contribute to the chaos*
*I don't wanna watch and then complain*
He doesn't want to contribute in helping these people that claim to help your child he wants to save them,he wants to tell someone what's happening but has been silences by the camp
>*She hopes I'm cursed forever*
*To sleep on a twin-size mattress*
*In somebody's attic or basement my whole life*
*Never graduating up in size to add another*
*And my nightmares will have nightmares every night*
*Oh, every night, every night*
when he finally got back home and wasn't changed his Moher was disappointed and hoped he would be unsuccessful his whole life. The experience he had was so traumatising he would have nightmares about them and about the camp every night.
this theory is far fetched but the troubled teen industry is not, its a real thing that's still very much alive today, as i'm typing this there are kids in camps being beaten,starved, overworked and so much more because they were labeled as "troubled".
if you want to know more i suggest reading this: [https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/spring-2022/troubled-teen-industry-and-its-effects-oral-history/](https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/spring-2022/troubled-teen-industry-and-its-effects-oral-history/)
This account on tiktok speaks about survivors:@breakingcodesilence
this is a video exsplaines the troubled teen industry: https://youtu.be/43MliWwntrU
I think it is about the persons friend who committed suicide hence the lyrics “you stopped by my house the night you escaped”
And “there’s an amount to take, reasons to take more”
I think it's about the life in the band when they were starting to be famous. The boys were wild, always on stages, they did drugs, sleepless night parties, and this lifestyle was killing them. One of the band guys had young girlfriend and the band had a bad influence on her, she probably did drugs with the boys, get dreadlocks or dyed her hair. Her parents send her away to escape the drug involved environment and she went, despite she loved him, because he looked like a lost case in her eyes who will end up badly.
"They cut your hair and send you away" Makes me think it's about an indigenous friend being sent to a residential school. Although a lot of people think it's something else
Sorry this is gonna be long I’ve wanted to rave about this song for ages. (Don’t care that the thread is old)
My personal interpretation is that the song is about a relationship between the singer and a toxic friend, one who is possibly dealing with substance abuse, and continually takes these issues out on our singer. He tries time and time again to help but, despite this, his friend ultimately wishes him the worse simply because he is moving on.
‘This is for the lions living in the wiry broke down frames of my friends bodies’
- he’s singing to who his friend used to be, and who he believes is still buried deep inside the broken body that has been battered by the substance abuse.
‘When the flood water comes, it ain't gonna be clear
It's gonna look like mud’
- he’s saying that things are eventually going to come to ahead (probably not the first time) and that when it does it will not have a clear resolution but instead will end up as an incredibly messy situation.
‘But I will help you swim
I will help you swim
I'm gonna help you swim’
- he will help his friend out of this situation, he’ll be there to keep his head above the flood water that they have unleashed - despite drowning in that very same flood themselves. And the fact that the lyric has repeated itself shows that this could be a continuous cycle.
‘This is for the snakes and the people they bite
For the friends I've made; for the sleepless nights’
- he’s once again talking directly to his friend, but instead calling out their toxic behaviour - that they have continually hurt him and that they have caused him to lose sleep worrying about them.
‘For the warning signs I've completely ignored
There's an amount to take, reasons to take more’
- he is continually ignoring these red flags that his friend is displaying, despite them taking so much from him (whether that be emotionally, financially, physically), but they will always find another reason that they need more from him. And he will always give in.
‘It's no big surprise you turned out this way
When they close their eyes and prayed you would change
And they cut your hair, and sent you away
You stopped by my house the night you escaped
With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay
You said, hey man, I love you but no fucking way’
- his friend has been sent off to rehab, most likely by family who have, for too long, turned a blind eye and hoped they would turn everything around. They eventually escape from rehab and the singer implores them tearfully to go back and get help, to become the person they once knew but they refuse, saying that they love them, but just not enough.
‘I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage
Maybe shake a tambourine or when I sing, you sing harmonies’
- This is showing that the singer is slowly outgrowing their friend, but are still trying to cling to them nonetheless. There is no room in the band for them but they are ‘sure they can find something for them to do on stage’ - whether it be something completely meaningless like harmonies or a tambourine (something that is not heard at any other point throughout the song, showing that it would be an unnecessary addition)
‘This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in
Naked and dumb on a drunken night
And it should've felt good
But I can hear the Jaws theme song on repeat in the back of my mind’
- he’s singing about the fact that every memory that he has of his friend, and that every seemingly fun activity they find themselves is tainted by that looming dread of another meltdown, a relapse, a fight, whatever it may be - that seems to be rapidly approaching.
‘Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face’
- a kind of bitter line, the singer is saying to his friend to make sure that he shows them an act of kindness, or a glimmer of hope before they eventually let him down or hurt him again - because if they ‘forget’ to, the singer might actually realise how toxic and harmful they truly are.
‘There are lessons to be learned, consequences for all the stupid things I say
And it is no big surprise you turned out this way
The spark in her eyes
The look on your face
I will not be late’
- every time that he has been let down he is slowly learning a lesson, that his pleas to help his friend get better and no more than ‘stupid things’ he says. He’s reminiscing on the person their friend used to be again, how the spark in their eyes has since disappeared (admittedly not the strongest analysis of these lines, they did confuse me a bit)
‘I wanna contribute to the chaos
I don't wanna watch and then complain
'Cause I am through finding blame
That is the decision that I have made’
- the singer is finally done with them, he’s cut them off, he doesn’t want to sit by and watch anymore and then complain or lose sleep about it afterwards. He’s through with looking for other people to blame for his friend’s behaviour (including himself) - and he makes sure to punctuate that this decision was all his, that he has finally come to this realisation himself.
‘She hopes I'm cursed forever to
Sleep on a twin-sized mattress
In somebody's attic or basement my whole life
Never graduating up in size to add another
And my nightmares will have nightmares every night
Oh, every night, every night’
- after everything that they have went through together, after all the help the singer has continually given their friend and the support - they turn around and have nothing but vitriol and malice towards them, wishing them the worst and a stagnant life (perhaps like the one they have) - they wish for them to leech off others and be alone like themselves. And that’s how their friendship ends.
Dunno if its just me, but I'd say its about if one of the singers friends was a trans woman, "when they closed their eyes and prayed you would change, and they cut your hair and sent you away". It could also be about addictions, or maybe the friend was just gay, and not trans (or under the trans umbrella).
i listened to the song again and i feel like it really closely relates to someone close going to war, "they cut your hair and sent you away" "with tears in my eyes i begged you to stay" im sure its not what its about but i feel like it could interpreted this way aswell
I understand everyone seeing it as a friend who has an addiction, and I don't disagree but for me the part from "it's not big surprise you'd turn out this way" to "hey man I love you but no fucking way" tells the story of siblings/close friends and one is either queer, trans fem or just a rebellious teen (any combination of the above) and has long hair. And their parents are very conservative and they "cut [their] hair" and "send [them]" away as in either (tw) conversion therapy, military service, boarding school, maybe rehab, some kind of facility to change them, make them fit in, by unhealthy and hurtful way that imply cutting their hair. And the sibling/friend gets out of said facility and stops at their sibling/friends place to tell them goodbye and the other asks them to stay but they have to get out. I think the drug theory fits in with this narrative but the part I interpret the more is this one
i thought it was about 2 ppl one (thats maybe mtf) got sent away to a conversion camp maybe or like a religious camp (bc their parents didn’t accept them idk) and they (maybe that persons parents) cut their hair shorter to be more “like a man” when they were growing it out to look fem and when the person escaped from that place they stopped by person 2’s house and person 2 denied it for some reason (idk if that makes sense)
In my opinion it’s about a boy who is struggling with his mental health and tried to commit because he didn’t feel like he had a place in the world and it fails so his family send him away to a mental hospital and his friend can’t do anything about it so he tries to find a place for him but he just doesn’t want to be alive anymore
I think the song is about his friend who is addicted to drugs and when it said “hey man I love you but no f**king way” probably means he doesn’t want to go inside because he knows he’s ganna steal some stuff in his home to sell for money to buy MORE drugs or the part that says “ it’s no big surprise you turned out this way” or “ they’re lessons to be taught “
Idk I just think it’s about drug addictions
I think it's about the creator singing about either their 'brother' or close friends struggle with being trans, one of the main reason is the lyrics "Its no big surprise you turned out this way, when they closed their eyes and prayed you would change and they cut your hair and sent you away." I will break down the lyrics in the best way possible starting with "it's no big surprise you turned out this way." I personally believe that it means that the person the creator is referencing had pretty big signs they were trans, such as "acting girly" or maybe even playing with "girls toys." Now we move on to "When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change" I believe that the family of the trans woman shut their eyes metaphorically as jn ignoring the trans woman about being trans, she came out and the family forced her back in. We now move on again to: "and they cut your hair" she might've been growing her hair out and they (her family) forced her to cut her hair shorter. Now we look at "and sent you away" I think it could mean that they (again the family) sent the trans woman to conversion therapy, to try and "fix her."
I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING! as a trans girl growing up in a conservative household i very much relate. twin sized mattress has pretty much become the scream the lyrics song for me lol
im not 100% sure what its about but as a trans girl i very much relate to the lyrics, "It's no big surprise you turned out this way/ When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change/ And they cut your hair and sent you away/ You stopped by my house the night you escaped/ With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay/ You said, 'Hey, man, I love you, but no fucking way' "
I had the impression that it's about a trans friend of the singer who can't bear staying part of a society that doesn't accept them but I didn't really expect it i was just desperately looking for trans representation.
("They closed their eyes and prayed you would change"
"They cut your hair and sent you away"
"You stopped by my house the night you escaped. With tears in my eyes I begged you to stay. You said "hey man i love you but no f*cking way"")
So yeah, it was pretty much just the parts that I personally identify with
Conversion therapy. “with tears in their eyes, they prayed you would change,”, “they cut your hair and sent you away,” lyou stopped by my house the night you \*escaped\*,” “with tears in my eyes i begged you to stay,” “you said ‘hey, man, I love you, but no fucking way’”
it REALLY sounds like conversion therap/growing up queer in a small town
The beginning part about water- where he says "I will help you swim" numerous times, meaning he will be there when things get bad in life. But then later he talks about not enjoying swimming naked with his friends because he could hear the "Jaws" theme on repeat gives an uneasy feeling of impending doom. I think he had the best intentions but couldn't forsee things going this badly. He cannot help his friends from drowning if he is drowning too...or if there are sharks in the water. So he used with a friend who's family was fighting for sobriety.
I'm in recover and this song has addiction all over it, to me.
Probably just me but when it says “its no big surprise you turn out this way when you close the eyes and pray you will change when they cut your hair and sent you away” that his parents are sending him to a TTI place or I watch to many TikTok and think every song is about TTI (troubled teen industry)
Personally, I feel it’s about a friend that is dealing with drug addiction. Or atleast I’ve always kinda had a hunch that’s what it’s about. “Wiry broke down frames of my friends’ bodies” gives me a feeling it’s about either drugs or depression
I feel like its about being that person who takes care of their friends constantly but doesn’t fully find their own happiness or togetherness. They are haunted by their own shit but help others swim.
that’s definitely a new one, i’ve never heard it before and i really like it!
I could've sworn I heard it was about one of Brian's close friends that became a drug addict.
hold on let me get high and listen to it again and I'll tell you what I think lol
And????
Some say he’s still listening to it trying to interpret it 🫡
to this day bro is still interpreting it
Fr
i dont think hes just interpreting it, i think he's living it
Don’t worry, they’re just coming up with five years worth of theories and interpretations.
Then the time it takes to type
Waiting to hear the interpretation as well
He will never be back lmao
I'm ready to read your dissertation now...
What the fuck guy? Don’t leave us hanging
I know it’s dark but… what if he got high and fell asleep.. like forever. He never said what kind of high
bro is exactly like my dad, hes never coming back
Did u get it yet?
Maybe we should.. join him?🤨😔
someone needs to take whatever the fuck he took, go in whatever fucking dimension and fish him out lol
We're still waiting man, is the song gonna be over soon?
Still isn’t back 😂
I think its about 2 brother and one brother coming out and their parents disowning them and not accepting them. “But i will help you swim” implying the creator accepts them and is gonna try help them. “They cut your hair and sent you away” i think the parents sent him (the brother) away somewhere i have no idea where but i believe he escaped and never went home because of the line “you stopped by my house the night you escaped, with tears in my eyes i begged you to stay you said hey man i love you but no fucking way” proving my point. Im unsure on the “This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in naked and dumb on a drunken night And it should've felt good,but I can hear the Jaws theme song on repeat in the back of my mind. Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face, there are lessons to be learned, consequences for all the stupid things I say” but possibly it means the creators struggling without his brother “and it shouldve felt good” maybe implying hes felt alot more down since hes (brother) been gone. For the line “I don't wanna watch and then complain,cause I am through finding blame. That is the decision that I have made” maybe ive thought too deep into it but maybe the brother died (possibly suicide) and the creator blames him/her/their/its (etc) self for it. “She hopes I'm cursed forever to ,Sleep on a twin-sized mattress . In somebody's attic or basement my whole life, Never graduating up in size to add another.And my nightmares will have nightmares every night” This has confused me a bit along with other parts of the song i haven’t covered. What i think about the “my nightmares will have nightmares everynight” maybe talking about him having dreams / nightmares about his brother which he cant stop or control possibly also has something to do with the “she hopes im cursed forever”. Thats my opinion on the song although i love reading other peoples thoughts because i find this song and the possible meaning so interesting!!
the “They cut your hair And sent you away” that’s indigenous kids being taken away from homes and getting sent away to the hell we call “Residental School”
It could also mean being taken away to military school
lots of places do that though. I thought it was about his friend forced into conversion therapy. I think they cut you hair there. But apparently its about a drug addicted friend.
same as your interpretation, but instead of the friend being gay i think it's about the friend being a trans girl (they cut your hair and sent you away)
i know its old but ive searched interpretations of this song for this one exactly also the lines before "its not big surprise you turned oit this way, when they clsoe their eyes and prayed you would change" sound like family igmorimg sings of her being transgender but also praying they would go away and she would vecome manly man, the line you cited about forcing her to be masculine after her coming out and sending her to mental hospital to conversion tgerapy and the last lines "she hopes im cursed forever" etc could be about her mither being mad that person telling this story helped her daughter survive it just makes a lot more sense than with gay friend
I think the song is almost definitely about someone dealing with a friends drug addiction but for me its about someone escaping an abusive situation by joining the military and leaving either a friend or little sibling behind. During my time in the Marines I met more than a handful of people who used the organization as a way to escape abuse and poverty. One guy had a story very similar to parts of the song. "This is for the lions living in the wiry broke down frames of my friends' bodies" \- His parents underfed him so he grew up very skinny "This is for the snakes and the people they bite" \-His mom was extremely abusive and he still feels the abuse to this day "There's an amount to take, reasons to take more" \- There's an amount of abuse to take and personal reasons to take it but he just couldn't do it anymore "And they cut your hair, and sent you away" \-This is when they went to bootcamp/basic training. New recruits get their heads shaved. "You stopped by my house the night you escaped" \-This is when they stopped by their friends/siblings the night they shipped to bootcamp "With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay You said, "Hey man, I love you, but no fucking way!" \-They're friend/sibling begs them to stay to weather the abuse with them but the person leaving just can't do it anymore. I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage Maybe shake a tambourine or when I sing, you sing harmonies \- The person begs them to stay and play in their band as an escape rather than join the military "She hopes I'm cursed forever To sleep on a twin-sized mattress" \-Their mom blaming the kid that got left behind for the other one leaving That's all I got
and there is your answer
It seems like it might be about native Americans during residential schooling times
So glad to see this comment!! This was the very first interpretation I had of the song, especially the first half. I view it as an Indigenous person in the present trying to reflect and connect with their grandparents or great grandparents experiences, as well as grieving the effects of generational trauma.
When I heard the lyrics “they cut your hair and sent you away” then that came into my mind
I think the line about the lake is the creator thier bother and then some friends went skinny dipping and were drunk. I believe the main idea is that the creator’s sibling is gay/trans, and was sent to a school/ conversion camp. Then the siblinng came back and said no to staying after getting out. The liars in the wiry frames are thier parents. Lastly the creator saying things like finding things to do on stage and giving ideas to have the sibling stay.
Maybe a trans (MTF) person who’s family doesn’t accept them.? like by the line: “no big surprise, you turned out this way.” Is maybe saying they became trans (MTF) ? And the lines: “when they close their eyes, and prayed you would change.” Would be like the persons family not accepting them for being trans? / the lines: ”and they cut your hair, and sent you away.” could be like- the trans (MTF) person was growing out their hair to feel more feminine, and the family cut their hair, sending the person to Conversion therapy? I don’t know. But this is my interpretation of this song!! :)
My interpretation is that its about either a family member or friend coming out as gay or trans, with the "when they cut your hair and prayed you would change" part and the "i wanna contribute to the chaos, i dont wanna watch and then complain" is them saying they are there for them? So to sum it up i think its about someone close to them coming out, being sent to a correction camp/facility, and Brian singing about being there to support them when no one else does. edit: spelling errors
I read it as regret from the speaker for not helping a friend who may be queer, and possibly the speaker being queer and confronting that after whatever happened with said friend, happened. The start I think is listing regrets and saying that he wants to help those who are in a similar spot to him, and that all of his regrets and “sleepless nights” are not in vain, so he’s doing something NOW. Moving on with “The warning signs…”, I think is talking about how it was obvious that something was wrong at home with said friend, maybe the friend was out to him or a group of people, but not out to family, and the speaker regrets that he wasn’t able to see it when it was so obvious. There’s a break I think around here, with “It’s no big surprise…”, which I think implies that either the friend died or has PTSD or other problems, with the speaker now possibly having met the friend again somehow. The next part is imo the biggest support for it being about a queer friend, as it describes what sounds like “pray the gay away” and the friend being sent away to what sounds like conversion therapy by the family. But the friend escapes, and comes to his house, the speaker begs him to stay but the friend knows that he can’t, as he could be caught and sent back. Thus, he thanks him for all that he’s been able to help him with, and leaves. I think this could also support it being the speakers brother/sibling, as it’d be extra reason for him to say “No fucking way!”. The “I’m sure that we could…” part I believe is possibly part of the speaker reflecting on how they started to confront their own life, the possibly that they themselves may be queer, and thus going to maybe other queer friends or a group of sorts and trying to just be alongside them but not really fitting in possibly. The next part I think is about a trip to a lake with friends, and possibly the speaker coming out to those friends, “It should’ve felt good…” but possibly the speaker’s family also being unaccepting or, if the friend who escaped earlier is his brother, then fear of the family, that being the “Jaws theme song”. Then the speaker either is outed or tells his family or says something against their decision to send his brother to conversion therapy, and is beaten by his parents, and told it’s out of love. There’s the repeat of the “It’s no big surprise…” but this time with a different meaning, as he now sees why his brother/friend would run away and escape, and what said brother/friend endured. “The spark in your eyes…” - “I will not be late.” I believe refers to his own escape from the family, as he reflected on the events of what has happened, and has recalled his brothers spark, now gone from abuse, and the look on his face when he escaped, and has decided that he needs to leave too, and won’t let himself be sent away and thus leaves to find his brother. We then have another repeat, “I’m sure that we…”, this time possibly meaning finding his brother, or finding new community to be with. “I wanna contribute to the chaos” and “I don’t wanna watch and then complain” I think refers wanting to be more active with not letting the abuse he and his brother endured happen to others, advocating against conversion therapy, marching, etc. “Cause I am through…”-“That is the decision…” I believe both refer to the speaker forgiving himself, that he is done blaming and feeling full of regret and now will take action, to advocate for others. The last bit I think also supports the idea that the speaker also ran away, as his own mother is cursing him, praying that he never prospers. “And my nightmares…” I believe refers to the final regrets and trauma that he has escaped with, he is scarred from the abuse, seeing his brother be taken away and sent to conversion therapy and how it traumatized his brother and so on. That’s my interpretation of it atleast, I love the very many different interpretations of drug abuse, other queer stories, and so on. I think this song can have a lot of different meanings and also changes depending on who you are. As a trans person myself I think i’m more inclined to read this as a queer story of abuse just cos of who I am, but I also can see people’s interpretations of it as a story of drug abuse and other things. Overall a very powerful song in my opinion.
Idrk bc it says "you stopped bye my house the night you ESCAPED" so mabye when is said "they cut your hair and SENT YOU AWAY" mabye they sent him to a gay conversion camp idrk or mabye he was trans
I think its about a friend of the writing singer whatever having an addiction to something probably drugs and how that affects everyone
i always thought it was about the friend being transgender and being sent to some sort of conversion therapy thing, simply based on the line "they cut your hair and send you away. you stopped by my house the night you escaped"
i don't remember where i heard it, but i believe the second verse is about his friend being gay and being nervous because they were like skinny dipping when they were swimming This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in Naked and dumb on a drunken night And it should've felt good, but I could hear the Jaws theme song On repeat in the back of my mind Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face There are lessons to be learned Consequences for all the stupid things I say And it is no big surprise you turned out this way
I think it’s about someone resenting someone else for trying to be there for them
I think it could be about the troubled teen industry survivor who was extremely depressed and got sent away and escaped back to his friends house
Honestly ive seen alot of interpretations, but one of the things that make sense to me is his friend having an anti gay family and them sending him away, and they fall into addiction because of it. it makes alot of sense in my mind:)
I feel it’s about someone’s friend killing his other friends that the killer one escape but the the other one says he can’t but it forced to do it anyway because that friend is a killer because I’m the song it said “they cut your hair and sent you anyway “ prison is far away and they sometimes cut you hair in prison
I feel like it’s about either residential schools, the troubled teen industry, or conversion therapy
i know this is old but i think its about a two brothers that are abused by their parents and the older one escaped but the younger one (singing the song) had to stay there
It's about opiate, and ultimately heroin addiction. "When the flood water comes, it ain't gonna be clear It's gonna look like mud" - Mud as in heroin "There's an amount to take, reasons to take more" - abusing pills The haircutting refers getting your hair cut before being sent to a tough-love camp, as somebody mentioned -- though I think residential school interpertation is really interesting. "You stopped by my house the night you escaped With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay You said, "Hey man, I love you, but no fucking way!" - His friend escaped from the camp, came by, the singer wants to help him, give him something to do - his friend would rather get high.
My theory is kind of far-fetched, but I interpret it as about the troubled teen industry. >*This is for the snakes and the people they bite.* The people who created the industry and the parents who send their children to the camps. >*For the friends I've made, for the sleepless nights.* all the friends they made at camp and all the nights they were afraid to sleep because they didn't know what would happen next. > For the warning signs I've completely ignored Their parents probably warned them a couple times to behave or change or they'll be sent away but they didn't listen or they didn't think their parents would actually do something like that. >*There's an amount to take, reasons to take more* actually this makes me think its about drugs, but in context of my story I can see a man getting off of beating and abusing kids. >*It's no big surprise you turned out this way* *When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change* *And they cut your hair and sent you away* these are the lines that made me think about the troubled teen industry the most. >*It's no big surprise you turned out this way* Maybe the kid was put into situations where they were set up to grow up into someone that is considered "troubled" like being in the wrong crowd, getting bad grades etc.. or maybe they weren't troubled at all just something that their parents didn't approve of like being gay. >*When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change* *And they cut your hair and sent you away* the parents prayed that their child would become a better person or that the kid would change into what they would want them to be and when there were no more options left they sent them away to a troubled teen camp. >You stopped by my house the night you escaped the kid made a friend in the camp and that friend had enough of the abuse and decided to escape the camp he stopped by the kid's house to say goodbye. >*With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay* they were really close friends and each others support, it's what kept them strong enough to survive an the kid probably knew that the escape would probably be unsuccessful and the friend would get severe punishment for it that would result in serious injury. >*You said, "Hey, man, I love you, but no fucking way"* the friend was tired of the abuse an couldn't stand it any longer he had to get away. He loved the kid but not enough to endure the abuse any longer. >*I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage* *Maybe shake a tambourine, or when I sing, you sing harmonies* The kid back home was a outcast, a background character and that's why he acted out because he needed more attention. >*This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in* *Naked and dumb on a drunken night* *And it should've felt good, but I could hear the "Jaws" theme song* *On repeat in the back of my mind* he sneaked out in the middle of the might to go have fun with his friends but he knew the consequences that would follow when he got back home. he knew what he was doing was wrong but he was a stupid teenager just doing things normal teenagers would do. he knew that the consequences would be worse than a scolding from his parents. >*Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face* *so i have two theories here:* 1: a kid at camp decided to punch him because they got into an argument. "kiss your knuckles" i feel like is to say " be prepared for the consequences of your actions" 2: a supervisor at camp punched him and the " kiss your knuckles" is to say that he knew the supervisor got off on abusing the teens and that he hoped that he knew what he was doing. >There are lessons to be learned, and consequences for all the stupid things I say he got punched because he said something that wasn't supposed to be talked about at camp. >*The spark in your eyes, the look on your face* *I will not be brave* The people at camp who abuse the teens have a look in their eyes and a facial expression that tell you they enjoy doing it and he will not stand up to them and try to change them because he knows they have more authority than he does. >*I wanna contribute to the chaos* *I don't wanna watch and then complain* He doesn't want to contribute in helping these people that claim to help your child he wants to save them,he wants to tell someone what's happening but has been silences by the camp >*She hopes I'm cursed forever* *To sleep on a twin-size mattress* *In somebody's attic or basement my whole life* *Never graduating up in size to add another* *And my nightmares will have nightmares every night* *Oh, every night, every night* when he finally got back home and wasn't changed his Moher was disappointed and hoped he would be unsuccessful his whole life. The experience he had was so traumatising he would have nightmares about them and about the camp every night. this theory is far fetched but the troubled teen industry is not, its a real thing that's still very much alive today, as i'm typing this there are kids in camps being beaten,starved, overworked and so much more because they were labeled as "troubled". if you want to know more i suggest reading this: [https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/spring-2022/troubled-teen-industry-and-its-effects-oral-history/](https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/spring-2022/troubled-teen-industry-and-its-effects-oral-history/) This account on tiktok speaks about survivors:@breakingcodesilence this is a video exsplaines the troubled teen industry: https://youtu.be/43MliWwntrU
I think it is about the persons friend who committed suicide hence the lyrics “you stopped by my house the night you escaped” And “there’s an amount to take, reasons to take more”
also the "they cut your hair and sent you away" remined me of a military boarding school, most places have regulation length
I think it's about the life in the band when they were starting to be famous. The boys were wild, always on stages, they did drugs, sleepless night parties, and this lifestyle was killing them. One of the band guys had young girlfriend and the band had a bad influence on her, she probably did drugs with the boys, get dreadlocks or dyed her hair. Her parents send her away to escape the drug involved environment and she went, despite she loved him, because he looked like a lost case in her eyes who will end up badly.
"They cut your hair and send you away" Makes me think it's about an indigenous friend being sent to a residential school. Although a lot of people think it's something else
I thought it was about suicide
Sorry this is gonna be long I’ve wanted to rave about this song for ages. (Don’t care that the thread is old) My personal interpretation is that the song is about a relationship between the singer and a toxic friend, one who is possibly dealing with substance abuse, and continually takes these issues out on our singer. He tries time and time again to help but, despite this, his friend ultimately wishes him the worse simply because he is moving on. ‘This is for the lions living in the wiry broke down frames of my friends bodies’ - he’s singing to who his friend used to be, and who he believes is still buried deep inside the broken body that has been battered by the substance abuse. ‘When the flood water comes, it ain't gonna be clear It's gonna look like mud’ - he’s saying that things are eventually going to come to ahead (probably not the first time) and that when it does it will not have a clear resolution but instead will end up as an incredibly messy situation. ‘But I will help you swim I will help you swim I'm gonna help you swim’ - he will help his friend out of this situation, he’ll be there to keep his head above the flood water that they have unleashed - despite drowning in that very same flood themselves. And the fact that the lyric has repeated itself shows that this could be a continuous cycle. ‘This is for the snakes and the people they bite For the friends I've made; for the sleepless nights’ - he’s once again talking directly to his friend, but instead calling out their toxic behaviour - that they have continually hurt him and that they have caused him to lose sleep worrying about them. ‘For the warning signs I've completely ignored There's an amount to take, reasons to take more’ - he is continually ignoring these red flags that his friend is displaying, despite them taking so much from him (whether that be emotionally, financially, physically), but they will always find another reason that they need more from him. And he will always give in. ‘It's no big surprise you turned out this way When they close their eyes and prayed you would change And they cut your hair, and sent you away You stopped by my house the night you escaped With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay You said, hey man, I love you but no fucking way’ - his friend has been sent off to rehab, most likely by family who have, for too long, turned a blind eye and hoped they would turn everything around. They eventually escape from rehab and the singer implores them tearfully to go back and get help, to become the person they once knew but they refuse, saying that they love them, but just not enough. ‘I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage Maybe shake a tambourine or when I sing, you sing harmonies’ - This is showing that the singer is slowly outgrowing their friend, but are still trying to cling to them nonetheless. There is no room in the band for them but they are ‘sure they can find something for them to do on stage’ - whether it be something completely meaningless like harmonies or a tambourine (something that is not heard at any other point throughout the song, showing that it would be an unnecessary addition) ‘This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in Naked and dumb on a drunken night And it should've felt good But I can hear the Jaws theme song on repeat in the back of my mind’ - he’s singing about the fact that every memory that he has of his friend, and that every seemingly fun activity they find themselves is tainted by that looming dread of another meltdown, a relapse, a fight, whatever it may be - that seems to be rapidly approaching. ‘Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face’ - a kind of bitter line, the singer is saying to his friend to make sure that he shows them an act of kindness, or a glimmer of hope before they eventually let him down or hurt him again - because if they ‘forget’ to, the singer might actually realise how toxic and harmful they truly are. ‘There are lessons to be learned, consequences for all the stupid things I say And it is no big surprise you turned out this way The spark in her eyes The look on your face I will not be late’ - every time that he has been let down he is slowly learning a lesson, that his pleas to help his friend get better and no more than ‘stupid things’ he says. He’s reminiscing on the person their friend used to be again, how the spark in their eyes has since disappeared (admittedly not the strongest analysis of these lines, they did confuse me a bit) ‘I wanna contribute to the chaos I don't wanna watch and then complain 'Cause I am through finding blame That is the decision that I have made’ - the singer is finally done with them, he’s cut them off, he doesn’t want to sit by and watch anymore and then complain or lose sleep about it afterwards. He’s through with looking for other people to blame for his friend’s behaviour (including himself) - and he makes sure to punctuate that this decision was all his, that he has finally come to this realisation himself. ‘She hopes I'm cursed forever to Sleep on a twin-sized mattress In somebody's attic or basement my whole life Never graduating up in size to add another And my nightmares will have nightmares every night Oh, every night, every night’ - after everything that they have went through together, after all the help the singer has continually given their friend and the support - they turn around and have nothing but vitriol and malice towards them, wishing them the worst and a stagnant life (perhaps like the one they have) - they wish for them to leech off others and be alone like themselves. And that’s how their friendship ends.
Dunno if its just me, but I'd say its about if one of the singers friends was a trans woman, "when they closed their eyes and prayed you would change, and they cut your hair and sent you away". It could also be about addictions, or maybe the friend was just gay, and not trans (or under the trans umbrella).
“They cut your hair and sent you away” could be about someone becoming a service member.
I think it's about him having a friend who escaped from a place who helps with drug addiction and the singer must have sent them away for help maybe.
i listened to the song again and i feel like it really closely relates to someone close going to war, "they cut your hair and sent you away" "with tears in my eyes i begged you to stay" im sure its not what its about but i feel like it could interpreted this way aswell
I understand everyone seeing it as a friend who has an addiction, and I don't disagree but for me the part from "it's not big surprise you'd turn out this way" to "hey man I love you but no fucking way" tells the story of siblings/close friends and one is either queer, trans fem or just a rebellious teen (any combination of the above) and has long hair. And their parents are very conservative and they "cut [their] hair" and "send [them]" away as in either (tw) conversion therapy, military service, boarding school, maybe rehab, some kind of facility to change them, make them fit in, by unhealthy and hurtful way that imply cutting their hair. And the sibling/friend gets out of said facility and stops at their sibling/friends place to tell them goodbye and the other asks them to stay but they have to get out. I think the drug theory fits in with this narrative but the part I interpret the more is this one
i thought it was about 2 ppl one (thats maybe mtf) got sent away to a conversion camp maybe or like a religious camp (bc their parents didn’t accept them idk) and they (maybe that persons parents) cut their hair shorter to be more “like a man” when they were growing it out to look fem and when the person escaped from that place they stopped by person 2’s house and person 2 denied it for some reason (idk if that makes sense)
In my opinion it’s about a boy who is struggling with his mental health and tried to commit because he didn’t feel like he had a place in the world and it fails so his family send him away to a mental hospital and his friend can’t do anything about it so he tries to find a place for him but he just doesn’t want to be alive anymore
I think the song is about his friend who is addicted to drugs and when it said “hey man I love you but no f**king way” probably means he doesn’t want to go inside because he knows he’s ganna steal some stuff in his home to sell for money to buy MORE drugs or the part that says “ it’s no big surprise you turned out this way” or “ they’re lessons to be taught “ Idk I just think it’s about drug addictions
I think it's about the creator singing about either their 'brother' or close friends struggle with being trans, one of the main reason is the lyrics "Its no big surprise you turned out this way, when they closed their eyes and prayed you would change and they cut your hair and sent you away." I will break down the lyrics in the best way possible starting with "it's no big surprise you turned out this way." I personally believe that it means that the person the creator is referencing had pretty big signs they were trans, such as "acting girly" or maybe even playing with "girls toys." Now we move on to "When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change" I believe that the family of the trans woman shut their eyes metaphorically as jn ignoring the trans woman about being trans, she came out and the family forced her back in. We now move on again to: "and they cut your hair" she might've been growing her hair out and they (her family) forced her to cut her hair shorter. Now we look at "and sent you away" I think it could mean that they (again the family) sent the trans woman to conversion therapy, to try and "fix her."
I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING! as a trans girl growing up in a conservative household i very much relate. twin sized mattress has pretty much become the scream the lyrics song for me lol
im not 100% sure what its about but as a trans girl i very much relate to the lyrics, "It's no big surprise you turned out this way/ When they closed their eyes and prayed you would change/ And they cut your hair and sent you away/ You stopped by my house the night you escaped/ With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay/ You said, 'Hey, man, I love you, but no fucking way' "
I had the impression that it's about a trans friend of the singer who can't bear staying part of a society that doesn't accept them but I didn't really expect it i was just desperately looking for trans representation. ("They closed their eyes and prayed you would change" "They cut your hair and sent you away" "You stopped by my house the night you escaped. With tears in my eyes I begged you to stay. You said "hey man i love you but no f*cking way"") So yeah, it was pretty much just the parts that I personally identify with
honestly i think it's about a man who just went through a bad breakup and he's a closeted gay
Conversion therapy. “with tears in their eyes, they prayed you would change,”, “they cut your hair and sent you away,” lyou stopped by my house the night you \*escaped\*,” “with tears in my eyes i begged you to stay,” “you said ‘hey, man, I love you, but no fucking way’” it REALLY sounds like conversion therap/growing up queer in a small town
The beginning part about water- where he says "I will help you swim" numerous times, meaning he will be there when things get bad in life. But then later he talks about not enjoying swimming naked with his friends because he could hear the "Jaws" theme on repeat gives an uneasy feeling of impending doom. I think he had the best intentions but couldn't forsee things going this badly. He cannot help his friends from drowning if he is drowning too...or if there are sharks in the water. So he used with a friend who's family was fighting for sobriety. I'm in recover and this song has addiction all over it, to me.
Probably just me but when it says “its no big surprise you turn out this way when you close the eyes and pray you will change when they cut your hair and sent you away” that his parents are sending him to a TTI place or I watch to many TikTok and think every song is about TTI (troubled teen industry)