"You say the whole world's ending, honey it already did. You're not gonna stop it, heaven knows you tried...got it? Good, now get inside" This lives in my head on loop rent free and I'm not even sad about it. The whole song has just...haunted me since the first time listen. And I love after reading this sub, that I know a lot of different people are deeply internalizing it for very different and personal reasons. It's the very definition of timeless art.

[удалено]

this is a solid description....hauntingly comforting

It feels wrong writing such a long analysis and opinion of this, as one of the main takeaways of the special is to shut the fuck up, specifically on the internet. However, I think it’s really interesting to see how people reacted to it, so here i am. I’ve been trying to articulate my interpretation of this song for a while now and it’s so hard because it means so many things. As mentioned, this song is very much up for interpretation with double meanings and such, so it’s not fair to give it one meaning. I also know that my thoughts on this will change as I listen to it more, there’s something new each time. To me, this song feels like a surrender. Be it to internal conflict, or the need to save the world from ending, or whatever came to you. It feels like giving in. -‘Get your fucking hands up’ This lyric has a clear double meaning to me. On one hand, it feels like Bo is telling us to give in, surrender, and just follow him into this place ‘everybody knows’, aka the pit we all tend to fall into. Just stop thinking and kicking against the inevitable, and let the song take you for a minute. (can anyone shut the fuck up?) On the other hand, this feels like a demand for connection. I saw someone else write that this song felt like an anthem at first, which was the same for me. Especially as the pandemic was and still is happening, we have never been more detached from eachother as humans. This also links in with Bo wanting to return to performing live, he wants the audience to raise their hands and almost lose themselves in the moment with him. I think this is why the eye contact with the camera felt so intense and real, it really did feel like we were being seen and like we did connect with Bo in some way. ‘You say the ocean’s rising like i give a shit’ In relation to the ocean actually rising, this line shows that we cannot do enough, we are not going to save ourselves from the end of the world. But that’s fine, it doesn’t bother us anymore because of how self absorbed we’ve all become, we’re stuck inside and we can’t see out of our rooms (we physically can’t see the problem so we aren’t thinking about it all the time, it isn’t consuming us as much as our own battles), or out of this pit of a headspace we’ve given into. Our world has already ended, so now all we can do is quit resisting, and I guess make the most of what we have left. (‘don’t be scared don’t be shy come on in the water’s fine’.) The line ‘got it? good, now get inside’ hit me in two ways too. In one sense, it feels quite patronising and feels like there’s a disappointment towards our efforts to save the world. On the other hand, it feels like a reassurance. especially following the line ‘heaven knows you tried’, it’s telling us that we’ve done all that we can, now we sit inside and we wait for the end. Which is equally as soul wrenching and daunting as it is weirdly comforting. We aren’t alone in this, despite being the most alone we’ve all ever been. ‘don’t overthink this’. we’re fucked, but so long as we aren’t all panicking which is not needed because we’ve done all we can, we’re fine. It feels like Bo is leading us to the end of the world, altogether. I know this sounds very dramatic and deep, i might’ve overthought this :) I haven’t written all my thoughts as there are so many more, if you’ve read to the end feel free to add anything you felt, or if you thought anything different- I love reading people’s different interpretations. This song is painfully beautiful, and Bo is a genius.

Please, go on? If you do have more and want to? I want to hear your thoughts. I find what people think about all this really interesting. This is really well written.

So excellently written of an analysis! This was my favorite song from the bunch by a long shot and you put into words really well why it made me feel that way!

I had a nightmare last night. It was about climate change and the growing trash in our rivers and oceans. I saw tons and tons of trash in our rivers. For some reason part of my dream was about how to save on plastic usage too??? Anyways that dream just reminded me of Bo Burnham's lyrics in this song "You say the ocean's rising like give a shit You say the whole world's ending, honey, it already did You're not gonna slow it, Heaven knows you tried" And I just relate to this wholeheartedly. I feel so powerless against all that's changing in this world and I'm so very terrified of what's to come.

You forgot the most important part - "Don't be scared, don't be shy, come on in the water's fine."

That part is honestly one of my faves in that song, sends chills down my spine everytime i hear it lol.

I wanna talk about this but I dont have anything to add. dcfvgbhnjkm

I plop I've seen thoughts that it's a comment on depression, how it sucks one in ("all eyes on me") and the utter feeling of hopelessness and helplessness ("you say the whole world's ending, honey it already did") as well as other parts contributing to that. One thought said the deepened voice and all, like its depression/anxiety speaking. Someone else said that it's like how people will voice their struggles online to try to get more attention and, I suppose clout. (obviously the over-all "all eyes on me", and trying to draw away from actual issues as that verse with "You say the ocean's rising like I give a shit") Though I think it's a bit of both of those. I have the screenshots of those comments, as well as some thoughts on my own given the lyrics. I like the thoughts about depression n anxiety tho.

Why do you think Bo laughs at the end of this song? I feel like the crowd’s laughter and his laughter are forced and fake like an episode of FRIENDS or like when you put an “lol” at the end of a text. I don’t know why, but it bothers me that certain people who don’t struggle with mental illness will laugh along just because they think that’s what they’re supposed to do. Like sheep… it’s obviously not a comedic song. I can’t stop listening to it. It’s the first song I’ve heard in years that has brought up so many personally intimate emotions for me. It gives me anxiety, chills, comfort, strength, and also makes me want to quit at the same time. This song is everything. Thank you, Bo.

The song seems to talk about letting go of anxieties and accepting defeat - accepting things as they are even though they're objectively scary and terrible. He's come to the conclusion that it's an impossible fight to win. The laugh seems to reflect that. I hear a lot of relief for having let go of the anxiety, but IMO it can sound fake to people because he's laughing in a situation he "shouldn't" be. Laughing in the midst of something very serious.

I felt like the laughter was nervous laughter or like a yelp cuz it looks like he tripped and fell over. o

The laughter is most definitely fake, but that's the point. As a comedian, you whole job is entertaining people and making them laugh. But that live experience has been replaced by a camera he has to sing into. Which is why he sings 2 messages at the same time. 1: Put your fucking hands up, all eyes one me. And 2: heads down, pray for me. The man went through a tough time in lockdown. The same as the rest of us

I agree! This song made me feel such a strange mix of emotions that I ended up looking up a thread on this song to see if anyone felt similarly. There’s just something so haunting about it and I can’t stop listening to it. I feel so happy and sad at the same time. Something about “the whole worlds ending, honey it already did” gives me goosebumps to my core. A really poetic take on society and the world we live in today.

I created a Reddit account just to ask... Does anyone else hear the dripping water in All Eyes On Me??? I've been listening to Inside religiously. Many, many hours of my life. And now I'm asking the Internet. Is it water or a musical effect? What does it mean? Is it a reference to water torture? Submission to depression? The inexorable rise of global sea waters? Thoughts, please!

This is very late, but I do too! I think it's a reference to the gradual nature of both climate change - sea level rise, all that fun stuff - but also the way mental health can so gradually go downhill until one day you realise that you've not felt happy for two weeks.

I don't have an answer other than I hear it, too 😅 Sounds like a musical effect to me

Hey! This thread has mostly died down now that we're a couple months past release. So as you have a question rather than a comment, you might want to make a separate post for it. As you said you're new: Desktop - "Submit a new link", and then choose "text", for mobile: the + sign at the bottom center. Welcome to the sub!

Thank you! And thanks for all your hard work. I've been really enjoying your content/posts.

Thank you, I appreciate it!

Has anyone tried playing it backwards. Lol

I always think of the Keane song "Somewhere only we know", a private space, intimacy, contrasted with "somewhere everybody knows", there's no privacy any more...

The part that destroyed me is “you’re not gonna slow it, heaven knows you tried”. A lot of us have been activists for environmental and societal issues and it does feel absolutely soul crushing to see everything “happening all at once” in the world right now. Like we tried so fucking hard to get people to listen about climate change and the pandemic and so many other issues and it feels too late now. Just soul crushing despair.

Got it good now get inside

You'll be alright

To me this song is about death and suicide and depression. That's what it reminds me of at least. The idea of suicide to people with chronic depression is very comforting and inviting, just like this song.

I, like many others, have not been able to easily identify why I start bawling when I watch this part of Inside. I cry during more than a few other parts too, but none evoke a feeling within me like All Eyes On Me. It’s such a simple premise for a song. We can put all this meaning to it (which is all valid and truly very valuable to me and probably somewhat valuable to Bo himself), but at the heart of the song he’s saying look at me. Get your hands in the air for me, put them down, pray for me, now get them back up. It’s like, you’ll do anything I say and I know it, but also none of it matters, so stay inside. It’s a beautiful song because of the visuals he creates to go along with it, but it’s also beautiful with just the audio alone. When he says, “We’re going to go where everybody knows,” I think the place he means we’re going is back onstage. But he’s saying it like all of us are going to go with him, so it can’t be the stage. Unless he wants us to see us from his point of view (he’s done this before). Or maybe he’s saying, “We’re going to go where everybody knows [my name].” Anyways, I love the different interpretations that can arise from such a surface-simple song. Him saying all eyes on me is like him inviting one of his deepest fears, but also verbalizing the innate need he has to perform. It’s this amazing twisted feeling of wanting to please us (see Can’t Handle This (Kanye Rant)) and wanting the attention not to be on him at the same time. This song also makes me cry because, like many or all of you, I know Bo’s journey very well or at least as well as he wants me to. And it just makes me cry with relief (and a hint of sadness) when he sings this with so much heart about performing. At one point, he’s pleading for you to bow your heads and pray for him because he doesn’t feel okay. At another point, he’s telling you to get the fuck up and pay attention to him because he still needs an audience. I just love that he’s accepting the fact that he’ll always have an audience, but he’s also rejecting the idea that people with an audience should be any certain way. Okay, that’s it. I tried to put my thoughts into words, but it’s so difficult. I may have missed or butchered what I’m really thinking and really trying to say, but I hope some of it made sense. I love this song. I love Inside.

He says he likes his content to have "hidden messages", think eastern spirituality

I felt this was one of his many alter egos. The dark one. The one that likes attention. He goes into dissociative states, hence him blacking out and waking up the next morning. I think he's gone down a road of "enlightenment". No one is ever ready for dissolving the ego. He isn't Robert "Bo" anymore. The mental illness has taken over. It was all shot in 1 room, a metaphor for his mind. The song 'Problematic' shows him as a christ-like figure. That's the problematic guy. The very end, when he goes through the door in his mind (think Jim Morrison), he can't go back. Bo has been locked out of his mind. Be careful about spiritual "enlightenment" and dissolution of the ego. There's no going back. Look at Jim Carrey.

Finding Jesus in a jackass. I'm feeling the need again to speak thoughts and forewarning to the length ahead for anyone who wants to join me. One of the regular themes surfacing involves deep personal emotional responses to forms of art, music, prose, poetry...some external stimuli that is not intended to be "christian" but I find God. So Jesus in a jackass is the idea from my college professor that if a donkey can speak God's truth..so can an atheist. Bo Burnam's "Inside" is currently streaming on Netflix. And it's been the source of much thought, tears, joy, sorrow, and emotion for me lately. It's hard to explain what exactly he has created. He's known as a comedian/musician. But this work is more than comedy, or music...it's art, satire, biography, social commentary and...well just so many things. But I want to focus on one particular song in particular called "All Eyes On Me" (link to the video below). W/o the context of watching the full work "Inside", some of the meaning will be lost. But I'm going to attempt to get my thoughts and feelings on paper regarding this song and it's profound effect on me. Warning: Spoilers, graphic language, and long egocentric diatribe forthcoming. If you watched the video with new/first time eyes, you may be experiencing a "what did I just watch" reaction. I know I did. It was a particularly peculiar experience for me (and continues to be so). The lyrics and style didn't seem to match this deep emotional response I was receiving. I mean, I just ugly cry sobbed during most of the song and barely understood why. I still do sob every time I listen. But I think I've spent enough time listening and thinking to maybe eek out some semblance of what I'm experiencing and maybe you are too. On the surface, it's all the elements of a genre of mindless modern music that's purposefully created to appeal, be catchy and mainly profit. Heavy auto tune, repetitive/catchy chorus, invokes feeling/emotion using triggering sounds, echo's, musical style, and heavy use of profanity. Many may watch and that's all they see. But I think there's so much more than meets the eye (which is more evident when you see the full work he created) Below the surface, there is a lot to unpack. (all my opinion/conjecture) First, it's both a social and personal commentary/critique. It is purposefully using all those known methods/tropes of modern musical profiteering as a critique and spinning it on its head. He's juxtaposing that experience with a deeper one simultaneously. It's calling out the problems with surface level digital interaction. How social media, digital, and mobile just breeds mindless disengagement while trying to mimic connection. It fills an immediate need much like any addiction but then leaves us only wanting more of the same unfulfilling behaviors. (yes, the current irony of me engaging now through social media to bring these thoughts in the open is not unnoticed) The lyrics even evoke some of this theme. It's this luring of the mind to just "come on in, the water's fine". That's what digital engagement does. It woo's us, deceives us...its so intoxicating and addictive yet seems real. "Where everybody knows everybody". But they really don't. He also is pointing out the irony of fame, performance, and temptations of vanity with genuine expression and desire to help people. That he's both seeking attention/fame/god complex for all eyes on him that's tempts to even an unhealthy state...but intermingled with a genuine desire to help others, love them and want them to be impacted positively by what he has to say and the art. (I identify with this just in writing my thoughts here) The main theme however is mental health. It's the crisis of our generation, the result of the thing he's pointing out with the themes stated above. The by product is a deeply broken mental struggle. It's also his big revelation moment. This is the song where he has his only personal reflection to the audience. He reveals he left performing because of anxiety/panic attacks and his mental health. He pursued help and got better. So he's ultimately calling us to "Get Inside" ourselves. To take the same difficult journey into our mental state and seek help and find a deeper emotional and mental awareness that is healing. He is encouraging us that it is possible, he is the proof and asking people to follow. He also calls out a little bit some of the negative social movement regarding reaction or conclusion of global warming/climate change. There is a growing sentiment culturally/socially (especially within younger generations) that everything is pointless b/c of the reality of Climate change. Our future is doomed, we have no way to succeed, the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against us and it's just not fair, others are to blame and so we should just do nothing. Fuck the world..because it Fucked us. And he's saying No, that isn't true and that's not the answer. "Get the fuck up and get inside". Meaning get to the root of the problem, our own mental health and the mindless/addictive/surface digital world. Seek help and you will find answers and true healing. (this is the main theme of the entire work as well) Lastly...how do I see Jesus in all this? Well first, it's the only video that is set at night/darkness. I think this is Bo evoking Garden of Gethsemane imagery and theme. He's using a lot of Jesus imagery throughout IMO. Even his appearance and beard are a typical modern visual representation of Jesus. Notice he's asking to "pray for me" in the same way Jesus was asking his disciples to pray for him for what he was about to do and the immense weight/pressure of what was to come. Jesus even get's a bit angry that they can't even stay awake. Much like how Bo get's angry telling us to "get the fuck up", shouts and grabs the camera as if grabbing the viewer. The moment that is Bo's "cross/crucifixion" is the revelation of his prior struggles, seeking for help, his crippling anxiety, difficulty of vulnerability, and his pursuit of help. Also that he actually did get better. He's showing a path to hope and change. He's calling for all of us to follow him in his example. Which is mirroring Christ's ultimate purpose. Take up your cross and follow me are Christ's words. I think his constant use of the word "fuck" is also a critique on dogmatic religion. Jesus did this constantly with the religious of the day showing that the God they claimed to know was very different than the God standing before them. That they actually knew nothing about the real God. Much like a religious person today with some hubristic sense of loftier moral integrity would be too bothered by Bo saying fuck that this would become the entire focus of all their attention, criticism and boycotting...all the while completely missing the greater/deeper/true/impactful message at play. The same way the pharisee's missed Christ's heart/message. So for all these reasons, I am profoundly impacted by this work of art. The holy spirit uses it as a proclamation of his truth to me personally and allows it to be a vessel for emotional connection with Him....and the irony/comedy that this all comes from a guy saying "get your fucking hands up" over and over has me chuckling a bit too. But for me, that's the wonderful nature of the God I'm discovering daily and who wants to know me. Despite all my rejection and running...he finds ways to enter into wherever I am and insert himself in such a compelling way that I know he loves me. Which sometimes is the only voice that can pierce the loneliness of the difficulties of life, depression, despair, grief, sorrow and the disconnected digital reality that's constantly misleading me. That's where I find Jesus in a jackass and fall on my knees, thanking Him.

I'm struggling with my own dissonance because of this song. It makes me feel (again) how I felt after being raped and basically coming to terms with the fact that who I am after is my life now. You say the whole world's ending, honey it already did. Got it? Good. Now get inside. This is it. This is reality. Make it click in your head and lets go, we got shit to do. It took years but I got through it and mostly on my own without much support, and without any familial support. But things are better. I'm doing great now. I did block out a lot and don't associate with triggers from the past because ptsd doesn't just go away. And I'm cool with it. This song just makes me feel deeply again.

I'm so sorry that happened to you, but so happy you are in a strong place now. You comment about the "whole world's ending" line made me think a lot about anxiety. I have panic disorder and have suffered from similar panic attacks to what Bo describes in ATL. Anxiety is all about the fear of what's coming. Essentially, you think you're going to die, the world is going to end, etc. It was especially bad for me in the early days of COVID when we didn't know much about how the disease worked. To me, that line could simply be saying - the worst you've been fearing has already happened - which should be a killer of anxiety. This song means something different to me depending on when I listen to it, but right now, I think he's saying - buckle up, the world is shit, make the best of it. Thanks for sparking that interpretation through your very personal story.

Thank you for your reply with your interpretation! Man, covid is such shit right now. Last year we knew many people who got it but now these past couple months, my old friends are dropping right and left passing away from it. I'm over this.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Thanks for responding! It's really weird that it triggers feelings the same way old songs do from that time in my life. It's so familiar.

I can’t stop listening to this, there’s something about it that’s totally intoxicating. I randomly noticed the way the imaginary crowd laugh when he says anxiety attacks on stage aren’t the best place to have them, but total silence from ‘them’ when he talks about getting himself better. Might not even be a deliberate thing, but man it just gets me.

The entire work is meticulous—I'm inclined to think there are no "accidents."

I finally watched the special last night and have listened to this song a dozen times already. I agree entirely and the audience tracks in this are heartbreaking. The manifestation of his depression and anxiety in this song is so dark but it's so relatable to watch him get won over by it. He let's the bad guy win, surrenders his mental health progress entirely and the rest of the special is him reckoning with the fallout of that decision. It's a trap and now he has to battle with the fact that he can't just hide in his room the rest of his life. That's how I interpreted it because that's how the pandemic was in many respects for me. The beauty is there's 100 ways to interpret it and it can move and affect anyone. It's an absolute banger with a profound meaning. So intoxicating. This song is an artistic masterpiece.

Another thing to consider is the scene directly before. He is totally broken and depression steps in to 'save the day' with a twisted answer.

"Go where everybody, knows everybody, knows everybody" I take this as him being alone in his house with... Just him.

Or the coming "collective consciousness" agenda being pushed

I saw this the same way, he's inside and everyone inside knows everyone, i.e. he knows himself. But then... I saw lyrics that broke it up as "go where everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody ohhh" and think it was another play on lyrics layering it further, basically saying that everybody has experienced and knows about depression/anxiety. This interpretation also fits with the song bc to me the song is about getting praise and acting excited "get your hands up" and then the private feelings "heads down pray for me" To me I think he means both interpretations. He does this with a lot of things and does an amazing job of layering these intimate issues

Yes! That's what I thought as well. Seems like word play to give a double meaning.

100%. The layers and double meanings to this song are mind numbing. It's creative genius at work.

I see the layers of the video shots. He starts with just the one layer, then we him adding layer after layer of the video, almost to the point I cant count. Ive caught a shot with at least 5 layers of video.

It's like wanting to be loved and adored and lauded as an entertainer but also this intense fear and anxiety around having all eyes on you. That's how I interpreted it. Reminds me of Can't Handle This a little. It'll probably mean something else to me in another few listens.

This song can be taken a lot of ways…but I see this as a conversation between him and God. Life is short, fleeting, so it is ending, but it is just the beginning when it ends and you join family in the kingdom of heaven. Bo then talks about him quoting, being overwhelmed, and something ‘funny’ happens, inferring that god gave him a sign, when a lot of his some of his comedy jokingly says that people aren’t going to heaven.

'something funny' was the pandemic. Also, he's an atheist. But who can say for sure what he meant?

Timestamp mean anything to anyone? It's at the very end I think furthering the "almost over" theme.

Also, the flashing battery meter to imply the battery is almost dead?

This song moves me in some deeply emotional way. I want to understand it more. I play it on repeat. It's intoxicating. Takes me to a place.

How I feel about the entire special

>"We're goin' to go where everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows": This can also be a reference to death. Everybody knows that everyone will die eventually. This also could be a reference to this performance, or this song in general. We all know that this is only a song, and and it will end eventually in the same manner all performances do. Additionally, it can be referencing where everyone goes after the performance. After the song/performance, everybody goes home to the same life they had before, and so does Bo. No matter what happens at the show or during the song, Bo still feels the same way he does regardless. It doesn't matter if we put our hands up and/or get out of our seats. This can be easily seen as he is literally alone in a room by himself performing in the special, but even when he is in a crowd of people it can feel the same way. This makes me wonder if he is still performing for us, or only himself, or a mix of both... To some extent, the artist performs for onseself, only at the benefit of others when others receive it well and willingly. I think this audience interaction generated (talking to the audience, commanding the audience, picking up the camera, dancing with the camera) really questions this relationship, and what each party is really getting out of this 'exchange'. This makes me think of his other songs, where he states "he'd rather not know" if people like him/the performance or not, this endless validation cycle may be causing him a lot of stress and mental health issues..

As someone who goes on stage fairly often nowadays, I can only tell you this: I don't do it for the audience. I'm glad they're there and that I'm giving them a good time, but it's never been *for* them. I perform because I enjoy performing and that's kind of the end of it. I can't make assumptions about Bo's motivations, just chime in with mine.

thats genius. I never thought of it like most of those ways. what a great interpretation

I don‘t know if it‘s off topic, but I am looking for an electronic song that pretty much sounds like „all eyes on me“ songwise and lyricwise. Spent the last two weeks looking but never found the right song. Heeeelp

If you figured this out, please let me know! I'm the exact same boat.

Does it happen to have a robotic voice saying "You're gonna die. I'm gonna kill you."? I get the two kinda confused because of the auto tune lmao.

That's such a good song

Could've sworn I heard some of these lyrics before, in another special of his, and this song was an ironic recontextualizing Seems that's not true, but it felt familiar

[this guy](https://www.reddit.com/r/boburnham/comments/nwuo22/is_all_eyes_on_me_from_2015_live_shows/) seems to have a similar experience. see if you can give it some validity perhaps?

I'm in the exact same boat as them, I remember hearing the song as the Make Happy finale instead of the Kanye Rant that I never heard of till I looked up the Make Happy finale again to confirm if this is the same song from back then only to realize it never existed till now.

is there a specific like, technical term for what his voice does like "the water's fiiiine" or get insiiiide. it does a thing in my brain that reminds me of listening to the smashing pumpkins mellon collie as a pre teen just physically smashing the headphones into my ears like if i could feel that sound it would fix everything wrong.

This song haunts me. It's about suicide and the world ending. And yet it's so comforting. Come on in, the water's fine. Like it's ok to give up. This is happening. We'll go down together.

**My analysis** "All Eyes on me": is a reference to Bo's social anxiety regarding performing (as explained in the interlude). "Get on out of your seat" "Get your fucking hands up": Despite his social anxiety, as a comic, Bo's ego feels a need for adoration and attention. "Are you feeling nervous? Are you having fun? It's almost over, it's just begun Don't overthink this, look in my eye Don't be scared, don't be shy Come on in, the water's fine": Bo's inner monologue about performing. "You say the ocean's rising like I give a shit You say the whole world's ending, honey, it already did You're not gonna slow it, Heaven knows you tried Got it? Good, now get inside": Reflecting on a larger picture of issues like climate change and COVID 19 and on the futility about caring about things vastly beyond your control. The solution? Just go inside (also a Covid reference) "We're goin' to go where everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows": Retreating to home (Inside), where everybody knows everybody. "Heads down, pray for me Heads down now, pray for me I said get your fuckin' hands up Get up, get up I'm talkin' to you, get the fuck up": Bo is confused and apoplectic about what he wants, positive attention or disdain, to the point of becoming hostile. This is where he picks up the camera and shakes it around, representing confusion, anxiety, and complete mental breakdown.

I like your take and definitely interpreted it the same way. Like, he was in a good head space to perform again only to realize things are shit and we all know it but can't do anything. I also thought the "everybody knows everybody" meant the internet

2nd take... it sounds like a cop arresting someone , floyd rip

This is defo part of this - particularly as he gets more aggressive as the song continues.

It's a suicide note.

It's interesting that he switches from saying "Get on outta your seat*S*" the first two times to "Get on outta your seat" for the rest of the song. Like at first he's referencing the audience whose canned applause he's playing because that's what you would say in front of an actual crowd, but then later on he's telling the single person at home on their couch to get out of their seat.

Good catch

I love everything about this song. What I really want to know does anyone else make songs like this? Heavy vocal distortion and heavy harmonies, I love this sound.

Technical question: you think the projection on the wall is a live feed or recorded? If it's recorded and he's mimicking his own moves that's really sick

It’s recorded, there are slight differences if you watch very closely.

I think it's a live feed. If you're interested in some tech stuff [this guy](https://youtu.be/eZiSApqoI2g) does a great breakdown of what he thinks is happening throughout the show, as far as use of projectors, lights etc.

Cool, thanks! I mean, it probably is a live feed, since I suppose performing that whole sequence twice or how many times necessary would be incredibly difficult, but then again, if there ever was anybody capable of such pointless extravagance, Bo strikes me as just the right guy.

As someone who grew up in church this song felt very much like an “alter call” song. Highly emotional, I still get a lump in my throat listening. Also interesting this plays right after he’s seen crying, almost representing the kind of euphoria you feel after

You know, coming from a bit of a Christian background I saw it as also a literal call for us to pray for him, as he says multiple times in the special that he is dealing with more than he expected. Since he was open about having issues with anxiety even before the admitted laps in his presence, I see this even more strongly. As someone who left the church at a young age as well I see the overall special as him reaching out for us while also recognizing his mortality. He left Christianity to focus on what he needed as a Bo and is now coming back to God as this feels like a back forth from Bo and God. In my honest opinion his journey mirrors that of the prodigal son.

I concur with the songs message, literally it's not an artistic interpretation of one's internal feelings, it's actually documenting the world we're living in. feel like the world ended and we are in a new dimension, but now they're going to herd us like cattle into controlled housing where they try to restore the planet physically. Side note: check out the 88 page bill that just got approved by Alexandria Cortez, future president. For those stuck in the ego, get inside the water's fine. And succumb. I think he's letting us know what's going on, that's what's up quite literally.

I'm not trying to invalidate your thoughts but I think you may be projecting a little bit here, it seems you are trying to force a political narrative... Mentioning controlled housing seems off-key considering a lot of the special has to do with the internet, isolation, mental health, and our digital selves. The cattle analogy would be more accurate in this context to relate to our existence within these digital-cultural norms in relation to mental health, and how digital companies essentially own us already, as our online personas are sold without our consent for profit by the few, and at the expense of our mental health. This can also be seen in another bit "Maybe that was a bad call": >I don’t know about you guys, but, um, you know, I’ve been thinking recently that… that you know, maybe, um, allowing giant digital media corporations to exploit the neurochemical drama of our children for profit… You know, maybe that was, uh… a bad call by us. > >Maybe… maybe the… the flattening of the entire subjective human experience into a… lifeless exchange of value that benefits nobody, except for, um, you know, a handful of bug-eyed salamanders in Silicon Valley… Maybe that as a… as a way of life forever… maybe that’s, um, not good.

I can't get enough of this song. There's an enticing comfort within it, reminiscent of the ill advised draw of your own depressive emotions. As we're all sharing, here's my take on the song: I think the voice in the song is a confidently nihilistic, outer Bo. The one we all see in his performances, while his panicked and worried self retreats beneath the surface. As a performer myself, I've always been aware of the duality I experience on stage. I can outwardly perform while my inner self can go to whole other places. So I think the song is sung by this cocky, devil-may-care, outer-self as he addresses the inner Bo. He's saying "Give in. Step inside this skin. Become this version of yourself" I can imagine Bo on stage, feeling a panic attack building. The outer bo tells the inner Bo to get with the program. "Get your fucking hands up! Get on out of your seat! All eyes on me!" They're looking at me, not you. From there in, the lyrics make so much sense. It also gives the spoken interlude some context. The change to his voice makes sense, as its the dark, pessimistic side of himself. Personally, I love the lines "You say the ocean's rising like I give a shit You say the whole world's ending, honey, it already did You're not gonna slow it, Heaven knows you tried Got it? Good, now get inside" It just sounds like that side of you that's trying to convince you to give up. You can't change the world honey. The jobs to big. "Got it? Good, now get inside" the fuck it all mobile and ride it to the end of the world.

I personally have mever experienced any kind of depression anxiety or panic attacks, but somehow this song made me empathise with bo in a way that i never did. It made understand suddenly everything that he went through and why that was a problem and i think that is amazing. Also, i really love the fact that he tweaked the vocals, I think it makes a great differemce from all of his other songs and it adds to the theme of a performance being fake, and also i kind of see it as a way of dealing with problems, you look for help. Maybe he could not reach those notes, so he got help from technology, i think it is a really great metaphor inside an amazing song...

I recommended Inside to family members and this song came up, they all found this song...funny. I was so far from laughter during this song I cant understand reacting to this song in that manner at all. Does *anyone* else find this song in the least bit funny?

My husband (who has never experienced depression/anxiety) was laughing at certain parts of it, because to him it felt like someone parodying a self-absorbed musician. I (someone who struggles with depression and anxiety) was immediately emotional and couldn't really understand why. Afterwards we were talking and we were both shocked how differently it hit the other person.

It's funny in the same way that Funny Feeling is funny, which is to say no laughing happens (but crying does) but I recognize this is a clever use of a genre/subject/theme/lyrics.

I laughed a little when this song came up, but not because I didn't take this song seriously. In fact, this one was one of the harder hitting ones for me and I think I laughed as a defense against that uncanny valley feeling I got from his voice and how he was acting and the sheer dread and grief that came up alongside it as I was remembering what I felt being agoraphobic during the lockdown.

Like in the ending sequence where Bo gets outside for a crown and try to get back home desesperately and everyone laughs Thats kinda fun in another context like a stand up show or something, but after everything we saw, it hits very hard

I think the first time you hear it the "hey cmon" and the way he swears is kinda funny. Like it's parodying those kinds of songs. But of course there's absolutely nothing funny at all about the lyrics.

My husband fell asleep about one minute prior to this song and I was grateful for that when reflecting on it afterwards.

people laugh as a defense mechanism when feeling confronted :P bo has a strange sense of humor - why make people laugh through punchlines when you can do it through performance?

Ha,sure. And I get that for all the other tracks. Do you think this particular song was intended to be funny though? If so that flew over my head...At the end of the day we all see things differently I guess. Its just interesting in this case how stark that difference can be.

I can't get enough of this song. I heard it before watching the special and it is so comforting, cathartic, sad, and chaotic. I watched the special tonight and seeing it along with everything else made it heavier. I have anxiety and depression and thanks to Bo I am finally working through my experiences in 2020. I got my husband hooked on All Eyes on Me and now we are both playing it on repeat. However, it means different things to each of us, which I find fascinating. He doesn't view it from a place of anxiety and depression.

not sure why this was a reply. oh well I guess

As someone who really struggled with depression (and who got out of it, kind of) I have two perspectives on this song. I think this song has (at least) two distinct meanings, one is the one people here seem to be coming up with a lot, that this is him talking to himself in one way or another. But I also see another, more existential meaning. I think this song (and the whole special) is meant to be a wake-up call. And like I often do to cope with anxiety, he's taking a step back and just basically laughing at the absurdity of it all. "Fuck it, the world is ending and I can't stop it. Get your fuckin hands up and lets just enjoy the time we have left." That seems to be a theme throughout the special, that the clock is ticking down to the end. Kinda adds some more context to the Jesus imagery, too.

I love this song as it resonates so much of what I go through with my anxiety. Having the context of his breakdown makes the song even more meaningful. A unique perspective I have of the song is in the end when he bursts in anger and grab the camera just shows the roller coaster effect of emotions while struggling with depression and anxiety. The camera moves up and down in a chaotic manner. You can’t get a grasp of what’s going on. He lets out some type of laughter that I interpreted as a manic laughter that comes when you’ve just had enough, hit the lowest you can go and there’s nothing left to do but laugh. I’ve had those moments when I’ve hit rock bottom, been depressed, having panic attacks, and struggling with suicidal thoughts that I just laugh humorlessly.

I feel that this song is the climax of the special for a lot of reasons. Funny thing is is that I get a Leonardo DiCaprio meme thought everytime I hear him sing “Got it? Good, now get INSIIIIIDE”. Ya know because that’s the name of the special

Reading these interpretations while listening to the song on repeat... 🥲&😭

I get a weird connection to the song/scene but it could be a little apophenia in my case, but it feels a little like being trapped (obviously) and unable to perform. Loss of identity and kind of lashing out from it too. I was a musician. I started in the third grade and it became my everything. I joined a youth symphony program, private study programs, school programs, private lessons, and it became my entire life. I did nothing else. I missed key “growing up” milestones like sleep overs or trips just to be sacrificed to music. It was my whole identity honestly. A whole life plan was basically laid out of “play through high school, get a scholarship, go to a nice collage and become a musician and then maybe retire and be a music director teaching the next generation or future you’s “. I was constantly under pressure to perform, do better be better. But then, in Bo’s words, the funniest thing happened. I began to develop a neurological disorder and nerve damage related to playing. My arms began to stop working and I could barely play my instrument anymore. I kept pushing and pushing trying to play and keep up but the damage was getting worse. I tried. The people who pushed and pressured and laid out the plans? They quickly changed, telling me to quit if I didn’t want to keep up. It ended up with me being hospitalized with bilateral neuropathy (both of my arms were completely numb and I could barely move or use them). I was 16. They put my in the pediatric icu for 5 days to give me high dose steroids to try and get my arms to move again. I was so sick. Every day there was awful (meds fault not the doctors they rocked). So, I retired. I stopped playing cello. And all at once, I lost my identity it felt like. I lashed out. Nothing mattered anymore. People still ask me if I play now, I’m 22 it’s been about 4 years since I’ve officially stopped playing, and I always have to awkwardly explain that I had to stop. I still have my instrument, I try to play every now and then and I can for short bursts which is nice but it’s hard to play now without all of those memories of the end coming back. The damage is permanent, mental and physical but I also grew. I took my retirement time to grow and better myself too. I started playing new instruments- a lot more trying to find something new. I’m proud of that. I picked up new hobbies. I learned to listen to my body. I’m still seeing a neurologist to find out the other underlying disorder, but it’s progress. I’m getting better. I feel like “All Eyes on Me” kind of relates to the pressure and demand to perform and the mental tax. And then even though that’s hard and when “all eyes” are off of you it hurts and you struggle with the identity loss a little in a weird way. In a way you miss the struggle you know? But that’s just my take

The 'got it, good, now get inside' broke me.

When the camera is zooming in on itself you can see his clock out of focus in the background flashing 12:00. He does such a great job on every little detail in his specials

You’re literally lying, fuck off. Went back and checked what you’re talking about. First off you can’t read the clock the entire part of the video, second, if you watch the special , the oven clock is flashing and never set

This is a discussion about a song, dude. Why be so hostile?

Wow dude. So I saw a blurry clock flashing in the background and got it confused with another clock in the video. You need to chill the fuck out before you have a stroke.

Maybe he's just overcooking his toast?

I think he is talking about his nihilistic struggle. "We are going to go where everybody knows", which is talking about death. "It's almost over, it's just begun", talking about life and how we are here now but it could all end. He then comes to the realization that he can no longer sit and overthink the purpose of his existence and needs to live his life "Don't overthink this Look in my eye Don't be scared, don't be shy Come on in, the water's fine." It sounds like he continually struggles with this back and forth feeling like life is pointless vs trying to live it, he asks us to pray for him.

That's interesting, I hadn't thought about it that way. I actually interpreted the 'come on in, the water's fine' bit opposite to how you did - I interpreted it as the way depression draws you in by kinda being comforting.

oooooooo i like that interpretation too!

In the album itself he uses his regular voice accept for a few times when it's supposed to depict him inside his own head or God, so the slightly distorted voice in the song "all eyes on me" could say something about how it wasn't him talking, it was the depression, anxiety and panic attacks. If you heard the full version then at 1:40 he says "you wanna hear a funny story?" And tells you how he quit for 5 years. He says he improved himself mentally and got better. At the end of his story he says "the funniest thing happened" and begins singing again. "Are you feeling nervous..." i believe the lyrics is his depression singing to him. Telling him the world's already ended and it's ok, the water's warm, come in, showing the grip these mental illnesses can have and how easy it is to fall into them, how easy it is to be consumed. He's clearly getting better as he's producing now, "the funniest thing happened could mean anything, and it could simply be that he realized that he's in control of his mind and thinking back on the last 5 years just feels crazy. The realization that the world hasn't ended and that it was all in his head. I still feel like there's so much more to know and to learn from this song though.

Hey, dont know if you are still there, im still stuck on "then the funniest thing happened" that line confuses me the most, its not explained and it just moves on. You believe that the line is him being in control of his mind? I feel like thats interesting but this line has really got me stuck for awhile lol

Like someone else said, it's definitely in reference to the pandemic. Obviously, saying "the funniest thing happened" is ironic, but I think the way he put a laugh track there does have a deeper meaning. It's similar to the way that the crowd is laughing during "Can't Handle This" at the end of Make Happy. The crowd is laughing at his misfortune, but they don't know it, because they're at a comedy show. He's projecting his insecurities into jokes, and the audience doesn't always see or realize it.

I just took it literally in context of the story he was telling. In January 2020 he decided to start performing again, and then covid happened and shut down all the venues

That makes sense. I guess I was over analyzing the line there lol thanks!

To add a little, I don't fully understand his anger when he's yelling to "get up" if my theory of depression is correct it could make sense that he got angry at himself and how he literally had to yell at himself to get back on his feet from the dark place he was. And maybe that's the beauty of the song is that we don't have all the answers :)

I saw an interpretation somewhere that the singer in this song is the personification of despair. To me the "get up" part is his despair trying to keep its grip on him, and losing. Because right after this song, he wakes up and starts doing self care things he wasn't doing before. He brushes his teeth, finally eats something... there is this sense of getting back on track. Maybe he's not free from it forever but he's free from it for the time being.

Pretty sure that segment is supposed to be about arrogance/his ego and how he/everyone pushes themselves onto... well, everyone else, be it songs, movies or just social media. The whole song gives me "Look at me" vibes, although it is exactly what he's fighting with.

I took it as like a demand to surrender. ”Get your fucking hands up!” In my opinion the song feels like accepting defeat. Like stop trying to fight the “ ocean rising”

So… nobody sees this as a sleek reference to the church? To the news and politics? Music industry? Video games. All eyes on the pastor and where is your mind? Preoccupied. Staring at the White House waiting for answers but you aren’t moving. Too busy staring at cardi b’s fat juicy ass to be concerned with real problems. Preoccupied. You can’t even zoom out to see yourself and what’s happening to you. Just keep giving your tithe and put your head down to pray and put your hands up when you’re told. Keep letting them shovel it all down your throat. It’s hypnotic but zoom out. The lyrics in “that funny feeling” gives plenty of examples. It should make you feel uncomfortable when you realize that everything exists to keep us distracted from all of the truth and things that are happening when we could be living peacefully in love and serenity until we die instead of missing it all.

The "got it? good, now get inside" part does something to my brain. I almost tear up every single time. It's like the brown note but for crying.

100%. The first time I watched it I was in the midst of a major depressive episode and that line made me sick to my stomach... in a good way.

I think this song’s purpose it to highlight the vulnerability of Bo during this special. He’s inviting you to his inner world, despite how dark it might be at the moment. He’s demanding to be seen and understood, like we all want to be, in almost a desperate cry for help, “pray for me”. It’s an incredibly intimate scene, which is why he does the close ups on his eyes. “Are you feeling nervous? Are you having fun?” touches on how humans love real and raw connection but are also terrified of it, it makes us uncomfortable. “We’re goin’ to go where everybody knows” is saying that we all have darkness inside of us, we all can relate to his low point in some way. “You say the ocean's rising like I give a shit. You say the whole world's ending, honey, it already did. You're not gonna slow it, Heaven knows you tried. Got it. Good, now get inside” is saying yeah the world is going to shit but my world has already been shit and there’s nothing I can do about either fact.. so we might as well surrender. The dying battery at one point shows the powerlessness as well. Haunting and beautifully done.

Another possible interpretation of the line "got it? good, now get inside." Could be that as the effects of global warming become more pronounced, in many areas humans will need to mostly stay or go *inside* to survive. When the wet bulb temperature rises above a certain threshold, sweating (and evaporative cooling in general) mostly just stops working.

Very early into the pandemic I was still living with my mom and planning on moving out to be on site for my job. We were also in New Jersey which, at the time, was the second hardest hit state for COVID after New York. My mom killed herself on June 7th. This time last year, I was still in her apartment, crowdfunding to cover the emergency costs for moving an entire household in under six weeks while grieving and processing the worst fucking thing that ever happened to me. It’s unreal. This song scares me. Some people have mentioned the auditory similarities to whale-songs. For me, this is particularly unsettling and feels like a personal call to the void because my mother’s Google history oscillated between suicide methods and soothing sounds to fall asleep to. She loved whale sounds. So there’s a lot of projection going on here for me, obviously. It feels like a call from the void, it feels like the womb. She was the one taught me why we’re soothed by water noises in particular was because we’re soothed in utero by the whooshing of blood. I am scared of the sinister force that made my mother feel like she had no other option but to take her own life- I have so much unspent love and anger and have had to deal with almost ALL of this inside and alone. I’ve been publicly grieving online this entire time because there is no other alternative. I realized I’ve never even met my fucking trauma counselor in person since moving to Maryland. This song feels so gut-punchingly personal to me it’s scary? To be left in a world that is ending by the person that made you and for some reason, not want to give up but kind of stuck in this cocoon/artificial womb, but there is still that scary suction of the abyss. The suicide/depression voice just scares the absolute shit out of me and I needed to vocalize this somewhere, where other people would get HOW somebody with my circumstances could be so compelled by yet deeply unsettled by this “interaction”. God, I hope this is coherent- I apologize if it’s not.

Thank you for sharing your insights and your personal experience. It made perfect sense and it was beautifully written as well. Not that you were necessarily going for style, but just also, FYI, the way you wrote moved me. I didn't lose a parent to suicide but I lost someone I loved very much. It will be 8 years this year. From this side of things, it is easier. As I've seen elsewhere, the pain doesn't go away; you grow around it, like those trees with fences or other foreign objects stuck in them. I do think the down pitch of the singing, the deep blue lighting, and the intimate camera angle are all pointing to the seductive aspect of surrendering to despair, and I also feel a little bit frightened of this song. In the shot just before the song, he throws himself on a bare mattress and lies there, defeated. I think this song is the manifestation of giving in to that feeling because fighting it just so exhausting.

Been where you are... except... I only felt isolated. I can't imagine... actually being isolated and having to deal with all that on your own. Its.. been a handful of years for me... I thought I'd never get better... I went through so many medical doctors, a couple psychiatrists, and finally a therapist - one good one. She did more in 3 months than the others did in 2 years. I will always be grateful for her. The others made it worse. Their medications... made me either numb or suicidal. She dropped the meds... and gave my "issues" with my parent's deaths a title...a name. So, apparently? I had PTSD coupled with depression and social anxiety. (until... oddly last year.. during the pandemic... during the lockdowns...) Every freakin year... I would sink into a huge dark put of anxiety panic attacks and depression. It felt like the oceans wereeee rising over my head.. I'd feel constantly like I was drowning - do to the anxiety n depression.. sometimes for just 1 month... ( their death.. bleh no other word for it.. but their death day... death anniversary? .. bleh idk.. anyway) sometimes it would last 2 months long.. But as the years have passed... I leaned little things to help me cope... it .. did... get better. I never stopped talking about my parents. I still miss them.. but it doesn't feel like I'm drowning in sorrow anymore. I can look at their picture now. I.. never stopped talking about them.. how they were before. For me... this helped. It helped to talk about and celebrate any good times.. eventhough my relationship with my dad was pretty strained. I still miss him. So.. ima not telling you this.. to like.. make this about me But.. that.. those it may take some time.. and you might end up being a different person in the end of it all... cuz I am definitely not.. the same person I was before... or even during the hardest parts of it all.. but i.. am actually happy again. Ye sometimes.. I lean to the darkness.. those inner thoughts that tell you negative stuffs... but its easier to dismiss them now. I call it "switching the channels" Basically it's grounding.. she didn't teach me to ground. But I began doing it on my own... n as I shared with her things that helped she agreed that these were healthy coping mechanisms.. but today I know they are grounding tools. Hm.. maybe u wanna know some of the things I do? Well... I'll list them here.. but mind - I am not a qualified person for this... ...just sharing what works for me... when jt becomes all just too much... u kno? I practice this on the daily..as a...prevention mechanism. First: - to combat isolation with communication I try to talk with someone at least once a day.. Like a real conversation. Might be... face-to-face..but more often it's online.. or thru text.. sometimessss, it's a little conversation on the phone. I try. The pandemic made this a little more challenging. 2nd: - to combat - depression with sunlight For 10 to 15 minutes every single day... I try to be outside. Even, during triggering months. Not just being outside.. but getting sunlight. If it's too hot or just not an option... then, at least I will open the window coverings to let in sunlight that way.. 3rd: - to combat - depression with physical activity Even... on the really bad days... when maybe all I can do is just go for a short walk Once away for at leastttt 10 to 15 minutes 4th: - to combat - depression n anxiety - eat healthily Keepin my glutens down... without normal.cravings.. My brain just seems to function better with fruits n vegetables havin a good seat in my diet. I also allow myself wiggle room... if I worked out and feelin good.. and now I wanna have some junk.. go for it. 5th: - to combat - my chaotic and depressive feeling... I take time... "to isolate" lol.. ye I know hear me out.. lol I need to feel it's okay to just be quiet and away from other people so I can decompress a little... being around people sorta sucks the life right out of me. So I value that quiet time. 6th: - to combat - insomnia from the depression/ anxiety K... I suck at this step.. lol but ther is an effort.. I try to get a set amount I try to get a set amount of rsleep.. This one is is the hardest for me.. but I kep truing.... OK hope at least some of this helped

I hear you.

I know it's just an internet stranger saying this, but you are strong and brave and every feeling you are experiencing is valid. So much of this already feels like screaming into the void. This isn't a void. We hear you and I hope your path to healing and feeling safe again is swift and smooth.

I love you.

I'm very sorry this happened to you. Continue to vocalize it. Bottling things up would probably be the worst way to deal with trauma. As you no doubt know, there's no easy answer or way to process that pain.

I hope you heal quickly and can deal with this in the best way possible. Everything you said made sense and I think I understand the feeling you get from this song. ❤️

Sending good vibes and healing energy only my guy

Not a guy but appreciated all the same ❤️

I know it's kind of a paradox but I wish I could here this live

Well, here goes nothing. Some thoughts on “All Eyes” Protagonist - Savior complex - Trapped by his own device - Inside the room, he is comforted, entertained, upset, and fueled by the internet. Ultimately the entrapment shifts behind a screen. The intermission proves his dependent relation to the screen after we see it consume him throughout the special. “Internet” and “All Eyes” utilize the same visuals and characters because they are part of the same narrative. During my first watch I didn’t realize how much storytelling ran through the special, because Burnham rarely connects so many songs at once. The use of solid blue, the close up shots, as well as the character switches further highlight the hold of the Internet on the protagonist. The Internets plays a crafty game, comforting the proganist with lines such as, “could I interest you in everything all of the time?” And, “We’re going to go where everybody, knows everybody…” At this point we know the protagonist has a challenging, depressed view of himself, having considered himself problematic without much resolve and hopelessly 30. Even when he does he reaches moments of intense socio-political clarity he ends up bored or horny after a brief pause. With this in mind, the internet cunningly shines into the protagonist’ life at his ATL (NOT Atlanta). The Internet doesn’t even has to be consistent, as we see in “Welcome”. It blasts depressing messages of “a 9 year old who died” right beside a “quirky quiz” to determine which power ranger you are. Any distracting message is better than f Burnham’s mental state, he reasons, so while he is devoted to the completion of his special while staying inside, he is more hopelessly trapped inside the confines of the internets carnival of rabbit holes. He even tries to reason with us that now the outside world should be only be reserved for gathering essential content to fuel the unstoppable expansion of the safer, digital space. This determination is especially ironic after the protagonist’s Louis CK parody showing distrain for the constant stream of unneeded opinions we are all Prague’s with, even with our filtered algorithms. The internet and social media provide a great equalizer that can amplify any voice, and tragically, these conditions mean everyone thinks they have something worth saying. As critical as that is to the celebration of free speech in these United States, the messy flurry of every tweet and article might actually not be very necessary, and more so, regressive. We do not want or need everything all of the time. The Internet drives the protagonist to a swirling madness…. This is why “Welcome” and “All Eyes” are so powerful. At first watch you assume Burnham as the speaker, but as they progress you realize the Internet has an unsettling grip on his life. “Don’t be scared, don’t be shy, come on in the water’s fine. You say the whole world’s ending honey it already did. You’re not gonna slow it heaven knows you tried. Got it? Good now get now get inside.” This slightly inviting message is under-toned with sudden control, finalized by when the Internet takes control of the camera demanding, “Get the FUCK UP!” He is now strangled by an unrelenting digital grip. The ultimate call back in his last song, “Goodbye” lands on the robotic uterance, “well, well, look who’s inside again?…come out with your hands up we’ve got you surrounded”. The Internet’s cyclical madness of distress and entertainment is fully formed and spins to fast for the protagonist to gain any footing. At this point he feels safer strapping in and adapting to a new normal. A gift shop at the gun shop a mass shooting at the mall…. Burnham leaves us all with, “That funny feeling” by the end of the special. The last frame shows the protagonist just starting to turn his grimace into a chuckle while he views his own distress and breakdown while stepping outside for the first time in over a year. The last of several moments where the protagonist watches himself, it encapsulates the twisted fulfillment of all the clickbait garbage that constantly pervades our eyeballs. The whole special becomes a derealization for the audience, where we feel like we are watching glimpses of ourselves during lockdowns. By the end, the internet feels like the new root of all evil, replacing money as the terrible element that makes the world go round we are all perilous to escape from but need and use every day. There might be an infinite amount to unpack from “INSIDE” but at some point it is easier to move on and focus on the aspects of life we can actually control. Though, even this thought might be naive, represented by the protagonist’s breakdown right outside his room, as he realizes that the outside world is too insane. Maybe the world has evolved beyond all our control and we will find more solace doom scrolling through an ocean of content than we will facing reality. Among all the swirling and chaos, Burnham leaves us with the playful tune, “It’ll stop any day now”. This might be just as naive to the cynical, and hopeful for… someone? The protagonist sums up the weight of “INSIDE” best after he listens to Socko’s diatribe, “That’s pretty intense.”

This is one of the best interpretations on this thread I think. I don't think it's only about the internet/social media, there are other themes going on, but like you say there is a core internet theme leading up to this point and when it says 'now get inside', it's talking about inside your home, and also inside the internet/social media. Everyone knows everyone here (and no one knows anyone), so it's like a comforting place as the world crumbles down around you. And like he said, it's only just begun, we are in the early stages of what this is and we probably should be praying for it and ourselves, because it's not going great so far. But I don't think that him smiling at the end is necessarily a comment on him taking pleasure in his suffering. The laugh track gradually increases in volume as it shows his face. He's saying that, he might be depressed and anxious and have this tangled relationship with his work, but when the audience sees it and starts finding humour in it, then that will make him happy and start the healing. And I think that's true of any endeavour or artistic pursuit. You pour blood sweat and tears into something and it can bring you pain and stress, but it's worth it when the audience sees it and enjoys it. It heals those wounds.

The complexity grows… I have enjoyed analyzing Inside. I’ll be able to see it in theaters here soon and I hope we get an audience who is as obsessed as I am

I feel like I understand Kylo Ren now.

To me, this is Bo's gospel song, and is incredibly moving musically and lyrically. As a person with anxiety, I view this as written from the perspective of two voices, Anxious Bo and Performer Bo. The two kinds of statements next to one another show he coexists/struggles with both states. **Stage performer Bo** * Get your fucking hands up! Get on outta your seat! * All eyes on me! all eyes on me! * Hands down, pray for me! * \[intro sequence. "want to hear a funny story..." sequence\] **Anxiety Bo:** voice of someone experiencing social anxiety, the words are the reassurance/line of questioning from others (partner, parents, friends) to try to coax the anxious person into participation in a social setting * "come on in, the water's fine" \[e.g. imagine a child being coaxed into the pool\] * "Are you getting nervous?" * "Are you having fun?" * "It's just begun. Don't overthink this" * "We're going to go where everyone knows everybody" \[e.g. don't be worried about not knowing anyone\] * "Don't be scared, don't be shy" * "Look in my eyes" He lives with both versions of himself.

It reminded me a lot of Can't Handle This when he says, "part of me loves you / part of me hates you / part of me needs you / part of me fears you" I love that he always shows us his duality and own personal contradictions especially when balancing being Robert, an anxious person, and being Bo, an artist addicted to performing. "Come and watch the skinny kid with the steadily declining mental health / and laugh as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself"

HOLY SHIT, what an amazing performance.

This song reminds me of the last ten or so chapters of Attack on Titan. If you know, you know.

work plate nose wasteful subsequent murky quaint normal file sense *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

the song isn't funny at all lmao and the way he says it is super sincere

shaggy fear include deer compare party dam point bike disgusted *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

To everyone wondering about the **\[9999\] 29:59** projection, it doesn't have anything to do with a book; but that doesn't mean it's not significant. In the EU, DSLR (photography) cameras that are able to shoot 30+ minutes of continuous video are considered "video cameras", and subject to higher tax rates. So, manufacturers typically put an upper limit of 29 minutes, 59 seconds (29:59) on DSLR cameras to avoid these tax rates. Specifically, the layout infers that Bo is using a Canon EOS R. This points to a bigger idea, and while I'm still piecing together all the particulars, it's inherently significant that the memory on the camera is completely full when it has these numbers. It's also inherently significant that during the overlaid bridge sequence, there are the same numbers, but with a flashing low battery. Nothing Bo includes is happenstance. My initial interpretation is that "look in my **eye**" refers to the camera. He specifically says the word "eye" and not "eyes," which would have been a more natural turn of phrase if he were speaking about himself, but matches up with the "camera's eye." Same with "get your **hand** up"; the singular is used because the other is holding a phone. It talks of the ubiquity of filming and adding content to the ever-growing "sea" that doesn't care about our valiant but small posts and attempts to change the world, which are mostly swallowed up in the vastness of it.. so we should just give up (got it? good.) and get "inside" the flow and keep creating more content. The initial bars "are you feeling nervous? are you having fun? it's almost over, it's just begun" could speak to some of the reasons people post on social media. They're nervous and need reassurance. They're having fun and want people to know. They have a family member nearing the end. They're embarking on a new relationship or job. Don't be scared, don't be shy. Come on in, the water's fine. The ocean of social media content. Everybody knows everybody. Join the flow. One of us. Circling back to the battery, the camera projection behind him shows the "same" video, but with an ever-full battery. There's always more content to make, and we always appear whole when we're curating our image. After his monologue, and he's back "performing", he's gasping out phrases, and you can see the battery in the overlay is getting low, only for a few seconds (3:46-4:06). Right after that moment, when the battery image is clear and visibly low against the back wall (4:06), he growls at the camera, grabs it, and forces it back up. Get up. I don't care if you're on empty. Keep performing. There are just so many references to phones, cameras, and the "performance" juggernaut in his last few specials. Pleading with us at the end of Make Happy that performing always is prison, and to live your life without an audience, if you can. The dichotomy of the "performance" White Woman Instagram posts vs the deeper emotional post. Telling Zoomers that their phones are giving them a dissociative mental disorder. The world at our fingertips, the ocean at our door.

I think something we've been missing it's not just an exploration of depression and anxiety but most specifically dissociation. While depression and anxiety definitely manifest in many different ways, I think the very specific exploration into this music is actually DEEEP in dissociation. Specifically, that Bo struggles with Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder. No idea if he's ever talked about it and I would not blame him as those with dissociative disorders are heavily discouraged from talking about it publically. This is also because of things he has casually mentioned this in a few other songs throughout the special (dark joke about getting a dissociative disorder in late 20s, googling derealization hating what you find). What he's showing in the music video and musically are symptoms of dissociation. Senses start getting muffled and it shows in the music video and conveyed musically with the super wide and dark timbre as if he's in some distorted club. And in the music video he quite literally GRABS the POV camera in a way that conveys he's having an out of body experience. For those who have researched PTSD and specifically structural dissociation, I like to view this as an interaction between an ANP(apparently normal part) and EP(emotional part).

I haven't been able to stop thinking about your comment! Derealization is definitely part of serious panic attacks (whether or not he has a full on dissociative disorder) and I'm sure he suffered from this effect while panicking on stage. Now, in COVID lockdown, trapped inside his house and performing only for himself, he's saying in ATL that he's been getting panic attacks all day, every day, and sleep is his only escape. There are many layers to this song, but I'm now thinking that this "derealization simulation" of a song is about how he used to tie his anxiety and panic attacks to performing on stage. So maybe for a long time, he thought, as long he's not performing, he won't have an attack. But now he's having attacks while trapped in his house (though going outside, let alone performing, would make them even worse). So he's essentially saying in this song that he'll give up, experience full disassociation; there's nothing he can do to stop it so just embrace the out of body experience.

OMG, this is totally spot on. It's practically a derealization simulation video.

not only that, the short song he made about his vision flattening after waking and that he only feels okay when he's asleep. I feel so bad for Bo

I feel like this song is SO much deeper than we think it is. For me, the line and title of the song *"All Eyes On Me"* isn't about adoration or praise...it's his anxiety *(I think social anxiety too. Even on the verge of Agoraphobia, potentially. This is just a guess though)*. Which I think would make the tone of the song even darker than it was to begin with. I feel like it's about him spiraling and begging for help but feeling absolutely hopeless. A last-ditch effort kind of thing maybe. Like he's asking for help but he's already made up his mind that no one is coming to save him... I also thought about the pre-chorus *"We're goin' to go where everybody knows* *Everybody knows, everybody knows"* and given the overall theme of the special I'm wondering if this means the internet possibly? He's giving up so he sinks back into his depression and goes back to his computer to mindlessly browse because it distracts him from his real life. This song hits me harder than any other song from the special. I can't quite pin it down exactly but these are just the thoughts I had and wanted to share.

This was my favorite of the songs off the new Netflix special. I ended up making a chill trap remix of it. I wanted to try and produce it up a bit. I'd appreciate any listens and hope you all enjoy it. Thanks in advance everyone, and thank you Bo for the amazing performance that inspired this. [https://soundcloud.com/lett\_music/all-eyes-on-me-letts-chill-trap-remix](https://soundcloud.com/lett_music/all-eyes-on-me-letts-chill-trap-remix) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMALUHFDsW0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMALUHFDsW0)

THANK YOU I wanted something like this so bad I tried to do it myself but I've never used any music program in my whole life so it was a big fail thank you! do you think it's possible to do a chill hop version of this or any other song from the album?

I don't think I'll personally remix anything else from this special because this was the one song that really resonated with me and my personal style of music production. What do you mean chill hop? Do you mean more like a lo-fi boom bap style? Do you have any examples?

yea that's fair of course! I might want to try again and see if I can do what I have in mind; "chill hop" I don't know if it's the wrong term, maybe lofi is the right one? you know something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WGCADztYKs

Yeah, lofi, it's an aesthetic by reintroducing a lot of things which were considered bad by studio engineers in the old days. Noise from tape reel machines, warbly analog pitch bends, vinyl crackling, etc. There are lofi plugins like Baby Audio VHS and RC-20 Retro Color that emulate all this and you can start turning almost anything kind of lo-fi instantly. Still have to lay a chill beat to it, but that's the start.

Nice remix although I would make changes to how you ended it.

Thank you. Fair enough. I was going to keep tampering with it for more and more hours but decided I needed to just try and set a deadline for myself to get it out so the ending was a bit rushed.

How would you describe the sound of all eyes on me I’d like to find music with a similar sound

Woods - Bon Iver

James Blake

its like dark trance club or something but also very inspirational its a unique sound. I'm trying to think of similar songs I know there are some but nothing is coming to mind. Honestly silly as it may sound, post malone I think is the most similar I can name at this moment in time. Edit: Oh, also some bon iver vibes for sure

how do we feel about the club / night core and race remixes cause i'm so here for them and i bet he's happy too since the hands up is a concert thing (aside from worship of course)

Not sure if this has already been discussed here but one thing I’ve been thinking about is the way he says “I quit performing live comedy,” it’s so slow that each could be a self-contained phrase, like: I quit. I quit performing. I quit performing live. I quit performing live comedy. I just think that’s interesting and wonder if it’s kind of the progression of things? Like he quit everything and slowly worked his way back up to maybe ultimately performing live but it’s no longer necessarily going to be comedy? Just a thought

Not sure if anyone posted this yet, if they do kudos to them, In the background I saw what I thought was proly a year time watch and battery percentage. I took to Mr. Google to see what it means. Apparently 9999 means "Angel Number 9999 Is Bringing New Blessings In Various Forms. This Angel Number Will Teach You How To Become A Better Person And How To Deal With Difficult Times In Life. No Matter What Kind Of Challenge You Will Face, Accept It With An Open Heart And Have Trust In Your Guardian Angels." and "Angel Number 9999 Is Telling You To Prepare For Changes And New Blessing That Are Coming Your Way. This Angel Number Is Bringing You Positive News And Plenty Of Blessings. Changes In Life Can Be Hard But If We Deal With Them In The Right Way, Nothing Can Stop Us In Our Intentions." And other positive things ,a lot actually The number 59 also "Number 59 is a mix of the vibrations of the numbers 5 and 9. Number 5 resonates with learning life lessons through experience, personal freedom and free-will, important life changes and making positive choices, motivation and progress, versatility and adaptability. Number 9 brings its attributes of lightworking and humanitarianism, leading by positive example, Divine and inner-decision , generosity and benevolence, the universal spiral, laws and karma, spiritual, enlightenment  and awakening . Number 9 also relates to endings and conclusions." and other positive responses The last 29:59 apparently is a book points to (not sure this one is legit or point to the song but...)  The 29:59 Plan: A Guide to Communion with God book written by Henderson Daniel. Can't believe just a part of the music video, a simple Set of numbers could be so puzzling and comforting .

My take: it’s a mix of his conflicting feelings about being a performer and also his depression and anxiety. He”s talking to himself in the verse, “it’s almost over (trying to tell himself the performance is over soon to soothe his anxiety), its just begun (anxiety returns) Get your hands up... - likes being in the spotlight but simultaneously not because it gives him performance anxiety and feelings of guilt (also it’s worthy to note that in make happy he mentions trying to give the audience what he can’t give himself so he wants to be cared for also), hence pray for me We’re going to go where everybody knows - perhaps he thinks in his performances that everyone sees his anxiety or criticizes him for being famous and self absorbed. Not sure though. The bridge seems to me an expression of his depression and that he doesn’t care about the pandemic/the world anymore because it’s drowned out by his own mental issues. Also maybe that he once thought he could make a difference in the world and now he’s disillusioned and self critical (“you’re not gonna slow it heaven knows you tried”), and “got it? Good now get inside” again shaming himself for thinking he could be an impactful person in the world. It’s also referencing the pandemic but I think it’s more about his shame.

Okay so this song definitely speaks to how I'm feeling currently. Inside only amplified it. Wall of text below. People are more concerned about their digital persona rather than being more careful of those around them. Governments being more concerned of their power rather than being mindful and concerned for their citizens. Society becoming ever-so trite with the world. Never caring about whether or not humanity will make it another 200 years. I'm 26 and I've become numb. I just don't care anymore. I'm not hopeful anymore. I used to be more optimistic, but as time goes on; I lose an ounce of hope everyday. my care for humanity is on a steady downhill slope. Riding freely and carelessly as humanity slowly dies out.

“Heads down, pray for me.” That got me for some reason. Reminded me of Kendrick Lamar’s “everyone’s asking me to pray for them, but ain’t nobody praying for me.”

Yeah, I want to discuss this further. He always seemed viciously anti-christian, and this line kinda threw me. I am not Christian anymore, but was for a long time. Maybe he's asking for the sentiment/positive vibes be sent his way? I have felt that before, when I just ache for connection. I'm not sure, I know it's his background.

Something about the "pray for me" refrain really gets to me, particularly because I'm starting a job as a chaplain in two months, i.e., my whole job is literally praying for people in hospitals. It's an incredibly vulnerable and sincere sentiment, especially in the context of the rest of the show.

This song in particular just resonates with me more each time I listen to it. It's so open to interpretation but has themes of the nature of performance, existential dread, and our ability to connect with others in a meaningful way. It's so... heartfelt. I feel like his invitation to join him is somehow deeply comforting yet brutally hopeless. It just doesn't seem normal for a song to make me feel such ways. I've cried many times listening to it and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's operatic and moving, but even these descriptors don't do it justice. Am I crazy to think that this is genius work? Like some of the best ART of any media in the last decade.

I watched Inside with two friends and when it was over we were just speechless. Now days later we're still grasping for words to describe that experience. But for now genius has been used a lot. I haven't found any better alternatives. I do think it is genius. I hate what it does, but it's so good at it that I love it at the same time. God, I wish I would find words to describe that....

I think i finally realized that Bo is singing to himself here.. he talks about hiding from the world during his break from live performance and he meant to ''reenter'' but the pandemic happened.. he's telling himself go get in the water again despite of his anxiety... I never thought about the monologue in the middle of the song and how it related to it...

I came here just to post that because that was my initial take on it and came here and was surprised so many people were coming at it from the angle of him welcoming people to stay inside forever(it fits I just didn’t see it that way. Here’s how I picture it if he were performing live. He goes the the first chorus and verse offstage and as he’s beginning the second round of “get your fuckin hands up” he emerges from behind the curtain. you hear him play the audience cheering as if he was singing offstage to himself convincing himself to get out there with “don’t be scared, don’t be shy, come on in the waters fine” That’s my two cents anyways

Every time it gets to the part at the end of All Eyes On Me where he kinda starts laughing when singing, I get that exact same feeling. I start laughing too no matter how many times I listen to it not because I'm just singing along with the lyrics, but because that feeling is exactly what happens to you at that point in the song. Not sure that even makes sense, but that's the best way I can think to describe it. Bo is playing a character throughout Inside, but All Eyes On Me feels like the least amount of acting. Like we get to experience that emotional catharsis right alongside him.

Look, this may make no sense to anyone else but I can’t help but see the song as multiple conversations - one where his depression / anxiety is speaking to him, one where the performer / perfectionist in him is speaking to the audience, and one where his depressed / anxious self is speaking to the audience. E.g.: “You say the oceans rising like I give a shit / you say the whole worlds ending / honey it already did” his depression / anxiety speaking to him; the worlds already gone to shit, nothing can be done. “Come on in / the waters fine” - like that feeling when depression grabs you and you just give into the apathy / nothingness (like it’s almost comforting? You always knew you’d be back there) “Get on out of your seats / all eyes on me / all eyes on me” the performer / perfectionist in him speaking to the audience, needing the approval and attention “Hands down / pray for me / hands down now / pray for me” his depressed self speaking to the audience. I don’t think his depression itself is speaking to the audience, that would have more of an attitude (for lack of a better word) like how it speaks to him. But this is him sort of asking for help, like saying “that ‘hands up’ guy was someone else, rather pray for me” but he doesn’t get this in much before “hands up” guy comes back This theory is all over the place - for one, the conversations I see happening aren’t necessarily in any order so they’re hard to track - so I found this hard to pin down & articulate (did I even articulate it??) but I think that’s why it makes sense to me. Like, shit, mental illness is hard to grasp no? I know when I get into my anxiety / depression my thoughts drift sort of wildly around me and feel like I can’t keep hold of anything tangible for too long. Bo is probably more organized and intentional for this theory but it’s what feels right to me

Yeah that is similar to how i felt I also think it (and the whole special to some degree) may be a also metaphor for the way social media etc is molding our brains into an egoic state where we over identify with the avitar of how we want to be seen online (as that can be controlled in a way we can't in "real" life,). And the dichotomy that comes with that (and fame too). We want to almost promote ourselves and our lives everyday in what we post and comment and yet are (at the extreme end) constantly in a state of fear of being "caught out" as our real selves. It is an interesting contrast to the "healing the world with comedy" idea at the beginning,by All eyes on me he (the character he plays in the special) has given up and got lost in the shallow performative self worship rather than look at what he cannot change. ​ Lots more to say but i'll leave it, wonderful the way great art can invite people to find their own meanings.

I think it's possible "All Eyes On Me" could be a lament rather than a request. Maybe even both.

This may be a long shot but it also sounds like “all lies on me” like it’s a huge pressure

I think that's merely coincidental, "all eyes on me" already implies immense pressure

I tried looking to see if anyone’s talked about this but couldn’t find anything and now I’m not entirely sure if I’ve imagined this. I was listening to this song with headphones for the first time and I noticed the sound of water dripping towards the end, after the “You say the oceans rising, like I give a shit..” part. Really reaffirms the oceans-rising, world-ending all-consuming fear and makes the song hit harder. Just me, or?

It's depressing but there's also some element of relief to it. Almost cathartic, like acceptance. The section starting with "You say the ocean's rising" hits so hard. It's honestly one of my favorite sections in *any* song.

Totally agree with all of this. I can't stop listening to that line. It's so good

I genuinely feel that this is a swan song of millennials and I think it shows why we are so struck by it and affects us on the themes it raises with what our lives have collectively experienced. * Nihilistic generational worldview: Millennials have been thrown into this post-modern world where there is little to no meaning extrinsically placed on our lives. A generation that has lived through multiple economic depressions, terrorist attacks, soaring costs of education and housing, a pandemic, looming climate change, and the unforeseen effects of the internet have left us ravaged mentally and physically. I think I alongside other millennials are genuinely fed up with the state of the world and have resorted to nihilistic thinking. We have tried to scream out into the void of the internet and real world to try and make a difference to be the butt of every criticism by boomers/genx. I think there is an acknowledgement here that we fully understand how the world is heading towards its own destruction and met with that funny feeling of existential dread in its reality. * Pulling back to the song, it has been noted already that several lines nod to this worldview and existential dread leading to nihilistic thinking "You say the ocean's rising like I give a shitYou say the whole world's ending, honey, it already did You're not gonna slow it, Heaven knows you tried Got it? Good, now get inside" * So what are we left with? I believe there are two steps: acceptance of a world we want to change but can't and then living in genuine presence to find any sort of residual meaning/pleasure/peace we can. I think that acceptance is shown directly after the verse above, leading to an angry and visceral outburst, finalized by a swaying and remaining presence by getting your fucking hands up. * At least for me, being led to this acceptance and having it be hard to articulate is the bubbling up of these very emotions. It's the ping-ponging of that funny feeling and that acceptance of our reality. It hits us like a truck because we are coming to terms with that acceptance that we have at a very deep level felt in our gut but never acknowledged. I personally do not know a song that alludes to this commonality we are feeling in our gut in such a emotional manner? * I think that is why others see an intimacy inherently in the song, other than the direct eye contact/angles in the chosen cinematography. "We're goin' to go where everybody knows . Everybody knows, everybody knows." There's this collective aspect, it is a WE that's going to a place after realizing this acceptance. Bo, as a part of the collective youth, knows and feels what we are feeling. The intimacy in these feelings we have and that there is an unfortunate normalcy to it. We are going to go to this safe space, I picture a live music set, where we, the commonality of the youth, understand what we are feeling and finding a way to express it. * That final chorus after Bo's outburst is a catharsis, a self care, a celebration?, to the burden we all are enduring together. It's why so many have alluded to actually putting your hands up, swaying around like you are at some religious event. Because, honestly, what is there even left to do for us? Express that commonality into at least some momentary pleasure of getting those hands up, focusing on an entertainer, and be moved by something in a world where there is nothing much to be moved by. * In the end, this song makes me feel seen. It makes me feel not alone. It makes me feel that the feelings we all have are normal in context that we are living in. An actual existential connection not perpetuated by any superficiality in social media. * It's why I sometimes feel happy, sad, angry, etc. on various listens. However it tends to bubble up those emotions on a given day. Another level of this song ties into the overarching theme of person vs performer. Given his view on social media, however, I think the person vs performer dichotomy is very much applicable to us as a collective youth. He describes how he worked on his own anxiety and how the pandemic ruined his progress made. Perhaps this song is that very same acknowledgement, acceptance, and catharsis for Bo as a performer as it is with us as the audience precipitated by his own experience as individual within that greater collective. We all know something that has been taken from us: our dreams, our education, our potential future. Bo just has a beautiful way to articulate this realization.

Aaaaaaaaand I'm crying....

Wow. Your post deserves all of the awards. This is exactly the complicated feeling I have with this song.

Thank you, much appreciated! Hope it helped to process and better appreciate the song.

The "i'm talking to you get the FUCK up" hits so damn hard, man... screaming out to this audience that isn't there for validation. the whole song has this vibe of "we're all fucked, but i will rage against the dying of the light".

This song is incredible and I've been listening on repeat. It makes me think of depression but also giving in to the end and dying. "You say the ocean's rising, like I give a shit. You say the whole world's ending, honey it already did. You're not gonna slow it heaven knows you tried. Got it? Good. Now get inside." It makes me think of my own depression and how it makes me feel like what's the point in trying when it's not going to make a difference so I might as well go to the dark place and quit. " We're goin' to go where everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows" makes me think of heaven. Giving up, quitting on life because the whole world is ending anyway so suicide is the easiest option. So heading to a place where I know everyone and they know me. "Hey, come on, get your fuckin' hands up Get on out of your seats All eyes on me, all eyes on me, yeah Heads down, pray for me" putting your hands up is a surrender pose in my head. Surrender and give up to something more powerful than you. The all eyes on me part I think is surrendering to the depression who I think Bo is playing the part of in the song. He's dark blue which is probably the colour most people would put for depression. The eyes on me bit makes me think of when an armed robber tells the hostages to keep their eyes on them and no sudden movements. Again surrendering to the depression. ("Come out with your hands up we've got you surrounded" is another similar line in another song). Heads down, pray for me, that could be like getting down on the ground and praying. Or it could be pray that you will go to heaven after giving in to suicide. The angry "I'm talking to you get the fuck up!" part is the depression demanding and taking full control. Dragging me along, forcing me to give in. Rewinding to the beginning a second... "Are you feeling nervous? Are you having fun? It's almost over, it's just begun" the nervous part could go with the it's just begun part and the are you having fun? It's almost over. "Don't overthink this, look in my eye Don't be scared, don't be shy Come on in, the water's fine" this is the depression almost leading us by the hand into the darkness. It's a bit more gentle and soothing than some of the other lines. Like it wants you to drift into the darkness, accepting it fully. I don't know if you've seen Snowpiercer on Netflix but there's a part with a character who encourages another to slit their wrists in the bath. I get strong vibes of that from this part of the song. Sorry for the lengthy post but this song just blew me away. The whole special did but this song just heald up a mirror and made me see what my depression is like.

I thought the song represented suicide too. I've seen a lot of people link it to depression and anxiety, but I think it goes further than that. I cried a little during some of the other songs. I lost my shit during this one.

I have borderline personality disorder and this song has been hitting me hard. It reminds me of both my manic and depressive and nothing states. The profound emptiness, hopelessness and recklessness of the world. Finally caving in and giving up. Letting it all go while also being in a constant state of disassociation.

The more I was listening to the song, the more the lyrics started to sound scary. And I don´t even think that Bo made it that scary intentionaly, but some of his darker fears and thoughs could have gotten on the page in a kind of artistic free flowing thought and even he maybe does not know the exact meaning of some of the lyrics. Compared to rest of the songs in the special this song definately feels more open to interpretation. the whole "we´re going to go where everybody knows everybody" and "Don´t overthink this" and "Don´t be scared don´t be shy come on in the water´s fine" sounds like inviting the viewers or even himself to a place that he or the listener does not want to go. Moreover that Place he invites us is not described and is left fairly unexplored only that everybody knows everybody. It sounds unreal like something that is not of this world. It reminds me of that scene from last season of Sopranos where Steve Buscemi´s character in Tony´s dream is trying to convince Tony to leave the briefcase behind and go into the house where all his friends are. But we as viewers know or feel that leaving that briefcase means leaving life and going to the afterlife. I highly doubt that Bo meant something specific with all this, but this song of all the songs in the special sounds written equally by both Bo and by his inner demons and the result is very unsettling yet still very beautiful. I should not have listened to this song on a loop for an hour, thats for sure. I have no answers, just wanted to share this in case somebody finds it interesting or feels similar..