All Time Low - Therapy

This song is about Alex’s brother who killed himself when he was in high school. The song shows Alex’s conflicting emotions about what happened. He’s angry with his brother but he misses him and he loves him.

In an interview with Teen TV Alex was quoted saying:

"Therapy is about every kids' nightmare. When people are telling you to get help, but all you really want it's a hug."

"My ship went down in a sea of sound
When I woke up alone, I had everything
A handful of moments
I wished I could change
And a tongue like a nightmare
That cut like a blade
In a city of fools
I was careful and cool,
But they tore me apart, like a hurricane
A handful of moments
I wished I could change
But I was carried away...
Give me therapy, I'm a walking travesty
But I'm smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
And you can keep all your misery
My lungs gave out
As I faced the crowd
I think that keeping this up
Could be dangerous
I'm flesh and bone
I'm a rolling stone
And the experts say I'm delirious

Give me therapy, I'm a walking travesty
But I'm smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
You can take back all your misery
Arrogant boy,
Love yourself so no one has to
They're better off without you
Arrogant boy,
cause a scene like you're supposed to
They'll fall asleep without you
You're lucky if your memory remains
Give me therapy, I'm a walking travesty
But I'm smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
You can take back all your misery
Therapy, I'm a walking travesty
But I'm smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
You can choke on your misery."

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0jh2HyqarexLFrEyN1dpKp

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nothing-personal/id486207734

_____________________Behind The Lyrics__________________

"My ship went down in a sea of sound"

When he was surrounded by a lot of people talking, he felt lost and he couldn’t focus on himself between them all. The ship going down is a reference to him breaking down and falling into depression.

The image of a ship going down in an ocean also references the idea of depression, where he feels as though he drowning in emotion.

"When I woke up alone, I had everything"

After the death of Alex’s brother, Alex still had support and attention from the people he loves. The irony lies in the fact that something tragic had to happen to bring them together.

These lines also correspond to Alex finally making it in the music industry. Like most musicians he feels he is living a shallow and superficial existence, he finally “woke” up with everything he wanted (money, cars, clothes and girls) but with no one he felt truly connected to.

"A handful of moments

I wished I could change

And a tongue like a nightmare

That cut like a blade"

Completing the meaning of the previous line, he wishes he had done some things differently throughout his life and wishes he could change some of the bad experiences he had such as the cruel words people said to him that cut and hurt him like a blade.

If we go with the assumption that this is written in response to Alex’s brother’s suicide, Alex also wishes that he treated his brother better while he was alive. He wishes he hadn’t said some things he said.

"I'm a walking travesty

But I'm smiling at everything"

He is faking a smile around everyone though that he feels broken inside. Being in the public eye, Alex felt the need to pretend that everything is okay. Being a role model for many young teens facing their own struggles, perhaps he didn’t want to seem weak to those who look up to him.

"Therapy, you were never a friend to me

And you can keep all your misery"

In therapy, Alex would talk about the various troubles he was facing. During therapy he had to keep reliving painful incidents such as his brother’s death and it stopped him from moving on. It just caused him more and more misery. It was never a happy place and so he wants to keep all of that pain away and not be reminded of it. Therapy is personified and manifests all the pain he has experienced throughout his life.

"My lungs gave out

As I faced the crowd

I think that keeping this up

Could be dangerous"

Alex has a history with anxiety. He says that he feels like his lungs stop working and he can’t breathe when he’s around people. If he doesn’t get help and continues to be around people, it could become dangerous for his health – physically and mentally.

Particularly, performing emotional songs, (like this one) before a crowd would most probably cause him a great deal of anxiety.

"Arrogant boy,

Love yourself so no one has to"

Arrogant people are known for loving themselves and having big egos. He only pretends to be arrogant , because he wants to push people away and doesn’t want to risk getting hurt by people.

He is also stating that he’d rather rely on himself so that he doesn’t need to rely on others' love to make himself feel good about who he is. He doesn’t need others' approval.

"Arrogant boy,

cause a scene like you're supposed to

They'll fall asleep without you

You're lucky if your memory remains"

This seems to be directed at his brother. The “scene” he caused was the suicide. He claims everyone is better off without him. Of course, he doesn’t mean this but is saying it out of anger at the loss of his brother. This is related to the song “Lullabies” about his brother’s death.