A Decade Under The Influence by Taking Back Sunday Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Depths of Angst and Rebellion

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Taking Back Sunday's A Decade Under The Influence at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Well, sad, small, sweet, so delicate
It used to be this dying breed
Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’ve got a bad feeling about this

You kept still until the long drive home
And slept safe and close to the window
Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’ve got a bad feeling about

Who’s to say you’ll have to go? (I could go all night)
Well, say you’ll have to go (I could go all)
To hell with you and all your friends
To hell with you and all your friends, it’s on

Well, sad, small, sure and porcelain
You’re skin and bones, I’m a nervous wreck
Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this (when it come to this)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this

You kept still until the long drive home
You slept safe and close to the window
Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’ve got a bad feeling about

Who’s to say you’ll have to go? (I could go all night)
Well, say you’ll have to go (I could go all)
To hell with you and all your friends
To hell with you and all your friends, it’s on

Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this (what is this for?)
I’ve got a bad feeling about

Anyone will do tonight
Anyone will do tonight
Close your eyes, just settle, settle
Close your eyes, just settle, settle

Anyone will do tonight
Anyone will do tonight
Close your eyes, just settle, settle
Close your eyes, just settle, settle

Anyone (anyone) will do tonight
Anyone (anyone) will do tonight
Close your eyes, just settle, settle
Close your eyes, just settle, settle

Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this (to hell with you and all your friends)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’m coming over but it never was enough
I thought it through and my worst brings out the best in you

Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this (to hell with you and all your friends)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’m coming over but it never was enough
I thought it through and my worst brings out the best in you

I’ve got a bad feeling about this (to hell with you and all your friends)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this
Coming over but it never was enough
I thought it through and my worst brings out the best in you

Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’m coming over but it never was enough
I thought it through and my worst brings out the best in you

Well, I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’m coming over but it never was enough
I thought it through and my worst brings out the best in you

I’ve got a bad feeling about this
I’ve got a bad feeling about this (I am you)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this (I am you)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this (I am you)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this (I am you)
I’ve got a bad feeling about this (I am you)
I got it bad
I got it bad
I got it bad
I got it bad
I got it bad
I got it bad

In a world rife with sugar-coated phrases and lackluster confessions, Taking Back Sunday’s ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ emerges as a raw, unapologetic anthem that reverberates with the honest angst and defiance of a generation. From the very first chord to the echoing finale, the song captures a spirit of youthful rebellion that speaks not just to a moment in time, but to the timeless turbulence of the human condition.

Peeling back the layers of ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ reveals a narrative that is at once personal and universal, a declaration of unrest that underpins the turbulent relationship dynamics and the introspective struggles that the lyrics suggest. Let’s embark on an exploratory journey into the heart of this emotive track, deciphering its meaning and the impact it continues to have on listeners years after its release.

The Melancholy of Nostalgia: Embracing a Bygone Era

Taking Back Sunday encapsulates a sense of profound nostalgia in ‘A Decade Under The Influence,’ an ode to the feelings and experiences that once defined a generation. The song title itself harkens back to formative years spent under the sway of influences, both good and bad, that have left indelible marks upon the psyche of the listener and the band alike.

The opening lines speak of something ‘delicate’ and a ‘dying breed,’ suggesting a yearning for a purity now tainted or lost. It’s a rallying cry for those who feel they’ve witnessed the erosion of certain values or the dilution of intensity that used to characterize their lives. As if echoing through the corridors of time, the song becomes an anchor to the figurative decade past, lamenting the irreversible flow of time.

A Car Ride to Catharsis: The Intensity of ‘The Long Drive Home’

Transportation often symbolizes transition in art, and the ‘long drive home’ motif in ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ is no exception. The repetition of this line can be interpreted on multiple levels: a literal journey, emotional distance, or the meandering path to maturity—the quintessential voyage of self-discovery that is often punctuated by helplessness and ennui.

By mentioning ‘the long drive home’ and the subsequent ‘sleeping safe and close to the window,’ Taking Back Sunday paints a poignant picture of someone in the midst of transformation. There’s the protection of the familiar juxtaposed with the looming sense of change outside, a duality that speaks to both comfort in isolation and the trepidation of facing the external world.

Diving into the Song’s Hidden Meaning: Self-Reflection and Toxic Relationships

Underneath its surface of angst and discord, ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ delves into the murkier waters of personal growth and the latent conflicts within relationships. The pre-chorus ‘to hell with you and all your friends’ can be perceived as a renouncement of external pressures and the complications they carry into one’s personal journey.

This line not only exudes the unbridled anger often associated with the end of a close relationship but also highlights the empowerment found in creating boundaries against negative influences. The sense of raw vulnerability in this dissociation lends the song an air of defiance, asserting autonomy over one’s own narrative amidst the cacophony of dissenting voices.

The Resonance of ‘Close Your Eyes, Just Settle, Settle’: A Call to Solace or Surrender?

As the bridge of ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ sets in, the mantra-like repetition of ‘Close your eyes, just settle, settle’ creates a hypnotic rhythm that’s comforting and unsettling in equal measure. At a glance, it seems like a call to find peace within oneself, possibly a momentary escape from the chaos narrated earlier in the song.

However, the repetition could also suggest resignation, a reluctant acceptance of circumstances beyond control. The phrase ‘anyone will do tonight’ underlines this sense of despondence—of seeking a connection, any connection, to alleviate the gnawing solitude that can devour the soul in moments of vulnerability.

The Poignant Punch of Memorable Lines: ‘My Worst Brings Out the Best in You’

It’s often the case that a single line can encapsulate the heart of a song, and in ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ that line is ‘I thought it through and my worst brings out the best in you.’ There’s a certain masochistic resonance to this confession, pointing to the complex dynamics of human relationships where love and pain are sometimes interdependent.

This memorable lyric also serves as a powerful reflection on personal growth, highlighting how our lowest points can be catalysts for growth in others. It’s an intimate acknowledgment of the role we inadvertently play in each other’s lives—how the struggles one faces can become the crucible in which another’s strengths are forged.