Hospital by The Used Lyrics Meaning – A Deep Dive into the Raw Emotions of Healing and Deception
Lyrics
You pull the trigger on your own
You’re hiding in your safe place
Hiding with your eyes shut tightly
On the way to the hospital
Not will you ever rest your head
You end up feeling mostly dead
Pretending you’re the last one
Hiding with your eyes shut tightly
On the way to the hospital
Before I cross my heart and hope to die at all
I take off my mask
And leave the lies to the liars
It never used to hurt before
It isn’t funny anymore
You’re feeling so alone now
Funny how you wish some way that you could die at the hospital
You’re quiet on the car ride home
You’re waiting for your head to explode
You’re hiding in your safe place
Hiding with your eyes shut tightly
All the way to the hospital
Before I cross my heart and hope to die at all
I take off my mask
And leave the lies to the liars
(Before I close my)
Before I close my eyes
I hope to give it up
(Take off my)
I take off my mask
And leave the lies to the liars
And leave the lies to the liars
He thinks he fooled them all
(Hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray)
He thinks he fooled them all
(Hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray)
(Hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray)
Before I cross my heart and hope to die at all
I take off my mask
And leave the lies to the liars
(Before I close my)
Before I close my eyes
I’m gonna give it up
(Take off my mask)
I take off my mask
And leave the lies to the liars
Leave the lies to the liars
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Leave the lies to the liars
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Leave the lies to the liars
Hey, hey, hey
The visceral hit ‘Hospital’ by The Used is far more than an angst-ridden anthem from the 2000s post-hardcore scene. Its lyrics unfold a narrative that pierces through the veneer of bravado often associated with rock, revealing a poignant struggle with vulnerability, truth, and self-deception. The aching metaphor of a hospital as both a place of healing and suffering serves as the backdrop for this lyrical examination.
Drenched in visceral emotion, Bert McCracken, the band’s lead singer, lays bare the internal warfare of a persona trapped in a cycle of pain and pretense. As we peel back the layers of ‘Hospital,’ we uncover a multitude of interpretive gems that The Used has intricately woven into the fabric of a seemingly straightforward track.
Diagnosing the Pain: The Tortured Psyche as a ‘Safe Place’
The recurring imagery of ‘hiding in your safe place’ conveys a haunting paradox. It suggests a defense mechanism against external judgments and internal turmoil. The hospital here stands as a metaphor for more than a mere medical facility; it’s the person’s mental sanctuary where true feelings are quarantined away from the world, yet it is also where one confronts their deepest injuries.
The poignant link between seeking refuge and confronting pain is evident as McCracken articulates the self-inflicted wounds of the soul. ‘You pull the trigger on your own,’ denotes an active participation in one’s destruction, an engagement with the darkness that is both a balm and a poison for the troubled mind.
Unmasking the Pretense: The Courage in Confronting Lies
Central to ‘Hospital’ is the notion of removing one’s mask, a significant act of shedding facades and confronting the ‘lies to the liars.’ This is a declaration of honesty, not towards others, but towards oneself. It bespeaks of an inner dialogue where the persona resolves to give up the act and face their authentic self, scars and all.
The symbolism of unmasking in ‘Hospital’ stands as a powerful motif throughout, representing a defiance against the deception that festers within the psyche. It’s not a battle against external forces but a showdown with the internal deceits that we harbor and hide behind.
A Descent into Darkness: The Transformative Journey to the Hospital
The journey ‘on the way to the hospital’ is more than a physical trip; it’s a descent into the inner recesses where the persona reckons with their darkness. The quiet ride home juxtaposed with waiting for one’s head to explode reveals a tempest brewing beneath the silence—a simmering concoction of inevitable confrontation and catharsis.
The Used weaves a narrative of explosive self-awareness and resignation, marking the ‘car ride home’ not as a return to comfort but as threshold crossed, where the false securities of ignorance are left behind for the stark reality that awaits.
The Dissonant Chorus: Unearthing the Hidden Meaning
Interlaced with exuberant cheers of ‘hip hip hooray,’ the chorus toys with a stark dissonance. This juxtaposition bleeds irony as the cries of celebration are bound within a tapestry of suffering and deceit. It suggests a societal facade, a crowd’s applause for the illusions we maintain, even as we crumble internally and seek escape.
The cheer, repeated with increasing cynicism, becomes an anthem for those donning success and happiness masks while internally navigating through their personal hells. It encapsulates the human penchant for applauding superficial achievements and jubilantly ignoring the complex, oftentimes dark, inner truth.
Echoes of the Soul: Memorable Lines that Cut Deep
‘Funny how you wish some way that you could die at the hospital’ strikes a chilling chord with listeners. Embroiled in this paradox is a cry for help and a wish for the end of suffering—yet, within the realm of a place meant for healing. It encapsulates the dire hope for an end to emotional turmoil, a longing for the kind of relief that seems can only be found in surrendering to oblivion.
Coupled with the refrain ‘leave the lies to the liars,’ The Used has inserted a compelling mantra into the cultural vernacular—one that encapsulates the pursuit of truth amid a masquerade. This line’s enduring quality lies in its universal resonance: the recognition that we all, at some point, become both the liar and the one desperately seeking truth.
