“No Time For Toxic People” by Imagine Dragons
Based on Dan Reynolds’s personal description of this song, the titular “toxic people” would be what some individuals refer to as Chicken Littles. That would be those for instance who are only able to perceive the dangers of the world.
Needless to say, in the times we live in such a mentality is pretty prevalent, i.e. individuals who are extremely pessimistic in regards to not only the future but also the present. And what Dan has proclaimed in that regard is that he does not want his children growing up under the influence of such individuals. He wants them to rather possess a more optimistic outlook in terms of what being alive has to offer.
Toxic People
However, within the song itself, the term “toxic people” is used more along the lines of how such a phrase is commonly understood, i.e. as pointing to those whose association can prove detrimental to one’s health in one way or another.
Or more to the point, most easily explained, it appears as if the vocalist is addressing gossipers, particularly the types who try to spoil his name. And basically, what he is telling such individuals is that he does not have time to pay attention to their nonsense. Rather, as illustrated in the chorus, his mind is preoccupied with the beauty of nature.
And based on what has been put forth above, we know that Dan making such an assertion is more of a symbolic device. In other words he too could be a ‘toxic person’ if he so desired, i.e. getting into a back-and-forth with his haters. But instead he has opted to focus on the good, if you will, as opposed to the bad.
And yes, in his own way Reynolds does diss “toxic people” by referring to them as individuals with ‘frozen hearts’. But beyond that, his disposition is sort of like ‘do what you do’. Or as the saying goes, haters will hate. But as for him personally, Dan is relishing life too strongly to be caught up in negativity.
Dan Reynolds, Imagine Dragons and “No Time for Toxic People”
The aforementioned Dan Reynolds is the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, a band based in Las Vegas, and he has been so since the group’s inception in 2008. He actually started the band with four other individuals –
- Andrew Beck
- Aurora Florence
- Dave Lemke
- Andrew Tolman
None of the abovementioned names remained down with the crew past 2011. So in 2009 current members Ben McKee (bass) and Wayne Sermon (guitar) joined, and drummer Daniel Platzman became a part of the band in 2011.
“No Time for Toxic People” made its full debut on 3 September 2021 as part of Imagine Dragons’ fifth studio album, Mercury – Act 1. However, it did make an appearance, under the working title “Beautiful Day”, earlier in the summer of 2021 as part of a Jeep commercial.
The aforenoted Imagine Dragons’ quartet of Reynolds, McKee, Platzman and Sermon wrote this song alongside the track’s producer, Jason Suwito, himself being a member of a L.A.-based band known as Sir Sly.
