Disintegration
Jimmy Eat World Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holding out sleeping proud.
An answer comes without a please.
Do what you want.
I wonder why I'm so caught off guard when we kiss.
I'd rather live my life in regret then do this.
What happened to the love we both knew, we both chased?
Hanging on a cigarette, you need me, you'll burn me
You'll burn me.
Hushed with a finger,
Don't say you'll never when you might
Oh, just another time
This poison comes instruction free.
Do what you want, But I'm drinking.
I wonder why I'm so caught off guard when we kiss.
I'd rather live my life in regret then do this.
What happened to the love we both knew, we both chased?
Hanging on a cigarette, you need me, you'll burn me
You'll burn me.
Right, right better next time
Stay on my side tonight, oh oh oh
I wonder why I'm so caught off guard when we kiss.
I'd rather live my life in regret then do this.
What happened to the love we both knew, we both chased?
Hanging on a cigarette, you need me, you'll burn me
You'll burn me.
The opening lines of "Disintegration" convey a sense of being defeated and overwhelmed by the weight of emotions that the singer has been carrying. The imagery of being "strung up and pulled tight" reflects feelings of tension and pressure, perhaps from trying to hold on to a relationship that is slipping away. The line "an answer comes without a please" suggests that the singer has been searching for answers or validation from someone else, but has realized that true fulfillment can only come from within, by doing what they want.
Despite this realization, the singer is caught off guard by their own emotions when they kiss their partner. The conflict between wanting to move on and feeling drawn to the familiarity of the relationship is palpable in the lines "I'd rather live my life in regret then do this / What happened to the love we both knew, we both chased?" The metaphor of hanging on to a cigarette that will burn the singer symbolizes being stuck in a self-destructive pattern.
The verses are interspersed with the repeated line "Do what you want," which adds to the sense of uncertainty and confusion. The singer is aware that they have agency in their own life, but they're not sure how to exercise that agency in a satisfying way. In the end, the plea to "stay on my side tonight" suggests a yearning for connection and comfort, even if it means putting off the inevitable.
Line by Line Meaning
I've spent my last nights strung up and pulled tight,
I have spent my recent nights feeling stressed and tense.
Holding out sleeping proud.
I am trying to stay strong despite feeling exhausted.
An answer comes without a please.
Someone has given me an answer without me even asking for it.
Do what you want.
They are telling me to do what I think is best for myself.
I wonder why I'm so caught off guard when we kiss.
I am surprised by my feelings when we kiss.
I'd rather live my life in regret then do this.
I would prefer to regret not doing something than to regret doing it.
What happened to the love we both knew, we both chased?
I am questioning where the love we both pursued has gone.
Hanging on a cigarette, you need me, you'll burn me, You'll burn me.
You depend on me like a smoker depends on a cigarette, but it's damaging to me.
Hushed with a finger,
Someone is telling me to be quiet by putting their finger to their lips.
Don't say you'll never when you might
Don't make a promise you may break in the future.
Oh, just another time,
I am being given another chance to do something.
This poison comes instruction free.
This harmful thing I am doing is something I am doing of my own volition.
Do what you want, But I'm drinking.
You can do as you please, but I am going to drink to distract myself.
Right, right better next time,
I acknowledge that I could do better next time.
Stay on my side tonight, oh oh oh
Someone is asking me to stay close to them tonight.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES CHRISTOPHER ADKINS, RICHARD E BURCH, THOMAS DARRELL LINTON, ZACHARY MICHEL LIND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind