Don'’t make a sound, it’'s time to throw it into lock down
Watch me knock down this mess
That I’'ve got myself into for a small commission
I’'ll show you how

If you just get off the ground
You’'ve got to move a little faster
To make it out of this disaster
Before you get factored out

Turn the page, another line I should have saved
But who'’s to say that you wouldn'’t be blown away
'Cause you've always been blown away

Anchor, come and drag me down, before I take the dive
(I’'ll take what I can get)
Leave me for dead, I always said you’'d find me in over my head
Now you can take it literal instead
I’'m bringing it back
(I’'ll take what I can get)
Anchor, drag me down before I take the dive

Call off the search, there’'s been no sign for and days
And there’s no way to say for sure if less is more
I’'m sweating out the fever that'’s been spreading on the dance floor

Pick your feet up on the ground
You got to move a little faster
Faster to make it out of this disaster
Will you last or will you fall to your knees

Turn the page, another line I should have saved
But who’'s to say that you wouldn'’t be blown away
'Cause you wouldn'’t be blown away

Anchor, come and drag me down, before I take the dive
(I'’ll take what I can get)
Leave me for dead, I always said you’'d find me in over my head
Now you can take it literal instead
I’'m bringing it back
(I'’ll take what I can get)
Anchor, drag me down before I take the dive

At first with all the weight of all this pressure I was fine
But now I feel like I have buried myself alive

Drag me out and push me down
But hurry up before the surface freezes over now
I’'m going to drown
I’'m going down without a sound

Anchor, come and drag me down
Anchor, come and drag me down
Anchor, come and drag me down
Anchor, come and drag me down
Before I take the dive

Anchor, come and drag me down before I take the dive
(I'’ll take what I can get)
Leave me for dead, I always said you’'d find me in over my head
Now you can take it literal instead
I’'m bringing it back
(I’'ll take what I can get)
Anchor, drag me down before I take the dive

Before I take the dive
(I’'ll take what I can get)
Anchor, drag me down before I take the dive

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Abandon Ship or Abandon All Hope" by Four Year Strong suggest a sense of urgency and chaos. The singer seems to be in the midst of a crisis (“mess”) that they caused themselves for a small reward or commission. They acknowledge the gravity of the situation and encourage themselves and others to make a quick move before it’s too late. The repeated line “Anchor, come and drag me down before I take the dive” may metaphorically express the idea of giving up or being pulled down by a negative influence.

The second verse begins on a more melancholy note, with a feeling of being lost or abandoned. The line “Call off the search, there's been no sign for days” evokes a sense of being left behind or forgotten. The idea of sweating “the fever that's been spreading on the dance floor” may speak to the fear of being caught up in a frenzy or losing control.

Overall, the lyrics of "Abandon Ship or Abandon All Hope" seem to be a warning against reckless actions and a call to make decisive moves in trying times. The repeated use of the word “anchor” may symbolize the idea of grounding oneself or finding a stable support system. In a broader sense, the song could be seen as a commentary on the pitfalls of pursuing short-term gains without considering the long-term consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't make a sound, it's time to throw it into lock down
Be quiet and prepare for a crisis

Watch me knock down this mess
I will fix the problem

That I've got myself into for a small commission
I made this mistake for a small benefit

I'll show you how
I'll demonstrate how to handle the situation

If you just get off the ground
Start moving and don't give up

You've got to move a little faster
You need to act quickly

To make it out of this disaster
To escape from this catastrophic situation

Before you get factored out
Before you are eliminated from the equation or situation

Turn the page, another line I should have saved
I made another mistake that I should have avoided

But who's to say that you wouldn't be blown away
There's no telling if you would have done better or worse

'Cause you've always been blown away
You've always struggled or suffered defeat

Anchor, come and drag me down, before I take the dive
Save me before it's too late

(I'll take what I can get)
I'll accept any help or solution offered

Leave me for dead, I always said you'd find me in over my head
I knew I was in too deep and may not make it

Now you can take it literal instead
Now it's not just a saying, it's reality

I'm bringing it back
I'm coming back from the brink of disaster

Call off the search, there's been no sign for and days
It's hopeless to search for a solution

And there's no way to say for sure if less is more
It's uncertain what the best course of action is

I'm sweating out the fever that's been spreading on the dance floor
I'm struggling with a problem that others are also facing

You got to move a little faster
You need to act quickly

Will you last or will you fall to your knees
Will you survive or give up?

At first with all the weight of all this pressure I was fine
Initially I could handle the stress

But now I feel like I have buried myself alive
Now I feel like I'm stuck and can't escape

Drag me out and push me down
Get me out of this situation and force me to improve

But hurry up before the surface freezes over now
Act before it's too late

I'm going to drown
I'm in danger of failing completely

I'm going down without a sound
I'm having trouble dealing with this problem silently

Before I take the dive
Before I fail completely

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alan Clifford Day, Daniel Patrick O'Connor, Jackson Russell Massucco, Joseph Flanders Weiss, Joshua Bo Lyford

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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