All Time Low is an American pop punk band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, Un… Read Full Bio ↴All Time Low is an American pop punk band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, United States in 2003. When Alex Gaskarth (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards) was in middle school, he was moved from private school to public school, where he met Jack Barakat (lead guitar, backing vocals), and put the band together; later recruiting Rian Dawson (drums, percussion), and Zack Merrick (bass guitar, backing vocals). The band's name came from a line in the New Found Glory song Head On Collision. Early on, All Time Low mostly performed covers of songs by bands like Green Day, blink-182, and New Found Glory. Since their debut, they have released 9 studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), Wake Up, Sunshine (2020), and Tell Me I'm Alive (2023) as well as two live albums, Straight to DVD (2010), and Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts (2016). They have also released some EPs, most notably, Put Up or Shut Up (2006), and MTV Unplugged (2010).

Toxic Valentine
All Time Low Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's got a target painted on her back
And keeps a list of the qualities a good girl lacks
She bites her lip and tips her bottle
I take a drink cause the truth is hard to swallow

Sex and white lies
Handcuffs and alibies
She lays her halo on her pillow where she sleeps

Her heart beats red wine
My toxic valentine
Lays her halo on her pillow
That used to be mine
Oh oh oh

I live a life style full of first impressions
I've got my hands full of un-healthy obsessions
She bites my lip, I'm sure to follow
We take a drink to the guilty and the hollow
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Sex and white lies
Hand cuffs and alibies
She lays her halo on her pillow where she sleeps
Her heart beats red wine
My toxic valentine
She lays her halo on her pillow
That used to be mine

Oh oh
My toxic valentine
Oh oh
My toxic valentine

And I'm not the type to forget
Or to bury my head just
Take off your wings
They could never get you quite as high
As I did
And you know it

Sex and white lies
Handcuffs and alibi's
She lays her halo on her pillow where she sleeps
Her heart beats red wine
My toxic valentine
Lays her halo on her pillow that used to be
Sex and white lies
Handcuffs and alibi's
She lays her halo on her pillow where she sleeps
Her heart beats red wine
My toxic valentine
Lays her halo on her pillow that used to be

She lays her halo on her pillow that used to be
Mine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of All Time Low's Toxic Valentine are about a toxic and dysfunctional relationship that the singer has with a girl who's portrayed as a rebel who's got a "target painted on her back." She keeps a list of "qualities a good girl lacks" and engages in vices such as drinking and lying. The singer also admits to leading a lifestyle full of first impressions and having unhealthy obsessions. The relationship is described as being built on sex, lies, and guilty pleasures, with both parties engaging in unhealthy behavior. The chorus reflects the singer's realization that the relationship is toxic, but he's still having trouble letting go of his "toxic valentine," as evidenced by the line "She lays her halo on her pillow that used to be mine."

The lyrics suggest a struggle with letting go of an unhealthy relationship due to the allure of guilty pleasures and the sense of satisfaction derived from the toxic dynamic between the couple. The line "Her heart beats red wine" suggests that the relationship is built on alcohol consumption and unhealthy behavior, leading to a destructive cycle of codependency that neither party is willing to break. The song paints a grim picture of the singer's inability to walk away from a toxic relationship despite acknowledging its negative impact.

Line by Line Meaning

She's got a target painted on her back
She seems to be metaphorically targeted by people around her.

And keeps a list of the qualities a good girl lacks
She is aware of the attributes that people around her expect a girl to have but tries to remain the opposite.

She bites her lip and tips her bottle
She drinks to suppress the truth she's not ready to handle.

I take a drink cause the truth is hard to swallow
He too drinks to numb the pain and acknowledge the truth they both are in together.

Sex and white lies
They hide their true feelings through sexual activities and lies.

Handcuffs and alibis
They are guilty of certain acts, but their excuses cover them.

She lays her halo on her pillow where she sleeps
She tries to be good and goes to bed peacefully.

Her heart beats red wine
Her heart cries by being intoxicated and heartbroken.

My toxic valentine
She is a toxic person he loves like a valentine - imperfect, but he still accepts her.

Lays her halo on her pillow that used to be mine
She tries to sleep peacefully on his side of the bed where his presence still lingers.

I live a lifestyle full of first impressions
The singer deeply cares about the first impression he makes.

I've got my hands full of unhealthy obsessions
He is obsessed with her, leading him towards an unhealthy path.

She bites my lip, I'm sure to follow
He acknowledges her control over him, leading him to follow her lead.

We take a drink to the guilty and the hollow
They drink to celebrate their wrongdoings and emptiness.

And I'm not the type to forget or to bury my head just
He is the kind of person who acknowledges his feelings and confronts them.

Take off your wings, They could never get you quite as high as I did
He tells her to take off her halo and feel whatever he makes her feel, higher than she's ever been.

And you know it
He believes that she too knows how he makes her feel.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ALEX GASKARTH, JIMMY HARRY, TONY KANAL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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