Morning Calls
Dashboard Lyrics
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A line above the step beneath
The worst that you could do.
And the best that you could hope for,
Is hardly the best.
Tepid waters chase the pills
With turpentine and chamomile,
You need to be up all of the time.
Shield your eyes, conceal your lies.
Don't blink.
Everyone's watching.
They'll think that you're up to something.
They need for you to be everything
That they cannot be themselves.
The lyrics of "Morning Calls" by Dashboard Confessional tell a story of a person who is struggling with addiction and trying to cope with the pain by taking drugs. The first line, "Morning calls for pain relief," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The person is in so much pain that they need to take drugs just to function. The second line, "A line above the step beneath," suggests that they are close to hitting rock bottom but are not quite there yet.
The chorus of the song reinforces the idea that the person is caught in a cycle of addiction that they cannot break free from. The best they can hope for is hardly the best, meaning that even when things are going well, they still feel trapped and unable to escape their addiction.
The second half of the song introduces the idea that the person is trying to hide their addiction from the people around them. They chase their pills with turpentine and chamomile, and they need to be up all the time to keep up appearances. They try to shield their eyes and conceal their lies, but they know that everyone is watching and judging them. They feel like they need to be everything that others cannot be themselves.
Overall, "Morning Calls" is a powerful and emotional song that deals with themes of addiction, pain, and the pressure to conform to societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
Morning calls for pain relief,
The morning brings a reminder of the need to escape from emotional distress.
A line above the step beneath
Trying to avoid hitting rock bottom by being precariously perched on the edge of it.
The worst that you could do.
Remaining in the difficult situation with no action taken to improve it.
And the best that you could hope for,
Doing something to escape the painful experience that one is going through.
Is hardly the best.
The options that are available to get out of this difficult situation are not ideal and come with their own set of problems.
Tepid waters chase the pills
Drinking lukewarm water to help with taking medication.
With turpentine and chamomile,
Consuming mixtures of harsh and gentle substances at once in order to feel some sort of relief from the pain.
And don't get cheap on the wine.
Avoiding skimping on the wine as it provides temporary relief even though it isn't really a solution to the problem.
You need to be up all of the time.
The need to constantly be functional and emotionally stable, even though it is impossible given the situation.
Shield your eyes, conceal your lies.
Trying to hide the fact that one is struggling from those around them.
Don't blink.
Be mindful at all times, even if it's exhausting.
Everyone's watching.
The feeling that everyone is paying attention to one's struggles and waiting for them to slip up.
They'll think that you're up to something.
Others may question the intentions of someone who is constantly trying to maintain a facade of stability when it is obvious they are struggling.
They need for you to be everything
The pressure to be a certain way due to societal expectations or the expectations of others.
That they cannot be themselves.
Others rely on those who appear to be stable as a way to cope with their own emotional struggles, making it difficult for those people to be honest about their own difficulties.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANDREW CARRABBA, MICHAEL DUANE STROUD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind