Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Battery
Every Time I Die Lyrics
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You're coming with us
Provisions are made
Accommodations have met
Your words are encoded
In the bleak genetics of the mob
Praise apocrypha, omitted offense
We've sacrificed discourse at the feet
Of your clever turn of phrase
Now you owe it to us
We demand to be taken aback
To be shown the revival of hope
For which your words are responsible
Oh, it's the end of the line
I'm cornered by a precedent
The sneering public eye
My job here is done
My job here is done
You're fucking welcome
Retract the accolade the candid acclaim
Inspiration is cutting its loss
Regurgitate headlines or a theory on modern art
You've been fooled again, the red herrings a joke
I've tried so hard to tell you
That I've tapped the well dry
But there's no word
Stay wistful and young
The affected are banking on oblivion
In the drone of embittered hope
And we're sold by the way they wrote it
Oh, it's the end of the line
I'm cornered by a precedent
The sneering public eye
My job here is done
My job here is done
It is better to destroy
Than to create what is meaningless
So the picture will not be finished
Get out of here
The song "Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Battery" by Every Time I Die can be interpreted as a critique on the modern society's obsession with fame, success, and the need for validation. The lyrics convey a sense of mob mentality, where the singer is being coerced into joining a group of people who demand to be impressed by him. The singer's words are being dissected and used against him, forcing him to create something new and impressive, even if he has nothing left to offer. The line "We've sacrificed discourse at the feet of your clever turn of phrase" reinforces the idea that people are more interested in the superficiality of language rather than the actual meaning behind it. The singer metaphorically taps the well dry, meaning that he has nothing left to offer, but is forced to keep producing for the sake of appeasing the demanding public.
The song also questions the idea of validation and inspiration. The singer claims that "retreating accolade and candid acclaim" is the only way to move forward, meaning that people are only praised for creating something that is already popular or trendy, rather than something that is meaningful and original. The line "Inspiration is cutting its loss" signifies that people can only go so far with inspiration and that it eventually runs out. The end of the song "It is better to destroy than to create what is meaningless, so the picture will not be finished, get out of here" shows that the singer has had enough of the superficiality and is trying to encourage others to reject it as well.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't try to resist
Resistance is futile; we are taking you with us no matter what.
You're coming with us
We are forcing you to join us, and you have no choice in the matter.
Provisions are made
We have prepared everything that is necessary for what we are about to do.
Accommodations have met
We have arranged everything to ensure your comfort during this unpleasant experience.
Your words are encoded
We have taken your words and twisted them into something completely different.
In the bleak genetics of the mob
Your words are now a part of the destructive and oppressive crowd mentality.
Praise apocrypha, omitted offense
We ignore or dismiss any offense that your words may have caused because we want to be able to use them for our own purposes.
To relieve us of guilt but not of our sin
We absolve ourselves of any wrongdoing but continue to use your words for our own gain.
We've sacrificed discourse at the feet
We have given up reasonable discussion to manipulate your words for our own benefit.
Of your clever turn of phrase
We exploit the cleverness of your words without regard to their original meaning or intent.
Now you owe it to us
We expect you to continue to impress us with more clever or useful words.
We demand to be taken aback
We expect you to shock or surprise us with your words in order to impress us.
To be shown the revival of hope
We want your words to inspire hope in us and others, even if they are twisted or taken out of context.
For which your words are responsible
We give credit to your words for any positive outcome, even if they were used in a negative or manipulative way.
Oh, it's the end of the line
This is the end of the road or the final outcome.
I'm cornered by a precedent
I am trapped by the expectation or example that has been set before me.
The sneering public eye
The judgement and criticism of the general public is harsh and unforgiving.
My job here is done
I have fulfilled my role or obligation.
You're fucking welcome
Sarcastic or insincere acknowledgement of the thanks or gratitude of someone else.
Retract the accolade the candid acclaim
Take back any praise or recognition that was given.
Inspiration is cutting its loss
The source of inspiration is giving up and moving on to something else.
Regurgitate headlines or a theory on modern art
Repeat something that has already been said or done, without adding anything new or original.
You've been fooled again, the red herrings a joke
You have fallen for another deception or distraction, and we find it amusing or entertaining.
I've tried so hard to tell you
I have made an effort to warn or inform you of something important.
That I've tapped the well dry
I have exhausted all of my resources or ideas.
But there's no word
I cannot find the right words to express what I am feeling or thinking.
Stay wistful and young
Hold on to your innocent and naive view of the world.
The affected are banking on oblivion
Those who are acting superficially or insincerely are hoping for a complete unawareness or lack of consciousness.
In the drone of embittered hope
In the monotonous and bitter repetition of a false or unrealistic hope.
And we're sold by the way they wrote it
We are convinced or manipulated by the way something is presented or communicated, rather than its actual content or meaning.
It is better to destroy
It is preferable to tear down or eliminate something that is meaningless or harmful rather than create it.
Than to create what is meaningless
It is pointless to create something that has no value, substance, or purpose.
So the picture will not be finished
In order to avoid creating something that has no value or meaning, it is better to not even begin.
Get out of here
Leave immediately or as quickly as possible.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JORDAN TAYLOR BUCKLEY, KEITH MICHAEL BUCKLEY, MICHAEL FRANCIS NOVAC, ANDREW JOHN WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind