Leo
Failure Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Leo woke up in his bed again
Startled by all his familiar friends
Burnt out stubs confectionery wrappers bottles spent and empty
Leo felt a terror in the world
He sighs it's not so bad
And goes about his day as if nothings changed
He finds it so hard to explain the way he can't communicate
The feeling's there but he can't say why it's so hard to relate to you or anyone
Leo quickened his step toward his car
He broke into a sprint at twenty yards




As he guessed the dogs had come ripping into his arm for fun
Leo got away in his blue car

Overall Meaning

The song "Leo" by Failure depicts the struggle of a man named Leo who wakes up in his bed, surrounded by the remnants of his past. He is besieged by a nameless dread that he can't put into words, and although he tries to shove it aside and go about his day, he is constantly haunted by the feeling that he can't communicate with anyone else. Leo tries to escape his thoughts by sprinting towards his car, but even this act of physical exertion is marred by the fear that he will be accosted by the dogs that seem to be hunting him.


There is a deep sense of loneliness and disconnection that runs through the lyrics of "Leo." Failure's lead singer, Ken Andrews, has said that the song is about his own struggle with agoraphobia and panic attacks. The lyrics tap into a common feeling that many people experience, that of being trapped in one's own head and unable to connect with the world around them. Leo is a metaphor for all of us who feel this way, and the song emphasizes the importance of seeking help when we are overwhelmed by our thoughts and feelings.


Line by Line Meaning

Leo woke up in his bed again
Leo is dealing with a repetitive cycle of waking up in the same bed every day, feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied with his life.


Startled by all his familiar friends
Leo is surrounded by the same people every day but feels disconnected from them emotionally and mentally.


Burnt out stubs confectionery wrappers bottles spent and empty
Leo's living space is littered with evidence of his unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as smoking, eating junk food, and drinking alcohol.


Leo felt a terror in the world
Leo feels overwhelmed and fearful about the state of the world and his place in it.


He sighs it's not so bad
Despite his negative emotions and circumstances, Leo tries to convince himself that things aren't so bad.


And goes about his day as if nothings changed
Leo has become numb to the repetitive nature of his life and continues to go through the motions without much thought or emotion.


He finds it so hard to explain the way he can't communicate
Leo struggles to express his emotions and thoughts to others, leading to feelings of isolation and disconnection.


The feeling's there but he can't say why it's so hard to relate to you or anyone
Leo experiences emotions but can't articulate their source or meaning, making it difficult to form meaningful connections with others.


Leo quickened his step toward his car
Leo is eager to escape his current environment and routine.


He broke into a sprint at twenty yards
Leo is running away from something, possibly fear or discomfort.


As he guessed the dogs had come ripping into his arm for fun
Leo has encountered a harmful or dangerous situation, possibly caused by others' intentional or unintentional actions.


Leo got away in his blue car
Leo ultimately manages to escape his surroundings and take control of his own destiny to some extent.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREG EDWARDS, KEN ANDREWS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions