The Phoenix
Fall Out Boy Lyrics

Put on your war paint
Get ready for battle, psych yourself up and prepare to fight.

You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down
You're weighing me down, hindering my progress and preventing me from moving forward.

Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground
Challenging someone to a fight and warning them of the fiery consequences that await them.

We are the jack-o-lanterns in July setting fire to the sky
We're creating a spectacle, doing something unusual and unexpected to gain attention and make an impact.

Here, here comes this rising tide, so come on
A call to action, urging everyone to rise up together and face the challenge that's coming.

Cross walks and crossed hearts and hope-to-dies
Various symbols of hope, innocence and faith that people cling onto in tough times.

Silver clouds with grey linings
A reference to the saying 'every cloud has a silver lining', suggesting that even in difficult circumstances, there's still a glimmer of hope.

So we can take the world back from a heart attack
To overcome the sudden, overwhelming shock of devastation or adversity that threatens to paralyze us.

One maniac at a time we will take it back
Even if progress is slow, one person's determination and effort can make a significant difference.

You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start
When you're anxious and restless, waiting for something exciting to happen, every moment seems to drag on endlessly.

So dance alone to the beat of your heart
Even if nobody else is there to cheer you on, keep moving to your own rhythm and don't give up hope.

Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?
A sense of urgency and desperation, feeling like there's not enough time to achieve everything we want to in life.

I'm gonna change you like a remix
Taking something familiar and transforming it into something new, original and exciting.

Then I'll raise you like a phoenix
Rebuilding and reinventing oneself after suffering loss or failure.

Wearing our vintage misery
Carrying past trauma and pain as part of our identity, like a threadbare piece of clothing that we can't help but wear.

No, I think it looked a little better on me
Acknowledging the desire to hold onto pain and struggle as part of one's identity, but also admitting the negative effects it can have on mental health and well-being.

Bring home the boys and scrap scrap metal the tanks
A desire to end war and violence by repurposing weapons and military resources for peaceful purposes.

Get hitched, make a career out of robbing banks
A sarcastic suggestion that it's better to pursue illegal, unethical ways of gaining power and wealth than to try to change the system from within.

Because the world is just a teller and we are wearing black masks
The world is impersonal and uncaring, and we have to hide our true selves behind a facade in order to survive.

"You broke our spirit," says the note we pass
An indictment of those who seek to oppress and control others, and a warning that eventually there will be a reckoning.

The war is won, before it's begun
By being mentally and emotionally prepared, we've already won half the battle.

Release the doves, surrender love
A call to let go of fear and hate, and to embrace love and peace instead.