Pseudologia Fantastica is another term for pathological lying. The title suggests that Foster is referencing his drug use and his behavior during that time as lying pathologically to those around him.
“That song is a narrative inspired by a fictional story about a husband and a wife, written from the perspective of the female. She’s married to a soldier who comes back from the war, and he has severe PTSD. And it’s about the aftermath and what it’s like to live with someone with PTSD. The end of the song is about overcoming the trauma: “You’ve got to love the madness of the feeling / Don’t ever be afraid of starting over.” It’s really about standing tall in the face of adversity.”
Pseudologia Fantastica
Foster the People Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inside a tropic ponderlust, sick and laughing
Their words bear their teeth into the raw
I promised I would rid the world of feral animals
See you smiling with your feet up like a hero's
Bit off yourself to save your reputation
Strong and fearless and deprived just like your heroes
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my faith?
All the promises you made never realized
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my strength?
All the promises you made never realized
Fill the air of what you'd like
Another weekend massacre, your opinion
Don't be afraid of the knife, sometimes you have
To cut the limb to survive
See you smiling with your feet up like a hero's
Bit off yourself to save your reputation
Strong and fearless and deprived just like your heroes
Are you sharpening your sword, well you'll bleed out anyway
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my faith?
All the promises you made never realized
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my strength?
All the promises you made never realized
You've got to look around a certain field
Come down to roast the flesh of some beginning
You've got to get back up and face your demons
Don't ever be afraid of starting over
The lyrics of Foster the People's song Pseudologia Fantastica explore the themes of disillusionment and disappointment. The song describes a world that is faded and worn at the seams, where people are sick and laughing from their psychotropic wanderlust. The lyrics suggest that the characters in this world are disconnected from reality, blindly following their heroes without questioning their actions or motivations. The chorus asks the question, "Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my faith? All the promises you made never realized." This illustrates the characters' inability to follow through on their promises, leading to feelings of betrayal and disappointment.
The second half of the song encourages the listener to embrace the madness of their feelings and not to rush the freshness of new beginnings. The final line suggests that we should never be afraid of starting over, emphasizing the importance of resilience in the face of disappointment.
Overall, the lyrics of Pseudologia Fantastica paint a picture of a disillusioned world, but one that the listener can navigate by embracing their own feelings and staying resilient in the face of disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
Faded and worn at the seams
Tired and damaged from life’s difficulties
A psychotropic wanderlust, sick and laughing
A longing for adventure driven by drugs, and a sense of humor despite sickness
Their words bear their teeth into the wall
Their words are harsh and critical, leaving an impression on those who hear them
I promised I would rid the world of feral animals
I made a commitment to creating positive change by getting rid of destructive forces
See you smiling with your feet up like your heroes
I see you relaxing and enjoying yourself like those you admire
You'd off yourself to save your reputation
You would go to extreme measures to maintain your public image
Strong and fearless and deprived just like your heroes
You emulate the strength and courage of your idols, but also share in their struggles and hardships
Are you sharpening your sword, well you'll fade out anyway
Are you preparing for conflict, when ultimately everyone’s time will run out?
All the promises you made never realized
None of the commitments you made were fulfilled
Fill the air with what you like
Express yourself freely
Another weekend massacre of opinion
Another weekend of heated debates and arguments
Don't be afraid of the knife, sometimes you have to cut the limb to survive
Don't be scared to make tough choices for the overall good, even if it's painful
You'd off yourself to save your reputation
You would go to extreme measures to maintain your public image
Are you sharpening your sword, well you'll bleed out anyway
Are you preparing for conflict, when ultimately it will end in bloodshed?
All the promises you made never realized
None of the commitments you made were fulfilled
You got to love the madness of the feeling
Embrace the intensity of emotions felt in the moment
Don't have to rush the freshness of beginning
Take time to enjoy the excitement of a new start
You got to get back up and face your demons
You must confront your inner struggles head-on
Don't ever be afraid of starting over
You should never fear the opportunity to begin anew
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alexander Vance Donald, Bryan Killingworth, Jim Yonkus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mooseboy7052
Faded and worn at the seams
A psychotropic wanderlust, sick and laughing
Their words bear their teeth into the wall
I promised I would rid the world of feral animals
See you smiling with your feet up like your hero's
You'd offer yourself to save your reputation
Strong and fearless and deprived just like your heroes
Are you sharpening your sword, well you'll fade out anyway
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my faith?
All the promises you made never realized
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my strength?
All the promises you made never realized
Fill the air with what you like
Another weekend massacre of opinion
Don't be afraid of the knife, sometimes you have
To cut the limb to survive
I see you smiling with your feet up like your heroes
You'd offer yourself to save your reputation
Strong and fearless and deprived just like your heroes
Are you sharpening your sword, well you'll bleed out anyway
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my faith?
All the promises you made never realized
Why'd you say
Why'd you say that you'd come right back for my love, for my strength?
All the promises you made never realized
You got to love the madness of the feeling
Don't have to rush the freshness of beginning
You got to get back up and face your demons
Don't ever be afraid of starting over
@dcrouch26
Man, I just want everyone to know how incredible this song is. I never heard a song this intense and psychedelic at the same time.
@KA-tz9it
Eye Pattern Blindness by Pond, or just the Beard, Wives, Denim album in general, The Bold Arrow of Time, Skeleton Tiger and lots of other stuff by Tame Impala, but yeah, I agree this is a really awesome song also.
@abigailmitchell7117
I can’t stop listening ❤️
@olivermiller8943
Listen to gish by smashing pumpkins, lots of psychedelic stuff on there
@user-me7on8kb5u
Listen it’s all too much, strawberry fields forever or I Am The Walrus of the Beatles
@maniswil2
MGMT - Alien Days.
@sweou
What a musical genius Mark Foster is.
@Noras_Nobody
Isom, Mark and Paul Epworth write the best songs
@jessturner6886
This is one of their best songs period. Totally underrated. That second album was actually nearly as good as the first imo.
@laloleonelsilva
I think Sacred Hearts Club is good too, but I love this song