SHC
Foster the People Lyrics

Omnipotent, omnipotent
Addressing a powerful entity, acknowledging its authority and control over the situation

You are our secret
Referring to the entity as a secret, something to keep hidden or protected

It's worth keeping
Justifying the need to keep the entity a secret

And now I'm keeping my mouth shut
Stating that the artist is keeping quiet about the secret entity

On the weekends
Specifying a particular time period

I won't hang out with anybody else
Refusing to socialize with anyone else

The pavement
Referring to the ground or walkway

Always begging
Describing the pavement as if it is asking or demanding something

What's it want from me?
Questioning the intent or purpose behind the pavement's begging

And I keep falling backwards
Describing a situation where the artist is making little to no progress

Looking for relief
Expressing a desire for relief from a difficult situation

Want to be free
Expressing a desire for freedom from an oppressive force

Well, I've been counting all the minutes
Implying that the singer has been obsessing over time and its passage

And the days have been counting me
Implying that time has been a burden or a weight on the singer

I want to live my life again
Expressing a desire to return to a former state of being

But you won't
Addressing the powerful entity and suggesting that it is withholding something from the artist

I'll never understand the winds
Admitting that the artist doesn't comprehend the events or forces around them

But you do
Acknowledging that the powerful entity has a greater understanding of the situation

I didn't know I was afraid
Admitting that the singer had not realized their fear before

But you did
Acknowledging that the powerful entity understood the artist's fear before they did

I want to do it again
Expressing a desire to redo or relive a past experience

Well I've been sleeping
Describing a state of rest or lack of activity

Waiting for something
Implying that the singer is anticipating something to happen

But to feel nothing
Describing a state where the artist doesn't feel anything

At all, avoid the call
Reiterating the singer's desire to avoid something

Sometimes I'm reckless
Admitting that the singer sometimes acts without thought or caution

Sometimes misdirected
Admitting that the singer's actions sometimes lead to unintended consequences

And sometimes when I'm tested
Describing a situation where the artist is challenged or pressured

I tend to do nothing at all
Admitting that the artist sometimes fails to act when they should

And when I'm alone
Describing a situation where the singer is without company or support

There's a ghost that keeps talking
Metaphorically describing the singer's inner voice or thoughts as a ghost

And I know there's gotta be more
Expressing a belief that there is something else to be discovered or experienced

For sure
Emphasizing the artist's certainty about something

I've been numbing my thoughts for hours
Admitting that the artist has been using a substance or activity to avoid thinking

I know you wanted to save me from myself
Addressing the powerful entity and acknowledging its desire to help the singer

We've been wilting our young for seeds
Metaphorically describing a situation where younger generations are being sacrificed for the benefit of others

And I can't compete
Admitting that the singer is unable to match or outperform others

We're too strung to feel
Implying that the singer is too stressed or anxious to experience emotions

What's real?
Questioning the reality or truthfulness of a situation

Do you want to live forever?
Asking a rhetorical question about the desire for eternal life

I would
Stating the artist's own desire for eternal life