Persevere
Gang of Youths Lyrics

I never got to kiss your head, ah, Emme
The singer expresses his regret of never being able to bid goodbye to Emme in a touching, intimate way

And the call came the week I got divorced
The singer informs that he received a call about Emme's death during the same week he went through a divorce

I thought I had a real understanding then of loss
I believed that I understood what it meant to lose someone, but I was wrong

But I didn't know a thing 'til you were gone
Only when Emme was gone, did he come to know the immeasurable grief and loss of a loved one

And I'm tired of trying to find some sort of meaningful thing
The singer is exhausted of attempting to make sense of a tragic and incomprehensible loss

In making sense of such unspeakable loss
He finds it impossible to rationalize the intense pain and sorrow of losing someone so precious

But as I'm staring at your folks, the sweetest people I know
Looking at Emme's parents, who are kind and gracious people, he feels a glimpse of what it means to be resilient

I get a glimpse of what it is to be strong
He realizes that there is strength in simply being present with others during their time of grief

Just holding hands and sobbing with sunglasses on
Even though they are crying and mourning, they are trying to hide their tears behind sunglasses so that they do not appear vulnerable

'Cause nothing tuned me into absurdity as fast
The artist states that nothing makes him aware of the ridiculousness of life like the death of a child

As a gravestone with the name of a baby that has passed
Seeing a gravestone with the name of an infant who has died makes him feel sad and disillusioned

I used to wanna be important, now I just wanna be alive
The singer reveals that he's no longer interested in being famous or seen as significant, but simply wants to appreciate and value his own life

And without fear
He wants to live life without any fears or doubts

You got to persevere
The message of the song is to keep moving forward in the face of adversity

I couldn't count the times I've ragged on heaven
The singer is confessing that he has criticized heaven on multiple occasions as an invention made for weak-minded individuals

As an opiate invented by the weak
He views the idea of heaven as escapism that is prevalent amongst those who are not resilient enough to face reality

It's an argument I hate 'cause I'm content to love the fates
He admits that even though he doesn't personally believe in heaven, he still respects people's belief because he likes to believe that life is fate-driven

But it comes up a lot with Emme's dad and me
The topic of heaven always arises in conversations between the singer and Emme's father

So I'm shotgun in the car and we're just shooting the shit
They are having a casual conversation while driving with the singer sitting in the front passenger seat

And predictably, the talking turns to God
As they converse, the topic of God comes up as both characters reflect on their grief and attempt to make sense of the world

So I throw him forty lines how I don't think he exists
The artist presents forty arguments to support his lack of faith in God

And he just smiles and takes a dignified pause
Emme's father listens to his arguments patiently and takes a moment of silence to collect his thoughts

Says, "It's okay to feel unbelievably lost"
He reassures the singer that it is normal and acceptable to feel lost and confused under the circumstances

But God is full of grace and his faithfulness is vast
Emme's father suggests that God is merciful and loyal, even if the artist may not believe in Him

There is safety in the moments when the shit has hit the fan
He believes that during times of chaos and uncertainty, one can find safety and refuge in God or a higher power

Not some vindictive motherfucker, nor is he shitty at his job
He dismisses the common perception of God in a humorous and irreverent way, and argues that God is not malicious or incompetent

What words to hear
The singer finds comfort and solace in the kind words of Emme's father

And I'm a mess by now
The singer becomes emotional and overwhelmed by his feelings at this point in the conversation

'Cause nothing tuned me in to my failure as fast
Reflecting on Emme's passing, the artist becomes aware of his personal failure or inadequacy

As grieving for a friend with more belief than I possessed
He sees how Emme's father's faith has helped him grieve more gracefully and finds himself lacking in the same regard

"It's not some disembodied heaven," he assured me
Emme's father tries to dispel the impersonal or vague concept of heaven and assures the singer of its more tangible existence

Then he laughs and says through tears
Even though he's emotional, Emme's father finds humor in the situation and laughs, indicating that he's not entirely defeated by the tragedy

"You got to persevere"
He echoes the song's message again, emphasizing the importance of persistence in facing difficult situations

Persevere
The chorus repeats the message to persevere, emphasizing the theme of the song

We threw a party up in here, but God, it was bittersweet
The song concludes with the singer recounting a bittersweet party they had in remembrance of Emme

I live hard 'cause I am scared that I won't mean anything
The artist believes he has to lead an intense and meaningful life because he fears his life will lack significance

So now I'm praying to the ceiling, to the windows, to the walls
He's praying to everything around him - the ceiling, windows and walls - to find meaning and reasons to keep living

Against this sudden sinking feeling that there's nothing there at all
He's fighting a depressing feeling that everything will have no meaning or purpose eventually

And still
Despite this feeling, the song ends with a resounding 'still' attached to the end of the final line, symbolizing a resolve to find meaning in whatever he can find it in