The band's single "It's Time", which previously appeared on the "It's Time" and "Continued Silence" EPs in addition to appearing on "Night Visions", is the group's biggest hit, reaching #33 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.
A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.
Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.
Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.
Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.
Rocks
Imagine Dragons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been awake now
The shadows on my wall don't sleep
They keep calling me
Beckoning
Who knows what's right?
The lies keep getting thinner
But I keep pushing on and on and on and on
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
Below, my soul
I'm feelin' injured
Collapsing as it sees the pain
If I could only shut it out
I've come too far to see the end now
Even if my way is wrong
But I keep pushing on and on and on and on
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
I keep fallin', I keep fallin' down
I keep fallin', I keep fallin' down
I keep fallin', I keep fallin' down
I keep fallin', I keep fallin' down
If you could only save me
I'm drowning in the waters of myself
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
There's nothing left to say now oh oh
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up he he
Giving up now
Where do we go from here?
I threw some rocks up at your window
I broke some rocks right through your window
Timber timber, we're falling down
Let the forest hear us out
Bumba rumba rum awh awh
Bumba rumba rum awh awh
Why can't I see what's right in front of me
We fall, we falling
We fall, we falling
We fall, we falling
We fall, we falling
"Rocks" by Imagine Dragons is a melancholic song with emotional and evocative lyrics. The song is about the struggles and inner demons that the singer is facing. The lyrics describe the feelings of exhaustion and hopelessness from the shadows that the singer can't escape from. The shadows, which could be a metaphor for depression, are constantly calling out to the singer, and he is finding it hard to fight against them. The singer feels lost and consumed by his struggles, and he contemplates giving up several times throughout the song. The lyrics also touch on themes of desperation, fear, and sadness.
The song is also about the singer's frustration with his inability to see things that are right in front of him. He throws rocks at someone's window in an attempt to capture their attention, but he falls down, and the window breaks. The line "Let the forest hear us out" could be interpreted as the singer's desire for someone to hear him out and understand his struggles. Ultimately, the song is a reflection of the internal struggles that the singer is going through and the challenges that he faces to overcome them.
Line by Line Meaning
Who knows how long?
The singer is unsure of how much time has passed.
I've been awake now
The singer has been conscious and alert for an unknown period of time.
The shadows on my wall don’t sleep
The shadows cast by the light source in the singer's room remain constant, even when the singer is awake.
They keep calling me
The shadows seem to be beckoning, or calling out to the artist.
Beckoning
Continuation of the previous line - the shadows are asking the artist to come closer.
Who knows what’s right?
The singer is uncertain of what is the correct thing to do.
The lies keep getting thinner
Deception is becoming less effective, and the truth is becoming more apparent.
My age has never made me wise
The artist doesn't feel particularly wise or experienced despite their age.
But I keep pushing on and on and on and on
Despite feeling unsure and lacking in experience, the artist is persistent in their efforts and keeps moving forward.
There’s nothing left to say now oh oh
No more conversation or dialogue is needed from the artist or their audience.
I’m giving up, giving up he he
The singer is resigning themselves to a defeat or loss, perhaps with a sense of irony or humor.
Giving up now
Continuation of the previous line - the artist is surrendering to circumstances beyond their control.
Below, my soul
The singer is referring to the deepest parts of their being, or their essence.
I’m feelin’ injured
The singer is experiencing emotional or spiritual pain.
Collapsing as it sees the pain
The singer's soul is failing under the weight of their emotional or spiritual pain.
If I could only shut it out
The artist wishes they could detach themselves from their pain or suffering.
I’ve come too far to see the end now
The artist has invested heavily in their personal journey and can't abandon it even if they wanted to.
Even if my way is wrong
The singer recognizes that they may be on the wrong path, but they are committed to continuing on it.
I keep fallin’, I keep fallin’ down
The singer is experiencing a series of failures or setbacks.
If you could only save me
The artist is reaching out for help and support.
I'm drowning in the waters of myself
The artist feels overwhelmed by their own thoughts and feelings.
Where do we go from here?
The artist is uncertain about the direction their life should take now.
I threw some rocks up at your window
The singer is trying to get someone's attention by throwing rocks at their window.
I broke some rocks right through your window
The previous attempt to get someone's attention was unsuccessful, and the artist has now resorted to breaking the window.
Timber timber, we’re falling down
The singer and another person are both experiencing a fall or failure together.
Let the forest hear us out
The singer desires for the natural setting around them to observe and listen to their troubles.
Why can’t I see what’s right in front of me
The singer is struggling to perceive a clear path forward or a solution to their problems.
We fall, we falling
The artist and another person are still experiencing a series of failures or setbacks.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Benjamin Arthur McKee, Daniel Coulter Reynolds, Daniel Wayne Sermon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ryoutakise4053
Where do we go from here?
Where do we go from here?
I threw some rocks up at your window
I broke some rocks right through your window
Timber, timber
We're falling down
Let the forest hear our sound
Boom ba boom ba boom
Ah ooh ah ooh
Boom ba boom ba boom
Ah ooh ah ooh
Why can't I see
What's right in front of me?
We fall
We fall apart
We fall
We fall
We fall
We fall apart
We fall
We fall
@branidejensen6756
I wish this was longer.
@hisagis123
mintycookie129 not really. If you interpret it literally it does says living the rocks. However in this context viva changes its meaning to bravo/ hurra... so yeah. ***** used correctly. Well kinda, "la" is not necessary. It should be Viva rocks! / Viva Imagine Dragons! You only use la, el, tu, mi etc... when you are refering to things without a name, organizations, entities or asociations.(I assume you are talking about the song that's called "Rocks")
@1straycat
hisagis123 Oh. Ha ha, sorry, I'm not very good with spanish. And yes, I was referring to the song title.
Thanks for correcting me. :)
@robertwileman7524
i wish you'd wish for wishing things to be more wishful about wishing for wishing for more simpler things.
@cammyman32
Me too, me too.
@sohailalim2698
+1
@vasudixit110
You know Imagine Dragons are awesome when they can make you feel happy about throwing rocks through other's windows.
@unidentified8973
I already felt that way,so I don’t really see your point,but okay!
@ar1a.luvs.nirv4na.
True
@fem.romano6437
only song that can make me happy about breaking someones window with rocks