Monsters
Josh and the Empty Pockets Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where have the monsters under my bed gone?
I saw them there but memories fade.
So then I checked and I guess theyโ€™ve moved on.
Now I really shouldnโ€™t be afraid.
Losing sucks. I think youโ€™d agree.
No one likes to fail.
But now Iโ€™ve lost all my childhood dreams
No sandbox out back
No shovel and pail
And to my evail
Just my email
Where have the monsters under my bed gone?
I saw them there but memories fade.
So then I checked and I guess theyโ€™ve moved on.
Now I really shouldnโ€™t be afraid.
I lie awake late at night
I canโ€™t sleep cause Iโ€™m depressed
I canโ€™t forget all my dreams
I sit and think cause Iโ€™m obsessed
Being depressedโ€ฆ canโ€™t get no rest
Where have the shadows on these walls gone too?
I turn off the lights and watch them fade.
No that itโ€™s dark Iโ€™ll sleep but my heartโ€™s blue
Now really shouldnโ€™t be afraid.
I wonโ€™t grow up. No I swear that I wonโ€™t.
Like peter pan Iโ€™ll stay a child
And then Iโ€™ll see all my childhood dreams
My sandbox out back then Iโ€™ll run wild




being a child
weโ€™ll all get riled

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Josh and the Empty Pockets's song Monsters are about the loss of childhood dreams and the fear that comes with growing up. The opening lines of the song ask where the monsters under the singer's bed have gone, as they were once a source of fear that now seems to have disappeared with age. The fear of losing one's childhood and its associated dreams is further explored, with the lyrics lamenting the loss of a sandbox and a shovel and pail. The singer then expresses their current state of depression and obsession with their lost dreams, before declaring a desire to remain a child like Peter Pan, so that they can reclaim their lost dreams and run wild.


Line by Line Meaning

Where have the monsters under my bed gone?
Asking where the fears of childhood have gone


I saw them there but memories fade.
Memories of our childhood fears become unclear over time


So then I checked and I guess theyโ€™ve moved on.
Realized that the fears have disappeared


Now I really shouldnโ€™t be afraid.
There's no longer any reason to be afraid of them


Losing sucks. I think youโ€™d agree.
It's painful to lose, and most people would empathize with that


No one likes to fail.
We inherently do not enjoy failing


But now Iโ€™ve lost all my childhood dreams
All the things I wanted to be as a child have not come true


No sandbox out back
I don't have a carefree, childlike life


No shovel and pail
I am not in touch with my inner child, whom I've ignored for so long


And to my evail
To my disadvantage


Just my email
The only thing I have left is the mundanity of adult life


I lie awake late at night
I can't sleep due to my anxieties and worries


I canโ€™t sleep cause Iโ€™m depressed
My depression is causing insomnia


I canโ€™t forget all my dreams
I can't shake the unrealized aspirations of my youth


I sit and think cause Iโ€™m obsessed
My thoughts are consumed by the lost possibilities of my past


Being depressedโ€ฆ canโ€™t get no rest
Depression causes insomnia and restlessness


Where have the shadows on these walls gone too?
Asking where the shapes and shadows of childhood have gone


I turn off the lights and watch them fade.
The darkness makes the shapes disappear


No that itโ€™s dark Iโ€™ll sleep but my heartโ€™s blue
The darkness allows me to rest, but my sadness is still present


Now really shouldnโ€™t be afraid.
There's nothing to be afraid of anymore


I wonโ€™t grow up. No I swear that I wonโ€™t.
Making a promise to himself to stay young and not become jaded


Like peter pan Iโ€™ll stay a child
Like the famous character, I too will embrace childlike wonder


And then Iโ€™ll see all my childhood dreams
Returning to my youth will allow me to fulfill my unrealized aspirations


My sandbox out back then Iโ€™ll run wild
I'll be free to play and explore without the limitations of adulthood


being a child
Embracing a childlike mentality


weโ€™ll all get riled
We'll be passionate and excited about life once again.




Contributed by Aubrey E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions