X-Ray Mind
Mad Season Lyrics


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Do the laughs die when
One such as I run
And allow myself
Time for own true needs

When convincing me
That you're on my team
May not lie to me
But not mentioning

So sit back and have
An hysterical
Laugh at tiny holes
Buy and trade men's souls

X-ray mind reads plenty
Worth no more than pennies

You, they, it or what
Have been fair, I thought
May you never free
You from you or me

See the more I think
I'm afraid to blink
I don't move an inch
Slowly draining me

Hire a spy and bug me
Pimp your friends for money




Rich and growing sicker
Sell the dead ones quicker

Overall Meaning

Mad Season's song "X-Ray Mind" explores the concept of betrayal and distrust within a relationship. The opening lines "Do the laughs die when / One such as I run / And allow myself / Time for own true needs" suggest that the persona in the song has been neglecting their own needs due to their devotion to someone else. They wonder if the laughs in the relationship disappear when they allow themselves time to focus on their own needs. The following lines bring up the issue of dishonesty, with the persona questioning whether the person they trust is truly on their team or if they are lying by omission. The lyrics "So sit back and have / An hysterical / Laugh at tiny holes / Buy and trade men's souls" suggest a world where people are willing to profit from the suffering of others.


The chorus of the song features the lyrics "X-ray mind reads plenty / Worth no more than pennies". This could be interpreted as the persona's ability to see through the lies and deceit of others, however, this insight is not valued by those around them. The final verse of the song further highlights the theme of exploitation and betrayal, with references to hiring a spy to bug the persona and selling the dead for profit. Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of a world where loyalty and honesty are in short supply.


Line by Line Meaning

Do the laughs die when
Do people stop laughing when


One such as I run
I run away, being the type of person I am


And allow myself
And give myself permission


Time for own true needs
To focus on my own true needs


When convincing me
When you try to convince me


That you're on my team
That you're supporting me


May not lie to me
You may not tell me a lie


But not mentioning
But not telling me everything


So sit back and have
So relax and enjoy


An hysterical
A very funny


Laugh at tiny holes
Laughter at insignificant things


Buy and trade men's souls
The buying and selling of people's souls


X-ray mind reads plenty
A perceptive mind reads many things


Worth no more than pennies
But they aren't worth much


You, they, it or what
Whether it's you, them, something or other


Have been fair, I thought
I used to think you were fair


May you never free
May you never escape


You from you or me
Yourself from yourself or myself


See the more I think
The more I consider


I'm afraid to blink
I'm scared to even blink


I don't move an inch
I don't even make a single movement


Slowly draining me
Slowly sapping my energy


Hire a spy and bug me
You might hire a spy to wiretap me


Pimp your friends for money
Selling out your friends for money


Rich and growing sicker
Getting wealthy but becoming more unwell


Sell the dead ones quicker
Selling the deceased faster




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., ST MUSIC LLC
Written by: BARRETT MARTIN, JOHN SAUNDERS, LAYNE STALEY, MIKE MCCREADY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Samurai

Do the laughs die when
One such as I run
And allow myself
Time for own true needs

When convincing me
That you're on my team
May not lie to me
But not mentioning

So sit back and have
An hysterical
Laugh at tiny holes
Buy and trade men's souls

X-ray mind reads plenty
Worth no more than pennies

You, they, it or what
Have been fair, I thought
May you never free
You from you or me

See the more I think
I'm afraid to blink
I don't move an inch
Slowly draining me

Hire a spy and bug me
Pimp your friends for money
Rich and growing sicker
Sell the dead ones quicker



All comments from YouTube:

POPEYEUGUY 68

How they pulled this off, barely rehearsing and wiping this show together just shows you, they really master their craft

Kevin Whiting

They were having fun.. real low pressure ...Layne was fresh out Rehab

theDiReW0lf

Because look who’s in the band. Legends.

Jon Thebeau

It really is remarkable how good this is given how little they played together

1 More Replies...

jesse_j_hutchings

Layne's voice here sounds so unique even for him. It's totally fascinating how he gets these very subtle tones to blossom out while singing so powerfully

ClassyBlueV

When you always prefer hearing Layne sing live to the studio album you know they are a badass singer

theDiReW0lf

Yeah you don’t truly realize how great he was until you DO hear him live.

Steve Brewer

Very true!!!❤👍

John Martinez

💯💯💯

g medeiros

The bass and drummer team is off the chart
Everything around it falls perfectly in place

The lead riff lines are also classic
Vocals top of mountain

It is a masterpiece live
And album

More Comments