backfire
MuteMath (LIVE) Lyrics

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Please tell me
Why are we
Trying so hard

Why worry
It's over
We always fall right back
To where we start

There goes another one of our
Sure-fire plans
It backfired again
We try to think it through
The best that we can
I bet it's gonna backfire again

Take what its
Given you
How does that sound
Everything is
All thought through
And fool-proof
Now watch it all
Crumble down
And down again

There goes another one of our
Sure-fire plan
It backfired again
We try to think it through
The best that we can
I bet it's gonna backfire again!
Backfire again
It's gonna backfire again!

Knives dont carry
Laws that vary
They're just what we fought on
Save me coffin
Scars are talking
Tell us where we are
(Where we are now)
Where we are now
(Where we are now)
Where we are now
They ah! A ah! A ah! talking
They ah! They ah
Were telling them a story!

There goes another one of our
Sure-fire plans
It backfired again
(Sure-fire plans)
We try to think it through
(Yeah yeah Oh!)
The best that we can
I bet it's gonna backfire again!
(A ah! Backfired again)

There goes another one of our
Sure-fire plans
(Sure-fire plans)
It backfired again
We try to think it through
The best the we can

(Backfired again!)
I bet it's gonna backfire again

Overall Meaning

The song “Backfire” by MuteMath (LIVE) is a reflection on the recurring nature of mistakes and failures in human endeavors. The lyrics express frustration and uncertainty towards the process of striving for success, only to have plans quickly unravel and lead to disappointment. The chorus repeats the phrase “there goes another one of our sure-fire plans, it backfired again,” emphasizing a sense of cyclicality and inevitability in this pattern of failure. The writer further explores the idea of inevitability by questioning why we try so hard and worry in the face of failure, implying that it’s a futile effort to resist the inevitable.

The lyrics also allude to the idea that nothing in life is foolproof, despite how much thought or effort we put into planning. The imagery of everything crumbling down and the repetition of the lines “everything is all thought through and foolproof, now watch it all crumble down and down again” signify a sense of hopelessness and resignation to the idea that things will always fall apart, in a way beyond our control.

Line by Line Meaning

Please tell me
The singer is expressing a desire to know something

Why are we
The singer is questioning the reason for their current situation

Trying so hard
The singer is wondering why they are exerting so much effort

Why worry
The artist is questioning the usefulness of worrying

It's over
The artist is indicating that a situation has ended

We always fall right back
The singer is stating a repeated pattern of behavior

To where we start
The singer is indicating a return to the beginning

There goes another one of our
The artist is indicating the failure of a previously successful plan

Sure-fire plans
The artist is indicating that the plan was expected to work

It backfired again
The artist is indicating that the plan had the opposite effect or outcome

We try to think it through
The singer is indicating that they attempted to plan or anticipate the outcome

The best that we can
The artist is indicating they put forth maximal effort

I bet it's gonna backfire again
The singer is anticipating that future plans will fail

Take what its
The singer is instructing someone to accept what is given

Given you
The singer is indicating that something has been offered

How does that sound
The artist is indicating an interest in the listener's opinion

Everything is
The artist is indicating that everything is accounted for or covered

All thought through
The singer is indicating that careful planning was done

And fool-proof
The singer is indicating that the plan is free of errors or failure

Now watch it all
The artist is indicating that something will happen soon

Crumble down
The artist is indicating that the plan will fail

Knives don't carry
The artist is indicating that objects don't have moral obligations

Laws that vary
The singer is indicating that legal systems differ

They're just what we fought on
The artist is indicating that people are willing to fight for their beliefs

Save me coffin
The singer is expressing a desire for someone to help them

Scars are talking
The singer is indicating that their injuries tell a story

Tell us where we are
The singer is requesting information about their current location or situation

Where we are now
The artist is repeating their request for information

They ah! A ah! A ah! talking
The artist is indicating that their injuries communicate something

They ah! They ah
The singer is repeating their previous statement

Were telling them a story!
The singer is indicating that their scars communicate a narrative of events

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS CRAIG HERRING, PAUL MEANY, TEDD TJORNHOM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@motiv8edbyfaith

13y↑4

Seriously. If you understand the complexity of the music...beyond just how GOOD it sounds...they are absolutely phenomenal and highly creative musicians. And to be able to recreate all of the complexity LIVE is rare, and for anyone who has been to one of their live shows knows...their LIVE is even better than what's recorded. This band is...dare I say it...EPIC.

@JoshuaC0rbit

12y↑6

I can't remember the last band that blew me away as mutemath does. Its been over a decade for sure.

@shamelesslycool

13y↑2

I was 12 the first time I heard Mutemath & instantly became hooked on their tune "Peucliar People". Here I am, now, at 19 years old & they still manage to captivate my attention every time I hear their music. I can't wait to see where they end up...

@jshermmusic

12y↑1

absolutely love these guys! best live show around too!

@Hoptocopter

14y↑1

I love this album. It's brilliantly different... At first listen I'd agree with you guys, but it's really brilliantly different than the last album and grows on you. Definitely an improvement.

@PCGREENmusic

13y↑2

they are so creative, they are inspiring a whole generation of musicians! INCLUDING MYSELF!!!!!

@thinkinoftomorrow

14y

Love the video! Thanks so much for posting it to youtube. Can't wait to hear & see more from you talented fellas!

@ff5chic64

14y

so catchy! this song is going to be in my head all night long. :D

@CeVo100

14y

This is my favorite "Right Now" band. One of the best live shows I've ever seen at Club Nokia in LA and their new cd kicks it!

@trauermusik

14y

me encanta este grupo!! que música más fresca y agradable para conducir! i love this group! what fresh and good for drive music! : )

@blackiegohard

9y↑1

I absolutely adore this tune! Great work guys. Keep up the good work!!

@chargerbaseball5

14y

Most creative band i have ever heard. they have the best ideas for music videos!

@ThaGnomeMan

13y

These guys are the embodiment of everything I enjoy in music

@xndreitx

14y

Como muchos han dicho... Excelentes en Rock al Parque!!! Muy buena banda!!

@peterww777

13y

Just heard of these guys today and so far its all amazing!!

@lorespitia

14y

El colmo hasta mi hermanita conocia esta banda y yo no!! Pero ayer me los resolle en Rock al Parque, puedo decir que de lo mejor de este año!!!

@zea265

14y

i think the new cd is amazing! they seem to have tons of fun singing and playing each song. and i totally agree that they are friekin' AMAZING live! FRIEKING AMAZING. here come the new U2.

@Nataro91

14y

Una banda supeeer ... se fajaron en Rock al parque!!! excelente performance....

@loadescape1890

9y↑1

by far one of my favourite music videos of all time.

@BooUcMe

13y

Omg this is one of my fav songs from MuteMath!!! Its like the soundtrack to my life so thats prob why I love it so damm much :)

@sukyLP

14y

love THIS song and MUTEMATH!! great job guys you ROCK!

@MateusAlmerio

14y

This is a perfection. A work of art in a videoclip. Great work and come soon to Brazil!

@lilworkerb

14y

I'm so glad this made it to youtube! Their videos never fail to entertain me. I hope they upload some vlog from the road!

@Xx3anna3xX

14y

soo good!!! love it! xx

@Alejita0129

14y

aaaaaaah que buena canción y que buen video!

@yasmiin1810

14y

I love it, great job, like always. :)

@Addicted2tv247

14y

I cant imagine how long this video must have took to create. props to the director and the artist.

@Danala22

14y

Keep listening to the new CD, it is a sleeper...it WILL hit you....I love it!! Amazing LIVE band!!!!!!

@MrEDMeaner

9y↑16

Been a Mutemath fan since the beginning and this is the first time I have ever seen this video!

@Chemicalstars23

14y

I love this song!!!

@puhssh

14y

This song has been on repeat.

@mishalsaeed8746

11y

first song of theirs I ever heard; loved them ever since :)

@grinout

14y

great song, great album

@U4rikmind

13y

they put that song together really good

@Looshbaby

14y

these guys are amazing

@asimplecadence

14y

Love it! :]

@CLARAtheartist

14y↑4

I do believe I am your number one fan. =) Loved you guys at the House of Blues in SD! -Clara

@joshuabaker1068

Hi random comment from 11 years ago. I randomly clicked on your channel, I like your voice!

@wheresbicki

14y

Very Strange....good thing they're amazing in concert!!

@ohepi

13y

Hm....different from all my other mutemath. I think I'll have to listen to this another ten times before it grows on me (which of course, it eventually will because it's mutemath).

@Dmylive

12y

I just watched these guys last night! best concert ever

@Melody303

I love this song.

@ciao7371

12y

I mean this song is the best and the guitar is just amazing!!!

@mecho1927

14y

juemadre me los goce en rock al parque, gracias por venir a colombia !!!!! Calamaro y ellos fueron lo mejor del lunes .... muy buena banda

@wiouxev

13y

My jaw just dropped during that bridge. Amazing drums

@minguilina1

14y

so cool! love it

@SeanStudios

14y

Very different compared to this other crap you always on TV, radio whatever. That's why I'm a fan of mutemath, this is a great song.

@Skidonti

14y

I really like this video for the artstyle. It's my kinda cool right there. And the song's pretty good and memorable.

@francesmillard

14y

so THAT'S what happens when you combine all the members of mute math into one... a minute of awesomeness followed by an epic implosion :P

@mrsKillua

12y

My favorite song! <3

@ElMaestr0Xavier0

13y↑1

Why aren't these guys being played on the radio??

@k_a_y_l_e_e

14y

MM is straight up awesome. Period. Everyone should stop arguing amongst themselves and remember that we all came here for one reason: to enjoy the amazing music created by an extraordinary group of musicians that we all love. Just be quiet and listen:)

@brennabuga

9y↑13

I'm going into the 7th grade and I've liked them since 5th XD they are my fav, especially this song is bomb af

@kevc1221

13y

Here is the thing, they ARE popular amongst people who know music. People who appreciate creative and original music. These guys are simply amazing. And they probably won't ever "breakout" big time and be a huge Top 40 band. And I don't think that that is the goal. I don't want the mindless drones that listen to Kesha, Bieber and all that crap to learn or Mute Math. Let them suffer in their horrible taste. I try and introduce Mute Math to people. But not just anyone.....

@TheDevionist

12y

ok, this is the first song of theirs i've listened to, and I'm already a fan, TO ITUNES!!

@opalibra

12y

I love their videos. So much.

@ashpotatoes94

HOLY SHIT 10 FUCKING YEARS. I barely remembered this music video for 10 goddamn years and I finally found it again because I saw someone mention Mutemath in a comment on some other Youtube video and the name sounded vaguely familiar. OMG I'm so happy!

@galeru

14y

Sounds so different than when they first started out, but still sounds great. Their old stuff was removed from itunes, I guess they wanna ppl to know their sound as they are now, not as they were.

@mrconnolly6136

Why worry it's over...everything is all thought through and foolproof...melancholy yet true, from what I gather lately.

@forgotmyinfo

14y

this song is amazing, it reminds me of modest mouse but just the right amount, not too much :D

@nialldb1

14y

god i love this band i discovered um on my blackberry on a preview video lol there amazing now ma favourite band

@levihambrick

14y

These guys are so creative. Seriously. Oh...and I didn't like this song until I got to see the video. :)

@eddieiseddie

13y

whaat, this is trippy! Great artists.

@fatimareyes8294

12y

i love mutemath so much. it would be even more awsome if they swere so known like other famous people

@Tanbird

14y

This song is awesome

@OhHowAbsurd

10y

Someone needs to make an instrumental out of the drum solo at the end.

@9124Nove

14y

the music video reminds me alot of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" video, both this song and "Take Me Out" are excellent

@yits03

14y

this had to be inspired by monty python's flying circus animation. very similar but still original and brilliant. i remember seeing these guys at a convention when they were first new. they were so new that i have a signed poster of the band BUT there is only three of them in the picture. 4 signatures, 3 guys in the photo.

@CH3LS3A2013

13y

i dnt even like rock music but they r just the best!

@janeeb

14y

This song is pretty awesome.

@EmoKid3711

14y

O_O its so wierd....and amazing at the same time...i love it!

@bog1e

13y

Dude I've been a fan of theirs since the "Earthsuit" days.

@GabrielNotTheAngel

14y

yeah, I think the old work was more underground and experimental thats why we love it so much, but the new stuff if you really get in to it although is more commercial stuff, Is really good!

@Biggestmutemathfan

14y

OMG I THINK THE SAME THING!! U2 started off small. And look how big theyve gotten. Watch Give Mutemath till 2010. They will be huge!

@feyeroscuro3002

I always remeber the time they play in colombia rock al parque, it was one of the best presentation of i ever seen, is been 10 years sinse.

@1955JohnR

13y

@motiv8edbyfaith Saw them live @ lollapalooza 2010, yes they are EPIC!!!!

@abigpieceoflime

14y

Fantastic video!

@geeninallcaps4678

33w

This is my #1 comfort song

@tatsmoi

14y

jajaja cierto!!! y esta cancion wowww la he puesto como 5 veces!

@mzzboopalicious

14y

Crooked I's sample of this made me want to listen to this, and now I love it <3

@CHATHAMcaliban

11y↑1

It's very expensive to get your music on mainstream radio.

@earthalien77

13y

Great ingenuity in this video-

@HCani

14y

Original. As awesome as "Typical" and "Spotlight".

@bannacowmancrash

14y

dude this is my favorite song

@brianofmoore

14y

took 3 months... more or less... delivering pizza on the weekends... working nonstop on this every other day.... thanks!

@Beznet

14y

this music video was ridiculously creative.

@mishalsaeed8746

11y↑2

LOL, I actually discovered these guys cause I heard this song on the alternative radio xD

@clinthaught

12y

what a great show tonight in Tempe, Arizona!

@peaceonearth432

12y

good -> better -> best -->MUTEMATH ...<3

@Biggestmutemathfan

14y

This song is amazing With Skullcandy Skullcrusher headphones!!!!!!

@jco102

14y

love the song radical video

@thewokebreaker1059

19w

man miss these days

@jldkrank

14y

Good song, my favourite from the album is Architecture though.

@SuperGamer87

14y

Awesome video, man! MM!

@Tanbird

14y↑1

Typical, was the most epic Music Video ever.

@spencecity99

13y

@motiv8edbyfaith You speek the truth, most people just score music on how they sound they dont listen to the lyrics or the beat and they dont realize the complexity of their music and i am totally with you, they a truly EPIC.

@1PwN0o8s

12y

my favourite song in the entire world right next to Chaos that is

@Strike86

14y

I agree with you dude. I really prefer the self-titled debut album and Reset EP. Armistice is certainly not their best work. You could probably put it down to pressure from their record label that this album is so watered down and 'radio-friendly' as you put it, but I don't know how you'd explain the moodiness that's in so many of the tracks. Son, I am disappoint.

@lexiluvchica

14y

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!! <3 IT!!! ITS SO U GUYS...FITS THE SONG paul looks different without his hair! vid reminds of franz ferdinand's take me out

@Rawk4Life

13y

I am familiar with The White Stripes and Bjork's videos. However, The White Stripes aren't continuous in their line of very creative music videos like Mute Math is. The video above is some sort of paper animation, "Typical" was filmed entirely in reverse, and they did one video where they were in fast motion the entire time and did it entirely in the back of a van, making occassional stops to set up and remove their equipment.

@kevc1221

13y

@kevc1221 .....to people that I know will appreciate good music. And they all do ending up loving them. I do the same thing w/ Sparta. Not everyone is going to enjoy these bands. But the people who do, the people who actually "get it" will pass it on to other people who like AMAZING music.

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