This song is a combination of pessimism and optimism: each series of pessimistic lines closes with the refrain “This impossible year”, as a reassurance that better times will come with Sarah Urie and his love of music to motivate him. He dwells on his sorrows but also seeks recovery. With this song, he tells listeners to cherish good times, but also persevere when in a struggle.
Urie explains to Coup de Main that writing this mournful song served as catharsis, a release of stress:
"It felt like for a lot of people, especially in 2016, that it was kind of an impossible year. I felt defeated a lot of times, and ultimately with fuckbag Trump whatever, that idiot in office. I think it’s nice to acknowledge that, because then you can move forward. If you say, ‘Ah, maybe this wasn’t our best, we’ll try again next year! We’ll try again and again.’ Usually I just enjoy ending albums in that kind of sullen sombre tone, a little sadder. There’s something about that that makes me happier in a weird way. I listen to a sad song and I feel better afterwards – it’s cathartic in a sense."
Urie explains to Fuse how Frank Sinatra inspired him to croon in this song, something new to him:
"I always had a deep appreciation and love for Frank Sinatra […] the timbre of his voice is so rich and the messages he’s creating and portraying is so strong. And that’s how I felt this time [when writing the song]. A lot of has to do with that I’ve never done that before. I’m always pushing myself to do something I haven’t done before, because it is exciting and it keeps it new for me so it never feels stale."
Impossible Year
Panic! at the Disco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This impossible year
Only black days and sky grey
And clouds full of fear
And storms full of sorrow
That won't disappear
Just typhoons and monsoons
This impossible year
There's no good times
This impossible year
Just a beachfront of bad blood
And a coast that's unclear
All the guests at the party
They're so insincere
They just intrude and exclude
This impossible year
There's no you and me
This impossible year
Only heartache and heartbreak
And gin made of tears
The bitter pill I swallow
The scars souvenir
That tattoo, your last bruise
This impossible year
There's never air to breathe
There's never in-betweens
These nightmares always hang on past the dream
There's no sunshine
There's no you and me
There's no good times
This impossible year
The song Impossible Year by Panic! at the Disco seems to be a somber reflection of a difficult year. The lyrics paint a picture of a year filled with darkness, fear, sorrow, and heartbreak. The first verse mentions the lack of sunshine and the gray sky, indicating an absence of happiness, warmth, and hope. The storms full of sorrow also suggest a turbulent and chaotic time that feels overwhelming and impossible to overcome.
The second verse adds to this sense of despair, describing a beachfront of bad blood and a coast that's unclear, implying that even the typically enjoyable moments or locations have become tainted and ambiguous. The guests at the party being insincere and excluding further highlight the difficulties of social interactions and the feeling of being disconnected from others. The third verse reveals the absence of a significant other, leaving only heartache and heartbreak. The bitter pill being swallowed and the scars being souvenirs suggest an acceptance of pain and emotional wounds that may not fully heal.
Overall, the song seems to express a sense of resignation and acceptance of a difficult year, one that may not have offered any reprieve or relief from the trials and challenges faced.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no sunshine
This year has been bleak and without hope
This impossible year
It has seemed very difficult and nearly impossible to get through
Only black days and sky grey
Each day has been filled with darkness and negativity
And clouds full of fear
There is a constant feeling of anxiety and apprehension looming overhead
And storms full of sorrow
Emotional turmoil and sadness seem to have taken control
That won't disappear
These negative emotions seem to persist and won't go away
Just typhoons and monsoons
The intensity of these negative emotions mimics that of severe storms
There's no good times
This year has been devoid of any positive experiences
Just a beachfront of bad blood
The environment is hostile and unfriendly
And a coast that's unclear
The future is uncertain and it is unclear how things will turn out
All the guests at the party
The people around are not genuine
They're so insincere
They are fake and lack authenticity
They just intrude and exclude
They impose on others while also ostracizing them
This impossible year
It has felt impossible to connect with anyone during this time
There's no you and me
The feeling of loneliness is pervasive
Only heartache and heartbreak
The emotional toll of the year has been incredibly painful
And gin made of tears
Using substances to cope with the emotional pain of the year
The bitter pill I swallow
The hardship is felt deeply and must be endured
The scars souvenir
The emotional scars will be a lasting reminder of this difficult time
That tattoo, your last bruise
The pain of a past relationship lingers and is a constant reminder of past hurt
These nightmares always hang on past the dream
The negative feelings persist even beyond conscious thought
There's no sunshine
The year has been impossibly difficult and without optimism
There's no you and me
The feeling of loneliness is pervasive and inescapable
There's no good times
It has been impossible to find anything positive in this year
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jacob S. Sinclair, Brendon Boyd Urie, Samuel Hollander
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maaria561
There's no sunshine
This impossible year
Only black days and sky grey
And clouds full of fear
And storms full of sorrow
That won't disappear
Just typhoons and monsoons
This impossible year
There's no good times
This impossible year
Just a beachfront of bad blood
And a coast that's unclear
All the guests at the party
They're so insincere
They just intrude and exclude
This impossible year
There's no you and me
This impossible year
Only heartache and heartbreak
And gin made of tears
The bitter pill I swallow
The scars souvenir
That tattoo, your last bruise
This impossible year
There's never air to breathe
There's never in-betweens
These nightmares always hang on past the dream
There's no sunshine
There's no you and me
There's no good times
This impossible year
@savannah2799
Lyrics
There's no sunshine
This impossible year
Only black days and sky grey
And clouds full of fear
And storms full of sorrow
That won't disappear
Just typhoons and monsoons
This impossible year
There's no good times
This impossible year
Just a beachfront of bad blood
And a coast that's unclear
All the guests at the party
They're so insincere
They just intrude and exclude
This impossible year
There's no you and me
This impossible year
Only heartache and heartbreak
And gin made of tears
The bitter pill I swallow
The scars souvenir
That tattoo, your last bruise
This impossible year
There's never air to breathe
There's never in-betweens
These nightmares always hang on past the dream
There's no sunshine
There's no you and me
There's no good times
This impossible year
@BitroAltimated
Impossible Year Lyrics:
There's No Sunshine
This Impossible Year
Only Black Days And Sky Grey
And Clouds Full Of Fear
And Storm Full Of Sorrows
That Won't Disappear
Just Typhoons And Monsoons
This Impossible Year
There's No Good Times
This Impossible Year
Just A Beachfront Of Bad Blood
And A Coast That's Unclear
All The Guest At The Party
There So Insincere
They Just Intrude And Exclude
This Impossible Year
There's No You And Me
This Impossible Year
Only Heartache And Heartbreak
And Gin Made Of Tears
The Bitter Pill I Swallow
The Scars Souvenir
That Tattoo, Your Last Bruise
This Impossible Year
There's Never Air To Breathe
There's Never In-Betweens
These Nightmare Always Hang On Past The Dream
There's No Sunshine
There's No You And Me
There's No Good Times
This Impossible Year
@alyhope6519
played this in the car and my grandpa was 98% sure it was frank Sinatra
@emilyhowlter7658
AHAHAHAAHAHAHA
@angelscores4332
+Jose Olegs my fucking god 😂😂
@alexiaolmos8079
this is golden
@froggychloe
+Alexia Iero golden dayyyys......sorry I had to haha
@alexiaolmos8079
Chloe Giudici Lmao it's fine
@darklarity
This song is just so accurate for 2020.
@beebajazz
Lol past you... It's barely started
@KoaAbyss
hi citizen from the future it's even worse
@darklarity
Here we’ve been living in s**t since February and it’s like everyone’s life is stopped. I’m not a clairvoyant, just a biologist in and epidemic country away from half of her family (for four months, now) that still does not know when will be reunited.
Yeah, still pretty accurate for my 2020.