No Name
School [18]-[17] Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Can't sleep; trying hard to find a rhyme
Can't work; I am tired all the time
Can't eat since my appetite has gone
Can't think when it started to go wrong
Can't move; I've no energy at all
Can't see any end to this in sight
Last week, I could do all of those things
But now, I am just the man who sings

I've searched around for years and years
I've drank in bars; destroyed careers
Sold on a need to be famous

I've seen the good in men survive
Only to fail when I arrive
Convincing them I am blameless

I was the man with future sight
I would change fortunes overnight
Knowing for me it was painless

(chorus)

One day in April, 10:15
Awakened screaming by a dream
Something that touched me was burning

A diamond pin fell from my eye
Then something strange began to cry
"Your will can stop this world turning"

Since then I've fought more than I should
Against the will that I withstood
Hoping I could be its master

But now the dream is all I see

There is no hope of breaking free
One song away from disaster

Overall Meaning

The song "No Name" by School [18]-[17] is a melancholic depiction of the struggles faced by an artist who has been consumed by the desire to be famous. The opening lines describe the artist's state of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. His creative well has run dry, and he feels hollowed out, unable to find inspiration. The chorus suggests that he is one wrong move away from losing everything and risking complete artistic failure.

The second verse reveals that he has been on this path for years, trying to find success through drinking and causing harm to other people's careers. He has convinced himself that he deserves to be famous, and that others are just obstacles in his path. However, he is haunted by a dream that gives him a glimpse of the consequences of this single-minded pursuit. It's unclear what exactly the "diamond pin" that falls from his eye represents, but it is a moment of profound realization. The dreamer hears a voice that tells him his will alone can stop the world from turning, a statement that is both empowering and terrifying. Despite his best efforts, he is losing the battle against himself, and the dream has become his whole world.

Many interpretations could be made of these lyrics – the common theme is that of an artist's struggle with fame and the high costs of achieving it. The song's somber tone captures the feeling of isolation and despair an artist can feel after sacrificing everything for their craft.

Line by Line Meaning

Can't sleep; trying hard to find a rhyme
I am struggling to come up with creative ideas, and it's keeping me up at night.

Can't work; I am tired all the time
I am lacking the energy to be productive or motivated.

Can't eat since my appetite has gone
I have lost my desire to eat due to my mental struggles and stress.

Can't think when it started to go wrong
I can't pinpoint the moment when everything started to fall apart for me mentally.

Can't move; I've no energy at all
I am completely exhausted and unable to physically do anything.

Can't see any end to this in sight
I cannot see any resolution or escape from my current problems and struggles.

Last week, I could do all of those things
I was functioning properly and didn't have these struggles just a week ago.

But now, I am just the man who sings
I've lost my ability to do anything else due to my mental battles, but I can still sing.

I've searched around for years and years
I have spent a long time trying to find my purpose or meaning in life.

I've drank in bars; destroyed careers
I have engaged in self-destructive behavior that has harmed not only me but others as well.

Sold on a need to be famous
I was blinded by the desire to become famous and lost sight of what truly mattered to me.

I've seen the good in men survive
I have witnessed people overcoming obstacles and succeeding despite adversity.

Only to fail when I arrive
When I intervene or become involved, things tend to go wrong and people don't succeed.

Convincing them I am blameless
I am good at shifting the blame or convincing others that I am not at fault for things going wrong.

I was the man with future sight
I used to have a clear vision of my future and the potential for success.

I would change fortunes overnight
I believed that I had the power to drastically improve my life quickly and easily.

Knowing for me it was painless
I didn't truly understand the struggles or hard work it would take to achieve my goals.

One day in April, 10:15
A specific moment in time that had a significant impact on me.

Awakened screaming by a dream
I had a nightmare that was so intense it woke me up screaming.

Something that touched me was burning
The nightmare or dream had a profound emotional impact on me and left me feeling distraught.

A diamond pin fell from my eye
A metaphorical representation of tears that were shed during the emotional experience.

Then something strange began to cry
A surreal or unusual event occurred that caused me more emotional distress.

"Your will can stop this world turning"
The voice or strange occurrence in my dream seemed to be giving me a profound message about the power of my own will and actions.

Since then I've fought more than I should
I have been struggling to take the message of my dream to heart and make positive changes in my life.

Against the will that I withstood
I am finding it difficult to follow my own desires and motivations due to the expectations of others or societal pressures.

Hoping I could be its master
I am striving to take control of my own destiny and overcome my struggles in order to reach success and happiness.

But now the dream is all I see
The memory and message of my dream have taken over my thoughts and actions and are hard to shake.

There is no hope of breaking free
I am struggling to find a way to move on from my struggles and make progress towards my goals.

One song away from disaster
I am teetering on the edge of falling apart and losing everything, and one wrong move or mistake could be the final nail in the coffin.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN GREGORY, GLENN PETER GREGORY, IAN CRAIG MARSH, MARTYN WARE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS