Capital M-E
Taking Back Sunday Lyrics


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The nicest man I ever met
Was more malicious than malcontent
Yeah, he taught me how to hold my tongue
And wait to strike till their backs were turned
And you slither away like the snake that you are
Yeah, you slither away like the snake that you are

All I ever did was look up to you
And if all I ever did was let, let you down
Ain't nothing stopping me now

Divinities fell correctly beneath
The receding pride of his twenties
Was capital M-E
(I couldn't self describe)
Was capital M-E
(But you can't say I didn't try)

So you say what you want
(Maybe I didn't get my way)
So you say what you want
(Maybe I didn't get my way)
I got, I got away

All I ever did was look up to you
And if all I ever did was let, let you down
Ain't nothing stopping me now

Was it everything you hoped for?
Was it all that and more?
Too much, too soon
Or too good to be true
Was it everything you hoped for?
Was it all that and more?

All I ever did was look up to you
And if all I ever did was let, let you down
Ain't nothing stopping me now
All I ever did was look up to you




And if all I ever did was let, let you down
Ain't nothing stopping me now

Overall Meaning

The song Capital M-E by Taking Back Sunday is a poignant track that delves deep into the singer's feelings of betrayal and hurt. The song opens with the singer expressing how the "nicest man" he ever met was actually "more malicious than malcontent." This man taught the singer how to bide his time and only strike when the target's back is turned. The verse concludes with a powerful metaphor, comparing the man to a snake that slithers away once it has accomplished its devious plan.


The chorus talks about the singer looking up to the person addressed in the song, who turns out to be a disappointment. The lines "All I ever did was look up to you / And if all I ever did was let, let you down / Ain't nothing stopping me now" describe how the singer's admiration for this person has come crashing down, and nothing can hold him back from expressing his hurt and anger.


The bridge of the song shifts into a more introspective mood as the singer questions if what happened was worth it. The lines "Was it everything you hoped for? / Was it all that and more? / Too much, too soon / Or too good to be true" reveal that the singer is grappling with the aftermath of the betrayal and trying to find a way to move on.


Overall, Capital M-E is a powerful song that captures the feeling of intense disappointment and hurt when someone you look up to turns out to be anything but what you thought they were.


Line by Line Meaning

The nicest man I ever met
I met a man who was always kind to me


Was more malicious than malcontent
However, despite his kindness, he was more cruel than just unhappy


Yeah, he taught me how to hold my tongue
He showed me how to be quiet instead of speaking up when I saw something wrong going on


And wait to strike till their backs were turned
He also taught me to wait until I had an advantage before taking action


And you slither away like the snake that you are
You are a deceitful person who sneaks around without anyone noticing


All I ever did was look up to you
I always admired and respected you


And if all I ever did was let, let you down
If all I did was disappoint or fail you


Ain't nothing stopping me now
But nothing is holding me back


Divinities fell correctly beneath
The things that used to seem holy or divine began to feel trivial and meaningless


The receding pride of his twenties
As he got older, his self-importance began to diminish


Was capital M-E (I couldn't self describe)
The only thing he began to truly care about was himself, but he couldn't even put it into words


Was capital M-E (But you can't say I didn't try)
Despite struggling to describe himself, he still attempted to express his own importance


So you say what you want (Maybe I didn't get my way)
Others can say what they like, but perhaps he didn't always get what he wanted


I got, I got away
Despite some setbacks, he was able to succeed in getting away from the negative influence he once looked up to


Was it everything you hoped for?
He questions if what he achieved was truly what he wanted


Was it all that and more?
Or perhaps it was even more than he expected


Too much, too soon
However, it could have been too much success too quickly


Or too good to be true
Or maybe he couldn't believe it was really happening




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADAM BURBANK LAZZARA, EDWARD REYES, MARK O'CONNELL, MATTHEW FAZZI, MATTHEW A. RUBANO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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