The band achieved mainstream success with their debut self-titled studio album The All-American Rejects released in 2003 by Dreamworks Records. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA and spawned the single "Swing, Swing".The band's second album Move Along brought the band further mainstream success in 2005, producing the hit singles, "Dirty Little Secret", "Move Along" and "It Ends Tonight", all of which charted in the top fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while Move Along was certified double platinum by the RIAA.Their third studio album When the World Comes Down was released in 2008 and was later certified gold by the RIAA.[6] Its lead single "Gives You Hell" became The All-American Rejects' most successful song to date, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the top 5 in many other countries. "Gives You Hell" was certified 4× multi-platinum for sales of over 4 million in the United States by the RIAA. Kids in the Street, the band's fourth studio album, was released March 26, 2012 and debuted at #18 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Since the start of their career, The All-American Rejects have sold over 10 million albums worldwide[11][12] and were ranked No. 73 on the "Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s"[13] and No. 183 on Billboard magazine's "Billboard 200 Artists of the Decade" list.
The Poison
The All-American Rejects Lyrics
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And I guess I'm old
Open your eyes
I'll keep mine closed
I prefer standing
And you take your seat
I'll be wide awake
And you'll be asleep
And you'll fall down a hole
That's the one place we both know
You take me with you if you could, but I wouldn't go
I guess that sometimes we both loose our minds
To find a better road
I can be pensive
You can be so sure
You'll be the poison
You'll be the cure
I'm alone on the journey
I'm alive none the less
And when you do your very worst
Mm it feels the best
And you'll fall down a hole
That's the one place we both know
You take me with you if you could, but I wouldn't go
I guess sometimes we both loose our minds
To find a better road
And you'll fall down a hole
That's the one place in this world that we both know
You take me with you if you could
But if you could I'd lose everything
Can't you see the faces melting as the sun rains from their eyes
Who are you to keep your head with the hearts that you hand behind
Look at yourself, look in the mirror, don't you see a lie?
That you tell yourself again a thousand times
And the truth that makes us laugh will make you cry
You wanna die? No?
So you fall down a hole
That's the one place where we both know
You take me with you if you could, but I wouldn't go
Because sometimes we both loose our minds
To find a better road
The song "Poison" by The All-American Rejects is about a toxic relationship between two people who are essentially incompatible. The opening lines of the song – "You were so young and I guess I’m old/Open your eyes, I’ll keep mine closed" – set the tone for the rest of the song. One person is older and wiser and has already experienced life, while the other is naive and inexperienced. The older person wants to protect the younger one, but they also want to maintain some distance, perhaps because they know that the relationship is ultimately doomed.
The chorus of the song – "And you’ll fall down a hole/That’s the one place we both know/You’d take me with you if you could, but I wouldn’t go" – suggests that the older person knows that the younger person is not ready for the challenges of life, and that they will ultimately fail. However, they also recognize that the younger person wants them to come along for the ride, even though they know that it would be a mistake. The line "Sometimes we both lose our minds/To find a better road" suggests that both parties are trying to find their way in life, but they are doing it in different ways.
Overall, "Poison" is a melancholy song that explores the complexities and difficulties of relationships. The All-American Rejects are known for their pop-punk sound, but this song shows that they are also capable of exploring deeper themes and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
You were so young
You were much younger than I am
And I guess I'm old
I am relatively older compared to you
Open your eyes
Pay close attention to what is happening around you
I'll keep mine closed
I won't get involved in your affairs
I prefer standing
I like to take control of situations
And you take your seat
You prefer to let others take charge
I'll be wide awake
I will be alert and prepared
And you'll be asleep
You will be unprepared and unaware
And you'll fall down a hole
You will make a big mistake
That's the one place we both know
We are both familiar with the negative outcome
You take me with you if you could, but I wouldn't go
You would want me to share in the consequences of your actions, but I would not
I guess that sometimes we both lose our minds
We both make irrational decisions
To find a better road
In order to improve our situation
I can be pensive
I tend to be deep in thought
You can be so sure
You are confident in your decisions
You'll be the poison
You are causing harm to those around you
You'll be the cure
You are the only one who can fix the problem
I'm alone on the journey
I am on my own path in life
I'm alive none the less
Despite any struggles, I am still moving forward
And when you do your very worst
When you cause the most harm
Mm it feels the best
You take pleasure in others' pain
Can't you see the faces melting as the sun rains from their eyes
People are suffering
Who are you to keep your head with the hearts that you hand behind
You are not empathetic towards others' struggles
Look at yourself, look in the mirror, don't you see a lie?
You are not being true to yourself
That you tell yourself again a thousand times
You repeat your false narrative often
And the truth that makes us laugh will make you cry
The lies that seem harmless now will have negative consequences
You wanna die? No?
You do not want to suffer the consequences of your actions
So you fall down a hole
You make a mistake, leading to a negative outcome
That's the one place where we both know
We are both aware of the risks and potential consequences
Because sometimes we both lose our minds
We both have moments of irrationality
To find a better road
We hope to improve our circumstances
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NICK WHEELER, TYSON RITTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind