Wasted
The Cartel Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's 2:45 the baby takes his first breath
The mother never knew he only had a few left
The father gets a call in the middle of the night
His breath gets short and his chest gets tight

But he's sixteen and he's driving too fast
Takes a turn to the left, it would be his last
The body knows what happens if he turns to the right
The body in the car wouldn't die that night

But he's thirty two and invincible
The cancer he had it was visceral
He never saw it coming
Thought he had his whole life
Sick in the morning and he died in the night

We're all so
We're on the line
We're all, we're all
We're wasted, no no no
We're all wasted
We're wasted, no no
We're all wasted

He's seven years old, got his bat in his hand
He's looking for his father and he doesn't understand
Cause dads too busy he's got some deals on the way
His son sits alone as the children play

And he's eighteen he couldn't wait to move out
His parents wonder what all the rush is about
They never bothered with his dreams only thinking of theirs
Wonder's why he doesn't call and why he doesn't care

But he's thirty two and invincible
Everything he is based on principle
He never had a truly happy moment in his life
He didn't want the kids and he didn't want his wife

We're wasted, no no no
We're all wasted
We're wasted, no no
We're all wasted
We're wasted
We're all wasted
We're all wasted, no no
We're all wasted

Twenty three now, got his life in his hands
He's looking all around and he doesn't understand
Cause life's too busy, things get in the way
We all feel alone every single day

Eighteen couldn't wait to move out
It's been five years and now he's starting to doubt
Whether all my dreams are just aimless stares
Looking out to someplace that isn't there

When I'm thirty two will I be miserable
With everything around based on principle
Well, I had a clue, wouldn't it be nice
To never be alone in this wasted life

We're wasted, no no no
We're all wasted
We're wasted, no no no
We're all wasted
We're wasted
We're all wasted




We're wasted, no no
We're all wasted

Overall Meaning

The Cartel's song Wasted is a poignant portrayal of the fleeting nature of life and how we may be wasting it without even realizing it. The song tells the story of different individuals at various stages in their lives, all of whom are wasting the precious gift of life in different ways.


The first verse introduces us to a mother who has just given birth to a baby who has only a few breaths left to live. The father gets the news of his son's impending death and is left feeling breathless and helpless. The second half of the verse is about a sixteen-year-old boy who drives too fast and takes a turn to the left. He doesn't know that if he turned right, he wouldn't have died that night. The verse is a powerful depiction of how life can be taken away from us in an instant, and we never know when it's our time.


The second verse tells the story of a seven-year-old boy who is looking for his father, but his dad is too busy with work. The boy is left alone while the other children play. The second half of the verse is about an eighteen-year-old who moves out because his parents don't care about his dreams. They only think about themselves, and he wonders why they don't care about him. These two storylines depict the idea of wasted time with loved ones and the importance of nurturing relationships with the people we care about.


The song's chorus repeats "we're all wasted" with a sense of frustration and hopelessness. It's as if the singer is trying to say that we're all wasting our lives in some way and that we need to start making meaningful choices before it's too late.


Overall, The Cartel's Wasted is a poignant and powerful song that reminds us of the fragility of life and the importance of making every moment count.


Line by Line Meaning

It's 2:45 the baby takes his first breath
A baby is born at 2:45 am.


The mother never knew he only had a few left
The mother is unaware that the baby will not live very long.


The father gets a call in the middle of the night
The father receives a phone call in the middle of the night.


His breath gets short and his chest gets tight
The father has difficulty breathing and feels tightness in his chest.


But he's sixteen and he's driving too fast
The teenage boy is driving at an excessive speed.


Takes a turn to the left, it would be his last
The boy makes a left turn and dies in a car accident.


The body knows what happens if he turns to the right
The body instinctively knows that turning right would have prevented the accident.


The body in the car wouldn't die that night
If the boy had turned right, he would have survived the crash.


But he's thirty two and invincible
The man is now 32 years old and believes he is invincible.


The cancer he had it was visceral
The man has a type of cancer that is deeply felt and emotional.


He never saw it coming
The man did not expect to get cancer.


Thought he had his whole life
The man believed he had a lot of time left to live.


Sick in the morning and he died in the night
The man feels ill in the morning and dies later that night.


He's seven years old, got his bat in his hand
A seven-year-old boy is holding a bat in his hand.


He's looking for his father and he doesn't understand
The boy is searching for his father and doesn't comprehend why he isn't there.


Cause dads too busy he's got some deals on the way
The father is too preoccupied with work to spend time with his son.


His son sits alone as the children play
The boy is isolated while other children play around him.


And he's eighteen he couldn't wait to move out
At 18, the boy was eager to move out of his parents' house.


His parents wonder what all the rush is about
The parents are unsure why their son was in such a hurry to leave home.


They never bothered with his dreams only thinking of theirs
The parents did not support their son's aspirations and only thought of themselves.


Wonder's why he doesn't call and why he doesn't care
The parents are curious why their son doesn't call or seem to care about them.


But he's thirty two and invincible
The man is now 32 years old and still believes he is invincible.


Everything he is based on principle
The man's entire existence is anchored on his beliefs and values.


He never had a truly happy moment in his life
The man has never experienced genuine happiness.


He didn't want the kids and he didn't want his wife
The man did not want a family and regrets getting married and having children.


Twenty three now, got his life in his hands
A 23-year-old has his whole life ahead of him.


He's looking all around and he doesn't understand
The young man is unsure of his place in the world.


Cause life's too busy, things get in the way
Life is too hectic and obstacles often arise.


We all feel alone every single day
Many of us feel lonely on a daily basis.


It's been five years and now he's starting to doubt
After five years, the young man is beginning to question his decisions.


Whether all my dreams are just aimless stares
The man wonders if his aspirations are meaningless and pointless.


Looking out to someplace that isn't there
The man is searching for something that doesn't exist.


When I'm thirty two will I be miserable
The young man wonders if he will be unhappy when he reaches the age of 32.


Well, I had a clue, wouldn't it be nice
The man had previously thought that it would be nice to have someone with him.


To never be alone in this wasted life
The man desires companionship and a meaningful life.


We're all so
All of us are


We're on the line
We are teetering on the edge, at risk.


We're all, we're all
Every one of us is


We're wasted, no no no
Our lives are being wasted, unfortunately.


We're all wasted
All of us are wasting our lives.


We're wasted, no no
We are wasting away, sadly.


We're all wasted
Each and every one of us is living a wasted life.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILLIAM PUGH, JOSEPH PEPPER, KEVIN SANDERS, NICOLAS HUDSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions