All or Nothing
The Dream Masons Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You tell me I should help myself
And do what, motherfucker?
What the hell do you want me to do?
I'm floating on an ice cap
With three broken fingers and I've never taken second in my life
Id sooner sink myself
Plunge into the ocean and just watch my dreams all melt
Than feed you unconfident melodies
I'd sooner give it all away than only just give half of me

It's all or nothing
Either I'm worth it or I'm not
Either I'm talented or full of shit and once I've given all I've got
If there's still not enough rope
To tie the anchor to the boat
Then I'll use that rope and the rest can just float

I wish we could evaporate, leave behind all the greed
And the lust and the death we create
Hollow like my violin
An empty shell with broken strings warping over time
Id sooner float away
Lavender like a dream and capricious as the wind
Than wake up and die a bit, and go to sleep
To do it all again: It's a game no one can win

It's all or nothing
Either I'm worth it or I'm not
Either I'm talented or full of shit and once I've given all I've got
If there's still not enough rope
To tie the anchor to the boat
Then I'll use that rope and the rest can just float





You tell me I should help myself

Overall Meaning

In "All or Nothing" by The Dream Masons, the singer is feeling defeated and unsure of what to do next. They are being told to help themselves, yet they feel like they are at a loss. The imagery of floating on an ice cap with three broken fingers speaks to their situation of being stranded and incapable of moving forward. They can't even see a glimmer of hope as they have never taken second place in their life, adding a sense of pressure to succeed.


The singer would rather give up entirely and let their dreams melt away than present something that feels untrue or not fully themselves. This all or nothing mentality is a recurring theme throughout the song, with the singer asserting that they are either worth it or not. If there isn't enough rope to tie the anchor to the boat, the singer will instead use it to float away and leave everything else behind.


The wish to evaporate and leave behind the negative aspects of life also comes through as a dreamy escape. However, the reality is that life is like being hollow like an empty violin, with broken strings and warped over time. It's a cycle of waking up and dying a little bit each day and then repeating it over and over again, with no one able to win the game.


Overall, "All or Nothing" is a song about feeling stuck and hopeless but still holding onto the idea that one must give it their all or nothing. It speaks to the struggle of trying to remain true to oneself and not presenting anything that doesn't feel authentic.


Line by Line Meaning

You tell me I should help myself
You suggest that I need to improve myself


And do what, motherfucker? What the hell do you want me to do?
What specific actions do you want me to take?


I'm floating on an ice cap With three broken fingers and I've never taken second in my life
I'm in a precarious position, struggling with injury and a history of winning.


Id sooner sink myself Plunge into the ocean and just watch my dreams all melt Than feed you unconfident melodies
I'd rather face my failures than put out weak music.


I'd sooner give it all away than only just give half of me
I prefer going all in or not doing it at all.


It's all or nothing Either I'm worth it or I'm not Either I'm talented or full of shit and once I've given all I've got If there's still not enough rope To tie the anchor to the boat Then I'll use that rope and the rest can just float
I'm committing everything and if it doesn't work, I'm going down with the ship


I wish we could evaporate, leave behind all the greed And the lust and the death we create
I yearn for a simpler life without the negative aspects of humanity.


Hollow like my violin An empty shell with broken strings warping over time Id sooner float away Lavender like a dream and capricious as the wind Than wake up and die a bit, and go to sleep To do it all again: It's a game no one can win
I prefer to live life as a free spirit, even if it means avoiding daily routines and dealing with disappointments repeatedly.




Writer(s): Eric George Hellinger, Staci Nicole Litten

Contributed by Grayson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@fatcoyote2

Welcome to Night Vale sent me here...the music kept me here.

@citruscorvidae

The weather forecast sounds beautiful today ;)

More Versions