Sympathy
The Get Up Kids Lyrics


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Way to fight
You never threatened to stop breathing
Countless times
When I wouldn't make a sound
To baby eyes
They whole thing is a fading senseless blur
Of concern
But I'm letting go of her

I don't know why it is
Isn't it obvious to me?
Its sympathy
I'm sure that after this
You don't fear anything at all
Resembling

All her might
Was it the force behind the family?
Bound and tied
Keep the bottle down
To our surprise
Suspect you had discipline or nerve
To convert
I just didn't think it'd work

I don't know why it is
Isn't it obvious to me?
Its sympathy
I'm sure that after this
You don't fear anything at all
Resembling

For what we give to this
What challenges persist
What battles we must fight
For what we give to this
A promise to resist
Stand with all your might

I don't know why it is
Isn't it obvious to me?
Its sympathy
I'm sure that after this




You don't feel anything at all
Resembling

Overall Meaning

The Get Up Kids's song Sympathy seems to touch on the theme of letting go, relinquishing control and finding solace in understanding and empathy. The opening lines, "Way to fight / You never threatened to stop breathing" suggests that the subject of the song has had to endure some sort of difficult situation, maybe even life-threatening, but despite that, they persisted and continued to fight. The singer then admits to not having been vocal during this time of struggle, as if to say that they had been unable to provide comfort or support to the subject. The line "To baby eyes / They whole thing is a fading senseless blur / Of concern" may indicate that the subject in question is young or perhaps inexperienced, while the singer looks on helplessly.


The chorus, "I don't know why it is / Isn't it obvious to me? / Its sympathy / I'm sure that after this / You don't feel anything at all / Resembling" seems to suggest that despite not knowing exactly how to help or act during the tough times, the singer is willing to offer sympathy and understanding. The line "I'm sure that after this / You don't feel anything at all / Resembling" may hint at the idea that the experience has altered the subject in some way, possibly leaving them changed or numb.


The second verse, "All her might / Was it the force behind the family? / Bound and tied / Keep the bottle down / To our surprise / Suspect you had discipline or nerve / To convert / I just didn't think it'd work" references someone's struggle with addiction, perhaps even within the singer's own family, and the lengths they had to go to in order to overcome it. The subject may have had to put up a front or show exceptional strength and discipline to overcome their addiction, and the singer may have initially doubted their ability to do so.


The final chorus seems to remind listeners of the importance of standing with those we care about, even during difficult times, and offering sympathy and support when words fail us.


Line by Line Meaning

Way to fight
You've always been strong and resilient


You never threatened to stop breathing
Despite the struggles, you never gave up on life


Countless times
There have been so many moments of hardship


When I wouldn't make a sound
I didn't speak up, even when I should have


To baby eyes
To someone who hasn't experienced what we have, it may seem insignificant


They whole thing is a fading senseless blur
The memories are becoming hazy and don't make much sense


Of concern
Of the worry and care we've had for each other


But I'm letting go of her
I'm moving on and leaving behind the past


I don't know why it is
I'm not entirely sure why


Isn't it obvious to me?
Shouldn't I know this already?


Its sympathy
It's feeling empathy and compassion for someone else's struggles


I'm sure that after this
I'm certain that once we get through this ordeal


You don't fear anything at all
We'll come out stronger and unafraid of whatever may come


Resembling
Similar to


All her might
With all her strength and effort


Was it the force behind the family?
Was she the driving force that kept us together?


Bound and tied
Connected and attached, unable to break away


Keep the bottle down
Don't let alcohol be a crutch


To our surprise
We were caught off guard


Suspect you had discipline or nerve
I think you had the strength and courage to overcome this


To convert
To change and improve the situation


I just didn't think it'd work
I didn't have faith in our ability to succeed


For what we give to this
For all the effort and sacrifice we put into this


What challenges persist
The obstacles that still remain


What battles we must fight
The fights we still have to endure


A promise to resist
A commitment to fight against the challenges and not give up


Stand with all your might
Put all your strength into standing up for what you believe in


You don't feel anything at all
You're emotionally numb after having gone through this


Resembling
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Comments from YouTube:

Chris Skinner

More proof to me that music is the most powerful form of magic we have. The goosebumps@@!

Simon Brizzee

it's not magic, it's logos.... the truth

Jonathan MuƱoz

Its about 10 years since i listening this song, after school, in a warm day. Now, i still listening and still remember these day and the feelings that caused me.

Minecraft Mathias

sin duda esta dentro de mis 20 favoritas

Pariah Carey

I forgot about this song. This album is way better than I remembered

Randle Walkoviak

Song tugs on some serious heart strings šŸ˜

Lions 88

Perfect album.

nayzany

They made a new album this year. Haven't checked it out yet but I'll be seeing them live on Saturday. :)

routeyetuor

i love this song so much^ ^

Daniel

I remember reading an article about this album around the time it came out calling them The Grown Up Kids based on how generic the album seemed at the time. It's not that bad.

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