Half A Million
The Shins Lyrics

I make myself a promise
I set goals for myself

Then break it every night
But I fail to achieve them daily

I'm feeling loose and life don't make no sense
I feel lost and confused with the way my life is going

I use my brains to build a fence
I try to protect myself emotionally by building walls around me

'Round the claim I stake
Around the things that I hold dear

I take the drugs but the drugs won't take
I try to numb my pain with substances, but it doesn't work

I took a pledge to grow up
I promised myself to mature and become an adult

Then drank enough to make me throw up
But I ended up drinking so much that I vomited

On all my dearly disappointed friends
Making my close friends disappointed in me with my actions

I'm just too lazy to make amends
I don't have the energy or willingness to fix the damage I've done

With you anyway
Especially with you

That's why the pattern still remains
That's why my behavior continues in a recurring pattern

There's half a million things that I'm supposed to be
There are countless expectations and pressures on me to become someone specific

A shelter in the nighttime
To be someone who provides refuge or comfort at night

A punk running free
A rebellious person who lives life carefree

And if it gets too deep
And if I feel overwhelmed or in too deep

I reach for my guitar
I use my guitar to find solace or an escape

And if I try hard
If I put in the effort

I find something I can really drop into
I find something I can truly immerse myself in

And everything that was is just a thing that I can sing
Everything that happened before, I can express it through music

Everything is something next to nothing
Everything seems meaningless compared to something else

As crazy as it seems, you give it up and you are free
Letting go of everything can seem insane, but it can bring a sense of liberation

Another candle to blow out
Another problem to deal with

New set of dark thoughts to shut out
New negative thoughts that I have to keep out of my mind

And everybody's got their remedies
Everyone has their own way of coping

But nothing works like chemistry
But nothing seems to work as well as drugs

So raise a toast
So let's celebrate

No more sipping from the fire hose
Let's stop overwhelming ourselves with too much information

There's half a million things that you're supposed to be
There are countless expectations and pressures on you to become someone specific

A virgin in the moonlight
To be someone pure and innocent in romantic situations

A freak on the scene
To be someone who stands out and lives life uniquely

And if it gets too deep
And if you feel overwhelmed or in too deep

You reach for your guitar
You use your music to find comfort or an escape

There's half a million things that I'm supposed to be
There are countless expectations and pressures on me to become someone specific

A shelter in the nighttime
To be someone who provides refuge or comfort at night

A punk running free
A rebellious person who lives life carefree

And if it gets too deep
And if I feel overwhelmed or in too deep

I reach for my guitar
I use my guitar to find solace or an escape

And if I try hard
If I put in the effort