Psychotic Reaction
Trouble Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

See the man standing in the rain
Must be waiting for the train
All the people they stop and stare
But there's nobody there

Psychotic reaction
Hell in disguise
Psychotic reaction
The old man dies

Hearing words of things unspoken
The telephone is broken
All the people waiting in a line
Can you spare the time

Psychotic reaction
Hell in disguise
Psychotic reaction
The old man dies

See the man living in a tree
Hang a sign on me
Yeah, bad news on the doorstep - yesterday
Won't you come out to play

Psychotic reaction
Hell in disguise




Psychotic reaction
The old man dies

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Trouble's song Psychotic Reaction tells a story of a man who is experiencing a mental breakdown. The first verse of the song paints a picture of a man standing in the rain, waiting for a train, and being stared at by other people. However, the twist is that "there's nobody there." This could be interpreted as the man being alone in his own delusion or hallucination.


The chorus, "psychotic reaction, hell in disguise, psychotic reaction, the old man dies" suggests that this man's delusion or hallucination has reached a critical point, leading him to a mental breakdown that is potentially fatal. The second verse furthers the narrative with the mention of "hearing words of things unspoken" and a broken telephone. The man is feeling isolated and trapped, with nobody to communicate with.


The final verse of the song has the man living in a tree, "hang a sign on me" which could be interpreted as him being misjudged or misunderstood by society. The line "bad news on the doorstep - yesterday" could suggest that something traumatic has happened to him in the past, leading to his current state. The song ends with the plea "won't you come out to play", which could be interpreted as a cry for help or an attempt to connect with the outside world.


Overall, the song's lyrics paint a dark and haunting picture of a man's mental breakdown, highlighting the isolation and desperation that can come with mental illness.


Line by Line Meaning

See the man standing in the rain
Observing a man who stands alone in the rain.


Must be waiting for the train
Speculating about the reason for the man's presence.


All the people they stop and stare
Observing the crowd's response to the man.


But there's nobody there
Realizing that the man is alone and unaccompanied.


Hearing words of things unspoken
Perceiving something that is not expressed explicitly.


The telephone is broken
Noticing that the telephone is not functioning properly.


All the people waiting in a line
Noting a queue of people waiting for unknown reasons.


Can you spare the time
Asking someone if they can provide time or assistance.


See the man living in a tree
Observing a man who has taken up residence in a tree.


Hang a sign on me
Contemplating the possibility of attracting attention.


Yeah, bad news on the doorstep - yesterday
Recalling an unpleasant experience that occurred recently.


Won't you come out to play
Inviting someone to engage in social or recreational activity.


Psychotic reaction
Experiencing an abnormal or irrational response to a stimulus.


Hell in disguise
A situation or experience that appears to be good but is actually harmful or dangerous.


The old man dies
The man referenced throughout the song has passed away.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Bruce W. Franklin, Eric Wagner, Rick J. Wartell

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
Comments from YouTube:

@belfastgypsy1

RIP Eric . You were incredible

@scottjohnson8316

Am I mad or does he sound a little like Chris Cornell?

@bettyboop9361

What a powerfull riff. Amazing track.

@ElisaSilva-sw2en

Sensacional 🎤🎸

@smokeyvalley1304

One of their best songs!

@yahoodlums

What a band. What a voice. RIP Eric Wagner.

@sethkaicer319

I remember when this came out I immediately went out and bought the album. Yes it's that good.

@stevearbogast8556

Same here dude!!

@smokeyvalley1304

Same!

@Jason-nn9pl

Never heard of these guys until I ran across this video,they kick ass!!! Going to have to find some more tunes!

More Comments

More Versions