Peace Sign
We Were Promised Jetpacks Lyrics

In "Peace Sign," We Were Promised Jetpacks singer Adam Thompson appears to be grappling with the challenges of communication and connection. The song highlights the difficulty of understanding another person's perspective, even and perhaps especially when you care about them deeply. The first verse is full of metaphorical language that speaks to the strain and effort of trying to bridge the gap between individuals: Thompson has been working on his peace sign (a gesture of conciliation or goodwill), but it's unclear whether this represents a sincere attempt at connection or a false front; he describes slipping on eggshells and yokes, a painful image that suggests the dangers of overthinking and overanalyzing. The second verse is a plea for another person's presence - in this case, the person with "bee stings" and "a bed night you" - indicating that despite the challenges Thompson faces, he's still trying to maintain a sense of closeness. However, his failures to connect and communicate effectively are ongoing: he's "fucking up [his] punch lines" and the "letters on the pavement" (an unclear image that could represent graffiti or other kinds of markings) make it "hard to breathe."

Overall, "Peace Sign" seems to be a meditation on the difficulty and the value of striving for connection with others. Thompson's use of vivid imagery and mixed feelings ("I find it hard to agree" and "Come sit with me") evoke the complexity of human relationships and the intense emotional toll they can take.