Ender Will Save Us All by Dashboard Confessional

Album: The Swiss Army Romance (2000)

Get the Sheet Music License This Song

Songfacts®:

This song draws its name from how Chris Carrabba got back together with an old friend he had fallen out with though sharing the Ender books. They read the four books in the series at the same time, and discussing them rekindled the friendship.

Carrabba wrote the song when they weren't getting along, which is what inspired the lyric. After they reconnected, he decided to name the song after the books because they essentially saved their friendship. "Ender" never appears in the lyric.
Chris Carrabba has listed his name as "Chris Ender Carrabba" in some instances, including on the "Hands Down" single and Summers Kiss EP. This was done as a joke: His real middle name is Andrew, and in the Ender books, the main character's real name is Andrew Wiggin.
The Ender books were written by Orson Scott Card, and are about a boy named Ender Wiggin who battles aliens in an attempt to save the Earth.
Carrabba wrote this song when he was in a pre-Dashboard Confessional band called Vacant Andys. Originally called "Ender," he changed the title to "Ender Will Save Us All" when he recorded it as Dashboard Confessional.

Comments: 7

Joe from Brownsville, TxI hear this song over and over and it seems like it goes well with Ender and his wife Novinah in "Children of the Mind." How she is so distant from Ender but no matter what he always strives to show his love for her. Its okay that maybe the song wasnt written with that intention, but I do believe that Ender WILL save us all. Any thoughts?
Annabeth from Kutztown, PaJust from the lyrics, it looks like he's trying to figure out a relationship. He loves this person, whoever it is (friend, girl, family, whatever), and wants to make them happy, but they're not letting him get closer because they're afraid/damaged. So he's given up because it's too hard to fight a losing battle.
Meg from Worcester, MaBrilliant song. He's striving to keep someone happy, but doesn't know how to do it. "What is it you need?/Is it within me?"
Nicole from Langley, WaThis is one of my favorite songs ever... I always thought it was about Ender (from Ender's Game) and I can still see how it relates to him in the story... I dunno though. I've read Ender's Game many times... I think I might just love it too much. I never knew Chris Carrabba's middle name was Ender! That makes me love him more!
Michael from Little Rock, Ar"Carraba couldn't name the song "Ender" because there was already a Vacant Andy's song with that name. (thanks, Stephen - Charlotte, NC, for all above)"

actually, you can't copyright a song title, so he could have named it whatever he wanted. He may have just chosen not to in order to prevent confusion.
Stephen from Charlotte, NcThis song is usually played by Chris in a DbAbDbDbDbDb tuning, but sometimes in DADGAD tuning.
Anthony from Valley Strea,, NyThis whole song is played with a simple chord progression of D, C, G, A. If you play guitar, learn this one, its easy to play and sounds great. Easy to sing along with as well.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Black StarAvril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne has a perfume named after her song "Black Star." It smells much better than her Sk8er Boi scent, which reeks of Axe body spray and road grime.

IronicAlanis Morissette

The events described in Alanis Morissette's song "Ironic," like rain on your wedding day, are not examples of irony. Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.

PanamaVan Halen

"Panama" by Van Halen is not about the country or the canal, but about a stripper David Lee Roth met in Arizona.

HeavenThe Psychedelic Furs

"Heaven" by The Psychedelic Furs sounds upbeat, but is about an impending nuclear bombardment.

Killing An ArabThe Cure

"Killing An Arab" by The Cure was inspired by Albert Camus' book The Stranger.

When "Nothin' On You" reached #1 on the Hot 100, B.o.B became the first American act whose name is a palindrome to top the chart. The other two who did so prior to the Atlanta rapper were both Scandinavian groups - ABBA and A-Ha.