Album: Autumn Effect (2005)

Charted: 94

License This Song 

• Change my attempt, good intentions
  
  Crouched over, you were not there, living in fear
  But signs were not really that scarce, obvious tears
  But I will not hide you through this, I want you to help them
  Please see the bleeding heart perched on my shirt
  Die, withdraw, hide in cold sweat, quivering lips
  Ignore remorse, naming a kid, living wasteland
  This time you've tried all that you can, turning you red
  
  Change my attempt, good intentions
  Should I?
  Could I?
  Here we are with your obsession
  Should I?
  Could I?
  
  Crowned, hopeless, the article read, "Living Wasteland"
  This time you've tried all that you can, turning you red
  But I will not hide you through this
  I want you to help
  
  Change my attempt, good intentions
  Should I?
  Could I?
  Here we are with your obsession
  Should I?
  Could I?
  
  Heave the silver, hollow sliver
  Piercing through another victim
  Turn and tremble, be judgmental
  Ignorant to all the symbols
  Blind the face with beauty paste
  Eventually, you'll one day know
  
  Change my attempt, good intentions
  Limbs tied
  Skin tight
  Self inflicted his perdition
  Should I?
  Could I?
  
  Change my attempt, good intentions
  Should I?
  Could I?
  
  Should I?
  Could I? Writer/s: Brian Vodinh, Jesse Hasek, Matt Wantland, Ryan Johnson
  Publisher: Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 11

• Mb from Dallas TxThis song is clearly about heroin addiction....abuse, neglect, slavery, but the point he is trying to get across is about a kid that becomes a "wasteland" it says clearly the signs of withdrawal, hot and cold sweats, quivering lips, ignore remorse.....then heave the siver hollow silver piercing through another victim...some artists get a bad name and try to cover up the real truth about the meaning....by another video or in a situation where someone askes them to explain what it means...
• PaddyI think its more talking about embracing the pain because one feels like one deserves such abuse.
• Hannah from Gratz, PaI don't think it is just about drug abuse, if you watch the video, it shows people from horrible situations, sex slaves, a man mauled by a lion, etc. I think the song is talking about what they turned to too take away the pain. "Self inflicted, his perdition" Perdition- loss of the soul, damnation. Turning to drugs or whatever, because they feel damned, broken.
  "The article read, living wasteland" Feeling like they are empty, with no soul, and no goodness left after leaving the situation where they were raped, beaten, enslaved, abused and neglected.
• Gary from Rensselaer, NyI read that the song was inspired by the life of the late actor Brad Renfro who was the bands vocalist's (Jesse Hasek) cousin. Brad was also featured in the origional music video filmed in 2004
• Beth from Salem, OrI'm almost sure this song is about how society choses to run away from itself by using drugs, makeup ("blind the face with beauty paste") or by other means. It's a wasteland cuz we deny ourselves the courage to fix it and to face our fears. We all are scared of not being accepted so that's why we mask who we are. That's my idea anyway.
• Shawn from Siloam Springs, ArThis song is about someone else looking on the afflicted, be it by drugs and the many other things they have turned to to deal with their pain. He is speaking to those that stood around, perhaps parents, watching not wanting to see and did nothing. He wants desperately to help but not know how or if he should interfere.
• Dan from London, United KingdomThis could be from the viewpoint of a young person, who is obviously living in a wasteland. His life is being tortured and he desperately needs help. He is confused and unaware of everything that is genuinely around him. He sees things differently to what they are (which supports the addiction claim) - and he could be blaming all his pain and suffering on a parent. Where he is being demanded of more than he is capable of, and he simply cannot continue the way it is. The chorus is a desperate cry for help, or it could be the voice in his head from a conscious saying that things are going to change and responding to the young person. Its almost as if a million things can be brought out from this song, everything seems to fit.
• Peter from Sydney, Australia"heave the silver hollow sliver" refers to a needle, like ones drug addicts use to administer drugs to themselves with
• Emily from Chesterfield, VaThis song is about addiction, not just drugs, but addictions in general. The chorus, "Should I, Could I" and "But I will not hide you through this I want you to help.", are from the view of a person trying to get the addict to stop. Whereas, the rest of the song is from the view of an addict.
• Nikki from Ny, FlI've always thought this song was about some abused kid speaking to his mother about his father (or father figure) abusing him, and his feeling like he wants to kill him... maybe I'm being too superficial? but I didn't ever think of drugs when I listened to the song....
• Gabreya from Pine Bluff, AkSometimes, I feel like this song. It's like being encaged in something that you hate.

More Songfacts:

Hotline BlingDrake

The fadeout on Drake's "Hotline Bling" lasts 55 seconds - one of the longest outros of any hip-hop hit.

Sweetest ThingU2

Bono wrote "Sweetest Thing" for his wife to make up for working on her birthday.

Crazy TrainOzzy Osbourne

"Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne is about the Cold War concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.) should any nuclear missile be fired.

Cathy's ClownThe Everly Brothers

The first single to simultaneously top the UK and US charts was The Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown" in May 1960.

Sunday GirlBlondie

"Sunday Girl" was written by Blondie guitarist Chris Stein to cheer up Debbie Harry after her cat had run away whilst they were away on tour. The gray cat was called Sunday Man.

The Night Chicago DiedPaper Lace

"The Night Chicago Died" was written and recorded by the British group Paper Lace. They talk about Al Capone in the song, but got a lot of details wrong - understandable since they wrote it based on gangster movies.

Editor's Picks

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Christopher CrossSongwriter Interviews

The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.

Harold Brown of WarSongwriter Interviews

A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?