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Fall Out Boy - I've Got A Dark Alley and a Bad Idea.... Song Meanings

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I've noticed that in many other forums people are trying to find the meaning of this song and totally wrong. Only true FOB fans realize what this song means, and I thought I would post it for you!

Pete was going through a rough period of depression/anxiety before the release of "Cork Tree". Before they were even done recording he ended up taking a drug called Ativan to help with depression and to help him sleep. His condition became so bad that back in November, while sitting in a Best Buy parking lot, he took a mouthful of the pills, popped in "Take this to your grave" into his CD player, then called up his manager. While talking, his speech became slurred which panicked his manager. Pete then lost consciousness and his manager knew something was wrong because Pete wasn't responding and he could hear the music in the background. Pete's mother was called and she came to the aid of her son, finding him slumped over in the drivers seat. She took him to the hospital.

This song is like his personal song where he opens up his problem. Because its so personal, they won't sing it at concerts. If you listen to the words, you can hear about how he was worried that the album would bomb, "faking it for the airwaves, force our smiles..", wants to be "known for their hits and not just their misses," "reputations on the line" and how they would be considered as "the poets are just kids who didn't make it." "And the record won't stop skipping" is attributed to him passing out in the car with his bands record playing.

"Please put the doctor on the phone...." that whole part was considered the suicide note he fortunately never had to write.

...Hopefully this explains the song's deeper meaning to people better than the same old "boy/girl troubled relationship" storyline.

Submitted by: fatallyxyours09
Added: 2006-01-04 17:29:18     Rating:

^^^wow thanks I never knew that. I will totally think differantly from now on when I hear that song. Anyway, how do you know that's what its about?

Submitted by: xximmature1xx
Added: 2006-01-08 18:51:51     Rating:

I aint got an interpretation. I just wanna say thanls for the interpretation about his depression. I know what that's like. I've tried to commit suicide four times. Luckily, I've never had to write a suicide note either. It means a lot to me to know that he's gone through shit in his life too. So thanks a lot for that. It kind of opens my eyes.

Submitted by: teej016
Added: 2006-02-11 16:23:29     Rating:

That's a great interpretation. I just thought i'd point out in the lyrics it says ...just like kisses on the necks of "just friends"... , not "best friends" as this page says. I got this from the book in the front cover of Cork Tree

Submitted by: evil_spicegirl
Added: 2006-02-24 20:28:30     Rating:

I believe this song means about feeling rejected from everything and when you try you don't get through. It becomes so hard for him and he puts pressure onto his selve. To try to be something your not. And he notice that nothing is ever going to go right if you don't try hard enough and just be yourself. (if I'm wrong please tell me lol tell me at evil_spciegirl@yahoo.com)

Submitted by: fall.out.rik
Added: 2006-03-13 17:01:40     Rating:

Hey just wanted to say, girl who was getting annoyed at everyone getting this song wrong you got something wrong yourself

'Not a good experience at all. At the time I was really into Frou Frou, but I was in my sister's Escort, so I was probably listening to Q101 in Chicago. So it was whatever new-metal band that was big then. Probably Trapt. It was a bum-out.'

Petes awnser to the question 'In 2005, you OD'd on Ativan and nearly died while sitting in a car in a Best Buy parking lot. Were you listening to music?' quoted from petes QnA in Rolling Stone Magazine :D

Submitted by: fall.out.rik
Added: 2006-03-13 17:04:21     Rating:

Oh and Teej, it is 'Best Friends' the book is wrong (for once)

Submitted by: FOBgirl32
Added: 2006-03-16 00:27:21     Rating:

fall.out.rik

I went off what it said in A.P.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-05-23 20:05:18     Rating:

OK, as for the first person who posted, this song is about his suicide attempt but he wasn't listening to tttyg.. I read an interview and he said it wasn't related to music, in fact it was his sister's car and none of his music was in it... It's hard to find stuff though because he really dosn't like to talk about it.

Submitted by: FOBgirl32
Added: 2006-10-04 00:37:41     Rating:

I am going to stick with him listening to tttyg because it was said in the ap interview they did, which is what broke the story. I trust the ap one too because leslie simon, who organized the interview, interviewed them, and wrote the story, is a good friend of theirs and I feel safe in saying she got her facts straight.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-01-30 17:31:35     Rating:

I agree with FOB32, there are interviews online that have pete sharing his personal problems with his depression. He tells about his personal experience with taking an over dose of pills. That's the whole reason why he wrote the song.Only true fans would know this because we take time to research.so for this song, you all know now that the only way to truly know the meaning, is to not guess, but to see things from FOB's point of view. The answers are all right in front of u. just listen and you will figure it all out. ( I Love Pete!!!)

Submitted by: psPatrick2707
Added: 2007-02-15 01:39:43     Rating:

Whoever said that in the song when it says "the record won't stop skipping" was referring to the music playing in his car when he overdosed, you're being too literal. I think the songs about his whole general downfall to that rock bottom point.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-04-02 22:32:11     Rating:

to the first post-he was not listening to TAKE THIS TO YOUR GRAVE. He was listening to HUM HALLELUJAH by Jeff Buckely

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-04-11 06:03:09     Rating:

the last anonymous was correct!
the one above and if you don't belive me
take it from pete himself...
http://www.halfofus.com/pop/videoplayer.aspx?tID=1&videoID=5&chapterID=1

Submitted by: RoadWhacker
Added: 2007-05-27 15:49:00     Rating:

I don't know if this is true because I'm not a bif FOB fan but I've noticed something about the titles of FOB songs and the titles of UnderOath songs. Like "I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth" by FOB and "I've Got 10 Friends And A Crowbar That Says You Aint Gonna Do Jack" by UnderOath seem rather coincidental. Also FOB has the song "Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends" and UnderOath has the song "Its Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door". I don't know if there is any relation with the song but I just thought I'd throw that out there for fun and see what comes of it.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-06-11 15:08:15     Rating:

First off, the first person is so totally right, for the most part. It aparently wasn't Pete who wrote this particular song. Patrick wrote this song for Pete. If you listen to the lyrics its like he's saying that he doesn't want Pete to leave. Second, to that anonymous dude who said that Pete was listening to Hum Hallelujah...you dumbass, that song didn't even exist yet! This was before From Under The Cork Tree!

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-06-15 16:52:43     Rating:

It was the song hallelujah.
hum hallelujah is pete's own personal version.
but he says in a video interview he was listening to hallelujah by jeff buckley.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-08-02 22:56:10     Rating:

So the interpretation is great but just a side note...Ativan is not for depression; it is a fast acting panic attack medicine (make you numb, really tired, not panicy, etc.)

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-08-16 04:16:10     Rating:

Can you tell me is Pete singing in this song and if he is when? Can you tell me exactly the words he is singing? Please !

Submitted by: dancemylifeawy
Added: 2007-11-16 22:45:06     Rating:

"Patrick wrote this song for Pete. If you listen to the lyrics its like he's saying that he doesn't want Pete to leave. Second, to that anonymous dude who said that Pete was listening to Hum Hallelujah...you dumbass, that song didn't even exist yet! This was before From Under The Cork Tree!"

Pete wrote it...
Hum hallelujah is not on From under the cork tree, it's from their newest CD
And this song wasn't from BEFORE from under the cork tree because it is ON From under the cork tree.

and the song he was listening to was "hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley but it was originally by Leonard Cohen

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