anonymous 2005-11-03 22:02:07    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I believe that the title Mr. Brightside is the guy being sarcastic. He says, I'm Mr. Brightside after talking about his thoughts the girl doing stuff with another guy. He is say that of course he would assume these things because he is sarcasticly, Mr. Brightside.

taggy87 2005-11-04 13:54:13    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Andy is out a a party.He sees Jenny with her new boyfriend, Michael. Andy knows Michael, they are friends. He doesn't know that Jenny and Michael are going out with each other. He tries to go back out with Jenny and then he sees them kiss and goes insane. He doesn't know what to do and he imagines what they are doing, so he tells people that Jenny is cheating on him and Jenny gets pissed off and she won't talk to him so he's paid the price

The_Toad 2005-11-15 13:18:02    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

After reading all the interpretations it could be a synthesis of the jail/jealousy thing.

"I'm coming out of my cage" (Coming out of prison)

"It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss" (He liked this girl, possibly Jenny, and he ended up raping & killing her)

" Now I’m falling asleep..." (He is reliving the trauma he felt in Midnight Show; imagining/dreaming of Jenny & her partner)

"Open up my eager eyes
‘Cause I’m Mr Brightside " (He wakes up & realises everything is OK, he's killed Jenny & feels no remorse, so he is Mr Brightside)

"I never...
I never...
I never... " (Repeating seems to indicate he is unsure; he is trying to convince himself everthing is fine perhaps)

No idea if this is right. I wish Flowers would post the real meaning on the site or write a book of the explanations or something; I'd buy it!

anonymous 2005-11-16 19:54:35    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I think this song is about a couple. The guy, who I am going to name Adam just to clarify things, cheated on his girl, who I will name Serena. "It started out with a kiss it was only a kiss" I think Adam kissed another girl, who I will name Jessica, the couple broke up because of it and Serena moves on to find another love. Adam then gets jealous that she has moved on and he is still hung up on what he did. Adam calls himself Mr. Brightside because he wants to get over it but can't so he looks for the "bright side" of the situation.

Just a theory but that is what comes to mind when I hear this song.

Jules 2005-11-22 03:45:11    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

My god, some of you are obsessed with rape and murder. This was the first song that flowers wrote, so it has nothing to do with Midnight Show. It is about the way that jealousy makes you feel, his ex cheated and he could not confront the person, so the jealousy just tore him up. He said in an interview that it bothered him that much, he was physically sick. So sorry guys, no rape, murder, killing Jenny or getting out of jail.

SpoonerFisch 2005-11-27 19:54:27    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I think this song is about pure jealously. It's self explainitory.

I'm coming out of my cage
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all [[He wants her all to himself]]
It started out with a kiss [[he liked her when they kissed]]
How did it end up like this [[she's with someone else]]
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss [[That's what started him to fall in love with her]]
Now I’m falling asleep
And she’s calling a cab [[as he's sleeping, thinking of her, she's with the other guy just leaving after their night together]]
While he’s having a smoke [[he's satisfied]]
And she’s taking a drag [[she took a puff off his cigarette]]
Now they’re going to bed [[they're going to sleep together]]
And my stomach is sick [[it makes him sick thinking about it]]
And it’s all in my head [[he's remembering what he had though about them together]]
but she’s touching his—chest
Now, he takes off her dress
Now, let me go

I just can’t look its killing me
And taking control [[he's heart broken]]
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea [[Jealousy is taking over]]
Swimming through sick lullabies [[remembering his ideas of them together]]
Choking on your alibis
But it’s just the price I pay [[he thinks he derserves to lose her]]
Destiny is calling me
Open up my eager eyes [[he wants her]]
‘Cause I’m Mr Brightside

In the video, the girl obviously secretly loves him back, but keeps going back to the old ugly guy.. when Brandon Flowers is sweet to her and loves her.. and he's so hot.

Jellybean 2005-11-28 09:14:34    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I know this goes against most of what's been said so far but I'm not saying that there's only one meaning. My personal experience of the song made me think that it's about a guy who is having an affair with someone who is already going out with someone else. It was just a kiss and now they're having a full blown affair, and although he's in the wrong because he's cheating, he is still jealous. He knows she goes home to the other guy and he even sees them together but he can't say anything and the pain turns him into something awful (saints into the sea) and also someone more mature (destiny opening up his eager eyes). In the end destiny has opened his eyes to a life lesson: you can love someone but you can't always be with them.

anonymous 2005-11-28 17:43:17    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I think this is about a man who is with a woman with dignity and pride is falling asleep, and he does everything although inside he doesn't like her. He continues because his sexual part is taking over. This is my take out of personal experience.

ed 2005-11-29 12:43:27    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

This song has a lot of meaning for me as the exact same thing happened to me. The story is that this guy's girl has left him, he still loves her with all his heart. He sees her in the arms of another man and begins to imagine them fucking and everything after he sees them kiss.he can't take it, it drives him crazy and he finds it hard to restrain himself from getting violent but he somehow manages to stay in control. It's about jealousy and anger and love and I should know, I went through it. He's telling himself its his imagination "and its all in my head". He loves her, she's moving on and he can't stand it because he needs that girl.

prongs666 2005-11-29 16:14:34    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Oh wow... It is definitely about jealousy, but why is everyone stuck on Jenny? It doesn't specify if he is mad that the guy is with his girl or the girl is with his guy, so it's very confusing...

anonymous 2005-11-29 18:06:54    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

A lot of these already posted seemed to have hit the nail right on the head for me. I'm gonna go ahead and agree with the emotional restraint when he says that's he's coming out of his cage, that makes the most sense. But look at it this way, I don't think that he was actually with the girl that he kissed. She belongs to another guy. Thats why he says I just can't look, its killing me. If he was with the girl, he wouldn't be looking at the other guy kissing her, he would probably be kicking that guys ass. And in the video it's obvious that the girl is with the old rich guy, and she is playing games with the lead singer. She hooks up with him, and then runs back to her rich boyfriend/husband whatever he is, and then starts getting with other guys throughout the video. So he basically hooked up with a girl that is already devoted to someone and then he can't take it when he sees her with anyone else, because he's fallen in love with her. And that's the price he pays for falling so hard. The rest of the song is definately about jealousy, because that's what it does to you I know. It makes you physically sick, it makes you dream and constantly contemplate what she's doing. Hence the " Now I'm falling asleep" he's dreaming about it, and it possibly might now even be happening, that's just the impression he gets from his jealousy, " and its all in my head". Btw another kool thing I saw in the was the checkers game, it means more than it appears I think, if you look closer, you see that the girl is actually blending in with the checkers board, it symbolizes the two of them playing a game of checkers to see who wins her, and ultimately, he loses her. Then at the end of the video, after talking to her, he walks away, symbolizing that it's over, he knows she can't change and he's gotta move on. Great song wow. I can relate in so many ways.

sam1990 2005-12-01 12:32:13    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Hey, just before I say what I think this song means, I love the killers and this song is class! I'm not even sure if this makes sense in my own head, but what the hell.

I think this song is about Jenny again, and after he has been questioned by the police in 'Jenny was a friend of mine' he is now telling the police what happened. The 'i never' part at the end is I think him not finishing the story and he is just shouting that he 'never' did any thing to Jenny.

anonymous 2005-12-19 17:54:45    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

You know what I think? They all got loaded and just slammed a bunch of words together, called it a song, and it just so happened to be a hit. There is no meaning to it.

anonymous 2005-12-27 23:35:38    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Prongs666 is definitly right. Only a queer would really understand.

anonymous 2005-12-28 15:18:16    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I was just wondering why she is an albino and who would cheat on Brandon Flowers? What was she thinking? Somebody answer me please!

Willow Armstrong

anonymous 2005-12-29 11:41:48    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I'm totally coming out of left field but just for a different view......i like to believe it's about a threesome. the guy is madly in love with his girlfriend and will do anything to make her happy and she wants another man to join in and so he does it to appease her but then ends up having a hard time with it. he can't watch. but he believes it's what he has to do to make her happy and keep her. and he actually believes it will.

budo2 2005-12-30 14:38:43    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I thought this user's interpretation (Lisa=user) was interesting (below) but I submit my own take on it below hers.

LISA'S INTERPRETATION
I'm coming out of my cage (Jail)
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all (in jail for 'wanting it all')
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss (when he fell in love with her)
Now I’m falling asleep (dreaming - starts to tell the story of what happened)
And she’s calling a cab (for him that night, presumably)
While he’s having a smoke
And she’s taking a drag (the girl and her lover)
Now they’re going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it’s all in my head (the memory as he tells us the story)
but she’s touching his—chest
Now, he takes off her dress
Now, let me go (hold me back, I'm going to kill him/them)

I just can’t look its killing me
And taking control (stopping the situation with murder)
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea (he was a good person before this)
Swimming through sick lullabies (remembering the story in his dream)
Choking on your alibis (possibly strangled them/him?)
But it’s just the price I pay (jail time)
Destiny is calling me (to kill them/him)
Open up my eager eyes
‘Cause I’m Mr Brightside

MY INTERPRETATION
I'm coming out of my cage (Coming out of a long-term relationship--not the most healthy.)
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all (Getting over someone/getting back on track)
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss (You start thinking about the begining when you get to the end of a relationship)
Now I’m falling asleep (He is losing touch with her at some point in the relationship)
And she’s calling a cab (She is moving in different direction than him)
While he’s having a smoke
And she’s taking a drag (the girl and her lover) --Agree there.
Now they’re going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it’s all in my head (the memory as he tells us the story) Agree there, too.
but she’s touching his—chest
Now, he takes off her dress
Now, let me go (He need to let her go/get over her and the memory of a failed relationship)

I just can’t look its killing me
And taking control (literal)
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea (he was a good person before this) -Agree
Swimming through sick lullabies (remembering the story in his dream) -Agree here.
Choking on your alibis
But it’s just the price I pay ------(All the negatives that go along with love lost.)
Destiny is calling me (His new life 'without her')
Open up my eager eyes (Let me look to the future/movingh on)
‘Cause I’m Mr Brightside

Good Sh-=; Good band.

Viddy 2006-01-08 19:51:53    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

For all of you who have posted and said that this song is about jealousy and Flower's ex girlfriend, you are correct. That was the motivation behind the song.
For everyone who seems to think it's part of the murder trilogy, think about the difference in the feel of "Mr. Brightside" and "Midnight Show" and "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine." In Mr. Brightside, he's just lovesick and heartbroken. In the other two songs the narrator is clearly psychopathic. It is true that jealousy is a common factor in all three songs but that's about all they have in common.

anonymous 2006-01-09 23:21:32    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Gosh, that was a lot to take in. I think "coming out of my cage" is just an emotional thing nothing to do with jail or a murder trilogy.

This song isn't specifically about Brendon Flower's ex, it's about how everyone feels when they are cheated on or feel as though they have been cheated on.

Dave Keuning wrote the verses of this song and brendon wrote the chorus. This was before the whole band was together, so I highly doupt is a part of a murder trilogy.

Have you ever been to a club or a party and there's that girl that's making their way though all the guys, flirting, kissing them. I believe that this girl in the song was one of them, she came up to the narrator, flirted, kissed him. He knows it didn't mean anything yet in the back of his mind he can't stop thinking about her so he tells himself "it was only a kiss, only a kiss" and wonders how he could get so attacthed. This is when he gets jealous.

I could be wrong but this I the way that I see this song.

Migduh 2006-01-09 23:31:28    

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Alright, well, somebody may have already put this exact same response, but I was too lazy to read through all the other posts, so here goes:

Unkay, I believe the line, "Comin' out of my cage and I've been doing just fine," refers not to jail, but to his recently rejuvinated self-esteem and how he has been carrying himself as of late. "It started out with a kiss how did it end up like this" -- the singer questions how something so simple as a kiss could manage to get himself caught up in someone so badly. The next couple of verses explain his thoughts on this girl and the man that she is now with. I believe the part "and it's all in my head, but she's touching his chest now, he takes off her dress now, let me go" refers to him simply imagining [all in my head]all of these things that the two could be doing with eachother [takes off her dress, touching his chest]. He wants these thoughts to stop haunting him [let me go]. The next few verses express the singer's inner jealousy that he has recently been hiding; but to carry on with the burden of knowing that someone he once liked (loved?) is now with someone else, is the price he pays for trying to look at life with a positive attitude (being "Mr. Brightside").

That's my interpretation. If it is completely wrong, you have my green-light to go ahead and shun me.