The Killers - Mr Brightside Song Meanings Lyrics:
Mr. Brightside
I'm coming out of my cage
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started ...
(See the rest of these lyrics)
 Top Rated Interpretation
2005-07-10 21:22:40
The key in this song is its title. By calling himself Mr Brightside, the speaker is commenting on how he is incurably optimistic - he always looks at the bright side of any given situation.
The song is about his propensity for getting overly involved emotionally with women he has only just met, and suffering heartbreak when his love proves to be unrequited. His "destiny" is to continually experience such heartbreak because he always opens up his "eager eyes" to the next possible paramour.
To get into a closer reading, look at the first stanza:
Coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
Here, he is freeing himself from the emotional restraint that was protecting him from having his heart broken and allowing himself to become interested in a girl. The "all" that he wants refers to true love, the kind that you can only get if you are willing to give the entirety of yourself to someone else.
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss
It was only a kiss
Here, he's wondering how he's gotten to the point that he cares so deeply about her after just one kiss - the answer is because he allowed himself to invest that kiss with meaning that for her was not there.
The next couple stanzas basically tell the story of him seeing this girl that kissed him once hanging out with other guys - and because he feels so strongly for her, he becomes deeply jealous/angry. It's sort of like a situation where two people made out on a dance floor one night, and the girl felt like she was just having fun whereas the guy thought there was actually a connection.
Where we get the best crystallization of Mr Brightside's true nature and motivation is in the following stanza:
But it's just the price I pay
Destiny is calling me
Open up my eager eyes
'Cause I'm Mr Brightside
Here, we should be getting that the "price" he pays is the intense feelings of jealousy, rage, and heartbreak that come from his penchant for getting too attached too fast. He asserts that it is out of his hands, that this pattern of behavior is simply part of his core personality by referring to it as his "destiny." His eyes are "eager" for the next girl that he will fall for, which is sure to happen because he is the perpetually optimistic "Mr Brightside" - always looking for and ready for love.
anonymous
2007-06-11 00:11:18
This similar thing has happened to me here recently. When I heard this song, it was exactly what I was feeling. My interpretation is that he is really good friends with this girl and he wants to move on to a relationship, but she is really good friends with other male figures. While laying in bed, he does nothing but think about what she is doing at that time with another man, and even though it is only in his head, he is literally feeling sick.
anonymous
2007-06-15 06:29:56
I agree that this song is probably about a man who's in love with his female friend, but he's missed his chance with her. In fact I think it has a lot in common with a Jebediah song called "Skin"
And the day that we left
I found a whole in my chest
When you said we were only friends, hanging out
What was I sposed to do, I should swallow my pride
and say it's cool, but I'm a fool, I want you....
I guess I always knew I would
Like you too much for my good
It gets me when I tell you this but it's true
It's so true x3
Verse 2:
And the night that we kissed
We were both pretty pissed
But I still knew how good it felt, but did you?
Now I'd do anything, to get you out from underneath my skin
Wishfull thinking, don't want to
I guess I always knew I would
Like you too much for my good
It gets me when I tell you this but it's true
It's so true x3
You......
I guess I always knew I would
Like you too much for my good
It gets me when I tell you this but it's true
It's so true x3
It's so true x2
anonymous
2007-07-11 19:36:43
No question about it . It's about a guy who met a girl and kissed . Thought nothing of it at the time but realised how much he needed her when he seen her with another guy . He pretended he wasn't bothered but inside it was "killing" him. "Joking on your alibi" adds to the pretending part but he knows he`ll suffer and will "have a price to pay" .
Very simple . love this song , I relate to it a lot .
anonymous
2007-07-18 17:35:06
"I'm coming out of my cage
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want 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"
--this is what I thnk according to the video too...the first part talks about a dude that kissed with a girl and he fell in love with her. He is trying to get over her but he can't because he sees her kissing another guy which is not him. at fisrt he starts imaginating things but he sees they are actually doing it...and he feels saddness and anger at the same time and he want to see what the girl is doing with the guy but at the same time he doesnt.
He gets really jealous and he kills them both because in the chorus it says "turning saints into the sea" meaning he got really mad and furious, "swimming through sick lullabies" swimming into something bad meaning he did something bad, a sin...killing!.."choking on your alibis"(an alibis is an excuse to avoid the blame" which means that while he was being intoragated he was getting confused and was really nervous didn't know what to say because he knew that he did a crime. Since he stats chocking he realizes that he has to admit to the crime go to jail..."but is just the price I pay, destiny is calling me"
the only part tht I don't understand is the I never I never inever I never part!
anonymous
2007-07-18 17:37:24
"I'm coming out of my cage
And I’ve been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want 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"
--this is what I thnk according to the video too...the first part talks about a dude that kissed with a girl and he fell in love with her. He is trying to get over her but he can't because he sees her kissing another guy which is not him. at fisrt he starts imaginating things but he sees they are actually doing it...and he feels saddness and anger at the same time and he want to see what the girl is doing with the guy but at the same time he doesnt.
"I just can’t look its killing me
And taking control"
---He gets really jealous and he kills them both because in the chorus it says "turning saints into the sea" meaning he got really mad and furious, "swimming through sick lullabies" swimming into something bad meaning he did something bad, a sin...killing!.."choking on your alibis"(an alibis is an excuse to avoid the blame" which means that while he was being intoragated he was getting confused and was really nervous didn't know what to say because he knew that he did a crime. Since he stats chocking he realizes that he has to admit to the crime go to jail..."but is just the price I pay, destiny is calling me"
the only part tht I don't understand is the I never I never inever I never part!
anonymous
2007-07-20 13:03:05
I think the song is about Brandon and his girlfriend cheated on him. Mr Brightside is the guy who she went off with and Brandon is mimicking him when he says I'm Mr Brightside.. Killers rule!! =]
anonymous
2007-08-22 03:32:26
I don't know what you all are meaning since I'm too lazy to read it all. My own interpretation of this song is that He is stuck with images of a woman that he kissed once and thought he loved being with another man, possibly as a prostitute. He doesn't want to see it because he wants to believe in their perfect world of the possibility of her loving Him back. I don't really know what you all think of my interpretation but songs are taken differently by everyone so don't get mad about my opinion. It's not yours. It's mine.
anonymous
2007-08-31 07:30:05
This is no offense to your ideas but all our song interpretation suck. Not the ideas but the way you look at it.
This stems from the fact that nobody has notice the specific emphasis on the line "Destiny is calling me". I know that everyone out there feels something when they hear that lyric, it's the most powerful part of the song yet nobody has bothered to interpret it in any shape or form.
people start interpreting what is his destiny, what is calling him, that shiver you get down your spine, that is a reminder that destiny calls everybody.
THIS IS THE MOST POWERFUL LINE OF THE SONG, INTERPRET IT!
anonymous
2007-09-05 08:52:45
The song is about a gay crush.
The girl here is Mr. Brightside's male friend's girlfriend.
Mr. Brightside has a crush on his male friend, and he's imagining his friend's life with this woman and he feels sick.
"I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine"
He's finally coming to terms with this feelings for his friend.
"It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss"
They kissed. Maybe aregular kiss with someone else is nothing, but a kiss with him is heartbreaking.
"Now they're going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head
But she's touching his-chest
Now, he takes off her dress"
His friend makes love to this woman and he feels jealuos and sick.
"But it's just the price I pay
Destiny is calling me
Open up my eager eyes
'Cause I'm Mr Brightside"
But he cannot so anything, cause he cannot avoid his feelings, wrong or right. So he have to accept his male friend has another life.
It's not a simple lyrics and certainly is not about a woman.
Cheers.
Lola.
anonymous
2007-09-30 08:19:07
Its not a part of the tri-murder (leave the boubon on the shelf, jenny was a friend of mine, midnight show)
it is about jealousy.
it has nothing to do with jail, the cage is metaphoric.
its about the obsession that comes with being in a relationship, that the other partner might do something with another man/woman. The chorus is basically him imagining what could be happening. Its his own obsession, he is paranoid.
anonymous
2007-10-09 18:48:03
Gawsshhh you call yourselves killers fans?!
Mr. Brightside's meaning is clear to all. Clearly the protagonist of the song is a very greedy man "cause I want it all" this greed coupled with the sudden breakdown of his family business leads to DISASTER!! He turns to alcohol, wine mainly "turning saints into the sea(sea of alcohol)" then engages in a street fight and loses an eye this is evident from the lyric "I just can't look it's killing me.."
If you need any other interpretations I'm always willing to help
much luv guys
anonymous
2007-10-18 15:41:10
Dudes you got it all wrong.
its about jealousy, obviously.
but my view of it is:
its about the girlfriend of 'mr brightside', who gets absolutely hammered, and make out with one of the guys close friends (hes out of it 2). He is mega paranoid about something else happening, the lyric "it was only a kiss" is him trying to convince himself nothing else happened or will happen. also when it says "it was only a kiss" in a different voice, this is him remembering what his friend said 2 him after it happened. at first the girlfriend tries to pretend it never happened, making up she was somewhere else, but he guesses hence "choking on your alibis". In the end he gets violent with his friend and they have a fight (possibly kikls him and girlfriend like people said before).
the meaning of mr brightside is that, after they break up, he is always telling himself he is better off without her.
That's my interpretation, but maybe I'm just projecting personal experience.
anonymous
2007-10-19 14:18:50
>> Coming out of my cage / And I've been doing just fine
>> Gotta gotta be down / Because I want it all
He is just starting to get over the situation, but still hurts, and he is about to tell the story...
>> It started out with a kiss / How did it end up like this?
>> It was only a kiss / It was only a kiss
This is how his girlfriend's affair started...and he wonders how it happened.
>> Now I'm falling asleep / And she's calling a cab
>> While he's having a smoke / And she's taking a drag
>> Now they're going to bed / And my stomach is sick
>> And it's all in my head / But she's touching his chest now
>> He takes off her dress now
he's up at night, having trouble sleeping, still thinking about the affair and painfully imagining what was going on, and it makes him sick because he can't stop thinking about it.
>> Let me go
this is him symbolically wishing these thoughts to go away, so he can move on
>> I just can't look / It's killing me / And taking control
he can't get the thoughts out of his mind
>> Jealousy / Turning saints into the sea
>> Swimming through sick lullabies / Choking on your alibis
He's jealous, and he is remembering all the excuses and alibis he was given during the affair
>> But it's just the price I pay / Destiny is calling me
>> Open up my eager eyes / Cause I'm Mr. Brightside
tho he's going through the pain and anguish, it was inevitable, she was not the one. He realizes this, and sees the opportunity. He is looking on the bright side.
anonymous
2007-10-19 21:45:04
I'm coming out of my cage
And I?ve been doing just fine(coming out of depression and he's doing "just fine")
Gotta gotta gotta be down (he's sad)
Because I want it all (he wants her as more than a friend)
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss(he has kissed her,wants more)
Now I?m falling asleep
And she?s calling a cab
While he?s having a smoke (the other guy)
And she?s taking a drag
Now they?re going to bed
And my stomach is sick (he can't take someone else taking her)
And it?s all in my head(he's imagining them together)
But she?s touching his?chest
Now, he takes off her dress (he's hating what he's imagining)
Now, let me go (stop making me think about her, let me forget her and let her be happy)
I just can?t look its killing me(stop making me think about her, let me forget her and let her be happy)
And taking control
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea (he wants the best for her, but he wants her as well)
Swimming through sick lullabies
Choking on your alibis
But it?s just the price I pay
Destiny is calling me(they must split paths, go their own ways)
Open up my eager eyes (help him look forward to the future and other possibilities)
?Cause I?m Mr Brightside(he's her friend who wants the best for her, and can't be her lover, she wants other men)
I never...
I never...
I never...
sophie123
2007-10-23 17:36:30
There's an English story about someone called Tim Brightside, Mr. Tim Brightside was an Englishman who came to America and fell in love with a prostitute. The prostitute promised to quit her job for Tim. Tragically, one night she meets with a client in a carriage, and she cheats on Brightside for her job. Mr. Brightside finds out, climbs to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, and commits suicide.
I think it's based on this.
anonymous
2007-10-29 22:16:31
This song is about a man who really loves or has feelings for a girl he knows but can't tell her. He imagines her with another man/boyfriend and it rips him apart because he wishes it was him she was with. no mater what he does he can't get the thought of her out of his head. jealousy is at the heart of this song. Its not a song to be taken literally, nor is it about murder. It's about a man's secret love for a girl.
anonymous
2007-11-18 01:37:34
Is there anyone else out there that thought it was
"jealousy turning sex into deceit" ? or am I the only one?
arrgh.
but anyway
I LOVE THE KILLERS [xox]
anonymous
2007-11-23 08:40:12
Perhaps I am a little perverted but this is the story of your everyday cuckold.
He is trapped in his cage - mentally because he fancied seeing his girlfriend with another man, she finally did it and he got to watch. All the emotions he sings about are standard cuckold ones. He now regrets it because she obviously enjoyed it, but that is the life of the cuck - jealous but turned on by his unfaithful spouse.
xjennie91x
2007-12-09 17:47:04
First of all this song is great,
My interpretation of this song is that it's about a woman who is meant to entertain men but ends up falling for this 1 particular man (brandon). She's then stook in the middle and watching her with another man just kills him inside
kabe888
2007-12-16 03:33:33
Why don't the killers just tell us?? This song is about how jealousy can affect normal people and stuff their heads up. He broke up with his girl which he calls that relationship a cage, thinks he's doing fine and sees her with another guy that makes him jealous and he realizes how much he wants her back. The songs about jealousy and relationships.full stop. not rape murder and jail for god sake. look on the brightside of life mr brightside:) truly a great song tho.
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