What does Some Nights mean?

Fun.: Some Nights Meaning

Album cover for Some Nights album cover

Song Released: 2012


Get "Some Nights" on MP3: Get MP3 from iTunes

Some Nights Lyrics

Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights, I call it a draw
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not...

  1. anonymous
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    Oct 18th 2012 !⃝

    The reason for standing behind certain musical artists, and songs is because, either through their performance or songs lyrics, the general public can relate to it on a (if not many) level(s) and draw from that, an inference or reference point that perhaps pertains to maybe their own life. It's no secret. It's what makes music magic and great.

  2. anonymous
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    Oct 10th 2012 !⃝

    He sold his soul to the devil to be famous...but it hasn't been all that he expected. Now he no longer knows what he stands for. His sisters part is explanatory.

  3. anonymous
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    Oct 7th 2012 !⃝

    Ok, just letting you know this is not about an actual war, it's just the theme of the video. Anyone who has seen previous Fun. videos like:
    Walking the Dog
    All the Pretty Girls &
    We Are Young
    We know that they are weird with all of the weird pictures and different colors, the band being piñatas and the massive bar fight with everything known to man being thrown at everyone. This is a awesome song, personally I think it's their best song. Well, this song to me is about Nate's thoughts about his entire career. He is very unsure of his career and who he really is. Please don't say that you are Nate's friend, pet, sister, whatever. Just. Enjoy. The. Awesome. Song. Thank you!!

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 6th 2012 !⃝

    I'm Spartacus

  5. XOXO0728
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    Oct 5th 2012 !⃝

    Okay, obviously none of you have any relationship with Nate, and if you even did, why would you be on here searching for the meaning of his song and say that you're his sister or whatever? So anyway, I think Some Nights is about not exactly knowing who you really are. I can tell that they're not really sure of themselves. I know this is a different song but I heard Nate say in One Foot that he can't make name for himself, meaning he thinks no one knows who he is. In Some Nights, Nate also sing who am I? He also says that this martyr he speaks of makes him stop trying to realize who he really is. It might also be about as other people had said "rebelling against the music industry". So we come back to the who am I? part, meaning that he's not allowed to be who he really is/wants to be. Then, Nate sings,"Well, some nights I wish that this all would end, 'cause I could use some friends for a change…" meaning that he just wants to give up his music and quit (which I hope they do not do:). When Nate sings that he needs friends, I think he might mean that he needs people to support/be there for him. He also might mean that a lot of people aren't always what they make themselves to be in show business. Ante's not sure to be like everyone else or to be his own person. He may also mean that Fun. should try to do their own thing and stop doing what they're told to do when he says,"Why don't we break the rules already?" He realized that fame is not all what it's cracked up to be when he says,"So this is it? I sold my soul for this?// I miss my mom and dad for this?" Nate might also mean when he says, "That is it, guys, that is all, 5 mins. in and I'm bored again,10 yrs. of this, I'm not sure if anybody understands…" that they joy of performing doesn't last that long (i.e. That he's bored after only 5 mins. and that is it, guys, that is all). Nate doesn't seem too happy about his career in this song, but this is my FAVORITE song. Remember, this is just a suggestion, so don't jump all over me on this. Sorry it's so long!

  6. anonymous
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    Sep 20th 2012 !⃝

    This song can be interpreted multiple ways, I prefer to believe that there are two meanings because this band is very good at appealing to younger, more stupid audiences. I choose to believe that he is in a battle with the media, (them trying to control him and choose how he writes his music) while he will resist and freely choose for himself how he runs his life and makes his music. And as for the younger audiences I believe he's trying to show people that joining a special skills group or the army doesn't make you a war hero, or even noble. And you will regret it if your all bark an no bite, your going to end up hating your sacrifices all because your desperate for respect or for people to fear you, you have to earn respect, you cant demand it.

  7. anonymous
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    Sep 20th 2012 !⃝

    If any of you had researched the band fun or Nate's previous band The Format, and the history, it would be quite obvious to you. This song is about a personal struggle within himself concerning his art/music. He struggled for 10 years trying to make it big in the music industry without "selling out" just to get on the radio. I personally think that this song is about the sacrifices he made (to his music, family, etc.) in order to become famous. He's wondering if it is all worth it and if he lost himself in the process. That's just my opinion.

  8. anonymous
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    Sep 19th 2012 !⃝

    You guys are all just back biters. Who cares what the song means its a good song either way and just listen to it for that reason because Nate and the rest for Fun. are a wonderful and deserve to be listened to for that reason.

  9. anonymous
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    Sep 5th 2012 !⃝

    Uhh one question... I can't understand the sister part i think his nephew is his son and he has to lie to everyone.... But when he looks into his son/nephew's eye he feels good despite a big lie.

  10. anonymous
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    Aug 30th 2012 !⃝

    I thought this song was about the war....just sayin....

  11. anonymous
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    Aug 29th 2012 !⃝

    I'm laughing so hard. pet turtle Molly!! love it.

  12. anonymous
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    Aug 29th 2012 !⃝

    Get a grip guys! The song is obviously about love between his sister and a man whom she loved dearly then took her heart and crushed it.
    The sister had a son out of it, and that's why there is the line about looking into his nephews eyes.
    And then there are all of you going on about atheism and religion and incest and shite like that
    SERIOUSLY?
    I know this because I am of no relation to Nate, I'm just a normal person who really likes this song because it is so frickin catchy

  13. anonymous
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    Aug 28th 2012 !⃝

    It's about the Fun that he has Some Nights.
    Haa.
    See what I did there?

    I know this because I am his pet Hippopotamus, Mr. Hippo. He feeds me twice a day.

  14. anonymous
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    Aug 26th 2012 !⃝

    The music video for the song depicts two soldiers on opposite sides of the Civil War, they both love something dearly. The young man loves a girl, and the elder man loves life in general--nature, animals, everything. These two soldiers eventually clash in battle--and in the heat of the moment and the climax of the video, the young man takes the elder man's life by stabbing him through the chest. The main theme of the video is the tragic, overwhelming loss war brings and the question "Is it really worth it?" Both of the main characters (the elder man and young man) both have lost something very important to them by the end of the video: the young man loses the love of his life because he must continue fighting in the war, and the elder man loses HIS LIFE, a life he cherished.

    Although the song itself isn't necessarily about war, it can be interpreted that way. The lyrics could be from the point of view of a soldier questioning himself and a war itself (possibly the Iraqi War?), or it could just be a metaphor. It could be autobiographical--it could be about fun. struggling to maintain their integrity and be successful musicians in an industry well-known for its corrupt nature. Or the song could be about anyone, anybody fighting through their lives, questioning everything, questioning their beliefs, questioning their very existence and personal worth.

    In the first part of the song, the narrator proclaims that he has so much bad luck some days, but on other days not so much. On some days, he wishes that he could protect himself with the reassuring words he tells himself (my lips could build a castle) [castles are used for protection], on other days he wishes he would stop trying to reassure himself because it doesn't seem to work. He goes on to proclaim that life goes on, but he still sees the ghost of his past and current personal struggles haunting him. Finally the real question that's been haunting him appears: "What do I stand for?" He then admits he doesn't know anymore and that he's losing himself (shown by the oh-whoa section).

    After that, he's talking to himself, an inner conflict of fast paced thoughts, one side of him of saying that life is a battlefield and that he should carry on (this is it boys, this is war! what are we waiting for?), another side trying to make him feel worthless (I try twice as hard but I'm half as liked/But here they come again to jack my style). After all of that, he says it's "alright", because he has a lover (a martyr in his bed tonight) that stops him from entertaining his existentialist thoughts and feelings of worthlessness. His lover is a martyr because they sacrifice themself to relieve him from his own conflicting craziness. The narrator says that they stop him from wondering who he is, but he still slips up and asks "who am I?" even whilst thinking about them.

    Then he starts proclaiming things again like in the first section, finally stating that he sometimes feels like his life would just end, and that he wishes he had friends. His conflicted, confused thoughts resurface and he's talking to himself again. The more sane side of him says that he's scared that the narrator will forget him again (and lose his sanity) and then the less sane side says "some nights I always win, I ALWAYS win..." showing that the side of the narrator that is making him think these thoughts is gradually winning him over.
    Then the narrator repeats that life goes on, his past and current struggles are haunting him, and that he still doesn't know what he stands for.

    In the next section, the narrator asks if this is it, and why he "sold his soul for this", possibly meaning that whatever he has been struggling for in his life and achieved hasn't really been as fulfilling as he hoped it would be. He's become disillusioned. He misses his parents. When he looks up at the stars, he doesn't feel inspired or hopeful. He just sees balls of hot glowing plasma. (When I see stars, that's all they are) Whenever he listens to a song, all he hears is his personal struggle haunting him.

    After that, he starts yelling his thoughts again. He proclaims that he's bored with his life, and that he's not sure if anyone understands how he feels. He doesn't want his family to see him like this, and he knows that had to leave them. But, at the same time, he doesn't want suffer alone and feel so empty in this dog-eat-dog world. (Who the fuck wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun?)

    Then, the spoken bridge. He makes an example of his sister's situation and how she fell in love with a fake, unfaithful conman. He states that although the love was a lie, his nephew was born. He states that "the most amazing things can come from some terrible lies", which relates to the first section in which he claims that he's trying to reassure/protect himself and carry on (my lips could build a castle), but he feels like what he'd be reassuring himself with would all be fake lies. So in a way, he is reassuring himself by suggesting that if he lied to himself, he could be happier, because they say "Ignorance is bliss".

    The autotuned/vocoder part of the song that polarizes many people who hear the song is there to sound hopeful. The reason why it's autotuned is because autotune is fake . The inspired, hopeful happiness he would feel from "some terrible lies" would be fake, like autotune. Then the oh-whoa section again, to show that the narrator is losing control again.

    At the end of the song, he is telling his lover that they should stay away from him because the personal demons he is fighting, his inner conflict, is turning him into a crazed, confused monster.

    (Maybe she doesn't stay away and eventually gets hurt somehow, and she becomes "scarred"--which leads into We Are Young. "His lover waiting for him just across the bar" could have been the "martyr in his bed".)

  15. anonymous
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    Aug 26th 2012 !⃝

    Y'all are madddd funny :D. All songs are mason-related. Hence the boldness in stating that he sold his soul....Nevertheless, we should all not give a crap and continue to lead our lives doing good & conquering evil.




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