What does Bleeding Out mean?

Imagine Dragons: Bleeding Out Meaning

Album cover for Bleeding Out album cover

Song Released: 2012


Bleeding Out Lyrics

I'm bleeding out
So if the last thing that I do
Is bring you down
I'll bleed out for you
So I bare my skin
And I count my sins
And I close my eyes and I take it in
I'm bleeding out
I'm bleeding out for you
For you

When the...

  1. anonymous
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    Oct 12th 2017 !⃝

    This song is about refusing to remain silent, despite the cost. From a victim's perspective, being willing to speak out against the one who wronged you, even knowing that it will drag out everything done to you and that you've done. It is a song of justice, or perhaps revenge, at all costs. If it had been sung by a woman, it would be seen more clearly. Victims of assault are often treated very poorly, so they don't say anything.
    Alternately, from another perspective "I'm not innocent, but I'm willing to be dragged down as well to bring your greater crime to light"

  2. anonymous
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    Jul 8th 2017 !⃝

    I'm thinking they're apologizing for attempting suicide, and they're girlfriend discovers this,and is telling him to hold on, but he knows he isn't gonna make it,so he's apologizing for his actions, for what it's worth of course.

  3. anonymous
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    Jun 16th 2017 !⃝

    I've a very different interpretation about this song.
    I think the chorus says that a person is suffering for not disappoint people who are important to him/her ("I'm bleeding out for you" and "You tell me to hold on")
    The rest of the song appeals to, despite the problems that it brought, come back to Earth ("When the day has come that I've lost my way around and the seasons stop and hide beneath the ground") and never give up ("Just to find my heart is beating").
    I may say that this point of view helped me a lot with overcoming my problems.

  4. anonymous
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    Jun 6th 2017 !⃝

    I think this song is about Jesus on the cross. (if the last thing that I do is bring you down), Jesus defeated the devil on the cross. (I'm bleeding out for you), Jesus sacrificed himself for humanity. (you tell me to hold on), the apostles wanting Jesus not to hand himself over, and (what was right is wrong), Jesus was crucified because of his doing good.

  5. anonymous
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    Apr 19th 2017 !⃝

    Many people feel this song is about Jesus or suicide, but I interpret it differently. Perhaps this is because I was watching a 9/11 tribute video with this as the song, but I think of it as I think of the song "America", it has references to 9/11. "I'm bleeding out for you," makes me think of all the first responders, the heroes of 9/11, that sacrificed their life to save others.

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 9th 2017 !⃝

    I hate myself so of course I will interpret this song as something negative because of the lyrics. just putting this out there, less than 30 minutes ago I was cutting myself to this song.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  7. anonymous
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    Mar 31st 2017 !⃝

    when you self harm you feel like the part of you that self harms is you, but a part separated from your body. so i think it is about the fight of recovery the part "so if its the last thing that i do is bring you down" if its the last thing that you will do is bring down the part of you that self harms. hopelessness is sinking in hopelessness that you cant recover and you tell me to hold on is the hopeful part of you saying don't kill yourself or self harm. that is my interpretation everyone has different interpretations depending on the situation they are in.

  8. anonymous
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    Sep 13th 2016 !⃝

    I see a lot of Jesus and suicide but in my opinion its about someone is hurting emotionally and thinks they aren't doing anything except being annoying and making other people depressed too so they try to be helpful instead by being cheery and ignoring the pain and they realize that makes it worse but they keep doing it because they're afraid to bring them down and everyone tells them its OK to cry but the person dosn't let them self cry and they begin to think its their own fault and they should be holding it in because other people should be brought down by their "sins" In short this song is about how easy it is to tear yourself down when your hurt and you need to let your friends know they don't have it hold it in for you.

  9. anonymous
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    Jul 22nd 2016 !⃝

    This song is completely heart breaking for me. It talks about how the person realises how much of a monster he has become, and he welcomes death. But he wants to die a hero, as if to compete with all his sins in life.

  10. anonymous
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    Jun 16th 2016 !⃝

    There are a lot of mentions of Jesus, but I think this song is about self harm. "So I bare my skin" is like pulling up your sleeve to get ready and "count my sins" makes me think that they're literally tallying up what they've done wrong with cuts. It seems like the person thinks they're making everyone feel worse and being a burden "if the last thing that I do Is bring you down" so they're trying to get rid of themselves and free everyone from the burden they're putting on them "I'm bleeding out for you".
    "When the sky turns grey" It's not actually the sky changing, it's just the person's vision blurring as they start to slide out of consciousness.
    "When the sky turns grey" It's not actually the sky changing, it's just the person's vision blurring as they start to slide out of consciousness.
    It's kind of like they're slowly dying "when the hour is nigh and hopelessness is sinking in" They're very close to death and they feel like everything us useless.
    "the wolves all cry to fill the night with horror" They can hear someone, maybe a family member, and it's prolonging the pain, by maybe making them have small regrets.
    "You tell me to hold on" maybe someone knows about them self-harming and tells them not to.
    "but innocence is gone" they aren't ignorant and young anymore: despair is slowly eating them away.
    "what was rightis wrong" they don't know what's right anymore.

    Anyway, that's just what I think ^-^

  11. anonymous
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    Apr 13th 2016 !⃝

    Quite a few of the Imagine Dragon songs have references to Christianity - Another example being 'Demons' when the lyrics are 'This is my kingdom come,' so yes, I would go with the theme that this song (at least the chorus) is in the perspective of Christ when he was crucified on the cross.

    Not only does this song point towards Christianity. When the lyrics say that, 'But innocence is gone, and what was right is wrong,' the song could possibly be referring to how the modern world twists out values. Now, instead of family, it's freedom. Instead of love, it's lust. Instead of self-preservation, it's selfishness.

    I believe that the song could also be hinting at depression with the lyrics, 'When the hour is nigh, and hopelessness is sinking in....' Depression is not just a feeling of deep sadness, but hopelessness and worthlessness.

    What we take as such an upbeat, fun and catchy song actually holds very serious and dark themes when you come to think of it. That's what I love about the Imagine Dragon songs!

  12. anonymous
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    Jan 22nd 2016 !⃝

    It could be about Jesus but I think that he does so many things wrong that the person he cares about is worried and he realized what he had done so he tried to make it up for them and do whatever to make them and protect them.

  13. anonymous
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    Jan 19th 2016 !⃝

    Lesson to the words. I think it has something to do with world war 3 and or the coming of Christ.

  14. MyPanicBoy
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    Jan 5th 2016 !⃝

    I believe that this song is about depressing, cutting, and suicide. Most of there songs are pretty dark if you truly listen to the words. So it wouldn't be a total surprise for that to be what it's about.

  15. anonymous
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    Dec 21st 2015 !⃝

    Have you ever heard any other song from this dudes? They're not specially healthy. If you put attention to other songs lyrics, you'll find out it is as literal as they picture it. They're talking about mental issues, suicide and self-harm in almost every of their songs. It's not about Jesus!




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