What does Pain mean?

Jimmy Eat World: Pain Meaning

Tagged: Drugs | Pain [suggest]
Album cover for Pain album cover

Song Released: 2004


Pain Lyrics

Jimmy Eat World
Pain

I don't feel the way I've ever felt.
I know.
I'm gonna smile and not get worried.
I try but it shows.

Anyone can make what I have built.
And better now
Anyone can find the same white pills.
It takes my...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 7th 2008 !⃝

    Its a double meaning song. I believe it is more about opiate addiction than relationships. I have felt this same exact way! "These are hurried times", that's a justification for taking the pills. I have a lot to do, they get me through it and I don't have to look back. Pain pills are generally white, and the best for abuse because you can still function. You get to a point while dependent when you are "kissing them and they don't breathe (kiss) back" Its called tolerance. The singer has all of the characteristics for a pain pill (opiate)junkie. Its really hard to explain this to a person that has never been dependent on opiates. Its a whole other world.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 6th 2013 !⃝

    Dude. This song is about opiate addiction. He is numb and depressed. The girl is right there for him but she only bothers him b/c he is in opioid hell/doldrums. I have been there myself. Trust me. This song is about what I just wrote.
    The number one voted post is wrong. You wouldn't understand unless you've been there, most people haven't.
    Obviously the singer has.
    That makes me comfortable.
    It's not abstract unless you haven't been an addict. You hide from everything, even a pretty girl who is right there for you, once you are truly hooked.

    "never mind, these are hurried times, I can't let it bother me"
    -that is what an addict tells themselves to get outta bed in the morning.
    It takes soooo long to get back to normal after pain-pill addiction. If you are strong enough to do it.
    "it's a false sense of accomplishment, everytime I quit"-
    that is how you feel when you relapse so many times, which is what most people do.
    Singer makes it quite clear about the pills in the first vrs.
    If you haven't been there, you won't believe me.
    If you have, you will agree with me totally

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 1st 2005 !⃝

    IMO the song is about a failing relationship. The reference to drugs is a metaphor for the singer's addiction to the woman that doesn't love him back...

    "It's a lie - A kiss with open eyes - And she's not breathing back" i.e. She's not feeling the same passion that he is.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 24th 2018 !⃝

    Opiate addiction for sure been down this road for ten years at this point even being abstinent for a while now “it’s a false scensnce of accomplishment every time I quit”. an addicts life is a never ending battle/cycle! I’m 7 days abstinent off a three week alcohol infused oxy binge and Thank god for that each time get harder and harder. It’s not an easy road,so stay away from opiates at all costs unless you absolutely need em and even then it’s a slippery slope. once your an addict you are for life! No Going Back. You will be in recovery until you leave this rock.
    God bless everyone dealing with this horrible disease and stay strong one day at a time.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 19th 2016 !⃝

    Without a doubt this song is about opiate addiction.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 5th 2015 !⃝

    Drugs only take and take. It's a one sided love affair. Especially opiates. It's a lie a kiss with open eyes and she's not breathing back, to me, would mean the one sided love affair with pills where he's got to the point that its like being in love with someone who doesn't love you back. Thats how I can identify with this song at least. Good tune.

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 18th 2014 !⃝

    This song has a double meaning. He walks away from a girl thinking it will protect her, but he doesnt realize he is just running from his feelings hence "But it's a false sense of accomplishment.Every time I quit" He wants her so he goes back. He know he doesnt deserve her hence "Anyone can see my every flaw.It isn't hard."
    Eventually he gets hooked on drugs. Once that part of the story is understood, every line takes on a double meaning. He tries to quit hence"But it's a false sense of accomplishment.Every time I quit". This only proves that he is beneath her. Which is where "Anyone can see my every flaw.It isn't hard.Anyone can say they're above this all.It takes my pain away." His pain over running from her. Eventually she stops taking him back or dies. Either way u wanna interpret "And she's not breathing back". He cant let it bother him though, because the moments he had her were a gift, stolen blessings. He doesnt deserve to think of more especially with his addiction. "It's a lie. A kiss with open eyes" everytime the pills take his pain away.
    Take it or leave it. Its just my interpretation.

  8. ojaswinidoshi
    click a star to vote
    Feb 27th 2012 !⃝

    'I never thought I'd walk
    away from you.
    I did.
    But it's a false sense of
    accomplishment.
    Every time I quit
    Anyone can see my every flaw
    it isn't hard
    anyone can say they're above this all '
    these lines, if taken from point of view of relationship may mean that the narrator did walk away from the girl even though he thought he never would but he himself feels that he hasn't succeeded so 'its a false sense of accomplishment'.

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 8th 2011 !⃝

    Ok first off I like the idea of a failing relationship but I like the idea of the guy trying to get over a broken relationship.

    Because if u see the video it shows the guy literally trying to cause himself pain

    So where he says "it takes my pain away", the drug reference is a metaphor to him causing himself pain even though that pain takes the pain away from his broken relationship.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 6th 2009 !⃝

    maybe its cutting, in the lyrics :anyone can get the same white pills, or whatever he says, means the pills arent enough. so yeah i think cutting

  11. casandrapaige
    click a star to vote
    Jun 27th 2007 !⃝

    Similar to what someone else said, I think it's about falling in love with the drugs, not a person. a lot of times the music video isn't expressing what they say in the song perfectly. So just because there is a break up in the video doesn't mean that's what the lyrics are referring to. also, this album has other songs where the lyrics strongly refer to drugs- such as Drugs or Me

  12. borbas001
    click a star to vote
    May 21st 2007 !⃝

    This song would be about a broken relationship and he's trying to fix his broken heart with drug usage to forget about it.

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 16th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about a relationship that can't work, but they keep trying. "It takes my pain away"--it takes his pain away when she's around even though it doesn't last. "It's a lie, a kiss with open eyes"--the small ammount of comfort never last as the relationship falls apart again. "I never thought I'd walk away from you, I did. But it's a false since of accomplishment"--He never thought he could leave the relationship, and even though he finaly did, it did nothing cause he always comes back.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 30th 2006 !⃝

    The reference towards the “pills” to me, is pain killers, but not to ease the pain of heartache or whatever, but to take it away literally, by well, suicide? “I never thought I’d walk away from you, and I did. But it’s a false sense of accomplishment every time I quit.” - That to me, is walking away from someone/family/life, quitting life because things are too difficult. “But it’s a false sense of accomplishment every time I quit.” - Meaning, he's close to giving up/quitting, and almost gets there, but in the end, never does, because he'd be a failure. In my opinion, it’s blatantly obvious what the lyrics hint to. But that’s just what I think. Though, I don’t see a drug addiction connected to the lyrics like most people do.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 7th 2006 !⃝

    Imo, it's about this guy and girl who got together because of their shared addiction to something, then he quits, but she can't, and he has to break up with her, even if it hurts, because she's destructive.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  16. PeanutPie
    click a star to vote
    Apr 29th 2006 !⃝

    In fact, paracetamol is the name of the white pill they talk about... Let me tell you, we all have passed through brake ups... And when you really love, it really hurts! So, my personal opinion is this: He's in love, she doesn't love him back ("she's not breathing back"). He suffers a lot about it, it hurts... And when we are hurt, we use pills to take the pain away ("every one can make what I have built, better now, any one can find the same white pills"). Let's say he's trying to calm down his heartbrake with painkillers...
    Anyhow, there's still the possibility of they being talking bout drugs.. But this is my opinion only.
    One more thing, that's right, music videos are the interpretation of the director, but with the aproval of the artist, who must agree or disagree with the idea. So maybe the director was right.. Maybe we all are right =p. Only Jimmy Eat World Knows it!

  17. Degenerate19893
    click a star to vote
    Mar 7th 2006 !⃝

    no, the drugs that they are describing is simply paracetamol. I read up on it from an interview with the band.

  18. Cheesecakemafia
    click a star to vote
    Nov 18th 2005 !⃝

    Yeah the whole song stems from a breakup, duh- isn't that the root of all emo?

    I actually thought of the line about the pills , I kinda thought about the lines more literally, a possible opiate addiction, Loritabs are white ya know...but anyhow...

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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