What does Goodbye Apathy mean?

OneRepublic: Goodbye Apathy Meaning

Album cover for Goodbye Apathy album cover

Goodbye Apathy Lyrics

I can't sleep now, no, not like I used to
I can't breathe in and out like I need to
It's breaking ice now to make any movement
What's your vice? You know that mine's the illusion

And all at once (as I'm trying) I can help you out (just to keep...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    Vicky Richards
    click a star to vote
    Mar 7th 2011 !⃝

    This song is about a conflicting love. I think this person is desperately in love with someone, so much so, they are willing to do anything for them and be anything for them. It reminds me of this quote in the movie The Notebook when Noah says, "I could be fun, if you want. I could be pensive, uhh...smart, superstitious, brave? And I, uhh, I can be light on my feet. I could be whatever you want. You just tell me what you want, and I'm gonna be that for you."

    I think in the beginning it talks about breaking ice to make any movement, meaning that he is apprehensive at first. And he says his vice is the illusion. I think he says this because maybe his perception of love is something wrong. He thinks that maybe doing everything for someone is what will make them happy. The very definition of illusion is, "a perception that represents what is perceived in a way different from the way it is in reality." Meaning that he perceives what is happening differently that what things actually are and he knows it but it his vice, he indulges in it knowing it isn't right.

    He is lustrous, feeling these feelings and basically feeding off of this false reality. I enjoy the line ,"so don't sit still, but don't you move away from me" meaning that he doesn't want her to be stagnating but he also doesn't want her to leave him. It seem this girl is better than him, or at least he sees it this way, so he is happy to have her and will do anything to keep her even though he knows inevitably it will end, he is willing to ignore that fact and do anything to keep it while he has it.

    Overall it is a story of a man who is an incubus, taking from a female to feel better about life, and a story of a succubus taking advantage of his disposition to get what she wants.

    Its a common story, a story of how people feel they need others to feel joy, even if they have to give everything to keep that person. When love happens, you don't have to kill yourself to make everything perfect.

  2. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 10th 2017 !⃝

    i don’t think this song is about love at all. i think Ryan is truly an apathetic person but is trying to feel some sort of emotion while having conflicting thoughts at the same time. the chorus has two voices which is, “goodbye apathy, so long fancy free, goodbye apathy, i don’t wanna be you”, and the other voice which is, “as i’m trying just to get things right, kill myself to make everything for you.” the first voice is him trying to let go of his apathetic ways and the other voice is about him trying to not feel any emotion at all. the first part of the song is Ryan being hopeless about letting go of apathy and the second part is him realizing that he can feel emotions and be a better person by not killing himself. pretty depressing song if ya ask me and the most original by OneRepublic.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 13th 2012 !⃝

    i personally think this song talks about him being really in love..he encounters a love that changes everything in his life..not that he wants to but because he really loves and would do everything just for her..the line
    "as am trying just to keep things right..i kill myself to make everything perfect for you"which also happens to my favourite verse proves that he does things that might even hurt him for her but thieir love still conflicts but he still continues to fight..


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