What does The Sound of Madness mean?

Shinedown: The Sound of Madness Meaning

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Album cover for The Sound of Madness album cover

The Sound of Madness Lyrics

Yeah, I get it,
You're an outcast.
Always under attack.
Always coming in last,
Bringing up the past.
No one owes you anything.
I think you need a shotgun blast,
A kick in the ass,
So paranoid. . .
Watch your back!!

Oh my, here we go...

Another...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    May 11th 2012 !⃝

    The narrator appears to have suffered great social alienation in his past, and become callous and bitter as a result. When another person begins to suffer a similar predicament, he turns to the narrator for attention, and attempts to use pity to draw his attention. However the narrator brusquely responds to the newcomer both harshly, and angrily, potentially because he keeps being reminded of himself. The narrator keeps telling the newcomer to use his own power, and that he can hide from his troubles, but he must wake up and fight his own battles without relying on others.

  2. anonymous
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    Jan 31st 2020 !⃝

    I believe it could be someone letting schizophrenia take control of them and saying everyone is at fault not themselves having any fault for letting the disorder take control and resorting to meds to “help” them

  3. anonymous
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    Sep 27th 2019 !⃝

    It's pretty obvious this song is an indictment of what America is becoming. Liberals claiming that they can't help the way 'they are', that they have a 'social disease'. Brent is saying 'if you're sick, fine, then stop saying 'that's normal', you're sick, take your medicine, get better. It's also telling Conservatives that you can't just hide in your house with your gun to protect yourselves. The darkest times aren't during the night when someone might break into your house. The darkest times are right in the middle of day, out in the open, when people are slowly taking your country away from you right under your nose. Stop playing defense, go on the offensive and stop them, take your country back.

  4. anonymous
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    Jul 16th 2019 !⃝

    Part of the long development time was due to internal issues within band members; during this time, Smith fired both Stewart and Todd from the band. Smith let Stewart go due to disagreements with the direction of the band, feeling that Stewart was no longer happy or committed to the band. Todd was fired due to major disagreements with Smith, and personal problems that were getting in the way of the band. Then-touring guitarist Zach Meyers later recounted that both Smith and Todd were going through significant substance abuse issues at the time with drugs and alcohol, which lead to much infighting between the two.The band almost broke up during the period, but Smith firing Todd and stopping his drug use helped eliminate the internal issues, and helped the band move forward.
    -from wikipedia

  5. anonymous
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    Jul 15th 2019 !⃝

    the song is about the black man's mentality. always blaming other's for their actions. the shotgun blast is for Tony, who had the child kidnapped over money owed. watch your ass!!!!

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  6. anonymous
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    Aug 15th 2016 !⃝

    I find it to be about someone who complains about their problems, and refusing to take the blame for any of their own problems pinning it on society and such while never trying to help themselves, complaining to someone who had been through so much shit and got themselves through it. The narrator (Brent Smith) is telling them to stop complaining and do something about it.

  7. anonymous
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    Aug 24th 2013 !⃝

    Well, there seems to definetly be a deeper meaning behind the story line- what we are shown is someone who seems to be a victim or at least in trouble acting as a middle man or go between for a low life/level ganster who has kidnapped a young girl/child now whether Tony is the Gangster and Mr.Morris is the black dude who pays the ransom or vice versa or the same guy (one of them) i thought while watching paying partial attention (mostly jamming to the song-which rocks)that the guy making the phone call and meeting with the black guy (private investigator or the like)was the dad, then only to notice He was (and the others) first guy to get shot and then the girl is rescued and brought home. By the hired negotiator -so it seems the story does revolve around the go between/phone call guy who is acting so victimized but he probably owed a debt to the fat gangster boss (drugs gambling etc.)and was the one who snagged the girl for money because he had gotten that low so he hid with a gun but did'nt fight back and say no to the acts that kept him spirally down lower so in the end he took his medicine death bacause once you are willing to do what he did theres no coming back even if he(shooter) was once even friends with the man. But still the bottom line is fighting back for yourself to go forward not with a gun for survival from your own lack of self discipline. Otherwise im clueless and by the way....not every rock song is about recovery ! D>D>

  8. anonymous
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    Apr 27th 2012 !⃝

    It's about how people pity themselves for minor things while alot of other people have a worse life

  9. anonymous
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    Jun 12th 2011 !⃝

    You can't be ready for when something bad happends because it will come when u least expect it. If you keep worrying, you'll go crazy.


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