What does Gotta Get Away mean?

The Offspring: Gotta Get Away Meaning

Album cover for Gotta Get Away album cover

Gotta Get Away Lyrics

{I'm} getting edgy all the time
There's someone around me just a step behind
It's kinda scary, the shape I'm in
The walls are shakin' and they're closing in
Too fast or a bit too slow
I'm paranoid of people and it's starting to show
One guy...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    Punx_not_dead
    click a star to vote
    Oct 30th 2005 !⃝

    What makes you think it's about superheroes??

    Anyway, I think it's just generally about a guy who's starting to crack up. He's got nothing under control anymore, it feels like something else is controlling or corrupting him. "There's demons in my head" and he feels like he can't cope with it much longer. "And it's more than I can take" he finds it hard to admit though, as it's a sign of weakness "but I think it's kind of weak."

    He knows he himself is the problem, that's why he wants to get away from himself, but sadly enough that's the one thing we can never escape from and have to face and come to terms with.

    I like the song because it describes how I feel a lot of the time, just wanting to get away from myself.

  2. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 27th 2022 !⃝

    First off, Its clear you kids never did drugs back then and it shows.
    He's talking to about himself the entire song. Bad decisions that keep him up at night feeling guilty, and mad at himself for the things he's done and can't reconcile within himself. Some days he's feeling good "I think I'm on a roll but I think it's kinda weak" but he's still struggling with his self and coming to terms with who he is or has done.

    He's the kid in the pit being pushed around by all his emotions. No one there to help him. Then the big things that pull him into different directions all the while just trying to get somewhere calm, and find something good only to pulled back under hid own emotional weight and indecisions, addictions, obsessions etc. (demons). Then in the end, he's alone feeling defeated again.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 27th 2022 !⃝

    First off, Its clear you kids never did drugs back then and it shows. He's talking to about himself the entire song. Bad decisions that keep him up at night feeling guilty, and mad at himself for the things he's done. Some days he's feeling good "I think I'm on a roll but I think it's kinda weak" but he's still struggling with his self and coming to terms with who he is or has done.

    He's the kid in the pit being pushed around by all his emotions. No one there to help him. Then the big things that pull him into different directions all the while just trying to get somewhere calm, and find something good only to pulled back under your own emotional weight and indecisions, addictions, obsessions etc. (demons). Then in the end, he's alone feeling defeated again.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 11th 2021 !⃝

    Yeah the other anonymous commenter above this correct. This is totally about Meth, "I'm on a roll, but I think its kinda weak" . "Rolling" Is a term used when geeked on stimulants or when you "roll a bowl" as in smokin dope.its kinda weak means he's lightweight shitty r not feeling it cuz he's been up for days.seeing shadow people, hearing people talk but nobody's there. Goin to fast or way to slow ,I'm paranoid of people and its starting to show- either you can't hold still or figity or your so high your stuck...your brains racing and cant tell your body to go over there or here but all your muscles are tensed and your paralyzed in place till your brain pulls itself together and you can move when you think about moving even though before all you could do is think about movement... Yeah this song takes me back to when I dabbled with amphetamines in the 90's all the terms and references made in the song is common user lingo from that era

  5. anonymous
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    Aug 30th 2018 !⃝

    The song is about the feelings of paranoia, however I don’t know what ‘on a roll’ means in the context of the song, I always thought it was ‘think I wanna run, but I think it’s kind of weak’...

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 3rd 2017 !⃝

    This song is clearly about drug use cocaine or methamphetamine's sitting in your bed lying wide-awake demons in your head and is more than he can take that's cocaine definitely being paranoid of people got to get away from you that's how you feel when you're on cocaine if you don't do drugs then it's your interpretation he says paranoid of people and it's starting to show if the start of the show that means the cocaine or the Meth Is kicking in and the demons in his head is the drugs and it's more that he can take

  7. anonymous
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    Aug 17th 2006 !⃝

    In addition, this song could be about a guy on the run because he made a "bad choice" (like, as the song could be intepreted, he kills someone) and now he's trying to get away from his worst enemy and accuser... Himself. But of course, he can't, so he's edgy, paranoid, and freaked out.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 1st 2006 !⃝

    This could be about mental illness (depression, paranoia), or drug use.
    If he's using drugs, he feels like he's on a roll and he can't stop, but he's freaking out and paranoid, and he doesn't feel good at all.

  9. feebz83
    click a star to vote
    Mar 14th 2006 !⃝

    The songs clearly relating to mental illness. Depression, anxiety, paranoia, etc.

  10. anonymous
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    Jan 4th 2006 !⃝

    Look, most of the time the video clip has nothing to do with what the actual song its about. So don't just say "ooh look at the video clip, I'm just going to say what TV put into my head."

  11. Wakutiki
    click a star to vote
    Nov 15th 2005 !⃝

    Watch the video and you will see what I mean.

  12. Wakutiki
    click a star to vote
    Oct 15th 2005 !⃝

    This song is about superheroes who go through a lot of stress and just want to get away from everything.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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