Army

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone adrift, contemplating a more structured path like the army, only to be met with parental disapproval and a quick pivot to dropping out and joining a band. This initial rebellion, fueled by youthful impulsivity, quickly dissolves when the band breaks up and reforms without him, leaving him to "nuke another grandma's apple pie" and "hang my head in shame." The narrator seems to be grappling with a series of failed attempts at forging an identity, each one dissolving into disappointment. The central tension lies in the narrator's repeated contemplation of the army as a potential escape or a path to discipline, contrasted with his actual life choices. He "thought about the army" multiple times, suggesting a recurring desire for order or purpose that his current reality fails to provide. This internal debate is underscored by his father's dismissive "Son, you're fuckin' high," highlighting a disconnect between his aspirations and the practical advice he receives. The recurring phrase "I've been thinking a lot today" acts as a refrain, emphasizing a state of perpetual, perhaps unproductive, rumination. This is juxtaposed with the frantic, almost desperate, attempts to find direction, like planning to "write a screenplay" and "take it to LA," only to immediately undercut it with "I think I'll get it done yesterday, ah, shit." This self-sabotaging humor reveals a deep-seated anxiety about his own capabilities and the passage of time. Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they capture the messy, often comical, struggle of trying to figure things out. The narrator's self-deprecating humor and the juxtaposition of grand ambitions with mundane failures – from band breakups to ex-wives despising him – create a relatable portrait of someone wrestling with their past and present. The final thought about the army, bookending the song, suggests that the allure of a simpler, more defined path remains, even as life continues to throw curveballs.