I’ll Try

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone wrestling with a profound shift in perspective, moving from a place of weary cynicism to a tentative embrace of belief. Initially, the narrator insists on self-sufficiency, declaring "I am not a child now" and "I can take care of myself." This outward show of strength, however, is undercut by the desperate need to hide vulnerability: "I musn't let them see me cry." The dominant tone is one of forced composure masking deep internal struggle. The core tension arises from the narrator's exhaustion with their current worldview and a dawning, albeit reluctant, acceptance of something more. They are "too tired to listen" and "too old to believe" in what they perceive as "childish stories" like "faith, and trust, and pixie dust." This disbelief clashes with an external pressure or internal yearning to see things differently, creating a palpable sense of internal conflict as they repeatedly state, "I try / But it's so hard to believe." A significant shift occurs in the bridge and final pre-chorus. The narrator moves from "I try and try to understand / The distance in between" to a moment of revelation: "I can finally see it / Now I have to believe." This transformation suggests an internal breakthrough, where the abstract concepts previously dismissed as "pixie dust" are now re-framed as the very foundation of reality: "All the world is made of faith / And trust, and pixie dust." This lyrical arc is effective because it mirrors a common human experience of disillusionment followed by a hard-won re-engagement with hope. The repeated "I try" acts as a mantra, evolving from an expression of effort against disbelief to a declaration of commitment. The final "I'll try / 'Cause I can see what you see" signifies not just a change in belief, but a shared vision, suggesting that connection and shared perspective are key to overcoming profound doubt and world-altering challenges, symbolized by the "city burn" and the ultimate desire "To fly."