What About Today?

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone stuck in a perpetual state of waiting for a better future. There's a clear emotional tone of frustration and a growing sense of urgency, as the narrator acknowledges that current sorrows will eventually pass but feels paralyzed by the delay. The central question, "What about today?", acts as a powerful plea against this passive deferral of life. The core tension lies between the comforting belief in a future resolution and the present reality of stagnation. The narrator hears assurances that "tears I'm shedding now / I hear will dry in time" and "fears I'm fearing now / I hear will die in time," yet this future seems perpetually out of reach. The repeated imagery of searching for a brighter tomorrow while the "skies I search for tomorrow / Stay that same shade of gray" highlights this disconnect between hope and experience. The most striking craft element is the escalating list of grand, almost mythical events that must occur before life can truly begin: "'Til nirvana comes," "'Til Messiah comes," "'Til the mountains move / And oceans part." This hyperbolic enumeration underscores the absurdity of waiting for extraordinary circumstances to justify living in the present. It’s a clever way to expose how the narrator, or anyone in this state, sets impossibly high bars for starting their life. This lyrical structure effectively amplifies the narrator's growing unease and the central argument. By contrasting the grand, future-oriented promises with the simple, insistent demand for the present, the song makes a compelling case for immediate engagement with life. The repeated, almost desperate questioning of "What about today?" forces the listener to confront their own tendencies to postpone living, making the plea resonate deeply.