Song Meaning

The lyrics present a stark choice between visceral emotions like hatred and arrogance, and more passive states like sympathy and apathy. The opening lines immediately frame these as options, posing a direct question: "Where you gonna start?" This isn't just about picking a feeling; it's about the initial act of "drawing the lines up," suggesting a fundamental decision point in how one engages with the world and its complexities. The central tension arises from the narrator's apparent struggle with this choice, or perhaps their observation of others' struggles. The repeated phrase "Where you gonna start / Fucking it all up" injects a sense of impending failure or self-sabotage, regardless of the path taken. This suggests that the very act of choosing, or the inability to choose effectively, leads to a negative outcome, amplified by the subsequent lines about "blending with ignorance" and "leaning with indifference." The most striking aspect is the stark juxtaposition of active, often negative emotions (hatred, arrogance) with passive, seemingly neutral or even positive ones (sympathy, apathy), all presented as equally available starting points. The addition of "arrogance" in the second stanza broadens the spectrum of potential choices, but the core dilemma remains: how does one begin to navigate these options without succumbing to a destructive path? The phrase "peer pressure deciding" points to external forces influencing these internal choices, further complicating the idea of free will. Ultimately, these lyrics hit hard because they capture the overwhelming nature of moral and emotional decision-making in a world where the lines are blurred. The repeated questions and the sense of inevitable failure create a feeling of dread and paralysis. The core message seems to be that the initial choice, or the lack of a clear one, can lead to a state of being "dehumanised" and "inglorious," stripped of agency and dignity by extension, humanity.