doing all the things i used to do with people, part 2 (acoustic/rooftop version)

Song Meaning

The narrator attempts a rooftop rendition, acknowledging its "really different" and "really slow" nature, setting a tone of raw vulnerability. This acoustic setting, exposed to the "wind," mirrors the stripped-down emotional landscape being presented. The intro itself is a meta-commentary on the performance, highlighting a desire to get it right while accepting imperfections, like leaving in a hesitant pause. The core of the lyrics reveals a profound withdrawal and self-neglect, far from simple rest. The narrator describes staying in bed, losing significant weight, and experiencing physical sickness, explicitly stating it's "something much smaller and paler than that" – a subtle, gnawing distress. This isn't about sleep or death, but a more insidious, less definable malaise that isolates them from others, even friends. A striking contrast emerges between past social engagement and present alienation. The memory of "dancing with a girl / I'll probably never talk to again" in Baltimore, a fleeting moment of connection, is juxtaposed with a fierce declaration of future unkindness: "I won't be nice to anyone / Because I don't see why I should." This isn't a plea for help, but a defiant stance of emotional unavailability, a refusal to "get clean" or be pleasant. Ultimately, the effectiveness lies in this unflinching portrayal of internal struggle and the deliberate rejection of conventional niceties. The lyrics don't offer easy answers or resolutions, mirroring the narrator's own uncertainty, as seen in the outro's fumbling for a comparable "noise" for the acoustic version. It's the raw, unvarnished presentation of a difficult emotional state, captured in its messy, unresolved present.