I honestly have no idea how I acquired this CD. I have some vague feeling that it was a free offer of some kind, advertising the group, but I don’t really know. The reason I mention this is because I don't think I would have frequented any source that would have presented this song, no radio station the I would tune in to, no music club that I would have gone to. Some review I read said that this song was written for 17 year old boys, which I think is an insult of some kind, if not of the band, then at least of me who has been so taken by this song that somehow landed right into my lap.
And here’s another thing, for the longest time I didn't understand the lyrics at all, and here I had gone through AP English in high school, was very good at interpreting poems, and that ability got me credit for college English 1A and 1B. Well, from researching around the Internet, apparently nobody else understands the lyrics either, even people who have attended the group’s live shows where one might expect the song to have some introduction. But I know that musical artists hate to be asked to explain the meaning of their works and I have never come across one who has actually provided even a hint. "If you don't already understand it, then you never will", or "It's up to you, man, whatever you think".
Some people who love the song have made some brave stabs at interpreting it, but none of what they came up with moved me or felt right, even though those attempting were similar in age and station in life to the artists instead of me who is not really even in their same galaxy. Except maybe that is not true, maybe I am just as much a part of them and their world as they are themselves, maybe we all are suffering greatly from all these artificial separations. In older times, children rapidly became adults and there was no such thing as teenagers, that confusing mixed up time of having a fully adult biology yet are kept held down in an artificial holding pattern that makes them impotent regarding being able to solve their problems in a way that is appropriate for them. In other words, I think they are being screwed and that alone is enough to make a person scream.
I finally sat down and word by word tiptoed onto each line like they were rocks across a river, and when I reached the other side, I had come up with my addition to the list of ideas. It maybe just may be me instead of the Get Up Boys, but I have convinced myself that this is the anguish of a guy who has a best friend who has become a drug addict, let's say a heroin addict, and he can't help him! This is one of the most horrifying scenarios for a person of any age, but certainly for a teenager, in would be emotionally devastating because you want to do anything possible to help you friend, but the bottom line is that you cannot help and that ultimately in the process, your love becomes enabling. The only way to actually help is to cut the guy loose, that he has to reach his level of "bottom" before he does whatever he can to save himself, if he can.
There is definitely hope that they can. I had a friend once who became a crack addict and to support his addiction he became a serious burglar and was caught and arrested. As long as he was using, he continued offending and had been in and out jail several times. But ultimately he reached bottom, and climbed himself back up again, all on his own strength.
Whether I am right or wrong, I can say that this is absolutely gorgeous music, which colors this whole atmosphere with an immense feeling of love, despite the presence of utter misery. And that singer, wow, I really do LOVE him. This song makes my heart open up so wide to him that I love him like he was my own son, or my younger brother, or some sad neighbor boy next door who is going through the most emotional pain possible and his parents are at a loss as to how to help him. While he probably would reject any attempts of mine to help him in some way, at least let me hug and hold him until he finally calms down or lets it all out in a shower of tears that is the precursor to true healing, that’s what this song makes me crave to do.
19. Song name: Walking On A Wire
Personnel: Get Up Kids
Matthew Pryor: lead vocals, guitar
James Dewees: keyboards, vocals
Jim Suptic: guitar, vocals
Ryan Pope: drums
Rob Pope: bass
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