ARE WE GOOD?

DID WE READ THE DISCLAIMER?

I DON'T WANT ANY FIGHTS IN THE COMMENTS

OPINIONS ARE OPEN AND SUCH BUT WILL BE SUBJECTED TO OTHERS WANTING INPUT AS WELL

I'M COMPLETELY OK WITH CRITICISM BUT I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO YELL AT ME FOR IT BEING WRONG AND SHIT LIKE THAT

IT'S A THEORY, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, JUST AN IDEA.

AIGHT, so M A N I A is about someone dying and going through their memories, some of the memories are in order, others are not, it's all over the place with it but stick with me here. I theorized this and I have good evidence.

And I know that it's real meaning about Mania, since it's about how the past two years (2017/2018) have been a bit of a Mania and also how the mental illness, Mania is. But this also could work.

It also helps that the album is self-aware, as is stated by Pete.

Exhibit A: Young and Menace.

Young and Menace is from two people, the first morning the second's death. "We've gone way too fast for way too long. And we were never supposed to never make it half this far." Is from the first speaker, meaning that the death of the second person was very immediate yet expected. "I lived so much life, lived so much life. I think that God is going to have to kill me twice, kill me twice like my name is Nikki Sixx" Is from the second, speaking from the afterlife.

The pre chorus then goes into the dead character who we will call Steve. "I only wrote this down to make you press rewind and I send a message 'I was young and menace'" This could be thought of as Steve writing a will, as if he planned his death. Could be suicide or maybe he just wrote it fairly early due to how screwed up the world is now.

The rest of the song, and most of the album is from Steve's point of view as the second chorus starts with "Woke up on the wrong side of reality" Which could prove that he didn't plan his death which would reference that he was killed.

The bridge goes into deeper detail on how Steve is in the afterlife, with "I'm just here flying off the deep end, I'm just here to become the best, I'm just here for the psych assessment." Which could be Steve in the afterlife being tested to see where he goes (if you're of faith) or just how things were before he could pass on.

Exhibit B: Champion

The first lines are Steve still talking to others, about to go through his memories and emotions, mainly speaking to an S/O or family members. "There's a fog from the past that's giving me, giving me a headache." Proves this, since after death/moments before you die it's thought of that you go through your memories and whatnot. After death your brain stays active, on average, for 7 minutes, which would explain how short the album is.

The next could be about being released into the "real world' so for sake of my sanity, we'll go with graduating high school. It all about surviving shit and it shows as high school isn't just a playground you can run through. "I got nothing but dreams inside, I got nothing but dreams." Most high schoolers have picked out what they want to do with their lives and have dreams about them.

It shows that the person is young due to the line "I'm just young enough to still believe, still believe. But young enough not to know what to believe in." In high school, you're still sorting through your priorities and how life works so everything is just a confusing blob.

The chorus is just "If I can live through this (x3) I can do anything" Which is how most graduates feel. Free and badass, feeling like they could take over the world since they survived hell and back.

The next chorus is weird... to say the least. It starts out with the still confident air but the lines "I'm trying to blow out the pilot light, I'm trying to blow out the life." Could be real time Steve wanting to be released from his memories and just die already, but something is holding him back. Hmmmm...

Exhibit C: Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea (jfc I can't even explain this title)

I'm not even going to try and explain the title and just deal with it.

This song is also about confidence and taking on the world from a more, mature perspective, say college.

The first line is real time Steve wanting to be free again "I think I got too many memories getting in the way of me." But this could have a double meaning of seeing the real world through college as it sucks. Let's say Steve got in a severe car crash and is induced into a coma to try and save him.

The next line is the memory speaking "I'm about to go Tonya Harding on the whole world's knee." Pretty much saying that I'm prepared to do what I want to get what I want. Which could be seen from a college student perspective but meh.

The next is once again real time Steve, as "and I'm stuck night vision, so stuck night vision, but I come to life, come to life." the first half is real time Steve as he's stuck in a coma and wants to be free. But the next line suggests that he was released from said coma but I don't think so. More so this is young Steve saying that he's actually in the real world and not the view of what everyone from high school forced onto him.

Ok so the pre chorus is really weird. Like actually. "Some princes don't become kings. Even at the best of times I'm out of my mind, you only get what you grieve. Are you smelling that shit? Are you smelling that shit? Eau de Resistance". (There's a thing above the first E). Like I said, weird. The first part could be Steve giving advice to someone who though they were gonna be given everything from their parents but were given nothing. The second could be about him in his coma. The third also giving advice to same rich person. The last though, maybe Steve tried to form a resistance when he was in college. It would explain a lot.

The chorus is pretty lit, not gonna lie. The first half is about young Steve recognizing that he probably has a lot of barriers up and whatnot, so breaking them would allow him to advance further in life. "The only thing that's ever stopping me is me, hey!" (x2)

The next line is real time Steve "I testify, if I die in my sleep then know that my life was just a killer dream." He knows he's in a coma so he's putting his thought about it out there, as dying in a coma is fairly boring. And may or may not be thought of as a dream.

"Fake tears we are living, fake tears," Speaks on as if real time Steve is probably a lonely person, so people would probably only grieve for him in front of him. But never actually grieve for him.

Exhibit D: HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON'T (the title is actually in caps)

This song is about *gasp* crushes! The entire song is probably young Steve seeing this girl/boy/person (who we will call J) at work or something of that nature.

The song first opens with he was fairly numb (I'm getting lazy with putting the lyrics in here now) and just didn't care, probably in a depression or something. But then when J came, they woke him up. Real time Steve also wakes up for a bit with the line "No longer comatose, I woke up no luck, I woke up no luck." He was probably hoping to wake up to J but didn't, so Steve is now sad.

The next is once again young Steve comparing J to a teddy bear or just a stuffed animal of some sort. "And when your stitch comes loose, I wanna sleep on every piece of fuzz that comes out of you." Which honestly is pretty cute that all Steve wants to do is just cuddle with J.

But then real time Steve comes back "You, I took too many hits off this memory." Which could show that he's seen this memory before and is pretty happy with seeing it.
The chorus is literally just about cuddling every day and how their story shouldn't just end with seeing each other, hence the cuddling.

In the second verse we learn that Steve smoked weed. And during this he realizes that he can't just be friends around J. He also questions if they were ever friends, which could be a gap in memory in which Steve remembers them being together but not just as friendos.

The bridge is real time Steve, sad that he's leaving J, he doesn't want to as "the distance between us sharpens me like a knife." As of he's getting stabbed, hence dying. So the fact that they're never gonna see each again for a while hurts our little Steve's heart

Exhibit E: The Last of the Real Ones

This song, is also just about J. J is the last of the real ones. Meaning his friends probably betrayed him or something so it's now just J and Steve. There's not much to explain it, Steve's love has become almost Manic in here (oooo album reference). How Steve is now hanging around J a lot, during this. Real time Steve doesn't show up until the bridge. "I'm here at the beginning of the end, the end of infinity with you. I'm done with having dreams, the thing that I believe, you drain all the fear from me." Steve is leaving... kinda. He's going back into the coma but really doesn't want to. But while Steve hates dreaming, J takes away all the fear he has while going back into the coma.

Exhibit F: Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)

So, young Steve is probably old enough to get drunk, but out of college as well. He's popular but doesn't want to. He just wants to be alone, (in the first half)

The tension is probably rising with his friends. So, going out is is a good idea to Steve. Once again, he's popular but doesn't care, he just wants J.

Steve's expensive mistakes could be real time Steve looking back and just groaning from all the useless things he bought. Then mentions J. Then mentions something pretty out of context. "I'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color." This line feels very out of place, until you realize that Steve is probably referencing the fact that people probably ask him why he always wears black, so this is his response.

Steve then goes into about purposely not showing up to something, which could hint at him with anxiety, which would explain why he would want to just run away. How he hates his friends, meaning he probably had a falling out with them. And then mentions J.

In the bridge he goes into another thing which could be related to anxiety, fitting in, how he's popular but isn't fitting in with others (if that makes sense)

Exhibit G: Church

MANIC LOVE YAYYYYY

This song, is about Steve obsessing over J at this point. This could also be a reference to being at a funeral as funerals are mainly held at churches.

The first verse is real time Steve talking to J and telling her to breath about him dying. How he's a "time capsule for the future. Trust me, that's what I'll be" He's fully prepared to die at this point and is hoping J doesn't take it too hard. He then mentions the things J doesn't in the name of love, which probably makes everyone question what they're doing. In this case, I bet J is always in Steve's room while he's probably just on life support at this point.

Real time Steve and Young steve meld into one at this point as RT Steve says he loves the world but then Y Steve says he doesn't like the way it makes him feel. Then says he has a few more fake friends, in which both then say "It's getting hard to know what's real." Young Steve with his fake friends, Real time Steve with his life support, and going through memories.

Both Steves then say "and if death is the last appointment, then we're all just sitting in the waiting room" (Patrick does a really nice run here too) Young steve at this point is almost ok with the idea with dying while, real time Steve is dying.

The chorus is pretty self-explanatory

Exhibit H: Heaven's Gate (Alliteration!)

This song is pretty chill.

Anyway, Steve is actually starting the process of dying now. Could even be thought of as a ghost with "Out of my body, and flying above". So he's probably stuck in the human world but still about loving J. "If there were any more left of me I'd give it to you and tell you I am fine, but I'm a missile that's guided to you." He's leaving this world now and is telling J how he feels. He even tells J to go and have fun and that it's ok that he's dying.

He then asks for a boost over Heaven's Gate. The only boost he can get it is if J lets him go, the biggest and hardest thing to do in a relationship. The boost could also be him asking for her to pull the cord and let him leave fully.

The second verse is pretty short but meaningful, yea Steve's got dream's but since he's dying they're kinda dead now. But as a ghost, he can try and make J's dreams come true.

He then mentions how, even if J can't let go, neither can Steve. He loves being in love with her and is worried that leaving will give rid of that feeling. In general it's a really nice and chill song.

Exhibit J: Sunshine Riptide

Ok I really like this song, (I probably rank all of these at the end of this)

So this is either a conversation between Young and Real Time Steve or between Steve and J. So we'll go with both.

This song could also be described as manic. As it's generally all over the place.

So the first verse is the Steves at it again. Young steve says "please don't change." and RT Steve is like "But you don't like me the way I am." The pov is then switched to Young Steve being a rebel and reading a sign backwards.

RT Steve comes back and speaks on how "the world tried to burn the mercy out of him but you know I wouldn't let it." Probably pointing this towards J. Steve then mentions a nice memory and then about pills. Which probably means he's being forced pills as J really doesn't want him to go.

He then says he doesn't know what he's doing and how the pressure is getting to him. Probably the pressure of actually leaving. But then says "It's time to throw in the towel."

He then says how he's stuck in the sunshine riptide. Probably stuck in a good wholesome memory.

The next verse is also kinda weird. Probably from Young Steve as it mentions things that Young steve would know about.

The third verse is sooooo cute oh my god. RT Steve comes back and speaks about his love for J and the way he phrases it is adorable. "You are my truest feeling, I love you so much. It's just like oxygen and it's going to my head." I don't I just really like this line (probably because I can relate to it on a platonic level). Anyway the oxygen part could also be a reference to him being on life support again.

He then pretty tells J to just do what she wants, but he does best with just what he has. And then mentions the pills again.

Exhibit K: Bishops Knife Trick (I can't explain this title either)

This is the album closer! The tone of this is very somber, which adds to the effect of him leaving along with some occasional whispers as if Steve is going seeing these things.

Steve starts out with saying that yea, he's a cool guy but then says that this is his pity party. He's leaving now. As he's "living out of time, eternal heatstroke. Spiritual revolt from the waste down. I'm just a full tank away from freedom." He's becoming a ghost now.

The chorus then mentions him seeing the real world again, one last time, before he leaves forever. And mentions places that he and J should've never left (kinda like young and menace) So he's also probably watching his death again and saying that had they not left this place, they would've been fine. This also could be about leaving relationships in general, not just dying. "These are the last blues we're ever gonna have." He's gone. Never coming back. The last time we'll see him, so this is as he's dying and through until he's either lowered into his grave or, with the mentions of spitfire, being cremated.

The next verse he mentions the feeling of death, it's indescribable. And how it can't be contained so let him go. But then says that he's still J's, no matter what. But he's struggling to exist with J in his memory but not actually with J.

The bridge is pretty intense. He wants to make up for the past, broken time and make it seem like he's not dying and leaving and wants to come back. But ultimately cannot as he admits he should just leave (as he's getting lowered/cremated). But cannot grip back on to life and thus dies.

~~~

Yay, this took almost three hours and is nearly 3,000 words.

Anyway the list as a promised

1. Sunshine Riptide
2. Bishops Knife Trick
Oof this is where it gets if-y
Uh...
alright I'll just say this
After those two I would lump all the songs together because they're all amazing in their own way (I'm including the piano version of Y&M)
And then my least favorite
Young and Menace
Let me explain.
I still like it as a song, it's still a good song, I'm not saying that it's not.

It's just that for me, it feels empty? Which is why I like the piano version more, Patrick's voice fills all the "holes" that I hear in it.

Like the lyrics is good, it's literally just the chorus that bothers me since it's all electronic and idk, composition wise, I bet it was hell to write and shit. Score-wise, it's amazing and innovative. My opinion, it feels empty

That's about it! Have a nice day/night!