Stop and Stare

alright so i think its about someone who has tried to please everyone around him for so long he doesnt know who he is anymore. he feels like he is watching himself from the outside and what he has become is trying to justify it to who he is supposed to be what is happening. "time to make one last appeal for the life i lead". (also explains the term "us")

the 2nd verse is him trying to get away from it and stand up for himself. his feelings and thoughts r coming back and the weights and pressure from everyone else is falling away.

"Steady feet, don't fail me now, Gonna run till you can't walk" he is determind to get away from it all, and what he is. but something or someone just drags him back to how he was, so he backs off and does as everyone else pleases again. "But something pulls my focus out, And I'm standing down..."

"And you'd give anything to get what's fair But fair ain't what you really need" he is talkin to himself. fair to him is so everyone is happy, equally. but its not what he needs, or what is gonna make him happy. he needs to get out of this situation completely.

"Oh, do you see what I see" who he is supposed to be is watching from the outside and trying to say this isnt right.

ok i could b totally wrong. and it prob makes no sense. but thats just what i get. i suppose its cos im relating it to my situation. i feel exactly that. i do everything to make others happy that its making me miserable and question everything i do. its like i have 2 personalities, i watch myself and half the time im like wtf am i doing?? but i still do nothing to change it.

great song tho. haha. :)

i think this song is talking about trying to get out of where you are and going wherever you've always wanted to.. and doing what you've always wanted to.

you thought you couldn't leave but you find out you can.. and that change is okay. "untie the weight bags I never thought I could" (possibly weight bags that were holding you down?)

:) i tried. lol. i still love love love this song!

this song could be about wanting to move on in life but being unable to because of past experiences that have held him (someone) back, but I also think that it is about this couple that live in a town where things aren't fair & they are unable to see each other as much as they would like to. it says,"this town is cold and I" meaning they have to go somewhere else where their relationship is welcomed. then it says,"it's time to make a move"... "I've got my heart set". the couple is planning on leaving this town behind. eventually they get in their vehicle and leave. "Steady hands just take the wheel Every glance is killing me Time will make one last appeal For the life I leave" by saying "every glance is killing me", the guy means that he glances at his girlfriend and it kills him to see her like that cause she's probably in the passenger seat right next to him wondering if they're making the right choice & possibly freaking out. finally it says "time will make one last appeal" meaning either they still have time to change their mind and stay in this town in the first place or they are willing to give it time in another place and see how things work out. if it doesn't work out, then they can leave, because the time that they have been away from family and friends in their old town could seem appealing.

just my opinion, though. let me know what you think.

He is tired of society and wants everyone to just accept who he is.

For me, this song is a suicide note.

-This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us It's time to make our move, I'm shakin' off the rust

*Everybody around me is sick of my depression and whining. They started off as very supportive, but grew colder as time wore on. It's time for me to make a change.

-I've got my heart set on anywhere but here

*I'm not necessarily wanting to die, but I want the pain to end. I want to be anywhere but where I am now. Even if that means death.

-Steady hands just take the wheel Every glance is killing me Time to make one last appeal For the life I live

*Everyone is noticing my decline but it's gotten to the point where nothing can help, and them reaching out only hurts more because the more they care, the more hurt they will be when I'm gone. But I have to do one thing right, and I know they'll be better off in the long run if I sacrifice myself.

-Stop and stare I think I'm moving but I go nowhere Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared But I've become what I can't be, oh

*I think I get better, I think I'm finally getting through, but then I realize I'm exactly where I started. Everyone has their rough days, but this pain has turned me into a monster. The person I promised I would never be. (drugs, alcohol, cutting, emotionally abusing those around me).

-Stop and stare You start to wonder why you're here not there And you'd give anything to get what's fair But fair ain't what you really need Oh, can you see what I see'

*I'm wondering why I'm not dead yet. As for the "fair" part, there's two sides: on one hand, it's not fair that I'm alive while innocent, beautiful, loved people are dead. I should die, not them. That is what is fair for them and their families. But on the other hand, what's fair for me is for things to get better. Either way I feel like I won't win because death isn't a solution, but an end; and getting better seems so impossible that I don't see it as a solution to my problem. Do you see my problem?

-They're tryin' to come back, all my senses push Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could Steady feet, don't fail me now I'm gonna run till you can't walk *They realize I'm slipping and try to save me, but I'm pushing them away. I'm untying them from my life because they are the only burdens tying me to earth. If it weren't for them I wouldn't feel guilty about dying. I'm gonna keep pushing you away until you are too weak to keep trying.

When I was going through my depression, rather than writing a note, I made a video of myself playing and singing this song on the guitar. I've since deleted the video and finally seen the light. If you look at this song the way I did, remember that things DO get better. The light does come eventually. Stay strong. :)

I think this is a great song.

The vision I get from the song is of him on the outskirts of a town, about to leave the life he's known. Who knows what has spurred this desire to leave, maybe a relationship gone bad, or maybe he is not where he thought he'd be in terms of his career. The line "I'm staring down myself, counting up the years" is a very reflective line which leads me to believe that he is not happy with where his life choices have taken him. The song title, "Stop and stare," is him pausing for one last look before leaving his life behind.

The use of "us" in the beginning I find interesting. I think that the narrator is looking at himself with a mirror, and referring to "us" and him and his reflection.

The line "Steady hands, just take the wheel" is another great line. The decision to leave is a hard one and he has thoughts of abandoning his plan. But, he knows that it's the right decision to move on and he is trusting that his hands will steer him in the right direction.

A very reflective song, and one that anybody who has ever been at a major crossroads in their life can relate to.

This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us (Diagnosing my depression because its gone too far) It's time to make our move, I'm shaking off the rust (taking my meds, getting help, trying to move forward) I've got my heart set on anywhere but here (Planning my future, wanting to move to PEI, planning college) I'm staring down myself, counting up the years ( Wanting to leave and not being able to)

Steady hands, just take the wheel... (Hoping and begging things will get better) And every glance is killing me (The judgement of others pushing me down again) Time to make one last appeal (Forcing myself to push forward) For the life I lead (Forcing myself to push forward)

Stop and stare (Me looking at my life) I think I'm moving but I go nowhere (Thinking im getting places when in reality ive been able to do barely anything to move my life forward ex. Not able to get a job, not getting better grades, having less friends) Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared (I know that a lot of people struggle through the same thing) But I've become what I can't be, oh (Exactly the line) Stop and stare (Me looking at my life) You start to wonder why you're here not there (I tried my best to get what I wanted but I still got no where Ex. Job hunting) And you'd give anything to get what's fair (I deserve so much after trying so hard) But fair ain't what you really need (Maybe im pushing myself too much and should take small steps but I cant help but want to see big improvments) Oh, can you see what I see? (exactly what it says)

They're trying to come back, all my senses push (Depression fighting me) Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could... (again pushing through the depression

Steady feet, don't fail me now (Hoping I don’t fall back into depression again) I'mma run 'til you can't walk (Running away from my depression that’s chasing me) Something pulls my focus out (something gets set off triggering my depression again) And I'm standing down... (giving into my depression)

I'm a cross country runner, and this song goes along perfectly.

I hear this, and I think, wow. "It's time to make our move, I'm shaking off the rust" means to me that it's time to move, time to meet your limits. "I've got my heart set on anywhere but here"... I see this and I think about how no matter how much time I cut off, my heart is set on getting a time anywhere but where I am. And that's wrong. What your heart should be set on is achievable goals until you get to the top. "I'm staring down myself, counting up the years"... I think of how I'm always thinking of the years I've been running, never being quite at the top where I want to be.

"Time to make one last appeal for the life I lead", it's time to work, to show what I'm capable of doing, being what I can be.

"Stop and stare, I think I'm moving but I go nowhere", and I think of how each season I think I'm getting better and moving but really I go nowhere, because I've lost it all by the next season. But that doesn't have to happen, with hard work each season can be more dropped from times, until they're all you ever wanted them to be. "But I've become what I can't be, oh". Recently I've been less competitive, letting people pass me and get better while I stay pretty much the same. This is what I can't be. I must compete in order to do the best I can.

"Stop and stare, You start to wonder why you're here not there". Why do I hang in the middle instead of the top of the running, why can't I be as fast as the top people? "And you'd give anything to get what's fair", I often think I'd do anything to get what's fair, to have the natural talent I catch myself thinking it takes to be the best. "But fair ain't what you really need". You don't have to be the best on your team. The only person's time you should watch is your own. It doesn't have to be "fair", that's not what you need. The best runners accomplish what they do through their own hard work, not always just natural talent. You can be the best in your own mind.

"Steady feet, don't fail me now": I think, I've pushed through everything I have. The steady feet I have kept, don't fail me now, push me farther so I can achieve the goals I've been working towards. "I'm gonna run till you can't walk", I'm going to work hard, so I become what nobody expected me to become.

This was kind of a situation that maybe most people wouldn't think about when they hear "Stop and Stare", but this is what came to my mind. Hope it helps anybody looking for something inspirational.

Trying to make a new life for himself despite being scared of what he might find

For those who find comfort in lyric, this song is deffinitely a good one. It can be interpreted to suit many situations. Regardless if it's about a particular instance or not, the general meaning is about making a hard decision... Or perhaps an idea or plan that could pan out either good or bad, but being willing to take the chance that it will turn out for the better. Whether you're getting ready to ask someone out, or run away, very comforting song.