Sympathy is an acoustic rock song performed by the American rock band Goo Goo Dolls.
Before learning Sympathy lyrics Goo Goo Dolls meaning, you should understand what the song title means.
Title – What does it mean?
The title Sympathy speaks about human compassion. Addicts need support from the community to recover. In many societies, drug addicts are shamed for their addiction which further pushes them to use drugs. Instead of rejecting them and treating them like second-class citizens, addicts should be shown sympathy.
With the title explained it is now time to understand Sympathy lyrics Goo Goo Dolls meaning.
Verse 1 – What does it mean?
Stranger than your sympathy
And this is my apology
There comes a point in every addict’s life when they begin to loathe themselves. The more they abuse their drug of choice, the more reasons they find to lose self-respect. In such situations, a recovery home or a rehabilitation center seems too good to be true. The staff members are trained to be kind to the recovering addicts and prevent them from relapsing. This feels odd to the addicts who cannot believe that someone is being nice to them. The sympathy they receive seems distrustful and strange.
In rehabilitation centers, it is common to encourage addicts to reach out to their family members and friends. The intention behind this engagement is to give these addicts a sense of community. With proper support from loved ones, an addict can admit they have a problem and find the inspiration to finally quit their drug habit. Some addicted patients are also guilty of bringing emotional or physical distress to their loved ones. So during recovery, these patients are encouraged to mend broken relationships with an “apology”.
I killed myself from the inside out
And all my fears have pushed you out
Due to a heavy reliance on drugs or psychoactive compounds, addicts ruin their health and bodies from “the inside out”. In a daze of toxic narcotics, addicted people do not take care of their wellbeing, leading to comorbidities or a general decline in standard of living. Mentally, their entire world slowly begins to revolve only around their drug of choice. They start avoiding friends and family, eventually pushing them out of their lives. It is not a welcome change, but the addicts lose themselves in their desire for drugs over love and support.
And I wished for things that i don’t need
(All I wanted)
And what I chased won’t set me free
(All i wanted)
When your sheer will is not enough to grant you the strength to overcome your cravings, you end up wishing and praying. An addict’s relationship with their drug is full of false hopes and beliefs. They presume that drugs are important to their wellbeing. The act of getting high could also seem liberating to many addicts. But these euphoric effects are short lived with massive downtime. Gradually, it takes a toll on the addicts, diminishing their quality of life.
And I get scared but i’m not crawling on my knees
Oh, yeah
Everything’s all wrong, yeah
Everything’s all wrong, yeah
Where the hell did i think i was?
This particular addict (who is the speaker of this song) is not a quitter. The addict is convinced that he/she will pull through the period of abstinence and will not end up “crawling on my knees”. He/she acknowledges their fear and the difficulty of the task at hand. But he/she believes they can survive this.
This addict is coming to terms with his/her reality. He/she is now in a healing or recovery facility. Apparently, things are not going smoothly. In fact, “Everything’s all wrong”. That is when the addict reminds themselves that he/she has signed up for this. He/she must suffer now to feel better later. It is the only way. After all, this is what happens in rehabilitation centers. “Where the hell did” they think they were?
Chorus 1 – What does it mean?
And stranger than your sympathy
Take these things, so I don’t feel
I’m killing myself from the inside out
And now my head’s been filled with doubt
Long-time substance abusers lose touch with their own feelings. Not only do they fail to empathize with others, they also start treating themselves without any emotions. After prolonged abuse, they stop feeling anything. This lifestyle gradually deteriorates their bodies and diminishes their quality of life.
Emotionless, these addicts forget that they were once human beings. Their heads become “filled with doubt”. When somebody shows them sympathy, they react aversely to their kindness out of self-loathing and confusion. The chorus captures Sympathy lyrics Goo Goo Dolls meaning perfectly.
Verse 2 – What does it mean?
We’re taught to lead the life you choose
(All I wanted)
When all your luck’s run out on you
(All I wanted)
These lines could be a commentary on work culture. People are encouraged to be ambitious. They are supposed to choose a goal and spend the rest of their lives in the relentless pursuit of that goal. You must give your all till “your luck’s run out on you”.
Such an attitude can be very stressful on you. When you keep your expectations so high, you are prone to overworking and exhaustion. This is a major reason why some people turn to drugs and alcohol. Not having sufficient time to unwind and relax leads to lower levels of mood. Eventually, it could turn into depression which opens the doors to drug abuse. Anything that takes you away from the hardships of reality then is welcome.
And you can’t see when all your dreams are coming true
Oh, yeah
It’s easy to forget, yeah
When you choke on the regrets, yeah
Who the hell did I think I was?
Some people, like the speaker of this song, managed to achieve their goals while relying on drugs to calm down. But “when all your dreams are coming true”, it is hard to see the harmful effects of the drugs. You are only focusing on how those drugs help you cope with slogging and regular burnouts.
Eventually, your body gives up and your mind fixates itself “on the regrets”.
Chorus 2 – What does it mean?
And stranger than your sympathy
And all these thoughts you stole from me
And I’m not sure where I belong
And no where’s home and I’m all wrong
These lines describe how aimless recovering addicts feel. Up until their admission, the most important thing in an addicts life is their drug of choice. Now they are learning how to live without it in the treatment facility. The addicts roam aimlessly, not knowing where they belong to. Before quitting their habit, all they cared about was getting high. Now they feel unloved and homeless.
Bridge – What does it mean?
And I was in love with things I tried to make believe I was
And I wouldn’t be the one to kneel before the dreams I wanted
And all the talk, and all the lies, were all the empty things disguised as me
The speaker of the song is taking responsibility for their own actions. He/she admits that they chose to rely on drugs instead of finding more productive outlets for relaxation. Instead of blaming his/her addictions on their dreams and ambitions, he/she should understand that these dreams were important for them to realize. Drugs were unnecessary in their quest. They should have known better. But it is never too late.
Outro – What does it mean?
Mmm, yeah
Stranger than your sympathy
Stranger than your sympathy
Mmm hmmm mmm
The speaker is still coming to terms with the sympathy and love shown to him/her by the rehabilitation staff. But that is the only way to cure his/her addiction.
Hope you have now understood Sympathy lyrics Goo Goo Dolls meaning.
In Conclusion
This song describes the struggles of an addict or a patient of mental illness. While the road to recovery is long and tough, you can make it to the finish line with love and self-acceptance. This is the true Sympathy lyrics Goo Goo Dolls meaning.
