AJR: World's Smallest Violin Meaning
Song Released: 2021
World's Smallest Violin Lyrics
He was such a noble dude
I can't even finish school
Missed my mom and left too soon
His dad was a fireman
Who fought fires so violent
I think I bored my therapist
While playing him my violin
(Oh my God)...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:Some people especially the older generation always love to tell us about their successes , while "I" just can't get the achievements like them. When I start to say about my bad situation, they are not willing to listen it and just being perfunctory. I also want to join into some group activities with those people, but it is so hard because of the differences of values. These bad things may be happening to someone in somewhere else, so I hope that the voice from us could be spreading and answering instead of getting a "negative" response.
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2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:It is about needing to be heard and not have your concerns/thoughts/struggles dismissed, especially with the common "people have it worse" response. That doesn't help a lot of times - sometimes makes a person feel more helpless, especially when coming from a "therapist". The lyrics "I'll blow up into smithereens And spew my tiny symphony All up and down a city street" could have a wide meaning, perhaps even very dark depending on how you choose to interpret. Could it mean taking one's own life, or otherwise doing something to attract a lot of attention (city street) after EVERYTHING finally comes to a head (not just a small part of the sympathy like the violin, but the whole orchestra)
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3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:this song is about wanting to hold up expectations and wanting to do something “noble“ just like his previous relatives. hence to the lyrics “my grandpa fought in world war ll” and “his had was a fireman who fought fires so violent”.
the character feels like what their doing is kinda of useless because “next to them [his]my shit don’t feel so grand.” also he feels like he should be more ahead in his life as he compares himself to his friends by saying “they’re so good at making friends, i’m so scared of caving in…” so if he’s able to play a symphony with his tiny violin he would feel like he accomplished something.
especially if he would be able to play his violin for “you”. by the end of the song he emphasizes having to finish the song because it “feels like a necessity, so this could be the death of [him]me, or maybe just a better me.” he’s on the fence thinking this action could make him better in moving on with his life or tear him down.
he tries to be positive by “com[ing] in with the timpanis and take a shot of hennessy, [he] i know i’m not there mentally,” he’s not in the right head space to actually celebrate ‘being a better him’.
“but you could be the remedy,” there he feels like all he needs to do to have a meaning in life is to play this tiny violin and for it to have an audience and FINALLY. maybe. he will then feel like he accomplished something in the world. -
My friend and I have discussed this song multiple times. We both have come to the conclusion that a boy runs away from home with a boyfriend because it says " Left my mom to soon and his dad was a fireman" and we both have thought that the he is a boyfriend. The boy also is trying to live up to his family's expectations while trying to overcome depression due to the fact that it mentions "Bored my therapist while playing my violin." we recently also came to the conclusion that his boyfriend is also the therapist because it mentions towards the end "I know I'm not there mentally but you could be the remedy so let me play my violin for you."
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To me, it's about the feeling of your problems and struggles not being "enough" to cause you hurt or to be valid. The feeling that if you complain, you'd be playing "the world's smallest violin" because people have it so much worse and you think you should just get through it yourself and stop being so dramatic, but it really is causing you a lot of pain. If anyone is feeling this way, I promise you that you're valid and your problems are just as bad as they feel.
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I think this song really focuses on how important it is to listen when someone need to vent or “cry on your shoulder.” People who are hurting or unhappy need our listening ears not negative comments.
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I always thought of worlds smallest violin was about feeling small in the world and not doing anything about it(e.g "I got so much left to prove") and trying to make friends in a society that you think hate your guts (basically social-anxiety) (e.g "the world's smallest violin really needs an audience so if I do not find somebody soon"). In my opinion it's about feeling small because of social anxiety.
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I think this song refers to the western pop culture reference where the "world's smallest violin" is a representation that someone thinks someone else is complaining or whining unnecessarily. This person thinks they are inferior because the rest of there family has accomplished something but at the same time they think their problems don't matter because "some people have it worse". They believe they are complaining about their problems unnecessarily so they are playing the world's smallest violin, but at the same time if noone starts listening they will start playing a symphony aka do something that gets people's attention so he gets help.
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I'm pretty sure the "World's smallest violin" is referring to a term people use for complainers since violins usually play sad songs all the time, people use that term. This guy feels like he has a sad story and wants to share it, but he feels like it's very small and insignificant compared to all the others, hence 'The World's SMALLEST violin'.
Also, at the beginning, he talks about how the people in his past generation actually did something, while he feels like he didn't really do anything in his life, and that's probably why he feels so small.
Anyway, that's really just my opinion. You can interpret this differently if you want. People interpret songs differently due to their different experiences in life.
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This song is about comparing your problems to others' problems. That's about it but the premise pretty sick.
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I feel like its about not feeling accomplished compared to your peers, or family. I relate this on a spiritual level.
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AJR once said in their interview that 'you don't want to sound like a brat complaining about your issues.' The songs tackles and issue that we all have, finding the right person to vent to. Your problems most likely affect you the worse and nobody else will ever feel your pain. In conclusion, the song is about comparing your problems to others'.
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Its about mental health and that some people have it worse as said by the lyrics "Somewhere in the universe, Somewhere, Someone's got it worse" and he wished it made it easier.
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It's about needing to be heard no matter how small your struggles are. Because all of those little struggles add up to a big struggle and things are a lot worse. And "people have it worse" doesn't really help because you are still feeling that way. It's about needing to be heard like "let me play my violin for you"
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The phrase ‘world’s smallest violin’ is supposed to be about someone playing the world’s smallest violin (aka whining and venting about how their life is terrible).
The verse “so let me play my violin for you” is supposed to be them wanting attention. -
this song is about wanting to hold up expectations and wanting to do something “noble“ just like his previous relatives. hence to the lyrics “my grandpa fought in world war ll” and “his had was a fireman who fought fires so violent”. the character feels like what their doing is kinda of useless because “next to them [his]my shit don’t feel so grand.” also he feels like he should be more ahead in his life as he compares himself to his friends by saying “they’re so good at making friends, i’m so scared of caving in…” so if he’s able to play a symphony with his tiny violin he would feel like he accomplished something. especially if he would be able to play his violin for “you”. by the end of the song he emphasizes having to finish the song because it “feels like a necessity, so this could be the death of [him]me, or maybe just a better me.” he’s on the fence thinking this action could make him better in moving on with his life or tear him down. he tries to be positive by “com[ing] in with the timpanis and take a shot of hennessy, [he] i know i’m not there mentally,” he’s not in the right head space to actually celebrate ‘being a better him’. “but you could be the remedy,” there he feels like all he needs to do to have a meaning in life is to play this tiny violin and for it to have an audience and FINALLY. maybe. he will then feel like he accomplished something in the world.
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