Imagine Dragons: Whatever It Takes Meaning

Tagged: Not Giving Up [suggest]

Album cover for Whatever It Takes album cover

Song Released: 2017

Whatever It Takes Lyrics

Falling too fast to prepare for this
Tripping in the world could be dangerous
Everybody circling it's vulturous
Negative, nepotist
Everybody waiting for the fall of man
Everybody praying for the end of times
Everybody hoping they could be...

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#1 top rated interpretation:
anonymous
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May 21st 2017 !⃝
If you've heard 'Believer' by Imagine Dragons, then you might realize that this song is a sort of "sequal" to it.

Falling too fast to prepare for this
Tripping in the world could be dangerous
Everybody circling, it's vulturous
Negative, nepotist

This is basically saying "I'm messing up, and nobody's giving me slack."

Everybody waiting for the fall of man
Everybody praying for the end of times
Everybody hoping they could be the one
I was born to run, I was born for this

He's saying "I'm ready, everyone's waiting for me to mess up, but it's not gonna happen."

Whip, whip
Run me like a racehorse
Pull me like a ripcord
Break me down and build me up
I wanna be the slip, slip
Word upon your lip, lip
Letter that you rip, rip
Break me down and build me up

"Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger" Plus the last line is a line from 'Believer'

Whatever it takes
Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
You take me to the top I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes

"I'm willing to give my all, I love the thrill, I love the endurance..."

Always had a fear of being typical
Looking at my body feeling miserable
Always hanging on to the visual
I wanna be invisible

"I don't wanna be average. But I don't wanna fail. I don't measure up... I'm not good enough"

Looking at my years like a martyrdom
Everybody needs to be a part of 'em
Never be enough, I'm the prodigal son
I was born to run, I was born for this

"I've never given my best effort, but now I'm ready. I'm made for this."

Whip, whip
Run me like a racehorse
Pull me like a ripcord
Break me down and build me up
I wanna be the slip, slip
Word upon your lip, lip
Letter that you rip, rip
Break me down and build me up

Same as before

Whatever it takes
Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
You take me to the top, I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes

Same

Hypocritical, egotistical
Don't wanna be the parenthetical, hypothetical
Working onto something that I'm proud of, out of the box
An epoxy to the world and the vision we've lost
I'm an apostrophe
I'm just a symbol to remind you that there's more to see
I'm just a product of the system, a catastrophe
And yet a masterpiece, and yet I'm half-diseased
And when I am deceased
At least I go down to the grave and die happily
Leave the body of my soul to be a part of me
I do what it takes

"I wanna be original, I don't wanna just follow the crowd. I'm a name, not a number. I'm worth more than I give myself credit for. I'm good enough right now, but I wanna be better"

Whatever it takes
Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
You take me to the top, I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes

"I'm willing to give my all"

I personally love this song, it's so catchy and encouraging.
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#2 top rated interpretation:
anonymous
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Jul 12th 2019 !⃝
from my observation of the music video, I see the water that fills the room as the weight on our band member's shoulders, the room fills with ever so many tasks that they have to do or have accomplished, when it covers them that's the overload.

The sirens tugging at our lead singer represents the demons that call to your mind, that tell you all of the negative nothings (as in you will never accomplish your goals, get out of your head, etc) when the equipment shows up like the boxing prize, the whistle, the boxing gloves, that is nostalgia to what they have accomplished.

The fire signifies your comeback then a dive back into your head for another battle, hence all the music equipment on fire.

I hope that makes sense, if not I apologize for the confusion.

TLDR; this song is about the rise and fall of a mental fight and the physical day to day struggle of a band
3TOP RATED

#3 top rated interpretation:
anonymous
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Mar 10th 2018 !⃝
I think it’s about beating an internal demon. A goal he’s trying to achieve. The fight of his life.
anonymous
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Dec 6th 2021 !⃝
I know imagine dragons where trying to encourage an single only mother who has been abused drugged raped trafficked and extorted her and her disabled daughter privacy taken and she fights law enforcement and those hating her beliefs of black lives and all lives matter. She is constantly surveillance left in poverty trying to turn to the law to help free her and her daughter. The man looks at her because of her using drugs to stay alive the man breaks laws to hide the sins thinking she is one of them. I know imagine dragons muse was a true story still unraveling in canada that they fight with their music to support this sick beat down mother as she fights auto immune diseases that should cripple her for the love if her beautiful daughter who has been raped and drugged to forget and is the biggest porn star in the world and she is a child. The crimes so serious even law enforcement is paid by theur pornography money to treat her mother as a druggy with psychosis to hide the sins of extortion which always ends in murder. thank you my gifts from god the
imagine dragons
anonymous
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Jan 7th 2021 !⃝
T- This title makes me think of never giving up. Being brave/ doing anything you don’t want to do, for others (your friends/family).

L- The literal meaning is doing whatever it takes to accomplish your goals, and to help others.

F- The figurative meaning is telling us that the narrator is ready to take on any struggle and limitation to be them self, to be unique.

TLFT (Title, Literal meaning, Figurative meaning, Theme.)
This is all I’ve got done so far, because I chose this song as one of my five songs based off of a book I read for school.
anonymous
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Apr 8th 2020 !⃝
I would definitely say that he battles mentally with Borderline Personality Disorder. Or a partner that he's in a relationship with has been diagnosed with it and he is always being broke down and being tested to do better. But either way it sounds like past truama and definitely seems to be BPD. Even his song "Cool out" talks about it 100%. His black and white views in life based only on what he can see but words mean nothing. But a very serious mental illness that can lead to suicide or on the opposite side of success very easily. As for me and my S/O---Chris Limitless
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anonymous
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Sep 12th 2019 !⃝
It might be someone being bored and wanting to do anything for fun and thrills even things that is out of his range of "can do"
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anonymous
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Dec 1st 2018 !⃝
I think it's about Lucifer's fall from heaven. He is singing as Lucifer. Gives it a dark and fascinating twist when sang from Satan's lips.;o) I love the song btw
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anonymous
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Nov 15th 2018 !⃝
I see it as a sort of a Love song and needing the other person. Hence - The Adrenaline in My Veins.
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anonymous
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Jul 30th 2018 !⃝
A song about wanting to be loved in my opinion... I think it’s more platonic than romantic though.
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anonymous
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Jul 25th 2018 !⃝
For me its about BDSM as well :)
anonymous
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May 8th 2018 !⃝
Not much of an I.D. fan however this track appeals to me. It feels well constructed with wonderful imagery. In my view, I feel like the singer is giving the middle finger to a self-righteous and judgmental world, ready to take on any struggle and limitation to be the best, unique person he can be. My two cents.
anonymous
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Apr 22nd 2018 !⃝
His goal of being one with thee and his drive and total commitment to that goal. It’s a goal that frees his spirit and energizes him even through all the trials . I think thee is referring to God.
anonymous
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Mar 30th 2018 !⃝
He's on steroids.
anonymous
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Feb 27th 2018 !⃝
BDSM~
singerstargirl
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Jan 5th 2018 !⃝
I think this is about some kind of appocyose or the end of rbe world (“the end of times”). I think it has to do with wanting to be someone’s last love “I wanna be the slip, slip, word upon your lip lip.”) He is saying he wants to be the word that skips from her lips. He wants to live life while they still can.
anonymous
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Oct 4th 2017 !⃝
It's talking about the nature of time.

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