Panic! At The Disco: Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks Meaning
Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks Lyrics
Because your speech is slurred enough,
That you just might swallow your tongue.
I’m sure you would want to give up the ghost,
With just a little more poise then that.
Or was it God who chokes in these...
-
1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:I read in an article that one of the member's father's was an alcoholic. This song is clearly an ode to him.
Watch your mouth
Oh, oh, oh
Because your speech is slurred enough
That you just might swallow your tongue
I'm sure you'd want, want to give up the ghost
With just a little more poise than that
--
when you are drunk, you're speech is usually slurred and hard to understand. "with just a little more poise" possibley refers to how drinking is horrible and ruins what the public thinks of you. "wouldnt you want to go with a little more dignity," is probably what that means.
Or was it God who chokes
In these situations, running late?
No, no, he called in
Or was it God who chokes
In these situations, running late?
No, no, he called in
--
this verse mentions how God clearly didn't help his father's situation, and wasn't there. it's really quite sarcastic.
The hospice is
A relaxing weekend getaway
Where you're a cut above all the rest
Sick and sad patients
On first name basis with all the top physicians
--
this verse reminds me of the late great show everwood, where jake goes to rehab for drug abuse. Here, I think PATD is making reference to an AA meeting, where the acloholics spend the weekend.
Prescribed pills
To offset the shakes
To offset the pills
You know you should take
It a day at a time
--
medication, but seems to be a little more poetic...i can't tell.
That's when you stu-stu-stutter something profound
To the support on the line
And with the way you've been talking
Every word gets you a step closer to hell
--
stuttering...you can't think straight when you are drunk or have been drinking. the say he has been talking--slurred, aka, when he is under the influence, he is getting closer to dying...and going to hell.
and that's basically it.
it's a really sad song, but really poetic and I love it. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:I'm convinced it's about his father's alcoholism.
For some reasons like:
1)"you know you should take it a day at a time"
--> it's what they always tell you at aa meetings.
2)"I am
alone in this bed, house, and head
and she never fixes this
but at least she..."
--> "she" is alcohol.
--> he talks about beiing alone in your house, room and head (empty of thoughts) and that you can overcome the moment with "her" ... Not "fix it", just overcome that situation.
3)"the hospice is
a relaxing weekend getaway
where you're a cut above all the rest
sick and sad patients
on first name basis with all the top physicians"
--> this means that when his father is in the hospice (health care facility), it's the only moment he can enjoy like you do in a "relaxing weekend getaway" -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:It is about Ryan's father and his alcoholism. Ryan said so himself.
-
This one is pretty obvious. It is about Ryan Ross's father. Specifically, I'm thinking, his drug addictions and refusal to take counselling. Maybe not refusal for counselling considering the phrase "Sick and sad patients on first name..." But clearly he doesn't take it a day at a time because he is constantly through out the song being told to take it a day at a time. You know the phrase god made me do it? In the song he says "Is it god who chokes in these situations." So his Father is blaming what he does on god.
-
When I actually thought about the lyrics, "Prescribed pills to offset the shakes" I thought about Brendon's ADHD, and shaking is like uncontrollable movement and that is apart of ADHD, I don't have a whole story like you do, just a thought.
-
I think this and "Camisado" are just two sides of the song; the whole being about Ryan's dying, drunken dad.
"Nails" is about Ryan's dad in rehab, whilst "Camisado" is when he's dying in the hospital. -
I posted a big thing on There's A Good Reason, and I'm gonna do the same thing here. Post verses and a simplified version under it.
Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks
Watch your mouth, oh oh oh,
Because your speech is slurred enough,
That you just might swallow your tongue.
(You're just so drunk, and there's so many consequences.)
I’m sure you would want to give up the ghost,
With just a little more poise then that.
Or was it God who chokes in these situations?
Running late? Oh no, he called in.
(I'm sure you'd want to die with a little more pride/a better reason than all this drinking. God hasn't helped you, and he won't. [I'm thinking it was one of those things that just had to happen, I'm thinking to inspire Ryan to write amazing music.])
Or was it God who chokes in these situations?
Running late? Oh no, he called in.
(God can't help you. He's done.)
The hospice is, a relaxing weekend get-a-way,
Where you’re a cut above all the rest.
Sick and sad patients,
On first name basis,
With all the top physicians.
(I'm gonna convince you to go to the hospice because you need it. You're better than most of the people there and the patients get to know the doctors pretty well.)
Perscribed pills to offset the shakes,
To offset the pills,
You know you should take it a day at a time.
(You got pills to stop the shakes, and more pills to stop the side affects of the others. Just take life slowly. You don't know how long you'll last.)
That’s when you st-st-stutter something profound,
To the support on the line,
And with the way you’ve been talking,
Every word gets you a step closer to Hell. (x2)
(You stutter something amazing to your support on the phone and somehow convince them everything is okay, but you're lying and every lie gets you closer to Hell.)
I am alone in this bed, house and head,
She never fixes this,
But at least she…
I am alone in this bedroom.
She never fixes this,
But at least she…
([I think this is from Ryan's point of view] I'm alone in this situation. Nobody knows what I'm really going through. [I'm thinking "she" is Ryan's mom.] Mom never tries to fix all of this, but at least she...[isn't an alcoholic too])
Hope this helps you guys :D -
Reading that its about Ryan's Father's alcoholism makes a lot of sense.
Top rated Answer
l
v
"I'm convinced it's about his father's alcoholism.
For some reasons like:
1)"you know you should take it a day at a time"
--> it's what they always tell you at aa meetings.
2)"I am
alone in this bed, house, and head
and she never fixes this
but at least she..."
--> "she" is alcohol.
--> he talks about beiing alone in your house, room and head (empty of thoughts) and that you can overcome the moment with "her" ... Not "fix it", just overcome that situation.
3)"the hospice is
a relaxing weekend getaway
where you're a cut above all the rest
sick and sad patients
on first name basis with all the top physicians"
--> this means that when his father is in the hospice (health care facility), it's the only moment he can enjoy like you do in a "relaxing weekend getaway"."
I was thinking that it was referring to pain killers. If they are "on first name basis with all the top physicians" then they are going there and filling their scrips and often going there and getting a higher dose.
"she" is referring to the pills.
"alone in this bed, house, and head"= They numb you to anything but them. Everyone and everything else doesn't matter. -
I was convinced this was about an eating disorder, mainly anorexia. But only because I have it, I sympathize easier.
Example:
"Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks" - That's basically what we have as meals.
"Prescribed pills
To offset the shakes" - When you don't eat for a while you start shaking like crazy; diet pills usually help in this situation.
"That's when you st-st-stutter something profound
To the support on the line" - Usually we like talking to someone about our ED that don't know us. I don't personally do this, but I have a friend who does.
"I am
Alone in this bed, house, and head
And she never fixes this" - We're pretty much alone as we don't like telling people of our ED.
The "she" is anorexia, who we give the name Ana and refer to Ana as a "her". -
This isn't an interpretation, but I'd just like to say that I am super happy for Panic that they are in the top 10 charts for most popularly searched lyrics. LOVE PANIC AT THE DISCO! I hope they stay at the top!
-
This song is basically a poetic way of talking about Ryan's dad (George Ryan Ross II) being an alcoholic. Ryan's mom left him and his dad and moved on. Ryans dad was trying to drink away his pain and therefore got critically ill. Ryan took care of him and tried his hardest to get his dad to take his medication "Prescribed pills, to offset the shakes, to offset the pills." But Ryans dad kept taking drugs/alcohol and eventually died 28th July 2006 "Every word gets you a step closer to hell."
"I'm sure you'd want, want to give up the ghost
With just a little more poise than that." - Basically saying, I'm sure you'd want to die with a bit more dignity than that. Not just being known as a druggie that wasted his life and money on alcohol/drugs.
"Or was it God who chokes
In these situations, running late?
No, no, he called in." - Ryan hoped that god would save his dad and help him get through. But god wasn't on his side then and Ryan began to lose hope, though he wanted to believe in his dad.
"The hospice is
A relaxing weekend getaway
Where you're a cut above all the rest
Sick and sad patients
On first name basis with all the top physicians." - The hospice is a place alcoholics go for the weekend to get support and medication. Ryans dad was a cut above all the rest because he was in worse condition. On first name basis with all the top physicians, he saw so many doctors so frequently that he knew them personally.
"That's when you stu-stu-stutter something profound
To the support on the line." - His dad told everyone lies so much that he started to believe them himself. Most people either believed he was fine, or just didn't want to get involved.
"I am
Alone, in this bedroom
She never fixes this
But at least she... (makes me forget)" - Either refering to Ryans girlfriend, a physician or the drugs. Ryan stayed with his girlfriend weeks at a time to escape his dad. The physician trying to help his dad take medication and stop taking drugs. Or Ryans dad's point of view as the drugs don't actually help him, in fact they make him worse, but they take his mind away from the pain of Ryan's mom leaving him...?
And finally "Watch your mouth
Oh, oh, oh
Because your speech is slurred enough
That you just might swallow your tongue." - Drunks usually can't speak properly and ad Ryan's dad was drunk almost all the time, he couldn't help but to say things he didn't mean. His dad may have been shouting at Ryan and blaming him for things he hasn't done. But it wasn't him speaking, it was the drugs.
"Well if your not tough enough then you'll just have to eat nails for breakfast and tacks for snacks." - George Ryan Ross II. xx -
Kay, so I know the title is a quote, but just pointing out, in the book Rant, his mother puts tacks and other sharp objects in the food. I couldn't help but think of this song.
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The title "Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks" was something Ryan's father used to say. I think the song is about Ryan's father's alchoholism, for many of the reasons above, too.
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"She" is Ryan's mother who abandoned them.
-
Ryan Ross had a tough childhood with his dad being an alcoholic and such and this song obviously expresses it. I mean really, just the title is enough to say something about what the song would say. When your speech is slurred your obviously drunk. Talking about prescriptions means that Ryan would constantly have to struggle and urge his dad to take the medication. Being alone in this bed could mean that Ryan always felt alone in having to take care of his father.
-
It's about Ryan's father's alcoholism, it basically has a connection with the song relax, relapse. :)
-
"Watch your mouth oh oh oh because your speech is slured enough that you just my swallow your tongue." His father is drunk so his speech is slured and his dad is probably yelling at him
"Im sure you wouldnt want to give up the ghost with just a little more poise then that" Im thinking that he's saying I'm sure you wouldnt want to give up your old self like alcoholism and that he's trying to get rid of it by drinking more. ANd he isn't using poise to get rid of it or trying to be more polite. Not a very good word but yeah.
"or was it God who chokes in these situations running late oh no he called in" His father obviously making excuses like God would mess up in a situation like this. But ryan is obviously saying he wouldnt and that he would overcome it. I mean he wouldnt fall to the temptation of drinking.
Im not going to interpret the whole thing but that's what I think -
'I am
Alone in this bed, house, and head
And she never fixes this
But at least she...'
A person in the house alone trying to not go near the alcohol. It's not gonna fix anything, but at least it will... Indecision, drink it or not. :P
A song about his alcoholic dad who died because he couldn't stop.
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