Silversun Pickups – The Royal We lyrics

Relationship on the rocks and they're on their final fight to save it but he's not optimistic about it. Do you feel safe that our relationship is secure? Carefully look over your shoulder, (i may not be there anymore).
The Royal We meaning that, in the end, he finally gave in to her calling him selfish and always thinking he was right. The royal we is an expression indicating that someone is right by divine providence, in other words, God knows I'm right.

We are ready for the siege,
And we are armed up to the teeth. Be careful how you live and breathe. Release what's brewing underneath.
To me this screams someone walking on eggshells, knowing that your on the precipice, that something is going to break, "be careful how you live and breathe. " but if you do disturb the water, you are ready, "armed to the teeth," and being honest with yourself you know that it must be done, "release whats brewing underneath. "
How many times do you wanna die? How many ways do you wanna die? Do you feel safe again? Look over your shoulder. Very carefully, look over your shoulder.
This is fairly straightforward, how many times is this relationship going to keep going through this cycle of death and recovery. The repetition of the question even though in different forms comes from a place of despair, not knowing or even possibly not wanting to know the answer, and is punctuated by asking if its now safe. For me atleast this is probably one of their best chorus's om the entire album.
We can laugh about it now,
And we hope everything works out. Be careful how you lick your wounds. Believe that change is coming soon.
This verse tragically serves as the precedent and antcedent condition of their entire relationship depending on when the next or last "fight" was. "we can laugh about it now," is blantantly ironic and is meant to be, this line was not an accident, especially in the context in which we find it currently. The feeling of death and despair in the chorus previous contrasts so obvious with this it is hard for me atleast to beleive this song is about anything but love. Licking your wounds carefully adds even more to the irony, he/she is admitting to that there are consequences to keeping this relationship going, and dissmissing them, ignorance is bliss, the next line futher reinforces this feeling.
How many times do you wanna die? How many ways do you wanna die? Do you feel safe again? Look over your shoulder. Very carefully, look over your shoulder.
Like I said before this chorus is probably the best on the entire album, and now I will explain why I beleive that. The first verse was essentially to describe the precedent, the build up to the eventual and invetable climax or fight, and the chorus was used to relfect that, a feeling of anxiety and trepidation so ensues, and is instilled in the chorus. Now however the chorus takes on new meaning, because now it is from a new perspective an antcedant one, full of remorse, a poignant sense of dissatisfaction even perhaps, and in my opinion is reinforced by all the irony within the verse that this chorus now follows.
You used to do a little, but a little won't fly. Right before you hit your prime,
That's when we fell in love, but not the first time.
Failed expectations and not realizing potential it seems is what ultimately dooms this relationship. "prime," has a very disntict connotation within our culture it conveys ones own full or highest potential and its use reflects a sense of dissatisfaction and even anger when used following the line "you used to a little, but a little won't fly," esstentially saying its not enough, you are not enough, I thought you could be. For me this line serves not only as the relationships fatal flaw but a societal flaw instilled on us to abandon our own preceived conventions and to strive for more. Why can't we just be happy with the one we love? The last line in this verse provides us with the core tragedy of this relationship, and that is that it is doomed to keep repeating itself over and over again. This is further reinforced with its useage again later in this song, and also the title of the song and its repetitive useage at the end of the song. However we will also see that, "right before you hit your prime," will take on yet another meaning. Kind of a theme within this song.
Can I please you still? Remain in your father's will? Or does it make you ill?
The feeling of despair crawls back in, the future is uncertain if we are uncertain. The repitition of questions haunts our own feelings of not being in the know, but still being in the want or need. Not knowing if the love is gone but still needing it. Uncertaintity is insanity, and while the questions seem to be linked by a very clever rhythmic device however upon closer inspection they seem random and chaotic, fueled by the disturbance the pertubation instills.
Let us bruise their knees. We went in straight for a defeat. You will be relieved.
This verse throws me off alittle, but I get the sense that "let us bruise their kneesw," comes somewhere from those that love and cherish this couples happiness. The act of being on ones knees instantly flashes in my mind a picture of someone praying and in the context of the lines and the meaning of the song I can only come to this conclusion. The following lines seems to provide the context of what the prayors may be asking for, the end of this relationship, the following lines I feel reflect this, "friendly fire," and "misery inspires" best describe this correlation, and if you reverse them you get "misery inspires, friendly fire. " clever. The last verse in this set best reinforces the feeling of urgency the family or the outsiders with "bruised knees," are feeling. They are apprehensive and participant in this couples struggle, "your throat has been cut several times before," but now they feel they must intervene.
So relieved, so relieved of all your desire. Feel the sparks of our friendly fire. Misery inspires.
Your throat has been cut several times before. Never noticed the size of the flow,
'nd it can't be ignored.
Do you feel again? Look over your shoulder. Carefully, look over your shoulder.
Again the chorus, and another twist to it, but this time without the inclusion of the questions "how many times do you wanna die? How many ways do you wanna die?. " consider that this is intentional, and now consider what this may be implying. Acceptance, or rather an acceptance based on the tragic cycle this relationship can't seem to fly away from. Abandoning hope, the chorus takes us to yet another level of despair, the last stage in this tragedy, the inevitable conclusion, rather the only conclusion, suicide. The entire song was building up to this, the music the lyrics the meaning, no tragedy is complete without ultimate sacrifice.
You said you believed it, but believing won't fly. Right before you hit your prime,
That's when we fell in love, but not the first time.
Repeating "right before you hit your prime," at this piont in the song is the key component and its other meaning, an untimely death. This song's tragedy is the "vile forfeit of untimely death" (romeo and juliet).
As I said previous that this couple is doomed to repeat this cycle of death and rejuvination, consider that while reading the last line of this song, and keep in mind the themes we've uncovered. The feelings of hopelessness despair of poignant loss and inevitable conclusion that there was only one way out.
And when it's all over, and you open your eyes,
You see the room turned on its side,
And you'll be lying by a note on the floor signed:.
This last verse is the most obvious to us that this entire song seems to be a commentary on a suicide note, it speaks from beyond the grave so to speak. "and when its all over, and you open your eyes," conveys a bargaining aspect to it almost, saying this was the only way for us, the only way to be free of eachother. "and you'll be lying by a note on the floor signed... "
The note is essentially the summary and the justification for the actions the person took, not having to constantly be "looking over your shoulder," for death but taking it into their own hands, ending the cycle.
The royal we. (x8)
Love, the royal we.
I've read some interesting things about the "royal we," whether it be a pronoun for a majestic plural, or an elected body, or a military connotation with which many have seem to be drawn to when basing their conclusion as to the meaning of this song. Though in contrast to what I've just stated doesn't seem to make much sense for a title of a song. Until you think shakespears romeo and juliet, and the term out of the context it is usually applied do you make a new picture of what the "royal we" stands for, the tragic young couple.