This is an existential song about life inspired by the main motif of Beethoven’s 5th symphony, which is one that everyone is familiar with that goes like DA-DA-DA-DAAAA. It represents the sound your life makes when it knocks on your door. It’s an urgent knock asking what you are doing what your life?
This song takes that Beethoven motif and incorporates it into its story with the protagonist of the song hearing Beethoven. The protagonist is driven near-mad because he can’t stop hearing that haunting 5th Symphony motif as it spurns him into action. As the song goes on, he wonders what it’s all for. Even though he is in action, fulfillment is missing. This is an existential moment of the song and also where the song’s melody and musical arrangement lifts energy.
Song Interpretation: It’s About Not Giving Up On Your Dreams
At the heart of it, this is a song about not giving up despite a voice in your mind causing you to second-guess yourself. We all have that voice. Sometimes it comes from external influences and naysayers. In the second verse of this song, the protagonist tells about how people told him he is crazy for trying.
Unfortunately, this is an all too common scenario: others who have not done much themselves telling others that they can’t accomplish anything, and discouraging them. Luckily, in this song, the main hero perseveres, and keeps chasing his dreams. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. We should all be careful, and not allow naysayers discourage us from our dreams.
If you can identify with the main hero of this song, you might also enjoy my longer list of songs about not giving up. You can find the list of songs about not giving up here.
Further Analysis: An Existential Song
This song represents a haunting and existential question we all sometimes wonder about: what if we don’t amount to anything? What if we don’t reach our goals?
Perhaps the most common existential questions is what the meaning of life is, and what we should do with our lives. But shortly after we have an idea of what to do with our lives, we get another question of what happens if we don’t reach our goal in life?
That is the idea behind this song. When you are young, you don’t know what will happen to you, and the fear of failing is real and very vivid.
LYRICS AND CHORDS:
VERSE 1
There wasn’t a road to the vision I had.
But I hopped on my horse and galloped like mad
The sound of fate had knocked on my door.
It was Beethoven’s fifth from centuries before
VERSE 2
The crowds mocked me – said I aim too high.
They viewed their fate through smaller eyes
But they planted doubt that rooted in me
Am And I saw a future I couldn’t unsee
CHORUS
What if I become Am the one who didn’t
The one who didn’t
The one who didn’t
Didn’t feel my strength
Didn’t sing my song
And Didn’t inspire –
Didn’t inspire.
Didn’t find my love.
Didn’t kiss the girl
Who is waiting alone – waiting alone –
Waiting alone…waiting alone.
VERSE 3
This ghost in my mind chased me for years
As I raged forward running from fears
Did I run away or chase some make-belief crown?
I got so crazed – even the critics quieted down.
VERSE 4
Soul not sold, I became a lion who roared.
But my heart didn’t soar – what was it all for?
Is Beethoven’s fifth to thank or blame
For that lightning strike that kindled my flame?
CHORUS
What if I become Am the one who didn’t
The one who didn’t
The one who didn’t
Didn’t feel my strength
Didn’t sing my song
And Didn’t inspire –
Didn’t inspire.
Didn’t find my love.
Didn’t kiss the girl
Who is waiting alone – waiting alone –
Waiting alone…waiting alone.
VERSE 4
Journey completed – fulfillment omitted
But To Ludwig’s 5th – I’m forever committed.
My soul still bursting from every pore.
Laughing madly, I charged gale winds once more.
CHORUS REPEATS
What if I become Am the one who didn’t
The one who didn’t
The one who didn’t
Didn’t feel my strength
Didn’t sing my song
And Didn’t inspire –
Didn’t inspire.
Didn’t find my love.
Didn’t kiss the girl
Who is waiting alone – waiting alone –
Waiting alone…waiting alone.