Playing God lyrics by Paramore, 12 meanings. Playing God explained, official 2024 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
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Paramore – Playing God lyrics
Can't make my own decisions or make any with precision
Well, maybe you should tie me up so I don't go where you don't want me
You say that I've been changing, that I'm not just simply aging
Yeah, how could that be logical?
Just keep on cramming ideas down my throat

Wo-o-o-ho-oh

You don't have to believe me
But the way I, way I see it
Next time you point a finger
I might have to bend it back
Or break it, break it off
Next time you point a finger... I'll point you to the mirror

If God's the game that you're playing
Well, we must get more acquainted
Because it has to be so lonely... To be the only one who's holy
It's just my humble opinion, but it's one that I believe in
You don't deserve a point of view, if the only thing you see is you

Wo-o-o-ho-oh

You don't have to believe me
But the way I, way I see it
Next time you point a finger
I might have to bend it back
Or break it, break it off
Next time you point a finger... I'll point you to the mirror

This is the last second chance
(I'll point you to the mirror)
I'm half as good as it gets
(I'll point you to the mirror)
I'm on both sides of the fence
(I'll point you to the mirror)
Without a hint of regret... I'll hold you to it

I know you don't believe me
But the way I, way I see it
Next time you point a finger
I might have to bend it back
Or break it, break it off

Next time you point a finger... I'll point you to the mirror

I know you won't believe me
But the way I, way I see it
Next time you point a finger
I might have to bend it back
Or break it, break it off
Next time you point a finger... I'll point you to the mirror
×



Lyrics taken from /lyrics/p/paramore/playing_god.html

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Songwriters: Hayley Nichole Williams, Joshua Neil Farro, Taylor Benjamin York
Playing God lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Submitted by WalkingTravesty
Corrected by keast18

Playing God meanings Post my meaning

  • w
    + 8
    wallflower
    So, we have two characters. One is Mr. Superiority, and the other is Hayley's character. Mr. Superiority treats Hayley's character like crap, pushing her away, but refusing to let her go - blaming her for everything but not wanting to be rid of her. Basically, he is the one holding on, being completely selfish, and taking advantage of her patience. And then you can see that she's realized what is going on, and that she's incredibly tired of the way he is acting. "This is the last second chance," is like the confession that she's put up with it for so long and she can't just let it go on anymore. She's saying that next time he starts blaming her she's going to say that really he should be blamed. And since he thinks that he is always right, he's "playing God."
    It's the typical, "I'm getting out," scenario, but worded strongly and perfectly.
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  • U
    + 5
    Unregistered
    The meaning of this song is that there's someone holding her back. She tries to pursue her passions and do what she wants but instead she's not allowed to. Then she is told that it's all her fault that things aren't going to way she wants. The title "playing god" refers to the person controlling her life. This person could be a number of things. An abusive boyfriend, or even her parents.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 4
    Unregistered
    I think that this song has a lot of meaning behind it. It is all about someone thinking that they are so righteous and christian even though they judge people before they even give them a chance. They think they can tell people how to live their life and that their rules are the only thing that matters. It is a great song that many people and myself can relate too :) thank you for creating such an awesome song.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 3
    Unregistered
    To me it sounds like someone is controlling her and trying to tell her how to live because everything she does is 'wrong' and it's kind of like she's finally had enough and is saying if you want it done so badly do it yourself because you have faults too. And yeah, she's not perfect but she's trying her best. It's like she's finally realizing she's the victim here and is taking the defensive to say stop or i'll take you down with me. Just what I'm getting =/
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  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    The meaning behind playing god is (in my opinion) that there is a guy who thinks he's all it and that he's perfect and he spends his time pointing out other peoples flaws and telling them what they should do but he should take a look at himself and stop judging other people. Also, if someones view is different to his then he doesn't believe them and the singer says that he doesn't deserve an opinion if the only thing he sees is him meaning that he shouldn't have a take on things because he so egotistical that he'll end up making himself look good even if that's not true.
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  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    "ignorance was the first song they wrote for brand new eyes where hayley had to let out her frustrations and bring to light the issues going on with their relationships as friends, a band, and as ex's (for josh and hayley).
    As for playing god, I never had understood why josh sings -i'll point you to the mirror" in the bridge and at first I was surprised to see the guys tied up (i thought hayley would be tied up to demonstrate the sarcastic lyrics), but seeing the video put it into perspective for me…
    Hayley's sitting in her car, reflecting. She has a flashback of when she was sitting in her basement reflecting some more, looking over old pictures of her and the band, throwing them down on the ground where we see rope as well (foreshadow of the next scene). Then, coming back to the present, she gets out while holding a bundle of flowers and starts walking to the hatch for the basement. Hayley enters the basement where we see the guys tied up, a light bulb (allusion to ignorance) above them. Hayley throws the flowers down (which symbolizes their friendship), and talks to their faces while she has their attention.
    In the midst of this confrontation, we see the scene again where hayley is sitting in the chair/throwing the pictures down. Then the scene moves to later that day where hayley has friends over for tea. While trying to move on/live life, hayley looks into the other room where she sees the rope and cutters. This causes her to think of the guys she has tied up in the basement right now, which we see a flash of them tied up. Then she has a flashback of when she had the guys sitting in the very same room having tea, which she poisoned, which shows how they got in her basement. Obviously, she had been contemplating hard on how to get their attention and bring up the issues.
    Hayley walks jon howard, hunter, and the girls out, shuts the door, worry on her face, and she's back in the basement confronting the boys. Hayley replaced the bundle of flowers, which she threw on the ground for a magnifying glass; she has them under scrutiny now. She's telling her view, looking at each of them, trying to understand the issues. She's saying hold on now, don't be pointing the blame at me, let's look at what's really going on here: you're playing god, accusing me of not being able to make my own decisions, succeed, fail, learn, grow etc.
    But in the midst of this as the bridge of the song comes up, hayley realizes that in taking this position of power, she is starting to go down a path of playing god herself. This is why she runs out of the basement and stands in front of wall with the frames and looks into the mirror at herself, while all these flashbacks are running through her head. She shouts that -this is the last second chance" while josh echoes that he will point hayley to the mirror, too (why hayley ran out to stop herself from playing god to think some more).
    As she's formulating her final thoughts hayley says -I'm half as good as it gets, " which means she concedes that she isn't perfect; she's only half of the view (while opposing views are the other half.) then she says -i'm on both sides of the fence, " which it her expressing that she doesn't want to be enemies here, she has her view and is trying to understand the opposing view too; we are all right and wrong, there are positives and negatives to everything.
    Hayley concludes, -without a hint of regret, i'll hold you to it" as she unties the boys and comes in with a slight change in the chorus of -i know you don't believe me" and -i know you won't believe me. " hayley comes to a compromise here. We have to accept our differences, have no regrets, and move on. We must -hold each other to it, " hold each other to our words and actions.
    They've stated their case through the constant finger pointing, she just stated her case, and in the end, she let's them go, pleading them to stop the finger pointing and start working together, sealing that point by slamming the hatch (she isn't letting them off that easy).
    So, admitting the problem was the first step (ignorance) and compromising is the last step (playing god). Brilliant lyrics. Brilliant song. Brilliant video. Brilliant band. ".
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  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    Playing god is just some person wanting to be the next 'it'. Changing everyone for how they want them to them to appear. When the truth is, no one will be what other people think they'll be. That's what makes us so unique - no one will guess what we'll come up with next, or what we'll be like. They're just changing someone (unnecessarily) for the 'better'. Their interpretation of the perfect world, with the perfect people. When no one - no one of us, needs to change who we are for the benefits of others. We are, who we are.
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  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    To me personally I think that this song is basically about someone being fake and trying to control an entire relationship (if gods the game that your playing well we must get more aquatinted) and like blaming everything on one person and the person singing (hayley) is fed up with it (next time you point a finger I might have to bend it back or break it break it off).
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    When someone points at someone, or persecutes them for doing wrong, them themselves are wrong, they can't say or control how a person acts or believes in, so in this case the person pointing te finger is a real big fat hypocrite plain and simple, and God is our only mentor, and our guide, and the one who controls the flow of how we act, so someone with less-or no power ove anybody else at all can't be the ones correcting others flaws and mitakes, that would be God's, Jesus's, and the Holy Spirit's job to do.
    Add your reply
  • k
    + 2
    kathia14
    To me this song is like.
    You know those abusive guys and husbands or even parents who llike.
    Always want to be perfect proper like them. They want you to follow in thier foot steps cuz they are the right and holy ones. They try to put ideas in your head, and submit you to be like a sort of sait.
    So the part that says something like " why does it have to be so lonely to be the only one who is lonely " is refering to like the result of the pressure so like you only have to be perfect, why everyone else including the person is like far from it.
    The song she's had it and is like o b4 you like want to change me lookm in a mirror cuz ur just as bad and imperfect.
    Add your reply
  • k
    + 2
    kookoo4cocoapuffs
    The only thing I can think is that the person who is judging is only scared of seeing his/her own faults and tries to comfort his/herself by telling others they are doing right or wrong or just critizising for all we know. We get tired of that and fight back that's why she says "next time you point a finger I'll point you to the mirror" what I think she means is if you've got your own faults don't judge 'cuz you're not perfect either. My whole perspective of the songis if you got faults then don't critizise or judge "cuz chances are you aren't perfect either.
    Add your reply
  • bingo
    + 2
    bingo
    Its about her speaking to the listeners. "Because it has to be so lonely to be the only one who's holy It's just my humble opinion, but it's one that I believe in"--shes not "holy" shes a part of Illuminati. If you don't believe me. Google it!. My post prolly wont be up here long, shes a Freemason along with lady gaga, beyonce, jay-z and alot of other entertainers just clearly google: Paramore Illuminati: but don't get me wrong their music is amazing I'm a fan.
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    Top meanings Post my meaning

    • w
      + 8
      wallflower
      So, we have two characters. One is Mr. Superiority, and the other is Hayley's character. Mr.... Read more →
    • U
      + 5
      Unregistered
      The meaning of this song is that there's someone holding her back. She tries to pursue her passions... Read more →

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