Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: hardcore
Song Meaning of “When I’m on Pills” by Anthony Green
When I’m on Pills, written by Anthony Green, is a confessional song about the struggle of having to take medication for depression and anxiety. It’s a metaphor for the loneliness and emptiness one might feel while under the influence of medication. In the opening lines, Green sings of being surrounded by a “whispering wall of circus sideshows”, a descriptive image of the overwhelming feeling one might have with medications. He reflects on how present-day society miscalculates mental illness and how damaging it can be to be dismissed in response to his issues.
Green then laments the effects of the drugs: forgetting who he is and losing his identity as he numbs himself into submission. He grows more and more frustrated in the second verse, as he can no longer hide under the guise of his emotions and addresses himself as a stranger. In the bridge, he resigns to using pills to attempt to numb his pain in the hope that it will not come back again.
The song, ultimately, is a powerful and raw look into the state of the world’s mental health care system. It’s an anthem for those struggling with taking medication and an eye-opening reminder that we need to strive for better maladies and illnesses. The song is a reminder of the importance of self-care and focusing on our mental wellbeing.