Entry (Lyrics): High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco

Entry (Lyrics): High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco

An analysis by using Psychoanalysis’ Personality Theory: id, Ego and Superego

by Nur Syahira binti Anuar (1520408)

288 million views on Youtube since its release on August 27^th, 2018 - High Hopes charted top 5 on Hot 100 Billboard hit (dated 8 December) (Trust, 2018). Panic! At The Disco’s (P!ATD) music journey has started since 2004 and since then, they have been experimenting with few genres. Last year, P!ATD released an alternative rock genre of their second single which entitled ‘High Hopes’. The success of High Hopes which include awards and nominations prompt me to analyse the lyrics. It was written by Brendon Urie (vocalist), Ilsey Juber, Jake Sinclair, Jenny Owen Youngs, Jonas Jeberg, Samuel Hollander, Tayla Parx, William Lobban-Bean. By relating the lyrics through id, Ego and Superego Psychoanalysis’ Personality Theory; hopefully the relation between these two will ‘explain’ some of what makes this song a hit.

According to Sigmund Freud (as cited by McLeod, 2016), the id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories. These are the lines which contain some of the repressed aggressive drives of Brendon Urie;

Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision

Didn't know how but I always had a feeling

**

So I got one more run and it's gonna be a sight to see

Urie has finally manifested his id – repressed urge to always set high expectations on his ambitions; He is now embracing the thought of living with more high hopes in everything that he will do which may be something that he may think before as selfish and wishful because according to an interview with Urie in 2018, he would not have to deal with disappointment in his life if he sticks to the concept of lowering his standard on every matters. But, now he will manifest his repressed desires and everyone will be in awed (it’s gonna be a sight to see).

Mama said don’t give up, it’s a little complicated

This line shows how Urie adheres to Ego concept (Reality Principle). He realises that to have on-going high expectations are fine however, he is being realistic when he mentions that the journey to fulfil all those high expectations may be a little bit complicated but it does not mean that it is unattainable but rather he should not just simply give up when things become difficult.

Ain’t ever wannabes

The weird and the novelties

In this lines, it can be interpreted as; even though he is now excited in the prospect of having high hopes in life but, he will not letting himself to become weird and unusual. These lines adhere to Freud’s Superego Personality Concept in which one of the systems is The Ideal Self which is an imaginary picture of how you ought to be (as cited by McLeod, 2016).

Below is the full lyric of the song;

High Hopes by Panic! At the Disco (2018)

Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes

Mama said
Fulfill the prophecy
Be something greater
Go make a legacy
Manifest destiny
Back in the days
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said
Burn your biographies
Rewrite your history
Light up your wildest dreams
Museum victories, everyday
We wanted everything, wanted everything

Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting

Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes

Mama said
It's uphill for oddities
The stranger crusaders
Ain't ever wannabes
The weird and the novelties
Don't ever change
We wanted everything, wanted everything

Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down