As part of our Song Spotlight special, And The Crowd Goes WHOA! is going to feature a review of a specific track from a band's record. This week, due to the recent release of All Time Low's new album, "Future Hearts," we are going to feature a review of "Missing You" in our Song Spotlight special.
"Missing You" is All Time Low's acoustic, upbeat song with meaningfully deep lyrics on Future Hearts. The deep lyrics tend to be a theme on the entire record, but adding in simply the acoustic guitar and a little bit of percussion allows those lyrics to stand out and hit home.
The first verse starts "I've heard that you've been self-medicating in the quiet of your room, the sweet suburban tomb. And if you need a friend, I'll help you stitch up your wounds." This line really embodies All Time Low's relationship with their fans; Many times on Twitter, Alex, Jack, Zack, or Rian will respond to their fans who come to them with their problems (such as cutting, drugs, etc.) and they are a friend to them.
"Hold on tight, this ride is a wild one," starts the chorus. The words reminded me of an older teenager sitting down with their younger self and setting the reminder that life is a roller coaster, but if you just hold on tight enough, everything's going to be just fine. "Don't lose your fight, kid. It only takes a little push to pull on through," has the same connotation as the first half of the chorus; giving the advice to hang in there because things will improve.
The second first is a repeat of part of the first verse: "I heard that you've been having some trouble finding your place in the world/I know how much that hurts. But if you need a friend, then please just say the word." It goes back to the meaning of the first verse: the band always being a friend to their fans when they need one.
The bridge is, to me, the most meaningful part of the whole song: "Grit your teeth, pull your hair, paint the walls black and scream, **** the world 'cause it's my life. I'm gonna take it back and never for a second blame yourself." The feeling that the bridge gives me is one of being sixteen again, and being lost and scared as you face the rest of your life and trying to figure everything out.
Although Future Hearts is a killer album and all of the tracks are absolutely fantastic, "Missing You" most deserves Song Spotlight because it's a song that currently, and in the future, will mean so much to All Time Low fans.
