#panic theories

Today I’m here to talk about From A Mountain In The Middle Of The Cabins and When The Day Met The Night, and how I think the two create a story. Because of the length of the titles, FAMITMOTC will be called Cabins and WTDMTN will be Day and Night.

Now, some people think the two songs are about Brendon, some think Keltie. Personally, I think Ryan kind of mixed the traits and stories of Brendon and Keltie, and maybe more lovers, to create the characters of the ‘Sun’ and ‘Moon’ we encounter in these two songs. The two songs draw many parallels: both tell the story of two lovers, both are about whirlwind romances in the summer, among other similarities involving imagery that I don’t really feel like getting into.

Anywho, Day and Night starts us off with how the pair met. Our sun, who we can assume is Ryan, is at a low point in his life when he meets his moon. She ‘saved’ him, so to speak, and they instantly fell in love. The rest of the song is pretty straightforward, talking honestly and lovingly about the two, and their romance. Pretty simple, right? Right.

But it gets more complex when we put the two together and look at Cabins. Now, this song isn’t as popular and it is certainly more complex than Day and Night, there’s a lot of tricky metaphor and buried meanings. Huh, wonder why that is. Maybe Ryan didn’t want to make it obvious that he was writing about HIS relationship.

Whatever the case, this song is about our Golden Couple… who have grown to resent each other. Ryan describes the moon as ‘crying’ with a ‘halo in her hair’, indicating that she’s some sort of fallen angel. He then goes on to say that there are ‘feathers everywhere’, almost like she’s shedding her wings and coming undone. It then goes on to describe that she’s crying through a rusted smile, meaning it’s fake, tired, and a shadow of what it once was. Her partner, the sun, isn’t so simple and pure now: he’s a ‘drug farm entrepreneur’. He tells the moon to go spin in circles for him (note that Keltie was a dancer before she became Reality TV Trash [Before anyone gets angry, Keltie is no angel: check out THIS post) basically saying to idly wait and dance around an empty relationship, telling her to entertain herself. She’s ‘wound relentlessly around the words we used to sling’, stuck in the past and still angry about old arguments. This could be about Brendon OR Keltie here.

He then angrily tells the moon that if she’s leaving, leave. If you’re going, then GO. Clearly, it’s over: they’re dancing around the decaying corpse of what was once a loving relationship.

The second verse is more tricky. He seems to be talking about how their love was ruined by something that seemed playful and breezy (a kite), but there were ‘strings attached’ that pulled them down slowly. The wishes sinking like stones are saying that the moons hopes and dreams, maybe for her life, maybe for their love, are fading away into nothingness.

So, to add onto my theory about The Overpass, a lot of people were posting about how The Overpass is a bar in LA that is now closed. At first, I disregarded it as a coincidence, but I’ve found out a few interesting things about said bar.

1.) It’s invite only, sort of like a speakeasy. It was very discreet, you had to know someone to get in, and it was very low-key and private. It would be an ideal place for two lovers to meet in secret. The place literally was windowless, and people online said that you almost had no chance of getting in.

2.) The bar is located in Echo Park, where Ryan lives. Ryan has lived in that area for YEARS.

Placing a smile at the perfect event, gracing your skin with the side of my hand - A perfect event could be an awards show or party. He’s smiling at Ryan, touching and holding his hand: and there’s plenty of photos of the two holding hands. He’s just talking about simple, gentle touches: signs of love and affection.

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you. Sentimental Boy is my Nom de Plume - Brendon’s speaking in past tense. Perhaps he’s playing with the fact that RYAN is the one that left, not him, but nevertheless, he’s basically saying that yes, he can live without Ryan, but he’s sentimental. Nom de plume means Pen-name, which is a name someone hides behind or identifies as while writing. He’s being reminiscent.

Let me save you, hold this rope - He’s telling Ryan to hold on, that he can save him if he just holds on. (Clearly, Ryan didn’t.)

I may never sleep tonight, as long as you’re still burning bright - There are a few ways to interpret this. Personally, I think it’s an allusion to fame: as long as Ryan is known and loved and in the public eye, Brendon can’t sleep, Brendon can’t think of anything else. This could also be interpreted as Ryan is still angry and aware, in pain. Brendon can’t ‘sleep’ (find peace) until Ryan can.

If I could Trade Mistakes for sheep, count me away before you sleep - If he could trade his mistakes for sheep, you could count them away to fall asleep, meaning there’s probably... a lot of mistakes. Interestingly enough, he says before YOU sleep: in the The Young Veins song Everyone But You, there’s a similar line: ‘I’m tired of counting sheep to see her; I sleep because I NEED her, and everybody knows it... but you.’ It should be noted that Jon Walker sings this song, not Ryan, but Ryan IS listed as a songwriter, and I’m not 100% on this but I swear I saw that Ryan and Jon wrote the song about two romantic experiences: one of Ryan’s, one of Jon’s. If anyone could confirm this I’d appreciate it. The song is also very different from Take A Vacation’s theme of cheating and ironic anger (the album is clearly written about Ryan’s ex girlfriend, Keltie Knight).

I’ll stay awake, ‘til I trade my mistakes, or they fade away - The way I interpret this is slightly complicated and I’m not sure that people will understand it. But anyway, in the previous line, Brendon said that the traded mistakes would count this person away before they slept. I interpret ‘sleeping’ as forgiveness, as moving on. Brendon can only move on once Ryan does, and Ryan can only move on... once the mistakes are either traded, or faded away. This was explained really poorly, I explained it better in my head. Sorry about that haha.

I feel marooned in this body. Deserted, my organs can go on without me - He feels left alone, he’s depressed. He doesn’t have much of a will. Even his own body can go on without his brain.

You can’t fly these wings. You can’t sleep in this box with me. - Ryan can’t stay with him, he can’t be with him. Brendon won’t allow it.

I am an anchor, sinking her. - In the end, the rope isn’t one he’s holding, pulling Ryan up: he’s bringing Ryan DOWN. Pulling him under the water, sinking him, sinking Ryan, sinking the band. Brendon felt like a weight, a burden.

Once upon a thrill, from a kiss to a swill. We were swallowin' the nights, like we had nine lives. Dead and gone so long, seventeen's so gone. We were borderline kids with a book of disorders. Medicatin' every day to keep the straightness in order—They were young, wild teenagers, who thought they were immortal. This is probably talking about around Fever era, where they partied, and loved the fame. The medicating part is probably referring to Brendon’s ADHD medication he was on, which he admitted made him zombie like. To keep the straightness in order could be talking about literally keeping himself straightened and stable, but that would contradict the previous lyrics, which talk about being wild and free. But maybe it’s talking about sexuality straightness, he was taking his meds, which maybe made him less hyper and touchy. Brendon’s touchiness and the stage-gay (which started after he stopped the meds, I believe) definitely made people question his sexuality.

There’s only memories when it's over—This is obvious.

So pour out some liquor, make it an old fashioned—An old fashioned is just a type of drink, but it could be a play on the fact that he’s talking about and reflecting on the past, since he’s drinking an OLD FASHIONED.

Remember your youth, in all that you do, the plank and the passion. They were the best of times, they were the best of times, of your life—He’s advising the listener, and himself, to remember their youth and keep it close, because that’s the best time of your life. It’s interesting he’d say that, because he definitely didn’t meet his wife in his youth, and you’d think he’d be saying NOW is the best time of his life.

Once upon before, we were brilliant and bored—Him and Ryan were brilliant: they wrote beautiful, smart lyrics, but they were bored: maybe of the industry, maybe of the sound of their music (hence the line ‘Swear to shake it up if you swear to listen’), or maybe even of each other. This could also be talking about PRE fame, when they felt too smart and too original for Vegas or for ‘ordinary’ lives.

Two dishes of the bitters, add some ice and then you pour—Again, just instructions on how to make an old fashioned.