Meaning of "I'll Be Alright" by Passion Pit

The lyrics of "I'll Be Alright" delve into the complex emotions and thoughts of someone who is struggling with various internal battles. The opening lines, "Can you remember ever having any fun, 'Cause when it's all said and done, I always believed we were, But now I'm not so sure," set the tone for the rest of the song. The speaker questions their own perception of past experiences, as if wondering if they were truly happy or if they were simply fooling themselves. This uncertainty and self-doubt are further emphasized in the lines, "I'm so self-loathing that it's hard for me to see, Reality from what I dream, And no one believes me, No not a single thing." The speaker's struggle with self-loathing greatly affects their ability to perceive reality and causes others to doubt their words. This internal turmoil leads the speaker to turn to substances as a form of escape, as mentioned in the lines, "I drink a gin and take a couple of my pills, And my parade will give you chills, Oh honey don't give me up, I know we've had enough." The mention of a parade may allude to the facade the speaker puts on while under the influence, wanting to appear lively and joyful despite their inner struggles. Throughout the song, there is a constant push and pull between wanting to hold on to the relationship despite its issues and understanding the need for their partner to move on. The lines, "You should go if you want to, Yeah go if you want to, I'll be all right, be all right" show the speaker attempting to convince themselves and their partner that they will be okay even if they decide to leave. However, there is an underlying fear of being alone and abandoned, as expressed in the lines, "Your whole life's been nothing but this, I won't let you go unless, I'll be all right." The speaker acknowledges that the relationship has been troubled and messy but is still hesitant to let go. They view themselves as the source of the problems, describing how they've made many messes and caused the love to become restless. The daunting question, "Why do I keep housing all this suffering?" reveals the confusion and self-reflection the speaker experiences, trying to understand why they continue to hold on to their pain. The song concludes with the repeated affirmation that the speaker will be alright, perhaps in an attempt to convince themselves and quiet their inner turmoil.