It was the year 2004. 55 percent of adults now have access to home internet services. The New England Patriots have won their second Super Bowl. In May, the final episode of Friends airs, and Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. The Detroit Pistons win their third NBA title, and the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup for the first time. Ken Jennings begins his 74-day Jeopardy streak. The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918. President George W. Bush is reelected. Dresses over jeans, tracksuits, and cargo pants are the hottest fashion trends. The Incredibles and Mean Girls hit theaters. And The Killers re-release their hit single “Mr. Brightside.”
It’s been 16 years since the song’s release, and yet, if anything, it’s become more iconic with each passing year. The song’s well-known opening guitar riff is instantly recognizable to both casual and long-term fans of the song. As soon as you hear the chords, it’s hard not to feel excited, like something amazing is about to happen as the electrifying sound moves through your body.
Coming out of my cage and I’ve been doing just fine.
As lead singer Brandon Flowers kicks off the song’s lyrics, you too feel as if you’re coming out of your own cage. It’s time to let loose and feel alive. There’s a reason the song is so popular at parties and sports games. Its music and lyrics are easy to sing along to at the top of your lungs, providing a great outlet to unwind with your friends.
Gotta gotta be down because I want it all.
Instagram user @jana.casals says, “It’s the type of song that allows you to daydream. It’s kinda cheesy, but think of the stereotypical teen coming-of-age movie. When I hear this song, I think of that scene where the character gets into a car and drives around late at night blasting music. It lifts up my spirits a little bit.” “Mr. Brightside” lets its fans walk from their dull realities into the middle of their own teen coming-of-age film. They’re the protagonist, and the whole world is rooting for them as they drive through the night, having the time of their lives with friends.
It started out with a kiss. How did it end up like this? It was only a kiss. It was only a kiss.
But the song isn’t just about good times, or being happy. It addresses feelings of confusion and anger, frustration with not knowing who to trust, contemplation of whether or not you should listen to the voices in your head. An anonymous Instagram user says it’s “because we don’t know what’s happening — did she cheat? Did he cheat?”, emphasizing that it’s the uncertainties within the song that make it so relatable. We feel Brandon Flowers’s anguish as he sorts through his own confusion.
Now I’m falling asleep. And she’s calling a cab. While he’s having a smoke. And she’s taking a drag. And my stomach is sick. And it’s all in my head, but she’s touching his chest. Now, he takes off her dress. Now, let me go. And I just can’t look, it’s killing me, and taking control.
The lyrics are timeless. We all have those moments as we lay awake in bed, allowing our minds to wander and explore our worst case scenarios. As Flowers sings about his girlfriend’s potential affair and the sickening feeling in his stomach, we can’t help but relate with our own experiences of paranoia and despair, of wanting to let go. Another anonymous Instagram user says that the “upbeat yet emo tune will never die bc [sic] it tricks U [sic] into happiness while you wear black makeup,” suggesting that “Mr. Brightside” is the perfect blend of heartbreak and good times. We’ve all had that moment when something bad happens where you can’t look, but it takes control of your emotions. This common experience allows people to relate to the song’s lyrics. But the song’s inexplicable upbeat tune also creates a feeling of nostalgia, remembering moments where it played in the background as you and your friends all chanted its words together, imprinting itself into your memory as a tune of friendship.
But “Mr. Brightside” has become so much more than just a song that conveys feelings of angst and memories of friendship. It’s become a sensation. The song has inspired hundreds of remixes that are just about falling asleep or calling a cab. It makes appearances at parties and other unlikely locations, leading some fans to create a subreddit called: Unexpected Mr. Brightside. Some have even recently reclaimed the line “and she’s calling a cab” as “and she’s calling ACAB” as a signal of the BLM movement, securing the song’s place in the political sphere as well.
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea, swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis, but it’s just the price I pay, destiny is calling me, open up my eager eyes, cause I’m Mr. Brightside.
As the song reaches its climax at the chorus, you can feel the excitement in a room. The song builds, more and more, until Flowers belts that he’s “Mr. Brightside.” And in that moment we all become Mr. Brightside, powerfully claiming authority over our stresses, swimming through our own sick lullabies. But as we open our eyes, rising from our sleep, we leave the nightmares and go back into reality, to what’s not in our heads, to our friends and good times.
The feeling of camaraderie created by the song, its relatable lyrics and themes, and its instantly recognizable guitar riffs, have all led to its status as a cultural sensation, cementing its place in Millenial and Gen Z culture. Happy sweet 16, Mr. Brightside, and thanks for all the memories.