What does Pain mean?

Three Days Grace: Pain Meaning

Album cover for Pain album cover

Song Released: 2006


Pain Lyrics

Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

You're sick of feeling numb
You're not the only one
I'll take you by the hand
And I'll show you a world that you can...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jul 29th 2007 !⃝

    I agree with poster above, Adam went cold turkey with OxyContins and inspired me to do the same. Oxy is a narcotic which becomes addicting and the withdrawals are painful and agonizing. That's what the song is about, feeling pain and being in love is better than being numb and being an apathetic person.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jan 2nd 2008 !⃝

    When Three Days Grace played in my city last year, Adam openly admitted that this song was written based on what he felt when he realized he had a drug addiction that he needed to face and control. It is easy to tie many other meanings to this song, because to every individual, it could have a separate meaning because most people can relate to it regardless if they have had a drug addiction or have faced other forms of "pain" in their lives. One thing I love about Three Days Grace is that Adam puts everything into his vocals when he's singing, you can feel the emotion, which is why his songs are so effective.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    May 1st 2008 !⃝

    Guys! When you hear a song, your interpretation is your interpretation. The inspiration is one thing, and is the writer's interpretation (as the drug withdrawal is to this song), but each person is intitled to their own interpretation.

    I feel that this song is about a person who has become emotionally numb to the world, only feeling "anger and agony". He/she "likes it rough" because the only thing that he/she can feel is the physical hurt the world presses on him/her. When the song mentions the "lights (going) up" and "down," it is a reference to the rising and setting sun causing the lights in the houses going on and off.

    The singer is teaching their coping style to the other in their situation throughout the song. The other is handling the pain of the world differently and the singer tries to help make things easier to "cope." They teach the other to love and embrace the pain of the world, and "know" that this acceptance will help the other.

  4. anonymous
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    Mar 26th 2018 !⃝

    I think this song is about gassing jews

  5. anonymous
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    Jan 15th 2018 !⃝

    This song is definitely about depression. You will often hear people with depression say "I would rather feel pain than nothing at all" quite often. I don't have any sources to back this just depression myself and a real good connection to this song.

  6. anonymous
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    Oct 31st 2017 !⃝

    Depression.

  7. anonymous
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    May 19th 2015 !⃝

    This is about Depression in my opinion, with depression, you feel almost like a clone. You can defiantly have extreme sadness, but it's a feeling of being nothing. Some People will hurt themselves to try and bring a feeling that they are still there.

  8. bvbarmyunbroken
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    Apr 7th 2015 !⃝

    its about (im guessing!) that someone rather feel the pain then just being numb. About not being miserable and just feeling emotions and being able to have those things that make life, life.

  9. anonymous
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    Aug 22nd 2014 !⃝

    Honestly, this song fills me with a rebellious rage. The tempo and beat, along with the rage Adam sings with inspire me to spit in life's face and say f you life, you're not bringing ME down! There have been many times when I walked the school hallways (back when I was IN school), heard this song come on, and immediately straighten up and glare at anyone who dared to look at me funny. I even scared a few of ny friends with the sudden attitude change.
    There's also another thing I wanted to address. An interpretation is just that: a person saying what the song means to them. They could relate any memory or emotion to it, and still be correct because it's how THEY interpret the song. The people who jump down the throats of others for having a different opinion are in the wrong, plain and simple. I don't know if that's the case in this thread, but I've seen it in others.
    Bottom line: this song makes ME feel like a badass, and that's okay. If someone feels all warm and fuzzy inside and want to go search for unicorns and magical kittens, they may need to be tested for drug abuse/schizophrenia, but it's still THEIR interpretation, so it's still correct.
    P.S. I was joking about the testing thing, but if you truly believe unicorns and magical kittens exist...PLEASE BRING ME ONE OF THOSE KITTENS XD

  10. threedaysgraceluvr
    click a star to vote
    Feb 18th 2013 !⃝

    hi my name is Kayla. I know almost everything about three days grace!! to clear up most of the debate the song is about drugs!!he wishes he can get past his drugged up state so he can feel something!

  11. musicsinmyveins
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    Oct 19th 2012 !⃝

    To me this song is about any outlet to the misery of what life can bring you. Like he says "this life is filled with hurt, when happiness doesn't work" it couldn't be any truer. That leads into him saying "anger and agony are better than misery" It just feels like am anthem to me in a way. Pain is better than feeling numb. Any sort of pain is better to deal with pure hurt from any situation , it in a way takes your mind off what's going wrong with.

  12. anonymous
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    Jul 19th 2012 !⃝

    My interpretation is that of a super villain, rather a tragic villain's excuse of doing the world bad and probably fighting the super anti-hero/vigilante (someone fighting for others without love, somewhat like Naruto at the start of his journey) at the moment and that he's doing the last part of his show, probably winning, reaching his hand out with a devious smile, trying to talk over the good guy to join him.

    It starts with the recruiting words that you're not alone in numbness. That you should take his hand and then he will show you a world that you understand (Somewhere you feel something), since there's no happiness then he will show a world of pain. The part where the lights go out, thats where I think he means you will now understand that there's only darkness around you so join him.

    Then the chorus:
    Pain without love, simply is that there's only pain and there's no love.
    Can't get enough, it's simply that it's addictive self-pity many villains have.
    I rather feel pain than nothing at all, probably the sentence that states his fact that there is absolutely nothing besides pain, he got no love, he got no happiness, there's only pain from doing his "good" deeds but he rather do it than be sorry afterwards. (Meaning that the outcome justifice the means).

    Anger and agony are better than misery, the villains fuel words of recruitment, that you should rather be angry, rather feel the pain of doing something bad that justifice the means instead of dwadle in self-pity and helplessness.

    Trust me, I got a plan, when the lights go off you'll understand.
    This is the villain smiling, reaching out that he knows what's best, as always a narcisstic part of self-determination of being the good and not the bad guy. Even if he has to show his true face that he is the darkness that shrouds the mind of the recruiter.

    - Chorus -

    Bridge.
    I know, this is your world and then I am here to save you.
    I am always there for you, and you'll thank me later.

    Simple, that he's stating probably this is a song to his rival/archenemy the super hero who's finally at the brink of destruction (like Batman and Lex Luthor).

    That he's at the last sentence stating you'll thank me later, is simple his own narcisstic choice of word that outcome justifice the means. "For the greater good." - Tau, Fire Warrior.

  13. anonymous
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    May 8th 2012 !⃝

    It's probably not about cutting but you know it could be. However you want to interpret it, just go ahead and do so.

  14. anonymous
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    May 5th 2012 !⃝

    okay as evidence the song says anger and agony are better than misery any emotion and feeling is better than feeling numb and no emotion at all and it could be alot of diffrent things so he'd rather feel pain than feel numb and about the drug adiction that idea works for without love part because he might have felt alone and unloved during this time. and the person who said the you know thing he first said i know so maybe he found someone that feels the same thingand who ever the people that are picking on emo people that is just crap and you need to stop they have feelings too and are human beings like the rest of us so who are you to treat them like the are not because that is toatle BS for picking on them just because they are not like you

  15. anonymous
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    Jan 7th 2012 !⃝

    I have read that this song is about rehab and the singers addiction to pain killers.
    But, just for fun replace pain with sex ;)

  16. anonymous
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    Jul 4th 2011 !⃝

    I think it's about masochism. My friend said it first and I was like noooo he says he'd rather feel pain than not feeling anything and being feeling less then I heard: "when the lights go out you'll understand" then I was like yea... Its about S&M

  17. anonymous
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    May 18th 2011 !⃝

    This song is about being hurt or cheated on, and it is telling how the pain is better than not feeling anything and being numb all of the time.
    "Your sick of feeling numb, Your not the only one," This statement supports my opinion, though it is only an opinion.
    Thank you for your time.

  18. anonymous
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    Apr 1st 2011 !⃝

    There are plenty of interpretations one being depression, the other about Adam (lead singer) being an addict to oxycontin. Being an ex-addict to prescription pills myself, you can tell exactly what Adam means in the song. "I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all" He would rather go through withdrawal and feel the awful pain of that than being numb by the drug. "Pain without love" Loving the drug or the feeling of being numb and happy..."anger and agony are better than misery" Look up withdrawal symptoms of oxycontin or prescription pills in general and then re-read the lyrics of the song. The drugs make you miserable. It makes complete sense and I listened to this while I was going through the same thing as Adam. "I'll show you a world that you can understand" A world without drugs.

    Seems like many of these people interpret this song about cutting, which I'm not saying is wrong because cutting can go with depression. Just read the articles and interviews with Adam about the song and you'll see the real meaning.

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