Top 5- Imagine Dragons

Hey, guys! It’s me again. You know, the one who pops up every week with a list of songs and a Killers reference or five?

Yeah, you do.

For this week, I’m ignoring all the suggestions and going straight to the Imagine Dragons, purely because this then completes my Las Vegas trio and we can move on.

Also, on a side note: this is a day late, but that’s down to me having to do a bunch of stuff yesterday. Anyway.

So as I’ve mentioned before, the Imagine Dragons were my first top 5, and to be honest I have no idea if the list has changed at all. It probably hasn’t.

So… Let’s get going!

As always, the YouTube audio is linked to the title, so if you like the sound of it, you can go ahead and listen.

Today’s song list is very much Evolve, with a bit of Night Visions thrown in for variety. Our 5 songs are: Thunder, Believer, Radioactive, Whatever It Takes, and Demons.

Onwards!

Thunder

This song starts off quick. This may be the fastest intro that I know. It’s literally a beat.

There’s not a lot in the way of background music in this song- it’s basically drums during the vocals, a few backing vocals, and some I-don’t-even-know-what-those-are. Okay, ignore that. There is background, it just builds up kinda slow.

Nearing the end, we have a kind of might-be-a-guitar and some screaming. The screaming, as we will soon discover, happens a lot.

You thought I wasn’t going to mention the Pre-Chorus Chipmunk. You were wrong.

Also, the thunder at the end. It’s awesome.

Ooh. I just found the Chipmunk Choir in this song.

Anyway, joking aside, we’re going to talk about the words now.

I have actually looked this up on SongMeanings, but it’s pretty clear what this is about. It’s about success, and fame, and not giving up.

Like The Man.

Killers reference 1 of 2 complete.

And… time to stop.

Believer

I love the drums here.

Also, the low-key guitar just adding awesomeness to the entire song.

And more screaming.

It took me forever and a few trips to SongMeanings, Genius and Google Play to learn the lyrics to the fast part, you know, the ‘I was broken from a young age, taking my sulking to the masses, writing my poems for the few that look at me, took to me, shook to me, feeling me, singing from heartache, from the pain, taking my message from the veins, speaking my lesson from the brain, seeing the beauty through the…’

(everybody) PAIN!

Or the ‘but they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing, inhibited, limited, til it broke open and rained down, it rained down, like…’

(everybody) PAIN!

My point is, this song is pretty energetic. It’s another song which makes you want to jump.

But the thing is, the song is talking about how pain made him who he is. It’s a great song with a slightly-hiddenish message.

It’s not really hidden, but whatever.

Fun fact about this song: it’s got a film named after it. I’m not even kidding.

Quick background: Dan Reynolds (the singer) is Mormon. In Believer, he and a few other people try to increase acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in the Mormon church, trying to show that it’s okay to be LGBTQ+ and Mormon. I won’t spoil it in case you feel like watching it, but it’s an incredible story.

Relentless advertising is over now.

BUT WATCH IT.

The trailer is here. Note: watching it again made me (almost) cry.

Okay, we’re done.

Radioactive

This song starts out calm. Just some guitar and backing vocals.

haha… no.

I’m sorry, but the ‘breathing in the chemicals’ bit is a little odd.

Anyway, it’s a great song with slightly less energy, but it gets you going.

This is the part where I try to figure out the story.

• ‘I’m waking up, to ash and dust’- some kind of explosion.
• ‘I’m breathing in the chemicals’- not even going to bother explaining this.
• ‘I’m breaking in, I’m shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus’- some form of confinement?
• ‘I’m waking up’ – they’re starting to see something that they didn’t before, or they feel almost like they’ve been reborn or whatever. For the first time, they’re awake. You get what I mean.
• ‘I feel it in my bones, enough to make my systems grow’ – somebody’s getting stronger.
• ‘Welcome to the new age’- things aren’t going to be the same any more.
• ‘I raise my flag, don my clothes, it’s a revolution, I suppose.’- fighting against something- people behind the confinement?
• ‘We’re painted red to fit right in’- lot of blood. Also, there’s more than one of them.
• Chorus.
• ‘All systems go, the sun hasn’t died. Deep in my bones, straight from inside.’ Here, I’m imagining the battle is not going in their favour, and all of a sudden, the character pulls out their last bit of strength and does something awesome. I’m picturing a large green explosion.

And there you have it. A story.

Whatever It Takes

This is one of my personal favourites, just because it seems like the person in the song is a little overwhelmed, but willing to do ‘whatever it takes’. Sounding a little like an adrenaline junkie along the way.

But when you think about it, it’s telling the story of someone who’s scared of being overlooked, or forgotten. They don’t want the world to ignore them, and they’re ready to do whatever it takes to prevent that.

Song-wise, the intro is awesome, and I like whatever the pulsing thing is in the background. Once again, we have energy right from the start. Imagine Dragons are good at that.

But of course, we do have the standard screaming.

It wouldn’t be Imagine Dragons without it.

Demons

It definitely wouldn’t be Imagine Dragons without a Category B song somewhere in here. There are a lot of songs by them that talk about being bad or a monster in some form and occasionally promising to change. This is essentially the textbook example.

Categorization aside, it’s a great song. It’s a good writing song. (for reasons unknown).

Killers reference 2 of 2 complete.

Anyway. I like how it builds from a slow start to the ‘I can’t escape this now/ Unless you show me how.’

Normally, a song like this goes quiet then screams, but in this, the verses are quiet, and the chorus, middle 8, and pre-choruses are the louder parts. It makes for a familiar but different structure, and I like that a lot.

Also, nobody’s expecting the ending to be abrupt as it is. There’s not a lot of this song that isn’t words.

There also isn’t a lot of breathing room. Which is annoying, but I’ve heard worse.

*pointedly looks at Dave Keuning*

Conclusion Time

As you probably guessed, I like these guys a lot. Given all the pointed looking at Dan Reynolds last post and my mild obsession with Believer. And all the interpretation for Radioactive.

Honourable Mention (not on the list): I Was Me

This song is real low-key. It’s basically a guitar and vocals, and yet it’s one of my favourites. It’s here.

I’m going to try something new this week: instead of getting suggestions (which, by the way, are useful), we’re gonna have a vote.

As it stands, the top two on the waiting list are Neon Trees and American Authors. Comment your vote, and whoever wins will be next week’s Top 5.

Goodnight, travel well.

Bonus Killers reference complete.