I'm going to start out saying I didn't plan on this being this long, but the song has me feelin some kinda way. And this is very cathartic. I listened to it for the first time the day before my best friend's dad's funeral. When I heard it all I could think of was her. She is a badass who has struggled with the monsters in the dark (depression and anxiety) with the fear that she might pass if off to her year and a half year old daughter and soon to be born son. I read this as a goodbye song. Especially with the lyrics "And we have to say goodbye, can we say hello again?" as well as "Oh, where's the book that shows you how to be a big girl now?" the second one really strikes me because I've always looked at loosing a parent as the (hopefully) final marking of adult hood. "Soon it's gonna change, it all just goes away" I feel is pretty straight forward, I feel. "Count your lucky stars that you got a chance to play" be thankful for the time you had, tomorrow is not guaranteed. This song, I think mainly because of my friend made me view it this way, it has also just made me cry many times. But I also see it a love/admiration song to a parent. "And there's still monsters in my closet and they want to come and play There's still sounds in the dark, I wish they'd go away" in particular "And there's still monsters" and "I wish they'd go away" implies that they have been there for a while, possibly/probably from childhood. Then there is the reference to having a child of their own. I see this as admiration and love asking the parent how they were able to have their monsters and help the child deal with their own. "Oh, where's the book that shows you how to be a big girl now?" I can read as how do I grow up past these monsters? When do they finally go away. I really connect with this song, and find it funny that my three favorite songs, and yes I already consider this one of my favorites, are all track 12 off different albums. In no particular order: Glitter in the Air on Funhouse, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken on Beautiful Trauma, and Circle Games on Hurts 2B Human. I feel deep connections to these pieces in different ways. Now I shall end what feels like a dissertation.