Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: funk
Song Meaning of “Sick Sad Little World – Live at HQ, Los Angeles, CA – June/July 2011” by Incubus
Sick Sad Little World is a song by Incubus about the state of the world today. The song takes a critical look at our society, pointing out all the social issues that we’re facing and questioning our collective progress. The lyrics suggest that despite our seemingly improved lives, the world is still ‘sick’ and ‘sad’.
The narrator starts off by referencing the inequality and injustice that our world is facing, singing ‘They lay a heavy hand on the working man’. He then questions our capability to make a real and meaningful change, urging ‘Can someone tell me which way to turn which way to be?’ He describes his vision of a better world but is pessimistic about our potential to bring it into being, asking ‘Will this dream exist in our wake or will it always remain a dream of mine?’
The narrator eventually comes to a realization about the world in which we live. Despite everything that we do, the world will still be a ‘sick sad little world’. He realizes that although we try to make changes, the results won’t be perfect and that the ‘sickness’ of the world will continue, albeit in more manageable forms. However, even in this bleak world, the narrator holds out hope, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the good rather than the bad in order to continue striving towards a better future.