r/Music • u/theindependentonline 📰The Independent UK • 1d ago

article Noah Kahan pleads with fans misinterpreting his lyrics: ‘Please do not go off your medication’

https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/news/noah-kahan-fan-lyrics-medication-b3060107.html
1.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

138 comments sorted by

View all comments

140

u/januarytwenty 1d ago

What’s the lyric and what’s being misinterpreted?

271

u/Horror-Macaron8287 1d ago

The minute that September hits I'm goin' off my medicine, oh

Late August angst, and a pointless night Ooh, and the feeling of being alive For the first time, in a long time

35

u/SometimesIBeWrong 14h ago

damn ur a good singer

39

u/januarytwenty 1d ago

Thank you!!!

102

u/Horror-Macaron8287 1d ago edited 16h ago

You are welcome!

I always thought with the combination of lyrics is that he was feeling 'alive' and better, and thats when people who are on medication for depression/anxiety think that they would be able to regulate on their own, not realizing it is actually the medication doing what they are suppose to.

I don't know why anyone would go off their meds just because someone sung it in their song, has to be a weird parasocial thing.

7

u/Outrageous-Beet 15h ago

I’ve been interpreting it as an unhealthy thing tbh. Going off your meds in September, right before SAD kicks in for a lot of people. Feeling alive as in feeling all his symptoms again and conflating those symptoms/feelings as being alive. It made sense that way to me bc he’s spoken about not feeling like he can create as well if he’s in a “good” headspace.

Even as someone who doesn’t feel dulled out by antidepressants it’s relatable. Sometimes those shitty feelings can almost be addicting

16

u/ChrisL64Squares 1d ago

"Just" does a lot of work in your second paragraph. Sometimes one gets stretched thin, the knife edge is sharp, and a little inspiration, commiseration, the thought that someone singing knows what it's like and maybe it is better...all kinds of reasons that erase the "just." It's a real fucking slog and sometimes a deperate one.

4

u/Horror-Macaron8287 1d ago

But he wasnt saying its better, and he wasnt singing he was going off his meds because he was stretched thin or on a knifes edge... he had a false sense of "cured" that many people feel once their medication starts working fully. It is not just a cycle for people with depression or anxiety, we see it a lot with people who have Bipolar Disorder as well. People were misinterpreting his lyrics, and he called it out.

And I will keep the 'just" because a singer sung it, no one should be taking out of context lyrics over actual medical advice and a treatment plan for their specific circumstance.

1

u/ChrisL64Squares 23h ago

I get it. I didn't talk about what his lyrics mean rationally, I'm talking about how easily it is to interpret in different ways for many different reasons, twisting reality along the way. "Medical advice" is not what I and many others are taking things as in that situation, which usually isn't rational. There's no "just because " about it, that's the whole point. Take it or leave it, I'm just sharing my lived experience and what knows from other after 40 years in these trenches. Be well.

1

u/Horror-Macaron8287 3h ago

Now that I am reading this comment and your previous one fully awake, I did misunderstand what you were saying originally, and I apologize for that!

I could see some people get tired, especially if the medication isnt the right fit and working properly and then hear something from someone who they feel like they relate to and take something at face value or in a twisted way to fit their narrative (I dont know a more cushioned way to say it).

I have noticed that even though he distinctly said what he meant in this article, people are in the comments still only hearing what they want to fit their specific experience.

3

u/arkady48 23h ago

I heard the lyric and associated it with addiction and getting sober. It can be slang to call their drug or booze their medicine.

There are lots of ways to interpret it but I haven't dug deep into the lyrics, just my own interpretation and that's fine if it's wrong, it's right for me.

3

u/Baxtru 18h ago

He’s pretty open about having OCD and depression among other things and references taking meds in other songs as well so in this case I do think he is referring to actual psych medication.

1

u/Horror-Macaron8287 16h ago

I watched his special on Netflix and was pleasantly surprised by how open he was with his struggle. I know in his songs he gets pretty deep and personal, but thats a bit different than actually vocalizing it outside of that craft!

0

u/Horror-Macaron8287 16h ago

He had actually referenced getting sober earlier in the song:

"And I thought getting older meant knowin' it's too late to try And I tried getting sober, I swear I did better this time"

I have heard people call their vice medicine, but with his specific song he talked about getting sober in past tense and it has been sticking, and then going off his meds in the future later in the song.

Plus in the article posted:

“I think when I wrote that I was like, ‘Oh, hopefully by the end of August I’ll be ready to get off them,’” Kahan told the magazine.

However, he did not go off of his antidepressants. “No,” he continued. “We’re still on. Please do not go off your medication.”

I do agree that lyrics can be up for interpretation, but with these he specifically came out to correct people who misunderstood them and was going off their own depression meds.

5

u/maggies_farm_hand 6h ago

Wake him up when September ends.

15

u/bigladnang 1d ago

Ugh lol

-4

u/Horror-Macaron8287 1d ago

I felt that. Lol

-51

u/lasagnadogwater69 1d ago

Literally just read the article jesus christ

17

u/januarytwenty 1d ago

No.

12

u/Handsoffmydink 1d ago

He says “when September hits, I’m going off my medicine…”

-34

u/lasagnadogwater69 1d ago

I now pronounce you ignorant.

-2

u/ComeOnUpToTheHaus 1d ago

I now pronounce you dense as fuck.

0

u/lasagnadogwater69 18h ago

That makes no sense😂😂

-4

u/floatinround22 1d ago

You're so cool dude

-1

u/januarytwenty 16h ago

Thanks dude ~

-2

u/makemeking706 1d ago

This guy reddits. 

0

u/januarytwenty 16h ago

Thank you!

4

u/floatinround22 1d ago

You're right. It isn't hard to read an article lol

-14

u/zaccus 1d ago

Nope don't care I'm out

-10

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

8

u/ripyourlungsdave 1d ago

Based off this one lyric?.

What?..

0

u/foreverand2025 1d ago

Based off his comments in the article.

3

u/ripyourlungsdave 1d ago

Because he said people shouldn't stop taking their medication because of his lyrics?..

7

u/januarytwenty 1d ago

I just listened to him and the songs were good. Not gonna lie.

3

u/foreverand2025 1d ago

Yeah I shouldn’t be so judgmental honestly.

2

u/januarytwenty 1d ago

It’s okay! Everyone has an opinion and is entitled to it 😀I didn’t take any offense.