This seems to be the most popular interpretation but i have a big problem with it. The Bible asks you to avoid a life of sin and live devout to God and christ. It never had the stipulation that you also need to naturally do it out of the goodness of your heart, because there is no way to appropriately measure that with a faith. Otherwise if God really wanted to test humans for their inherent moral nature, then he would have never even let humans know that hell or divine punishment exists. If you ask me, I can only truly think that a genuine mistake was made. Afterall at no point is he even judged for the sins he's commited. They never mention what he's done to end up in hell, nor is it ever explicitly stated despite the fact that there are 10 clear commandments and 7 deadly sins. Which would be very clear indicators on what he did wrong that he wasn't capable of repenting for. I think another message that can be extrapolated from this song other than the most popular one, is that in systems that judge worth or unworth, those who never truly did wrong will still slip through the cracks, even within the grace of God, you could live a completely devout life, but still end up in hell. Much like how some people can live their entire life adhering to the law and still end up falsey imprisoned or framed. Not to mention, in another song by this artist, they mention that all the rooms in heaven are full, so god starts throwing innocent souls down to hell. Which despite never explicitly being connected back to Charlie, feels like it might hold continuity between the two songs.
@Prison Mike but that doesnt make any sense. Someone who does positive things for others has a positive impact regardless of intention. What you're saying also implies that those who do awful things but truly believe they are doing something good deserve to go to heaven. For example by that logic radical terrorists are great people because they do their actions with true passion and care in their heart for a cause they believe is good, even if their actions are a net positive
Most people are trying to figure out what Charlie did wrong, which is the whole point of the song; we dont know what he did wrong, and he doesn't either, because he refuses to stop running from his demons to find out what they want
@@fixitfeilix50510:20 says that he judged with no pretense,judging by the fact its sandwiched between some pretty normal/regular activities it was probably something he did on the daily,and his good deeds seem more for his own benefit and are pretty normal things rather than something he does to be a good person
@@randomname9057 "Judged with no pretense" could be a good thing, unless it's a specific idea from some christian sect I'm unaware of. If that's the interpretation you want to go with, that's fine, but I think the fact that the most repeated songs are Charlie's "excuse me sir there must be someone you confused me for" (His refusal to admit he might have done something wrong) and "Keep running from your demons", it seems more thematically clear that the issue here is Charlie just wont self examine
I think the most important line in the song is "avoiding all the little things that were hard to ask" when listing his merits, particularly as it follows getting his wife roses and cards. He didn't meaningfully engage with or impact or help anyone, he simply did frivolous surface-level gestures that would make people believe he cared. When he begs to see someone who knew him at the gates, it shows more of his true colors, as he feels he has bought his loved ones' good opinion of him.
I would argue its Up a dingy elevator, no televised debate Will save you from the Hell you paid for, sorry buddy, smell you later Side-stepped fate, went right for the gate Because it shows that Charlie is very prideful and straight up refused to lower himself and take a dingy elevator to go to heaven because he's prideful and its what sements his place in hell
I think this is exactly right. None of the things they list Charlie doing are really things that impact others in a positive way. He got his wife flowers every week, okay, but what did that DO? Made his wife happy, sure, but that's not helping anything but her mood. Taking cold showers, using eco-friendly lightbulbs and riding his bike to work when gas prices rose. Alright, so he saved himself money? Ate fish on the weekends. Alright, what does he want? A medal? Pledge of allegiance every morning. Okay? So? Not swimming in the ocean because he's afraid of sharks is just him being afraid of sharks. And more than anything, it's important to notice, this is a list of his MERITS at his FUNERAL. At his funeral, these are the good things people had to say about him. Charlie was not a good person. He was nice. There's a difference.
I think in the beginning where the man states, “Heres lies Charlie, you can see its him because we put his name on the stone,” is highlighting that he really didnt do anything worth truly remembering him. As in you only know he existed and died because his name was on the grave.
A few people have said what I vaguely believe the plot is as well, but I think it simply stated is that Charlie thought soley on the actions that were asked of him, not the reason they were asked. The chorus near the end literally says it - "You can run from your demons but you eventually need to stop and ask what they wanted." He spent so long afraid of living a bad life solely for the fear of consequence if he didn't, not the impact it would have on others if he acted in a kind manner. This is why the list of his actions doesn't include helping others or meaningful acts of contribution - it's all self centric.
I have a theory as to where/why Charlie was sentenced, if the story is connected to Dante’s Inferno as the title implies its very likely Charlie landed in Bolgia 6 Throughout the song Charlie claims himself to have been true to the lord yet he would Judge others without pretense while relying on those he’d judge to gain him access to heaven. An action which is in itself hypocritical. Even the punishment for Bolgia 6 seems fitting as it is a punishment dedicated to hypocrites, destined to walk in an endless circle in glided robes. Charlie repeating his tune running in circles while hoping for a different outcome each time.
Have I ever told you, the definition of insanity? It's doing the same thing, over and over and over again, expecting shit to change. [Sorry, figured the quote fit quite well.]
“hey bro,you know that charlie guy we just kicked out?” “yeah,what about him” “well uh.he’s right here.i…uh…just didn’t see his name on the list.” “…” “…” “god damn it jerald.” “are we uh…gonna go get him?” “nah he’ll be fine.”
I think that he was lying about going to church in the beginning when they were talking about his Ruten it doesn’t say he went to church but that still doesn’t say why he didn’t go to heaven
@@achoo2656 I mean I kinda read it as either being a song about how the rules are kind of unfair and despite how good a person you could be, you could still go to hell for not following one arbitrary rule, even if you were a good person. Alternatively, it could be saying that even if you do all those things, if you only do it to get something out of it, are you really good? Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it
@@achoo2656 hey! He did go to church, but it's implied that he never really cared about what he was doing and just did it to LOOK good. (Using church + other 'good' things as a point system of getting into heaven) Charlie's sin was pride- he didn't care about what he was doing, just thought he DESERVED to go to heaven.
It sounds like Charlie is afraid of asking questions. This could mean a few things. Such as there were sins going on around him but he actively denied their existence. Not asking ‘angels’ why they were hurt, not questioning ‘demons’ on their ‘suspicious’ behavior. Hence “judged without pretense”, if taken as true and too far. He himself could of been hurting the people around him by ignoring the main issues. He could have been ignoring the sins of someone hurting another. He could also be a closed minded Christian, being taught to never ask questions, that actually did judge and thought he did everything right. Surely he did no wrong, so why bother asking what he did to the angels and demons. Either way I think he assumed some demons were angels, confusing the two. Hence why he is constantly running between heaven and hell. Almost like a purgatory. He technically didn’t commit any sins, but by not asking questions about the ‘small things’ he let the sins around him continue. He’s caught right between. A cross between a angel and a demon. Edit: Of course this could also be a commentary on religion and the debate on who goes to heaven. A genuinely good guy that doesn’t do wrong gets punished anyway. Not once did he question the bs rules of his religion. Like his sin was eating bacon or something.
Just interpreting the lyrics, I doubt Charlie'd be a Christian (maybe a Christian in name only tho), because salvation seems to be like a sort of points system to Charlie, whereas in Christianity, salvation is not determined by how good or bad someone is. Essentially, anyone who believes that the death of Jesus (who is God) can save them, repents (turn away) from sin, and commits their life to Jesus is welcome in heaven. Anyways, Jesus loves ya! I think your interpretation of him confusing the angels and demons is actually pretty cool. Have a good day buddy! :)
I think that "not asking questions" part sounds about right. I think it resonates with the "running from your demons" line, Charlie seemed to run away from all possible sin and did this by acting kindly but did it without sentiment. He lived without conscious thought of reason, for both the good and the bad. This is what may have doomed him, for his kind deeds meant nothing if he didn't do them out of kindness and his demons and sins went ignored and investigated for the greater good.
@@foxiewithamoxie "Jesus loves ya!" He surely didn't love ME enough..... (I'm being DEAD SERIOUS. Those Christians are all either Hippies, Cultists, or Karens!)
@@foxiewithamoxie ok well their is actually a lot of ambiguity in public opinion on the matter of who gets saved (emphasis on public because this song is based on public belief not the actual bible most evident in the fact charly actually goes to heaven albeit only the gates and only temporarily)
I love how I’m this song they literally tell you why he is in hell. At 0:21 it literally says the reason. He judged with no pretense, landing himself in hell. I love how it’s glossed over intentionally. I even missed it. It’s sandwiched between stuff like fishing on weekends, giving the impression that Charlie just glosses over himself judging others. Like it’s a normal occurrence.
I like this interpretation a lot better than others. I feel like judging others being the reason makes a lot more sense than him doing things for his own benefit being the reason. Then again, I'm not religious, so I probably just don't have the background experience to really understand the other interpretations.
Well, everyone judges others, no matter who you are you judge people positively or negatively all the time. Judging without any pretenses, I'd say, is the best way to judge people when you do it.
Well he also went to church multiple times a week and worshipped an idol that wasn't god so thats probably also part of the reason. In the bible god essentially states "do not build me a box. Worship me in your home, in private, invite me in, do not come to me. Do not build me statues. Do not claim to know my image, for to claim you know the face of God is blasphemy." so he was pretty much already fucked on top of the fact that he did every "good deed" with the expectations of being rewarded, hence why he's so cocky when he says "I'll see you later, I'm off to see the man upstairs." He's arrogant and selfish under the guise of a good person, an asshole on a leash. He then screams about the 'good' he did to the angels as if that would do him any good when Angels can tell what your intentions were and are.
I agree that everyone judges each other daily maybe even without noticeing it however this line would certainly change meanings if Charlie was a judge in the judicial sense.
If you stair at the lyrics too long the red background will over expose your red green cones making things looked blue and green super noticable on the art
There’s a verse in the Bible that basically says that a person can go their entire life thinking they were saved, and then they get to heaven and god says “I never knew you” which basically means “you missed the whole point, sorry dude” and it seems like that’s what happened to this guy. He may have gone to church, and tried to be a good person, but he did all of that for the wrong reason
@@TheWandererOfDreams holy heck wait a second are you trying to argue against a religion you haven’t studied fairly while wielding a furry pfp? Slow down a little bit, for your own good. It seems you’ve misunderstood a few things. I’d recommend you look a little bit deeper into what you’re insulting
I love how at 0:47 he was fine, happy even, to die because he thought he was going to heaven but at 3:19 you can hear him in the background(and at the subtitles) saying “I don’t want to die” because he then realized that he was going to hell and is scared
I think I've figured it out a bit. A lot of people trying to unpack what Charlie did wrong or what got him sent to hell, but the whole thing is a misunderstanding: Charlie isn't dead... yet. He had a heart attack, saw the light, but isn't fully punched out just yet. Both the angels and the demons had someone at the door with list in hand as to who was meant to be there, but the moment Charlie arrived at either he knew he wasn't meant to belong-- during his climb then subsequent rejection of getting into Heaven, it predisposed him to thinking that he was then going to Hell, but the only difference being he was able to resist and give a fight more to the devils then the angels, who'd caught him off guard the first time. Rather than face the doorman to Hell he just bolted, rather than be caught a second time, trying to run away from what he thinks is his new jailer in order to bide his time and maybe find a way to plea out of this new fresh Hell that isn't his. All the while he's probably still on the cot above on earth passing away from his heart attack, and if only he'd smarten up in time he might be able to save himself, (as see in the "I really dont wanna die" ending chorus)
Very true, it also doesn't explicitly state he was ever punished in hell. Implying that he was "caught" by the devil. But after that it's just reflection, nothing punishing
I think it’s cuz he only ever did good to get into heaven. Not out of the goodness of his heart meaning he was selfish, and therefore doesn’t deserve heaven.
@@peanutpuppyboiprayforukrai1072 I think you're both right. He's in limbo and doesn't realize it isn't his time to die and move on yet. Because he hasn't been entirely genuine with his good deeds, he's sure that if he does die, he'll be hell-bound. Charlie is desperately fighting death, hoping for a better ending.
"I really don't belong here! I know you've heard the tune before" lol, acknowledging that almost everyone says "I don't belong here" the moment they enter hell
I'm gonna be honest, I thought that Charlie wasn't bad, a bit cocky, but not bad. I thought he was just, too neutral. I thought this because the way they describe him makes him sound boring, not good nor bad, just not good enough to get into heaven.
I'd say the reason he went to hell was due to ignorance. He didn't question the reason why having cold showers was good, he just knew it was something morally considered "Good" so followed it willingly. Charlie is certainly not a bad guy in the story, but the tale is to be wary of the intention and reason of why you are doing good things. Its like a spectrum I'd say. What were the intentions of the action, and what good did the action do in the world? If the intentions were genuinely good, then you'd get into heaven in the world of this song as long as the action also did good upon the world. Charlie didnt have the right intentions, so therefore wasnt allowed into heaven. Everything he did was out of technical selfishness of the desire to be loved by god and therefore, get into heaven.
It does say that he judges without pretense. So while doing things just to ‘be good’ and ‘win points’ he was openly judging and sneering at other people.
@@dr.altoclef9255 unless I misunderstand judging without pretense is a good thing, right? Pretense is a false or biased claim, so judging with no pretense means judging fairly and without bias, right?
@@chasington5102 Not really ‘fairly’ so much as ‘bluntly’, I’d say. Like if you asked me about a picture you drew and I spoke without pretense I would be up front about how I felt. I wouldn’t sugarcoat any of it and would tell you exactly what I thought.
I feel like this song is Charlie’s personal hell, repeatedly being denied entrance into heaven (what he worked for his whole life) and being dragged by angels and demons alike down into hell
I think the song is about displaying how *good* of a person you are instead of admitting what you might've done wrong here, mostly because the part where he arrives in hell displays the ring of gluttony, the ring of lust, and then the ring of greed (money wise at least), which might imply he practiced these but thought if he had enough *good* deeds, they'd weigh out and he'd get into heaven
My take: Charlie was an average dude who didn’t actually do anything wrong. The song is about how certain standards of morality are unattainable, and even if you are a mostly normal/totally average person you’ll end up punished for not meeting those standards. (Hence the reason for questioning the angels).
Here's how I see it: he's in a coma on life support, and his loved ones are begging him to wake up. He knows he doesn't belong in either place. The angels keep sending him back down because he isn't on the list. Charlie is well aware that Satan is an authority abusing power addict seeking to keep him trapped regardless.
That was what I had interpreted too, though it is pretty interesting to see people find theories and explanations as to why he went to hell. It's rather ironic to be honest, but it's only natural mostly everyone does this given the ambiguity and the desire to fill in narratives. I feel like I can't judge Charlie at all, he's just a regular Joe Schmoe who didn't live up to standards of heaven.
OMG ME TOO, i just found this song from a artists art process and thought the chorus of the song sounded catchy and now im obsessed with it because its so morbid and interesting 😭
I've seen people point out that his deeds were soley for himself and I agree and also the fact he says "I went to church on Sundays, truly usually more." Shows he believes that just because he went to church he deserved to go to heaven, that he knows he wouldn't get in on actions alone as he doesn't bring them up, hoping that being "humble" would score him points. If he truly thought they had mistaken him, he would have told them what he did so that he could be like "Look, I did all these good things, surely you have mistaken me?"
I just listened to this song for so long on repeat that charlie is permanently etched into my screen (well hopefully not permanently but like. He's staring at me right now)
I think his special hell is getting stuck in a loop of trying to prove he's a "good" person to the demons, which mirrors the way he's lived his life and justified his actions.
My personal interpretation of this song is that Charlie didn't necessarily do anything wrong. The whole idea of this interpretation is that Charlie did everything he thought he needed to do, and considering that he was religious, what everyone else in his community thought was the right thing to do. He even died with people praying for his recovery "all his friends and neighbors huddled there in prayer around the respirator." Charlie was a bit of an asshole but not a horrible person. "You can run to those angels until you are exhausted. One day, you will have to stop and question what they wanted" Charlie thought he knew how to get to heaven. He did everything his religion told him to do. But in the end, he doesn't actually know what the angels want. He played by the rules, but he still died. The "I don't want to die" that plays in the background is important, I think. No one actually escapes death. Humans like to pretend they're going to heaven and follow all the rules they think that they need to in order to go there. But in the end, Charlie still dies, and no one actually knows the right or wrong way to live life. tldr: I interpret this song as everyone dies and no one actually knows how to escape death.
Ngl This is how I see it kinda: Charlie's Inferno centers around Charlie Stewart Once, a man nearing his 40s who tries to live his life as cleanly as he can and to what's expected of him. A devout Christan, married to a dreamy highschool sweetheart, a quiet office job. Never done drugs, never lies or steals, about as white bread as it gets. Everything is going smooth until one day he gets in a head on collision with another car that rockets him out of the windshield, to which he survives that but inevitably succumbs to both a heart attack and cardiac arrest simultaneously. Charlie dies on the hospital bed and makes his way up to heaven's gates. However he is promptly rejected by the gate keeper, insisting that he's not on the guest list. Charlie is desperate but inevitably unable to stop the guards from booting him out, down to the pits of hell. In hell, Charlie is then pulled aside to speak to the Devil, who reassures him that Charlie's placement in hell was a mistake; His name simply fell through the system and got placed on the wrong list. Satan tells him that they can pull a few strings to get him back in heaven, but in the meantime.. they can offer Charlie a Job. A saint in wolve's clothing, Charlie is thrust into the devil's workforce alongside other demons, many in similar situations to him that owe the devil in some way or another. Yeah..
Yknow, I see a lot of y'all interpreting this as Charlie doing what he thought was right and not what he felt was right, didnt put his heart in it. And I see that, but I'd like to raise a different interpretation Sometimes you can do everything right, you can do everything you think is good and still fail. Charlie throughout the song repeats that they've got the wrong guy, he went to church on sunday, he loved his wife, what more could he have done? Does he truly belong among the gluttons and the vane? They say god is unknowable, his judgement inhuman. What if Charlie was condemned for something he never could've known? What if no matter how he tried he was never able to succeed? This is not to say his life was pointless, there were those who loved him and he loved them. But at the end, his life was deemed not good enough for arbitrary reasons
If he only stop running and listened to those who were trying to tell him what he was doing wrong, but he will not. He was to prideful, thouth he was enought, that the fact that he spend a hour a week in church will grand him pass to eternity of happiness and bliss! A fool, who belive he deserve and have a right to go to heaven. But that is not how it work in christianity really, nobody can save himself, no deads can grand you a salvation. That work in two ways tho, nobody can condemn themself anymore, and no act will make them go to hell.
In my understanding of this song, Charlie was so focused on living up to the standards of a "good person" that he never actually took time to be a good person. Everything he did, even getting his wife cards and going to church, was all just so he could get into heaven. Heck, he was so excited to go to heaven he never actually considered the people who would miss him. He never gave out of the kindness of his heart, but out of his willingness to get to heaven. You could describe this as Fraud or Greed, but that's not the point. All in all just be a good person, regardless of if God is watching or not.
When i first heard the song i was like "if Charlie isn't getting into heaven then im 50 shades of fucked" then i listened a bit more and came to the conclusion.....I'm still 50 shades of fucked
The fact I never would've discovered this song and THD as a whole if it wasn't for my friends ex boyfriend sending me a lego movie edit is fucking insane to me
I looked it up guys, it's a modern day reference to Dante's inferno, for those who don't know, he has to go through all the stages of hell in order to reach heaven
you ever think about how he just casually mentions charlie was a judgemental asshole in the middle of his explanation but you don't notice it the first time around because he says it like it's a good thing
I think his sin was pride because of how he died ready for heaven because of how "amazing" he was and kept saying over and over how he thinks he's too good for hell
I think the reason Charlie went to hell was because his death could be considered a suicide. His family, friends, and neighbors were praying for him to wake up, but he immediately gave up since he wanted to go to heaven so badly. He didnt care about those around him or how much they'd miss him. He immediately gave in and didnt fight against death for those he was supposed to love, so not only was he abrasive, he technically commited the sin of suicide.
@@KalisShorthe judged people, it’s quite wedged in with unimportant things such as him fishing , so people gloss over it just kinda like how he glossed over it and it was (most) likely the reason he got into hell.
Here lies Charlie You can tell it's him 'cause we put his name on the stone He kept his showers ice cold, used eco-friendly lightbulbs Rode his bicycle to work when the gasoline price rose He'd judge with no pretense, fish on the weekends Each morning, get up, do the Pledge of Allegiance Never swim in the ocean, for fear of shark attacks Bi-monthly get his wife a rose with a card attached Avoiding all the little things that were hard to ask Had a car crash, cardiac arrest, died of a heart attack Golden escalator, all his friends and neighbors Huddled there in prayer around the respirator "Catch you later, I'm off to see the man upstairs! They all look like ants from here, stars and crystal chandeliers!" There was an angel at the entrance, checking off a guest list Charlie wasn't on it, and was ushered to the exit His heart sank He was breathless "Excuse me, sir! There must be someone you've confused me for If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform I go to church on Sunday Truly, usually more!" Screaming at the angels while they pushed him through the door "Excuse me, sir! There must be someone you've confused me for If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform I go to church on Sunday Truly, usually more!" Screaming at the angels while they pushed him through the door "Abandon all hope, all ye who enter" It was a horrifying sign, but sounded like a neat adventure Far beyond the halos and the castles in the clouds Fatsos squealing, shackled with some apples in their mouths Attention whores in padded bras hanging from extension cords Tortured with the products from their favorite catalogs Here, we buy and sell a million kinds of Hell Imagination is the limit to the devil's clientele Up a dingy elevator, no televised debate Will save you from the Hell you paid for, sorry buddy, smell you later Side-stepped fate, went right for the gate But you know the devil, he loves a good chase There was a demon at the entrance, making X's on a checklist Who would kick you in the ass when you begged him for repentance Those tempted by the senses with the cruelest of intentions Charlie's heart sank, he was breathless "Excuse me, sir! There must be someone you've confused me for If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform I really don't belong here I know you've heard the tune before!" Screaming at the demons while they pushed him through the door "Excuse me, sir! There must be someone you've confused me for If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform I really don't belong here I know you've heard the tune before!" Screaming at the demons while they pushed him through the door You can run from your demons until you are exhausted One day you will have to stop and find out what they wanted Keep on running from those demons 'til you are exhausted You can run to those angels until you are exhausted One day you will have to stop and question what they wanted Keep on running to those angels 'til you are exhausted "Excuse me, sir! (I don't) There must be someone you've confused me for (want to) If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform (die) I really don't belong here (please don't) I know you've heard the tune before! (Let me die)" "Excuse me, sir! (I don't) There must be someone you've confused me for (want to) If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform (die) I really don't belong here (please don't) I know you've heard the tune before! (Let me die)"
I personally see this as Charlie was a good man heavens standards are just way too high notice how it says “keep on running to those angels until you are exhausted some day you will have to stop and QUESTION what they wanted” when it’s talking about the demons it’s “find out what they wanted”
"avoiding all the little things that were to ask" i think this impys that he didnt question little things that wouldn't benefit him in life so he just ignored them
You and Poor Man's Poison may want to collaborate. Their sound is great, but becomes legendary when given just a hint of inspiration (see: "I am the righteous hand of God - [and] I am the Devil you forgot" which was released only after a guest cellist reunited them after a breakup). These lyrics fit with their style perfectly.
I now understand why Charlie is in hell. His faith was never truly true. His good deeds benefited himself so he could into heaven, like he only followed them because he had. Not because he wanted to.
Awesome lyrics video. I just discovered them, and this has to be one of my favorite songs of theirs, but I can't quite make out what he is saying sometimes
The fact that in the original video, the thumbnail is a human with his heart going upwards and his mind downward. This relates to how if you do things with your heart you get to heaven and if you do them with your mind you go to hell.
@@BagelBoyboss exactly. even the belief in a heaven hell system damns you to hell by this rule, because you'll always act subconciously to not be tortured for eternity. thus knowing of hell damns you to it
I think Charlie asking to see “someone in uniform” means he’s looking for someone who died in the military. He thinks they’ll vouch for him because he wakes up and takes a minute or two to say the pledge of allegiance. Clever.
I’m noticing Charlie seems to be rather arrogant, saying “I’m off to see the man upstairs!” As if he’s CERTAIN he’ll get into Heaven despite the fact before now he’d only have the word of Humans to go off of what was what was good or not, not Angels or Demons, just morally ambiguous Humans he trusted without a second thought He even seems to purposefully avoid sins, allowing them to exist around him without interfering, “Avoiding all the little things that were hard to ask”, refusing to interfere with situations unless they had a cut and dry hood or bad option, refusing to make room for the morally grey stuff Plus there’s all the stuff he does that has no real advantage or disadvantage that could get him to go to Heaven or He’ll. What does avoiding shark attacks have to do with good and bad? If he truly wanted to help he’d have avoided gasoline cars in the first place since those types of cars do all sorts of damage to the environment, but ONLY avoided them once it became inconvenient to pay for it. Both of these options aren’t for the benefit of anybody but him, absolutely nobody else Not to mention other stuff that makes no sense, what does saying the Pledge Of Allegiance even do for anyone? Nobody is going to live or die depending on whether or not he says that every day, Charlie is clearly doing that SOLELY because they think it’ll get him in Heaven’s good graces, because as far as I’m aware that’s the only choice he made that he decided was “good” but didn’t positively effect ANYBODY, not even himself, nor would it have negatively effected anybody, not even himself as far as I’m aware, to have NOT done that Not to mention one final line I want to mention that intrigues me “It was a horrifying sign but sounded like a neat adventure”. Who thought it was a neat adventure? The Narrator? Charlie? Why would either feel the need to say that? I’m not sure about this line, it just feels important for some reason
Dude I just keep coming back to this video, not due to the song (I mean kinda), but I keep coming to look at the art. It's so wonderful. I love this art. Did you make this art?
Charlie wasnt a bad person. But that was the problem. he wasnt a good person either. He did just enough good to not be a bad person, But not enough to be a good one. Hes perfectly neutral which isnt good enough. I personally see it as both a criticism of people just doing the bare minimum to get into heaven or whatever good end they believe in but not enough to be actually good as a person, and a criticism of the high morals a lot of religions put on people and the pressure they give to make you feel like you're never enough. Sure charlie never did anything bad but he just didnt do much good. Him riding his bike helped the environment but he only did it when the gas prices rose. He bought his wife a rose but it was only his wife and he didnt do anything else for others. He was basically just your average person who looks out for themselves and argues with himself that his good deeds are selfless rather than selfish. But also, everyone here would do the same thing. Do the more economical choice of riding a bike, getting your loved ones occasional presents. According to the church (The Christian religions that is) thats not enough. Now while the bible just says you gotta embrace jesus, The actual chruch says otherwise and tries to make people do more and more by saying that just enough, is never enough. Idk i just like looking into it and if you see things a different way thats all good. Thats just how i view the meaning of the song and i enjoy it like that
I barely noticed this but when it says “went right for the gate but you know the devil he loves a good chase” it means Charlie doesn’t think he belongs in h*ll he’s running from the truth
Part : 3:17 Excuse me sir (i don't want to die...) there must be someone you've confused me for! if I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform i really don't belong (please don't let me die!) here, i know you've heard the tune before!
I like how if you pay attention to Charlie's "good deeds" you can notice how in some way it's for his benefit
Plus it was just normal everyday stuff, not any good actions. Like not swimming in the sea as he was afraid of a shark attack.
This seems to be the most popular interpretation but i have a big problem with it. The Bible asks you to avoid a life of sin and live devout to God and christ. It never had the stipulation that you also need to naturally do it out of the goodness of your heart, because there is no way to appropriately measure that with a faith. Otherwise if God really wanted to test humans for their inherent moral nature, then he would have never even let humans know that hell or divine punishment exists. If you ask me, I can only truly think that a genuine mistake was made. Afterall at no point is he even judged for the sins he's commited. They never mention what he's done to end up in hell, nor is it ever explicitly stated despite the fact that there are 10 clear commandments and 7 deadly sins. Which would be very clear indicators on what he did wrong that he wasn't capable of repenting for. I think another message that can be extrapolated from this song other than the most popular one, is that in systems that judge worth or unworth, those who never truly did wrong will still slip through the cracks, even within the grace of God, you could live a completely devout life, but still end up in hell. Much like how some people can live their entire life adhering to the law and still end up falsey imprisoned or framed. Not to mention, in another song by this artist, they mention that all the rooms in heaven are full, so god starts throwing innocent souls down to hell. Which despite never explicitly being connected back to Charlie, feels like it might hold continuity between the two songs.
@@dontmatter4804 I'd like to remind you that Rome 12:1 and psalm 15:2 exists
@@dontmatter4804 if you do good only for a reward you're a bad person on a leash
@Prison Mike but that doesnt make any sense. Someone who does positive things for others has a positive impact regardless of intention. What you're saying also implies that those who do awful things but truly believe they are doing something good deserve to go to heaven. For example by that logic radical terrorists are great people because they do their actions with true passion and care in their heart for a cause they believe is good, even if their actions are a net positive
Most people are trying to figure out what Charlie did wrong, which is the whole point of the song; we dont know what he did wrong, and he doesn't either, because he refuses to stop running from his demons to find out what they want
Actually we do know why
@@Sunny_dayz. Care to explain then? I may have missed it.
@@fixitfeilix50510:20 says that he judged with no pretense,judging by the fact its sandwiched between some pretty normal/regular activities it was probably something he did on the daily,and his good deeds seem more for his own benefit and are pretty normal things rather than something he does to be a good person
@@randomname9057 "Judged with no pretense" could be a good thing, unless it's a specific idea from some christian sect I'm unaware of. If that's the interpretation you want to go with, that's fine, but I think the fact that the most repeated songs are Charlie's "excuse me sir there must be someone you confused me for" (His refusal to admit he might have done something wrong) and "Keep running from your demons", it seems more thematically clear that the issue here is Charlie just wont self examine
@@fixitfeilix5051 How would judging people without pretense be good in any scenario?
I think the most important line in the song is "avoiding all the little things that were hard to ask" when listing his merits, particularly as it follows getting his wife roses and cards. He didn't meaningfully engage with or impact or help anyone, he simply did frivolous surface-level gestures that would make people believe he cared. When he begs to see someone who knew him at the gates, it shows more of his true colors, as he feels he has bought his loved ones' good opinion of him.
I think the most important line would be "Judged with no pretence." considering thats what actually landed him in hell.
I would argue its
Up a dingy elevator, no televised debate
Will save you from the Hell you paid for, sorry buddy, smell you later
Side-stepped fate, went right for the gate
Because it shows that Charlie is very prideful and straight up refused to lower himself and take a dingy elevator to go to heaven because he's prideful and its what sements his place in hell
@@suggestagoodname831 what? He did go in the elevator lmfao. The devil is chasing him because he’s running from hell.
@@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf personal interpretation and I think the devil is chasing him because he left it
I think this is exactly right. None of the things they list Charlie doing are really things that impact others in a positive way. He got his wife flowers every week, okay, but what did that DO? Made his wife happy, sure, but that's not helping anything but her mood. Taking cold showers, using eco-friendly lightbulbs and riding his bike to work when gas prices rose. Alright, so he saved himself money? Ate fish on the weekends. Alright, what does he want? A medal? Pledge of allegiance every morning. Okay? So? Not swimming in the ocean because he's afraid of sharks is just him being afraid of sharks. And more than anything, it's important to notice, this is a list of his MERITS at his FUNERAL. At his funeral, these are the good things people had to say about him. Charlie was not a good person. He was nice. There's a difference.
I think in the beginning where the man states, “Heres lies Charlie, you can see its him because we put his name on the stone,” is highlighting that he really didnt do anything worth truly remembering him. As in you only know he existed and died because his name was on the grave.
A few people have said what I vaguely believe the plot is as well, but I think it simply stated is that Charlie thought soley on the actions that were asked of him, not the reason they were asked. The chorus near the end literally says it - "You can run from your demons but you eventually need to stop and ask what they wanted." He spent so long afraid of living a bad life solely for the fear of consequence if he didn't, not the impact it would have on others if he acted in a kind manner. This is why the list of his actions doesn't include helping others or meaningful acts of contribution - it's all self centric.
I have a theory as to where/why Charlie was sentenced, if the story is connected to Dante’s Inferno as the title implies its very likely Charlie landed in Bolgia 6
Throughout the song Charlie claims himself to have been true to the lord yet he would Judge others without pretense while relying on those he’d judge to gain him access to heaven. An action which is in itself hypocritical.
Even the punishment for Bolgia 6 seems fitting as it is a punishment dedicated to hypocrites, destined to walk in an endless circle in glided robes. Charlie repeating his tune running in circles while hoping for a different outcome each time.
Big brain
Yup, this sounds very fitting, smart
Have I ever told you, the definition of insanity?
It's doing the same thing, over and over and over again, expecting shit to change.
[Sorry, figured the quote fit quite well.]
@@pluto-skies4323 It does fit really well!! Wish I could have thought of it sooner.
@@SSRheum Well, I recently played Far Cry 3 so it was fresh on my mind. Then I got reminded while listening to this song.
Imagine if they actually mistaken Charlie for someone else
“hey bro,you know that charlie guy we just kicked out?”
“yeah,what about him”
“well uh.he’s right here.i…uh…just didn’t see his name on the list.”
“…”
“…”
“god damn it jerald.”
“are we uh…gonna go get him?”
“nah he’ll be fine.”
I think that he was lying about going to church in the beginning when they were talking about his Ruten it doesn’t say he went to church but that still doesn’t say why he didn’t go to heaven
@@achoo2656 I mean I kinda read it as either being a song about how the rules are kind of unfair and despite how good a person you could be, you could still go to hell for not following one arbitrary rule, even if you were a good person. Alternatively, it could be saying that even if you do all those things, if you only do it to get something out of it, are you really good? Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it
@@thedudeamongmengs2051 both Ideas are terrifying
@@achoo2656 hey! He did go to church, but it's implied that he never really cared about what he was doing and just did it to LOOK good. (Using church + other 'good' things as a point system of getting into heaven) Charlie's sin was pride- he didn't care about what he was doing, just thought he DESERVED to go to heaven.
I love the way they change "exhausted" to "exhowsted" so it fits the rhyme scheme
It's the accent
@@NeneARZ It definitely is not lmao 😂
@@TheCuteKyuubi oh okay
@@TheCuteKyuubi it kinda sounded like an accent lol =)
@@NeneARZ What accents say "Exhowsted" as part of their accent, but have a completely American accent for whatever else they say?
God i love this trope of someone being told that they're not truly good and their intentions for all the good stuff they've done wasn't genuine
Is it bad that I align with Charlie?
@@gregheffley439 possibly
@@gregheffley439 Absolutely. Change. Please. For your sake and everyone elses.
@@gregheffley439 No
I have a weird theory that his car accident was actually him hitting someone and his guilty conscience covered it up for him?? maybe
It sounds like Charlie is afraid of asking questions. This could mean a few things. Such as there were sins going on around him but he actively denied their existence. Not asking ‘angels’ why they were hurt, not questioning ‘demons’ on their ‘suspicious’ behavior. Hence “judged without pretense”, if taken as true and too far.
He himself could of been hurting the people around him by ignoring the main issues. He could have been ignoring the sins of someone hurting another.
He could also be a closed minded Christian, being taught to never ask questions, that actually did judge and thought he did everything right. Surely he did no wrong, so why bother asking what he did to the angels and demons.
Either way I think he assumed some demons were angels, confusing the two. Hence why he is constantly running between heaven and hell. Almost like a purgatory. He technically didn’t commit any sins, but by not asking questions about the ‘small things’ he let the sins around him continue. He’s caught right between. A cross between a angel and a demon.
Edit: Of course this could also be a commentary on religion and the debate on who goes to heaven. A genuinely good guy that doesn’t do wrong gets punished anyway. Not once did he question the bs rules of his religion. Like his sin was eating bacon or something.
I like your explanation of him being a mix between angel and demon
Just interpreting the lyrics, I doubt Charlie'd be a Christian (maybe a Christian in name only tho), because salvation seems to be like a sort of points system to Charlie, whereas in Christianity, salvation is not determined by how good or bad someone is. Essentially, anyone who believes that the death of Jesus (who is God) can save them, repents (turn away) from sin, and commits their life to Jesus is welcome in heaven. Anyways, Jesus loves ya! I think your interpretation of him confusing the angels and demons is actually pretty cool. Have a good day buddy! :)
I think that "not asking questions" part sounds about right. I think it resonates with the "running from your demons" line, Charlie seemed to run away from all possible sin and did this by acting kindly but did it without sentiment. He lived without conscious thought of reason, for both the good and the bad. This is what may have doomed him, for his kind deeds meant nothing if he didn't do them out of kindness and his demons and sins went ignored and investigated for the greater good.
@@foxiewithamoxie "Jesus loves ya!" He surely didn't love ME enough..... (I'm being DEAD SERIOUS. Those Christians are all either Hippies, Cultists, or Karens!)
@@foxiewithamoxie ok well their is actually a lot of ambiguity in public opinion on the matter of who gets saved (emphasis on public because this song is based on public belief not the actual bible most evident in the fact charly actually goes to heaven albeit only the gates and only temporarily)
I love how I’m this song they literally tell you why he is in hell. At 0:21 it literally says the reason. He judged with no pretense, landing himself in hell. I love how it’s glossed over intentionally. I even missed it. It’s sandwiched between stuff like fishing on weekends, giving the impression that Charlie just glosses over himself judging others. Like it’s a normal occurrence.
I like this interpretation a lot better than others. I feel like judging others being the reason makes a lot more sense than him doing things for his own benefit being the reason. Then again, I'm not religious, so I probably just don't have the background experience to really understand the other interpretations.
Well, everyone judges others, no matter who you are you judge people positively or negatively all the time. Judging without any pretenses, I'd say, is the best way to judge people when you do it.
Well he also went to church multiple times a week and worshipped an idol that wasn't god so thats probably also part of the reason. In the bible god essentially states "do not build me a box. Worship me in your home, in private, invite me in, do not come to me. Do not build me statues. Do not claim to know my image, for to claim you know the face of God is blasphemy." so he was pretty much already fucked on top of the fact that he did every "good deed" with the expectations of being rewarded, hence why he's so cocky when he says "I'll see you later, I'm off to see the man upstairs."
He's arrogant and selfish under the guise of a good person, an asshole on a leash. He then screams about the 'good' he did to the angels as if that would do him any good when Angels can tell what your intentions were and are.
I agree that everyone judges each other daily maybe even without noticeing it however this line would certainly change meanings if Charlie was a judge in the judicial sense.
what dose it mean to judge without pretense
If you stair at the lyrics too long the red background will over expose your red green cones making things looked blue and green super noticable on the art
omori fans when they stair
You’re super cool for knowing that
TF DID I SAY A MONTH AGO HELP
@@pluviocore I have no idea
@@pluviocore bro I love you
Do love that he tried to pull a "i wanna speak to your manager" to an angel/demon
Bro thought that it was earth and thought they actually listen to you💀💀💀
There’s a verse in the Bible that basically says that a person can go their entire life thinking they were saved, and then they get to heaven and god says “I never knew you” which basically means “you missed the whole point, sorry dude” and it seems like that’s what happened to this guy. He may have gone to church, and tried to be a good person, but he did all of that for the wrong reason
Welp, it's evil to try to "sAvE" those who don't need to be saved. I'm one of those. I'm tired of God and his B*LLSH*T!
@@camchameleon4151 they think God can save them, but he's worthless. He always was and he always will be!
@@TheWandererOfDreams holy heck wait a second are you trying to argue against a religion you haven’t studied fairly while wielding a furry pfp? Slow down a little bit, for your own good. It seems you’ve misunderstood a few things. I’d recommend you look a little bit deeper into what you’re insulting
@@camchameleon4151 look, buddy, I'm just trying to inflate my own ego just to feel ever-so-slighty more happy, okay? Okay.
He did it so he would go up, not to make others do so
I love how at 0:47 he was fine, happy even, to die because he thought he was going to heaven but at 3:19 you can hear him in the background(and at the subtitles) saying “I don’t want to die” because he then realized that he was going to hell and is scared
I think I've figured it out a bit. A lot of people trying to unpack what Charlie did wrong or what got him sent to hell, but the whole thing is a misunderstanding: Charlie isn't dead... yet. He had a heart attack, saw the light, but isn't fully punched out just yet. Both the angels and the demons had someone at the door with list in hand as to who was meant to be there, but the moment Charlie arrived at either he knew he wasn't meant to belong-- during his climb then subsequent rejection of getting into Heaven, it predisposed him to thinking that he was then going to Hell, but the only difference being he was able to resist and give a fight more to the devils then the angels, who'd caught him off guard the first time. Rather than face the doorman to Hell he just bolted, rather than be caught a second time, trying to run away from what he thinks is his new jailer in order to bide his time and maybe find a way to plea out of this new fresh Hell that isn't his. All the while he's probably still on the cot above on earth passing away from his heart attack, and if only he'd smarten up in time he might be able to save himself, (as see in the "I really dont wanna die" ending chorus)
Very true, it also doesn't explicitly state he was ever punished in hell. Implying that he was "caught" by the devil. But after that it's just reflection, nothing punishing
godyou have such a large brain
Oh shit I didn’t think about that, he is still on a respirator at the hospital now that I think about it
I think it’s cuz he only ever did good to get into heaven. Not out of the goodness of his heart meaning he was selfish, and therefore doesn’t deserve heaven.
@@peanutpuppyboiprayforukrai1072 I think you're both right. He's in limbo and doesn't realize it isn't his time to die and move on yet. Because he hasn't been entirely genuine with his good deeds, he's sure that if he does die, he'll be hell-bound. Charlie is desperately fighting death, hoping for a better ending.
fun fact, the main point of this song, is to face your inner demons instead of running from them with pointless menial tasks you feel will save you
"I really don't belong here! I know you've heard the tune before" lol, acknowledging that almost everyone says "I don't belong here" the moment they enter hell
This song reminds me of my great grandma. She's not a good person, and only has done good to get into heaven.
that makes two of us with those grandma's
What sin did she commit?
@@BagelBoyboss Wrath and Greed
@@nekomataumbreon please be more specific.
@@BagelBoyboss she's physically and mentally abusive and keeps everything to herself.
So basically "You are good guy, but this does not mean you are good guy."
thanks zangief
I'm gonna be honest, I thought that Charlie wasn't bad, a bit cocky, but not bad. I thought he was just, too neutral. I thought this because the way they describe him makes him sound boring, not good nor bad, just not good enough to get into heaven.
I'd say the reason he went to hell was due to ignorance. He didn't question the reason why having cold showers was good, he just knew it was something morally considered "Good" so followed it willingly. Charlie is certainly not a bad guy in the story, but the tale is to be wary of the intention and reason of why you are doing good things. Its like a spectrum I'd say. What were the intentions of the action, and what good did the action do in the world? If the intentions were genuinely good, then you'd get into heaven in the world of this song as long as the action also did good upon the world. Charlie didnt have the right intentions, so therefore wasnt allowed into heaven. Everything he did was out of technical selfishness of the desire to be loved by god and therefore, get into heaven.
It does say that he judges without pretense. So while doing things just to ‘be good’ and ‘win points’ he was openly judging and sneering at other people.
@@dr.altoclef9255 unless I misunderstand judging without pretense is a good thing, right? Pretense is a false or biased claim, so judging with no pretense means judging fairly and without bias, right?
@@chasington5102 Not really ‘fairly’ so much as ‘bluntly’, I’d say.
Like if you asked me about a picture you drew and I spoke without pretense I would be up front about how I felt. I wouldn’t sugarcoat any of it and would tell you exactly what I thought.
That's the point. He's just good enough to get into heaven
I feel like this song is Charlie’s personal hell, repeatedly being denied entrance into heaven (what he worked for his whole life) and being dragged by angels and demons alike down into hell
"He kept his showers ice cold" is all I need to know.
I think the song is about displaying how *good* of a person you are instead of admitting what you might've done wrong here, mostly because the part where he arrives in hell displays the ring of gluttony, the ring of lust, and then the ring of greed (money wise at least), which might imply he practiced these but thought if he had enough *good* deeds, they'd weigh out and he'd get into heaven
cant stop staring at the character design. It’s so unique and shocking to look at. I LOVE IT!! good job??!?
Gosh yeah it's so cool
me too!!
Yeah its so fucking cool!!!!!!!!!!! Funny fella :DD
i just realised charlies good deeds are always benefitting him in some way...
To be honest I think imma end up like Charlie when I die 💀
Same 😀
Relatable!
Same 😭
@@djmoondrop6832 concerning
If you're self-aware about it, uh, maybe time to make some serious life changes instead of accepting your fate this early???
The one dislike is Charlie
3:04 - This part gives me chills
Ik
i love this guys voice oh my god
Same bro
My take: Charlie was an average dude who didn’t actually do anything wrong. The song is about how certain standards of morality are unattainable, and even if you are a mostly normal/totally average person you’ll end up punished for not meeting those standards. (Hence the reason for questioning the angels).
Here's how I see it: he's in a coma on life support, and his loved ones are begging him to wake up. He knows he doesn't belong in either place. The angels keep sending him back down because he isn't on the list. Charlie is well aware that Satan is an authority abusing power addict seeking to keep him trapped regardless.
That was what I had interpreted too, though it is pretty interesting to see people find theories and explanations as to why he went to hell. It's rather ironic to be honest, but it's only natural mostly everyone does this given the ambiguity and the desire to fill in narratives. I feel like I can't judge Charlie at all, he's just a regular Joe Schmoe who didn't live up to standards of heaven.
So, I found this song on accident and I keep listening to it out of morbid intrigue. Help
I’m in the same boat lmfao
OMG ME TOO, i just found this song from a artists art process and thought the chorus of the song sounded catchy and now im obsessed with it because its so morbid and interesting 😭
I've seen people point out that his deeds were soley for himself and I agree and also the fact he says "I went to church on Sundays, truly usually more." Shows he believes that just because he went to church he deserved to go to heaven, that he knows he wouldn't get in on actions alone as he doesn't bring them up, hoping that being "humble" would score him points. If he truly thought they had mistaken him, he would have told them what he did so that he could be like "Look, I did all these good things, surely you have mistaken me?"
"Here we buy and sell a million kinds of hell! Imaginations the limit for the Devil's clientele!"
that shit goes hard oml
I just listened to this song for so long on repeat that charlie is permanently etched into my screen (well hopefully not permanently but like. He's staring at me right now)
I think his special hell is getting stuck in a loop of trying to prove he's a "good" person to the demons, which mirrors the way he's lived his life and justified his actions.
My personal interpretation of this song is that Charlie didn't necessarily do anything wrong. The whole idea of this interpretation is that Charlie did everything he thought he needed to do, and considering that he was religious, what everyone else in his community thought was the right thing to do. He even died with people praying for his recovery "all his friends and neighbors huddled there in prayer around the respirator." Charlie was a bit of an asshole but not a horrible person.
"You can run to those angels until you are exhausted. One day, you will have to stop and question what they wanted"
Charlie thought he knew how to get to heaven. He did everything his religion told him to do. But in the end, he doesn't actually know what the angels want. He played by the rules, but he still died.
The "I don't want to die" that plays in the background is important, I think. No one actually escapes death. Humans like to pretend they're going to heaven and follow all the rules they think that they need to in order to go there. But in the end, Charlie still dies, and no one actually knows the right or wrong way to live life.
tldr: I interpret this song as everyone dies and no one actually knows how to escape death.
Ngl This is how I see it kinda:
Charlie's Inferno centers around Charlie Stewart Once, a man nearing his 40s who tries to live his life as cleanly as he can and to what's expected of him. A devout Christan, married to a dreamy highschool sweetheart, a quiet office job. Never done drugs, never lies or steals, about as white bread as it gets.
Everything is going smooth until one day he gets in a head on collision with another car that rockets him out of the windshield, to which he survives that but inevitably succumbs to both a heart attack and cardiac arrest simultaneously.
Charlie dies on the hospital bed and makes his way up to heaven's gates. However he is promptly rejected by the gate keeper, insisting that he's not on the guest list. Charlie is desperate but inevitably unable to stop the guards from booting him out, down to the pits of hell.
In hell, Charlie is then pulled aside to speak to the Devil, who reassures him that Charlie's placement in hell was a mistake; His name simply fell through the system and got placed on the wrong list. Satan tells him that they can pull a few strings to get him back in heaven, but in the meantime.. they can offer Charlie a Job.
A saint in wolve's clothing, Charlie is thrust into the devil's workforce alongside other demons, many in similar situations to him that owe the devil in some way or another.
Yeah..
HOLY SHIT how have I not found your channel before today? Keep this up, love your art work !!
Yknow, I see a lot of y'all interpreting this as Charlie doing what he thought was right and not what he felt was right, didnt put his heart in it. And I see that, but I'd like to raise a different interpretation
Sometimes you can do everything right, you can do everything you think is good and still fail. Charlie throughout the song repeats that they've got the wrong guy, he went to church on sunday, he loved his wife, what more could he have done? Does he truly belong among the gluttons and the vane? They say god is unknowable, his judgement inhuman. What if Charlie was condemned for something he never could've known? What if no matter how he tried he was never able to succeed? This is not to say his life was pointless, there were those who loved him and he loved them. But at the end, his life was deemed not good enough for arbitrary reasons
If he only stop running and listened to those who were trying to tell him what he was doing wrong, but he will not.
He was to prideful, thouth he was enought, that the fact that he spend a hour a week in church will grand him pass to eternity of happiness and bliss! A fool, who belive he deserve and have a right to go to heaven.
But that is not how it work in christianity really, nobody can save himself, no deads can grand you a salvation. That work in two ways tho, nobody can condemn themself anymore, and no act will make them go to hell.
Not only does this trigure my fear of death it also is catchy af
In my understanding of this song, Charlie was so focused on living up to the standards of a "good person" that he never actually took time to be a good person. Everything he did, even getting his wife cards and going to church, was all just so he could get into heaven. Heck, he was so excited to go to heaven he never actually considered the people who would miss him. He never gave out of the kindness of his heart, but out of his willingness to get to heaven. You could describe this as Fraud or Greed, but that's not the point. All in all just be a good person, regardless of if God is watching or not.
That art is so damn cool. Its so incredibly unique and odd in the most radical way
I know everyone is talking about their theories, but all I care about is this man's voice. He sounds so cool
Holy shit. Three days ago? I just found this song so thank you for this
Such a fun yet meaningful journey of a song. Really underrated songwriting, so damn powerful. Poor Charlie
Charlie wasn’t a good person
1:04 favorite part!
Agreed, so catchy
it’s my favorite part too :D
main chorus good part 👌
When i first heard the song i was like "if Charlie isn't getting into heaven then im 50 shades of fucked" then i listened a bit more and came to the conclusion.....I'm still 50 shades of fucked
Same same
The fact I never would've discovered this song and THD as a whole if it wasn't for my friends ex boyfriend sending me a lego movie edit is fucking insane to me
Me thinking charlie is good 😢
Me reading the lyrics 😐
I dont understand what charlie did wrong, he sounds like a good guy. What did he do? /gen
@@babiiesketches5257
he was selfish leaving his loved ones to go heaven when he had the chance of living (respirator)
Srry bad inglish :u
@@pantismediasnegras Ohhhh!!!!!! Thanks! Your english was fine btw, I understood you perfectly!
Nice
@@babiiesketches5257 the point of the song is that theres no way to know if youre a good person or not
I looked it up guys, it's a modern day reference to Dante's inferno, for those who don't know, he has to go through all the stages of hell in order to reach heaven
Bruh,would be cool if this was true
@@justforfunk1049 it is, I looked it up
@@waterlily9455 holy
yeah the song title is literally charlie's inferno
your art is so cool !! tysm for the lyrics
you ever think about how he just casually mentions charlie was a judgemental asshole in the middle of his explanation but you don't notice it the first time around because he says it like it's a good thing
1) thank you! And 2) your art fits this song so well its crazy
I think his sin was pride because of how he died ready for heaven because of how "amazing" he was and kept saying over and over how he thinks he's too good for hell
... Did the red saturate darker when he descends? ... nice touch.
Dont think so I think it's just eye-cone overexposure
I think the reason Charlie went to hell was because his death could be considered a suicide. His family, friends, and neighbors were praying for him to wake up, but he immediately gave up since he wanted to go to heaven so badly. He didnt care about those around him or how much they'd miss him. He immediately gave in and didnt fight against death for those he was supposed to love, so not only was he abrasive, he technically commited the sin of suicide.
It’s really not that deep and most don’t think that unless your like a book thumper. Whole point is that we don’t know why he’s in hell.
@@KalisShorthe judged people, it’s quite wedged in with unimportant things such as him fishing , so people gloss over it just kinda like how he glossed over it and it was (most) likely the reason he got into hell.
I love your drawing you added for the video
3 years and its still a bop 💀💀💀💀🥲🥲
song’s been out for 13 years
Here lies Charlie
You can tell it's him 'cause we put his name on the stone
He kept his showers ice cold, used eco-friendly lightbulbs
Rode his bicycle to work when the gasoline price rose
He'd judge with no pretense, fish on the weekends
Each morning, get up, do the Pledge of Allegiance
Never swim in the ocean, for fear of shark attacks
Bi-monthly get his wife a rose with a card attached
Avoiding all the little things that were hard to ask
Had a car crash, cardiac arrest, died of a heart attack
Golden escalator, all his friends and neighbors
Huddled there in prayer around the respirator
"Catch you later, I'm off to see the man upstairs!
They all look like ants from here, stars and crystal chandeliers!"
There was an angel at the entrance, checking off a guest list
Charlie wasn't on it, and was ushered to the exit
His heart sank
He was breathless
"Excuse me, sir!
There must be someone you've confused me for
If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform
I go to church on Sunday
Truly, usually more!"
Screaming at the angels while they pushed him through the door
"Excuse me, sir!
There must be someone you've confused me for
If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform
I go to church on Sunday
Truly, usually more!"
Screaming at the angels while they pushed him through the door
"Abandon all hope, all ye who enter"
It was a horrifying sign, but sounded like a neat adventure
Far beyond the halos and the castles in the clouds
Fatsos squealing, shackled with some apples in their mouths
Attention whores in padded bras hanging from extension cords
Tortured with the products from their favorite catalogs
Here, we buy and sell a million kinds of Hell
Imagination is the limit to the devil's clientele
Up a dingy elevator, no televised debate
Will save you from the Hell you paid for, sorry buddy, smell you later
Side-stepped fate, went right for the gate
But you know the devil, he loves a good chase
There was a demon at the entrance, making X's on a checklist
Who would kick you in the ass when you begged him for repentance
Those tempted by the senses with the cruelest of intentions
Charlie's heart sank, he was breathless
"Excuse me, sir!
There must be someone you've confused me for
If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform
I really don't belong here
I know you've heard the tune before!"
Screaming at the demons while they pushed him through the door
"Excuse me, sir!
There must be someone you've confused me for
If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform
I really don't belong here
I know you've heard the tune before!"
Screaming at the demons while they pushed him through the door
You can run from your demons until you are exhausted
One day you will have to stop and find out what they wanted
Keep on running from those demons 'til you are exhausted
You can run to those angels until you are exhausted
One day you will have to stop and question what they wanted
Keep on running to those angels 'til you are exhausted
"Excuse me, sir! (I don't)
There must be someone you've confused me for (want to)
If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform (die)
I really don't belong here (please don't)
I know you've heard the tune before! (Let me die)"
"Excuse me, sir! (I don't)
There must be someone you've confused me for (want to)
If I could see someone who knew me or someone in uniform (die)
I really don't belong here (please don't)
I know you've heard the tune before! (Let me die)"
Dawg we already have the lyrics right there
@@potatoperson1860they used half a hour doing this. I know how it feels-
i came from the will wood video and was exited to see this song it's one of my favorites :D
I personally see this as Charlie was a good man heavens standards are just way too high notice how it says “keep on running to those angels until you are exhausted some day you will have to stop and QUESTION what they wanted” when it’s talking about the demons it’s “find out what they wanted”
This sounds so energetic and positive, why do I have goosebumps on my whole body
i can't listen to this without going yip yip yippee yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yippee yip yip yip yip yip y
This isn't me.
I'm goin' straight to Hell.
I ain't gonna get judged.
I'm just gonna fall.
Goodbye everyone!
Yeah same.
"avoiding all the little things that were to ask" i think this impys that he didnt question little things that wouldn't benefit him in life so he just ignored them
You and Poor Man's Poison may want to collaborate. Their sound is great, but becomes legendary when given just a hint of inspiration (see: "I am the righteous hand of God - [and] I am the Devil you forgot" which was released only after a guest cellist reunited them after a breakup). These lyrics fit with their style perfectly.
I now understand why Charlie is in hell. His faith was never truly true. His good deeds benefited himself so he could into heaven, like he only followed them because he had. Not because he wanted to.
Awesome lyrics video. I just discovered them, and this has to be one of my favorite songs of theirs, but I can't quite make out what he is saying sometimes
The end of the story would be way different if he also got rejected from hell
I HAVENT HEARD THIS SONG IN SO LONG I MISS IT SM
the way i got an ad about repenting before the video started 💀
the best part in my opinion : 2:51
A priest is singing to a widow about how her husband went to hell. 😭 wtfffff.
I don't even understand the lyrics because I speak Spanish, but what a good rhythm it has anyway
But how can you write in English?
@@MRHOPE5394
I use a translator
"you can run from your demons until you are exhausted, one day you will have to stop and question what they wanted"
Chefskiss
Exactly.
idk what the fuck this is it was just in my recommended but it’s cool as hell and I love it
this video was very helpful with the lyrics, i also really like the drawing!!🥺 i like the design it and looks very cool!!
The song is great and deep, yes yes, but the artwork is great. It's beautiful, and has the emotion clearly there, great job!
this vide is what introduced me to THD some days ago very gratefull for it
"why are we in hell? We never did anything bad."
"Well... Let me put it this way: what did you do to get into heaven?"
-afterparty
I came here from the Wally Darling Welcome Home tiktoks honestly😅 this song is such a banger though!
The fact that in the original video, the thumbnail is a human with his heart going upwards and his mind downward. This relates to how if you do things with your heart you get to heaven and if you do them with your mind you go to hell.
That's kinda unfair tbh.
my words fly up but my thoughts remain below
@@BagelBoyboss true
@@BagelBoyboss god might need to lower his standards lmao
@@BagelBoyboss exactly. even the belief in a heaven hell system damns you to hell by this rule, because you'll always act subconciously to not be tortured for eternity. thus knowing of hell damns you to it
A little timestamp for me
2:38
I think Charlie asking to see “someone in uniform” means he’s looking for someone who died in the military. He thinks they’ll vouch for him because he wakes up and takes a minute or two to say the pledge of allegiance. Clever.
no not at all, someone in uniform just refers to someone with more authority or in a higher management position
i REALLY like this lyric video because the picture and the colors with the song are very nice THANK YOU
Man I love this song
I love the song and art thank you
This song made me reevaluate my entire life, thank you :)
Prompts to this song for helping me make one of my favourite OCs.
Super cool art style!
I’m obsessed with this song
I’m noticing Charlie seems to be rather arrogant, saying “I’m off to see the man upstairs!” As if he’s CERTAIN he’ll get into Heaven despite the fact before now he’d only have the word of Humans to go off of what was what was good or not, not Angels or Demons, just morally ambiguous Humans he trusted without a second thought
He even seems to purposefully avoid sins, allowing them to exist around him without interfering, “Avoiding all the little things that were hard to ask”, refusing to interfere with situations unless they had a cut and dry hood or bad option, refusing to make room for the morally grey stuff
Plus there’s all the stuff he does that has no real advantage or disadvantage that could get him to go to Heaven or He’ll. What does avoiding shark attacks have to do with good and bad? If he truly wanted to help he’d have avoided gasoline cars in the first place since those types of cars do all sorts of damage to the environment, but ONLY avoided them once it became inconvenient to pay for it. Both of these options aren’t for the benefit of anybody but him, absolutely nobody else
Not to mention other stuff that makes no sense, what does saying the Pledge Of Allegiance even do for anyone? Nobody is going to live or die depending on whether or not he says that every day, Charlie is clearly doing that SOLELY because they think it’ll get him in Heaven’s good graces, because as far as I’m aware that’s the only choice he made that he decided was “good” but didn’t positively effect ANYBODY, not even himself, nor would it have negatively effected anybody, not even himself as far as I’m aware, to have NOT done that
Not to mention one final line I want to mention that intrigues me “It was a horrifying sign but sounded like a neat adventure”. Who thought it was a neat adventure? The Narrator? Charlie? Why would either feel the need to say that? I’m not sure about this line, it just feels important for some reason
Dude I just keep coming back to this video, not due to the song (I mean kinda), but I keep coming to look at the art. It's so wonderful. I love this art. Did you make this art?
He only did it for him not the people around him not even for Christ .....
I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH-
Funny how people think being Good gets you to be in Heaven.
Charlie wasnt a bad person. But that was the problem. he wasnt a good person either. He did just enough good to not be a bad person, But not enough to be a good one. Hes perfectly neutral which isnt good enough. I personally see it as both a criticism of people just doing the bare minimum to get into heaven or whatever good end they believe in but not enough to be actually good as a person, and a criticism of the high morals a lot of religions put on people and the pressure they give to make you feel like you're never enough.
Sure charlie never did anything bad but he just didnt do much good. Him riding his bike helped the environment but he only did it when the gas prices rose. He bought his wife a rose but it was only his wife and he didnt do anything else for others. He was basically just your average person who looks out for themselves and argues with himself that his good deeds are selfless rather than selfish. But also, everyone here would do the same thing. Do the more economical choice of riding a bike, getting your loved ones occasional presents. According to the church (The Christian religions that is) thats not enough. Now while the bible just says you gotta embrace jesus, The actual chruch says otherwise and tries to make people do more and more by saying that just enough, is never enough.
Idk i just like looking into it and if you see things a different way thats all good. Thats just how i view the meaning of the song and i enjoy it like that
I barely noticed this but when it says “went right for the gate but you know the devil he loves a good chase” it means Charlie doesn’t think he belongs in h*ll he’s running from the truth
Part : 3:17
Excuse me sir (i don't want to die...)
there must be someone
you've confused me for!
if I could see someone
who knew me or someone
in uniform
i really don't belong (please don't let me die!)
here, i know you've
heard the tune before!
I've listened to this song so many times I can't count.... I found this song like an hour ago 😅