Underoath - Desperate Times, Desperate Measures - Lyrics Meaning

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures is the first single released off of the band's fourth studio album titled Lost in the Sound of Separation. The album was released September 2, 2008 and debuted at number eight on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The single has to do with lead singer Spencer Chamberlin's past drug addictions and how much of a pull it had on his life. The drug addiction caused so much pain and anguish for Chamberlin and he ultimately found redemption in Christ.

The song talks about the disgust he feels because of his drug use and how it is inhibiting him from becoming like Christ, which is his goal. He feels he is nothing more than a parasite that is feeding off a host of drugs and he cannot even look himself in the mirror because of shame and disappointment. The lyrics convey drug addiction as a disease or sickness that infects the individual. Chamberlin sings out that he hopes this is the last time he will participate in drug use and knows that when he battles those demons he will be able to be a better person and Christian. The single appears on the EA Sports video game soundtrack for the football game Madden 2009. The song also appears on the video game Rock Band 2.