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“High Hopes” is about seeking your dreams without hesitancy and seeing those dreams come to fruition beyond your wildest imagination. Having high hopes is a phrase that means to have:

High Hopes Lyrics by Panic! At The Disco. Had to have high, high hopes for a living Shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision Always had high, high hopes. Had to have high, high hopes for a living Didn’t know how but I always had a feeling I was gonna be that one in a million.

a strong feeling that something good will happen or be true

Throughout Panic! At The Disco’s and Brendon Urie’s career, the band has faced challenges and changes. The beginning of Panic!’s journey was fraught with financial challenges. Brendon Urie, trying to make ends meet, worked in a Smoothie King to support his music career. While creating their iconic “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”, the band could not afford to pay professional string musicians, leaving them to record a middle school band member playing the part one note at a time.

Even with commercial success, the trials of the music industry still plagued the band. From band members leaving and attempting to adapt to a turbulent music scene, Brendon Urie has seen his dream of maintaining success in the music industry fade in and out of view. Despite these difficulties, Urie, now the last remaining member of the band, has continued to strive for his goals and has earned a Grammy nomination, a stint on the Broadway showKinky Boots, and numerous other accolades.

Upon the song’s release, Brendon revealed his inspiration behind “High Hopes” on Twitter and Instagram, and in the video description on YouTube

I spent too long not setting my expectations high enough, worried about how it felt to fail. I hit a point when I realized I had to aim high and fail, fail, fail in order to keep growing. This one is for all of you who helped me go for it all. I thank you.
- B

The song was released half an hour prior to the due time – 2pm EST – on the official Panic! At The Disco YouTube Channel, racking up just over 1k views, before being officially released via a separate video, and on Spotify.

“High Hopes” is the third single released from Pray For The Wicked. It was preceded by “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” and “(Fuck a) Silver Lining” which were released two months earlier.

“High Hopes” is the highest charting song in Panic! At the Disco history, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” at number 7 in 2006.

Panic! at the Disco released their new album Pray for the Wicked on June 22. Back in May, Panic! released 'High Hopes' from the album, which has now become their second highest-ranking track on the Billboard Hot 100 since their 2006 breakthrough hit 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies.'

'High Hopes' features a punchy beat with aspirational lyrics such as 'Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing/ Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision.' The music video, released in August, even features lead singer Brendon Urie walking right up the side of a skyscraper. Check out the lyrics and music video below.

Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Mama said
Fulfill the prophecy
Be something greater
Go make a legacy
Manifest destiny
Back in the days
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said
Burn your biographies
Rewrite your history
Light up your wildest dreams
Museum victories, everyday
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Mama said
It's uphill for oddities
The stranger crusaders
Ain't ever wannabes
The weird and the novelties
Don't ever change
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down
Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting
They say it's all been done but they haven't seen the best of me
So I got one more run and it's gonna be a sight to see
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC

Panic At The Disco Wiki

Written by: BRENDON BOYD URIE, ILSEY JUBER, JAKE SINCLAIR, JENNY OWEN YOUNGS, JONAS JEBERG, SAMUEL HOLLANDER, TAYLA PARX, WILLIAM LOBBAN-BEAN