The song title comes from The Who's 1979 concert documentary called The Kids Are Alright. It is not a reference to The Offspring's 1998 single of the same name. Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz told Kerrang!: "I'm not super familiar with The Offspring, although Dexter (Holland, singer) was in a dream of mine the other night where he flew his plane and picked us up. As much as saying the kids aren't all right, it's when we were the kids."
Pete Wentz told Rock Genius regarding the "Don't you know that the kids aren't al-, kids aren't alright," hook: "The reference here is all over the place. Just I guess the point is - you don't have to be alright all the time. It's OK to get down. The world has this expectation of perfection sometimes. I personally align myself against it."
Wentz wrote the "Overhead of the aqua blue" line one time when the band were landing in Southern California. Asked by HMV.com how he writes the lyrics, he replied: "Sometimes I write in interviews, or when I'm driving. I try to remember key words, and then I take voice notes. Sometimes it's on planes or in hotel rooms, but if I sat down to write it never happens, that and when I'm with my kids, can't do it then. It's weird, it somehow used to be more effort and yet more effortless. Sometimes I have so much, but not this time, this time I said to Patrick (Stump, vocals) 'Patrick, use it all, there is no more.'"
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