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The Callous Daoboys – “Distracted by the Mona Lisa” Is a Feverish Love Letter to the Unshakable Pull of Passion

There’s a kind of devotion that borders on self-destruction, the kind that swallows everything else in its orbit. For some, it’s a person. For others, it’s a dream. For The Callous Daoboys’ frontman Carson Pace, it’s the band itself — a relentless, all-consuming force that demands everything and offers no guarantees.

That’s the emotional core of “Distracted by the Mona Lisa”: a chaotic, bruised, and beautiful meditation on what it means to be bound to your art like it’s a lover you can’t leave.

Lyrical Depth: Torn Between Love and the Stage

The song opens mid-confession, catching us in the moment where intimacy fractures under scrutiny.

“You pull on your hair when you’re lying”, he observes

— a detail so personal it feels invasive, a memory he can’t help but hold onto. Under stadium lights, the truth is illuminated, both literally and emotionally. There’s love here, but it’s weighed down by the tension of double lives: one rooted in real connection, and one constantly yanked back into the glow of the stage.

From the beginning, the song juggles these two emotional poles: the yearning for a stable, simple love, and the stubborn refusal to let go of a life chasing something bigger.

The Cost of Choosing Passion Over Peace

“I’ll wait for you to leave the altar” Carson sings, not as a romantic gesture, but as a quiet acknowledgment that he chose this path. He could’ve picked something easier — a quieter life, a different kind of relationship, a kind of love that “wouldn’t falter”. But he didn’t. He chose this. And now he lives with the consequences.

That chorus becomes a kind of internal mantra, not just regret, but reconciliation. He recognizes himself as an “inefficient little fake rockstar”, a sharp jab at his own imposter syndrome. The repetition reveals a man constantly measuring himself against some imagined standard of success, trying to be enough — for the band, for himself, for the people who love him.

The second verse paints a picture of slow, inevitable detachment. “Sick days for all those who outgrow me”, he offers, with both sarcasm and sadness. He knows it’s coming — that the people around him, the ones he’s tried to love through the chaos, will eventually move on.

They wanted something simpler: a “New Year’s kiss”, a boyfriend who doesn’t cling to fifteen minutes of fame, whose favorite songs don’t make them roll their eyes. But Carson can’t be that person. He’s married to this other thing.

A Breakdown, a Vow, and the Quiet Power of Imperfect Devotion

Then, the song unravels. A breakdown erupts

“Don’t do it!”

— a raw, shouted plea that feels like a phone call on the verge of collapse. It’s as if we’re hearing a real-time argument, a desperate attempt to hold onto someone who’s slipping away. There’s fear here. Panic. But also, a grim kind of acceptance. Because the chorus returns, just as it did before and we understand now that it’s not changing.

By the time we reach the outro, the metaphor becomes crystal clear.

“Hear my vows tonight / While everybody else is distracted by the Mona Lisa.”

In the middle of the noise, the distractions, and the impossible expectations, he’s still speaking directly to his muse. While the world chases after perfection, symbolized by the Mona Lisa, he’s standing there with his own imperfect devotion, reciting vows to a life most people don’t understand.

It’s a vow to the life he’s chosen, no matter how messy or isolating it gets. And like all great vows, it’s not about ease — it’s about endurance.

Closing

“Distracted by the Mona Lisa” isn’t just about music, or fame, or even heartbreak. It’s about the friction between passion and normalcy, the kind of passion that doesn’t just demand your time, but your identity. It’s chaotic, self-aware, and emotionally raw, like a journal entry written in the middle of a storm. And through it all, The Callous Daoboys make one thing clear: this isn’t just something they do. It’s who they are.

“Distracted by the Mona Lisa” is featured on the upcoming album I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven, set for release on May 16 via MNRK Heavy. The album is anticipated to showcase the band’s growth and experimentation within their genre.

The track follows their previous single, The Callous Daoboys – “Lemon” which we described as “an unpredictable mathcore outfit colliding with melody in an experimental, polarizing sonic evolution.”

Check their music video on Youtube.

The Callous Daoboys – “Distracted by The Mona Lisa” Lyrics

[Intro]
Oh-woah-oh
Oh-woah-oh

[Verse]
You pull on your hair when you’re lying
I noticed it just last night
Or maybe I had seen it before
Just not under stadium lights, my love
My love

[Chorus]
I’ll wait for you to leave the altar
‘Cause I coulda picked something easier
I coulda been a contender
For kinds of love that wouldn’t falter
Inefficient little fake rockstar
Tryna make sure I’m up to par

[Refrain]
Oh-woah-oh
Oh-woah-oh

[Verse]
Sick days for all those who outgrow me
‘Cause one day I know you will
All you wanted was a new years kiss
A man who doesn’t need his fifteen minutes
Who’s favorite song doesn’t make your eyes roll
Eyes roll

[Chorus]
I’ll wait for you to lеave the altar
‘Cause I coulda pickеd something easier
I coulda been a contender
For kinds of love that wouldn’t falter
Inefficient little fake rockstar
Tryna make sure I’m up to par

[Breakdown]
Now it’s every time screaming on the phone
“Don’t do it”
“Don’t do it”
“Don’t do it”

[Chorus]
I’ll wait for you to leave the altar
‘Cause I coulda picked something easier
I coulda been a contender
For kinds of love that wouldn’t falter
Inefficient little fake rockstar
Tryna make sure I’m up to par

[Outro]
Hear my vows tonight
While everybody else is distracted by the Mona Lisa
Hear my vows tonight
While everybody else is distracted by the Mona Lisa