Thematically , the album 's lyrics are based on Patrick 's feeling of betrayal and anger in his personal life . Resentment of worldly issues also inspired lyrics , with Patrick being angered by Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting , political discourse regarding President Barack Obama and the Tea Party movement , and an incident regarding his wife being almost run off the road by someone throwing trash at her car over a bumper sticker . Another source of inspiration both the lyrics and album title was Patrick 's prior issues with alcoholism and excessive drug use . Patrick explained it as : In my lifetime , the sun definitely came out at night ... . I ’m a recovering drug addict and a recovering alcoholic , but when I was taking drugs , there were a few nights where my blood turned into golden , beautiful sunshine . It was all chemical-based , and I knew it was a lie , but it was completely overwhelming , and it was like the sun had come out at night . " Patrick changed the album title from '' Gurney '' to '' The Sun Comes Out Tonight '' after feeling so inspired by writing the lyrics of the respective song . The song 's guitar riff was inspired by the work of the Deftones . The track " Self-Inflicted " was written in efforts to understand the mindset of a serial killer . He wrote the lyrics through their viewpoint that " society made them do it " , with Patrick stating " For example , an event like Columbine , looking at it as if the shooters were the victims and that somehow we or society made them do it – that somehow they were the victims . That this was self-inflicted " . " Burn It " is about how people hurt or kill themselves when they give up when they can not come to terms with society and the world around them . " It 's Just You " was written about the sense of isolation that comes with alcohol abuse , but that there 's hope in recovering as well . Writing the piano ballad " It 's My Time " originated from when Patrick was asked to write a song television show , '' Justified '' on FX ; he wrote it " from a person 's perspective of them being killed and knowing it " , and stated its meant to convey the feeling of being wrongfully convicted of a crime
Columbine
Columbine High School massacre
The Sun Comes Out Tonight