"Cough Syrup" is a song about the feeling of being stuck in suburbia, yearning to break free from boredom, normality, and homogeneity. It was written by Young the Giant when they were still known as The Jakes, during a time when they were unsigned and unsure of their path. The song is described by its lead vocalist as a "cry for help" to escape the universal expectations of their surroundings. The Glee Cast covered this song, bringing their own interpretation to its themes of longing for something different.