The song’s title, “Fentanyl” is the name of an opioid drug, one of several known for being at the root of the United States’s opioid epidemic. On its own, the drug is used as a painkiller, but when sold on the street, it’s often mixed with other more harmful drugs without the user’s consent, potentially causing unknown damage. In the song, lead singer Fink comes to the realization that someone close to him has been incredibly toxic. The song, which draws similarities between this toxic person and the dangerous drug, serves as an exposé of their behavior, as well as a warning to any listeners to be careful of who they trust.

As for who this person is, a common fanon belief is that the toxic person in question is the Network’s ex-manager, Dr. Svengali. He made threatening and lewd remarks about the band members in multiple interviews, all of which are still up online to see. Some of his personal, less-structured writing is also available on the Network’s old website, Network News. At one point, he even created and leaked a fake Network song, the lyrics of which convey selfish vanity with frighteningly suggestive undertones. Furthermore, Dr. Svengali is the one person who is no longer associated with the band, having been seemingly scrubbed completely from The Network’s history, with even the old Lushotology shirt that he promoted on their website being completely redesigned instead of re-used.