In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
A lie to maintain equilibrium, to hold me in this dead realm, this last ever dream
I'm the thought that never crossed my mind. Disguised in the evident. Forever unredeemed
I'm the thought that never crossed my mind. Disguised in the evident. Forever unredeemed
Lyrics submitted by Bloodmouth
Personae Non Gratae Lyrics as written by Jens Kidman Fredrik Thordendal
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This is my view: this is definitely less cryptic and more straight forward than most Meshuggah songs, as far as lyrical content goes. I'm not going to post "I think" every time, just know this is all my opinion.
"A lie to maintain equilibrium, to hold me in this dead realm" The line between not wanting to live or seeing through life's uncertainties is being breached. The viewpoint is from a man who understands his inescapable situation: being. He must lie to himself by giving himself reasons to continue with his life. Seeing what he is and the ambiguity of living turns his inner world dead; but he keeps it together as it's splitting at the seems. The notion of life being a dream is seen with the "last ever dream", showing that this state of inner turmoil and confusion is self-perpetuating.
"I'm the thought that never crossed my mind. Disguised in the evident." He never thought about what he is before. He is alive and aware of this. This presents a very dangerous situation. What is being? How did it come to be? Questioning an ambiguous phenomena such as being results in cyclical patterns of thoughts and questions. Being is the most prominent aspect of life- it is at the heart of existence. Yet, this statement which you've just read probably seems ludicrous. If it did, this is because this is exactly what he is trying to get across. Disguised in the evident- you are alive. I cannot allow you to see this phenomena of self awakening; words cannot describe this bizarre catch 22 situation, maybe that is related to why the album is entitled "Catch 33"
"Forever unredeemed" When referring to spirituality or souls, it is said that unredeemed can mean "cursed". If this event in which I described is correct, then this cycle is torturous. Questioning being is odd. There are no answers and the closer you get to truth the more you realize truth is as about as real as a dream... but how real are dreams? ...and so, it continues.