The Carpal Tunnel of Love

A great song to analyze.

I feel the overall meaning is a relationship that two try to make work even though it's a relationship that will fail because it is based off of lust rather than love. Yet, the song mocks this idea by its trendy frenzy catchy beat.

Right from the start we hear "we take sour sips from life's lush lips" indicating a "sour" relationship, in other words, one that isn't working. The "lush" lips indicates that the relationship is based off of lust of lips (or the taste) rather than actual true love.

"And we shake shake shake the hips in relationships" I believe indicates the two lovers trying to "shake" off all the doubts hoping that the relationship will get better.

"Stop by this disaster town and you'll put your eyes to the sun and say 'I know'" indicates that the relationship is a "disaster" and the two involved know about it, though they stare at the sun, hoping for a better relationship even though they know it won't happen. This again indicates the phrase "You're only blinding to keep back what the clouds are hiding."

"And we have started singing just a little soon, we're throwing stones in a glass room (moon)" indicates that the relationship has gotten farther than it should have gotten, causing it to become chaotic (chaos is also referenced by the random lyrics and upbeat of the song).

"We're so miserable and stunning" is an ironic line because the song is really upbeat when it says this, and it comes off as an oxymoron (miserably stunning). Basically the lyrics read the irony of the relationship which is beautifully miserable (thus the upbeat), which indicates that they aren't happy about the relationship but they are happy to try to make the relationship fail, despite it not actually working at all. Reminds me of a teenaged relationship for the sake of having a relationship.

"Genuinely cunning" is another oxymoron-like phrase indicating that the two lovers are both genuine to each other because both in the relationship try to make the relationship work without telling the other about how badly it is going, even though in retrospect their slyness is represented by their dislike of the relationship in which they fail to tell the other about.

"We keep the beat with blistered feet"- they try to make it work even though deep down inside it doesn't

"We bullet the words at the mockingbirds"- A metaphor for breaking the rhythm of a relationship, much like how shooting a mockingbird breaks the mockingbird's song and innocence (as in the book To Kill A Mockingbird).

Overall, this song features several oxymorons which are put together to explain a relationship on a pendulum. The relationship is overall negative, but the lovers try to stay positive and hide the negatives so that it looks like they love each other (with the catchy beats, and positive words) when in reality they hate the relationship deep down inside. Both lovers try to ignore the facts about the relationship failing and try to make things work, thus there is a forced balance, as you see in the oxymorons.