The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
A short delay, the parrot blues
Little voices mimic you
It's not so hard to make that sound
So watch your back, the Ides of March
Cut your hair like Joan of Arc
Disguise your will, they'll find you out
And when they do, look out
There's money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break your heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If I loved you, well that's my fault
A bitch in heat, the alpha male
Not something she'd ever tell
Except when she got deathly high
And out it came like summer rain
It washed the cars and everything
Felt clean for just a little while
A telethon we drunk dialed
Those starving children, they ain't got no mother
There's pink flamingos living in the mall
I'd give a fortune to your infomercial
If somebody would just take my call
Take my call
Hello, patterns in my mind now moving slow
Sorrow all across the surface rolls
Smoothing out the edges of the stone
The lights are out, where'd everybody go?
Alone
Erase yourself and you'll be free
Mandala destroyed by the sea
All we are is colored sand
So pay to ride the ferris wheel
Smile, all that you can feel
Is gratitude for what has been
Because it did not happen
There's money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break my heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If you love me, then that's your fault
There's money lenders inside the temple
This crystal city's going to fall apart
When all their power turns into vapor
If I miss you, well that's my fault
Little voices mimic you
It's not so hard to make that sound
So watch your back, the Ides of March
Cut your hair like Joan of Arc
Disguise your will, they'll find you out
And when they do, look out
There's money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break your heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If I loved you, well that's my fault
A bitch in heat, the alpha male
Not something she'd ever tell
Except when she got deathly high
And out it came like summer rain
It washed the cars and everything
Felt clean for just a little while
A telethon we drunk dialed
Those starving children, they ain't got no mother
There's pink flamingos living in the mall
I'd give a fortune to your infomercial
If somebody would just take my call
Take my call
Hello, patterns in my mind now moving slow
Sorrow all across the surface rolls
Smoothing out the edges of the stone
The lights are out, where'd everybody go?
Alone
Erase yourself and you'll be free
Mandala destroyed by the sea
All we are is colored sand
So pay to ride the ferris wheel
Smile, all that you can feel
Is gratitude for what has been
Because it did not happen
There's money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break my heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If you love me, then that's your fault
There's money lenders inside the temple
This crystal city's going to fall apart
When all their power turns into vapor
If I miss you, well that's my fault
Lyrics submitted by jethrothekid
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I guess this song is about betrayals and things going badly... and it's definitely on the obscurantist side. Money lenders obviously refers to that famous scene in the Bible when JC overturns the money lenders' tables because it's so immoral and corrupt and has no place in a space of worship, but CO is also drawing a parallel to our time, saying that all that we hold sacred is being corrupted and destroyed by money/power/empire.
I think there are also underlying themes of revolution and the need for rapid change. (the starving children, flamingos in mall=decadence?, and obviously Jeanne d'Arc - but watch out if you're openly critical because they will burn you at the stake if they find out)
I think that () word is mandala because it's a sacred image that is often drawn with colored sand. Tibetan Buddhists spend months drawing elaborate mandalas and at the end, they just blow it away because the mandala represents the universe and the erasure of it demonstrates impermanence. (And that's a theme we've seen before in CO's writing)
I agree with the biblical reference. I remember when i was in school we were told that story by the teacher and she always emphasized that is was the only time when Jesus lost his temper. Its as if Conor is trying to portray how badly he has been betrayed. The one thing he though was so sacred it was untouchable has been desecrated