Pompeii

This song is not about Pompeii. Yes, it mentions Pompeii in the literal sense, but the literal lyrics of Pompeii are used as a metaphor to describe a dystopia. We first see this very image when we see the actor in the music video staring out at the city in front of him- the city is not of Pompeii, but a modernized community with tall buildings and lights. It represents industrialization and the movement toward a dehumanized environment.

The real metaphor becomes apparent when the singer says "But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?" This is the reference to Pompeii, and the connection of today's society falling apart just like Pompeii did several thousands of years ago (or however long it was). And the siner references as if the modern day is like Pompeii when he says "Does it almost feel like you've been here before?" While the modern city isn't falling apart, but is rather being built up, it is being built up by industry, technology, and pop culture. All of these are dehumanizing us today. So while metaphor is about Pompeii falling apart, we are essentially falling apart by building up a materialistic society. This is referenced by "We were caught up and lost in all of our vices" and indicates that we, not a volcano, are destroying our own society by cbecoming more materialistic.

"Where do we begin? The rubble or our sins?" brings back the metaphor of Pompeii and connects it to the modern day. Pompeii may have become rubble, but today it is sin and materialism that is destroying our society. This is a rhetorical question that is meant only to reference the metaphor and relate today's modern society to the destruction of Pompeii.

While not direct references, "And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love. Great clouds roll over the hills, bringing darkness from above" can connect Pompeii to a multitude of problems that occur today, some of which include illegal immigration (walls kept tumbling down), pollution (great clouds roll over the hills), and more modern natural disasters that also cause walls to tumble down.

I believe these lyrics are also indicative of America. While not specifically mentioned, America is referenced as "a city on a hill" by many former Presidents and has been an American theme since the days of early America. Bastille's lines mention "in the city that we love. Great clouds roll over the hills" which imply that America (likely New York City) is the modern country/city perceived as destructible. This could be looking too far into it, but implications from the lyrics are there.

Overall, this song uses the destruction of Pompeii to describe the destruction of cities today (likely American cities), which leads us into a dystopia. In the video it shows the guy running into an arcade, which brings forth the idea of materialism. I believe the video is implying that if there really was destruction in the world while at an arcade, people would be so enthralled in the arcade that they would become oblivious to the destruction happening around them. This is the destruction among us today. People, especially American people, are distracted by the materialism around them that they forget what is important in their lives. This is what leads us to our modern downfall, which is arguably far worse than a natural disaster that destroyed the city of Pompeii. So where do we begin: the rubble or the sins?