I agree with fear, this song is one of my favorites when it comes to the lyrics. I don't think the song was from any one character's perspective, it was simply a narrative reflection on the story. I read what other people thought, and as vague and complicated as the words are, this is my take on it:
The first part is basically saying how our morals are so fragile, and they're not as rigid and set in stone as we like to think. "Don't ever ask us to define our morals..."
The next two lines tie in perfectly. "There's almost nothing worse than never being real; strained voices crying wolf when no one else can hear" 'Not real' means you're not yourself or you're not really living. So when you finally do have a crisis on your hands, no one will listen ("cry wolf"). I think this is what Kezia was feeling before she died, and throughout her life maybe.
"If I had a gun I'd pump your ethics full of lead
If I believed in meat I'd eat a plateful of our dead"
I think that part's about shedding away obsolete ethics, and reverting to a state of simplified humanity, something like that. Which seems to be a major theme of the story. The dead are sacred, and to consume them, or be a cannibal, is an abomination; and "pump your ethics full of lead" is pretty blunt.
"There's merit in construction when it's done with your own hands
There's beauty in destruction, resurrection, another chance
There's a you and I in union but just an I in our beliefs
There's a crashing plane with a banner that reads everyone's naïve"
I LOVE this part. I think "construction" and "destruction" in these verses mean life and death, respectively. Construction (i.e. life) is only meaningful when we can live it ourselves. Destruction (death) can be a vital, beautiful thing because it can sometimes mark the beginning of new life (resurrection).
"There's a U and I in union, but just an I in my beliefs." So true. "There's a crashing plane with a banner that reads everyone's naïve" I think the crashing plane is actually society and the justice system, which is falling downhill, and Kezia's execution showed everyone just how naive and arrogant they all were to think they were righteous.
I agree exactly with paleta on the "beat the same horse" bit. It means the people who killed Kezia are still mourning and reflecting, and they have sworn to never do it again. But at the same time, something good came out of it, too. Everyone now sees the error of their ways, and it manifests itself in a "garden of bullet-laden morals".
"I'd rather kill a stupid flower and spread its seeds
Until a garden with our bullet-laden morals will be found"
I agree with fear, this song is one of my favorites when it comes to the lyrics. I don't think the song was from any one character's perspective, it was simply a narrative reflection on the story. I read what other people thought, and as vague and complicated as the words are, this is my take on it:
The first part is basically saying how our morals are so fragile, and they're not as rigid and set in stone as we like to think. "Don't ever ask us to define our morals..."
The next two lines tie in perfectly. "There's almost nothing worse than never being real; strained voices crying wolf when no one else can hear" 'Not real' means you're not yourself or you're not really living. So when you finally do have a crisis on your hands, no one will listen ("cry wolf"). I think this is what Kezia was feeling before she died, and throughout her life maybe.
"If I had a gun I'd pump your ethics full of lead If I believed in meat I'd eat a plateful of our dead" I think that part's about shedding away obsolete ethics, and reverting to a state of simplified humanity, something like that. Which seems to be a major theme of the story. The dead are sacred, and to consume them, or be a cannibal, is an abomination; and "pump your ethics full of lead" is pretty blunt.
"There's merit in construction when it's done with your own hands There's beauty in destruction, resurrection, another chance There's a you and I in union but just an I in our beliefs There's a crashing plane with a banner that reads everyone's naïve"
I LOVE this part. I think "construction" and "destruction" in these verses mean life and death, respectively. Construction (i.e. life) is only meaningful when we can live it ourselves. Destruction (death) can be a vital, beautiful thing because it can sometimes mark the beginning of new life (resurrection).
"There's a U and I in union, but just an I in my beliefs." So true. "There's a crashing plane with a banner that reads everyone's naïve" I think the crashing plane is actually society and the justice system, which is falling downhill, and Kezia's execution showed everyone just how naive and arrogant they all were to think they were righteous.
I agree exactly with paleta on the "beat the same horse" bit. It means the people who killed Kezia are still mourning and reflecting, and they have sworn to never do it again. But at the same time, something good came out of it, too. Everyone now sees the error of their ways, and it manifests itself in a "garden of bullet-laden morals".
"I'd rather kill a stupid flower and spread its seeds Until a garden with our bullet-laden morals will be found"
I love that. Perfect ending to a perfect album.