Ok, here goes my interpretation. As mentioned before, I also believe that this song talks about time and a critic about our modern lifestyle.
First verse: everybody is in a hurry, seems occupied. Even though the streets are full of people none of them seems to worry about anything else besides their own thoughts and goals, goals followed by free will or by what is imposed to them by the society. Being always busy, faster and faster, we got very time left to enjoy the beautiful things in this world/life, turning them opaque, without light. By 'chasing the moon' he feels that, even thought he seems to have a goal, all his wanderings had led him nowhere in particular, actually, all his efforts seems fruitless considering that the distance between him and the moon is still the same. And it makes him go deeper both in sadness and frustration, but still holding the dream (or truly waiting for someone real) that a person will come and pull him out of that pit, giving purpose to his life.
Chorus: this part goes all around the clock metaphor. The pointer comes back around to the same spot over and over again, time, in the other hand does not, being a stream that simply follows its path. Sometimes people pretend to be something because it's a goal they haven't achieved yet, in a fear that it may never come true and perhaps it's better to live an illusion than face your limitations and the truth of failure. The same goes when you have something really good and don't want it to change and hold to the moment, unconsciously ruining it anyway trying to make it perfect and last forever.
The hill represents life, and you are in a vehicle ( time ) which you have no control, nothing more than a passenger. Once you are born , it starts the journey to the bottom. There's no slowing down, no way to come back.
This thought makes me feel like the section with the orchestra ( which is absolutely stunning ) represents a struggle from the character with himself. The song goes higher as he starts to realize the one-way trip he is in and, in a moment of panic and desperation, he tries to fight its way 'back in time' ( an attempt to erase his mistakes maybe ) but acknowledge that, as the music fade away, there is nothing he can do about it. He then enters a state of numbness and lethargy, which follows his acceptance.
Second verse: here he talks about human nature. There is happiness all around in the city, but it all comes to fake smiles and second intentions, and to reach someone's heart, 'find one's love line', is very hard. Not only love, but friendship also seems fake ( mention to fairweather friends ) and what may look like a sanctuary is actually a hollow building, with nothing there for you inside.
The second chorus is basically the same, some change of words but the meaning remains the same.
Very beautiful song. Brings something else, no doubt about it. It drags you in if you listen with some attention. Kudos to qotsa, once again.
Ok, here goes my interpretation. As mentioned before, I also believe that this song talks about time and a critic about our modern lifestyle.
First verse: everybody is in a hurry, seems occupied. Even though the streets are full of people none of them seems to worry about anything else besides their own thoughts and goals, goals followed by free will or by what is imposed to them by the society. Being always busy, faster and faster, we got very time left to enjoy the beautiful things in this world/life, turning them opaque, without light. By 'chasing the moon' he feels that, even thought he seems to have a goal, all his wanderings had led him nowhere in particular, actually, all his efforts seems fruitless considering that the distance between him and the moon is still the same. And it makes him go deeper both in sadness and frustration, but still holding the dream (or truly waiting for someone real) that a person will come and pull him out of that pit, giving purpose to his life.
Chorus: this part goes all around the clock metaphor. The pointer comes back around to the same spot over and over again, time, in the other hand does not, being a stream that simply follows its path. Sometimes people pretend to be something because it's a goal they haven't achieved yet, in a fear that it may never come true and perhaps it's better to live an illusion than face your limitations and the truth of failure. The same goes when you have something really good and don't want it to change and hold to the moment, unconsciously ruining it anyway trying to make it perfect and last forever. The hill represents life, and you are in a vehicle ( time ) which you have no control, nothing more than a passenger. Once you are born , it starts the journey to the bottom. There's no slowing down, no way to come back.
This thought makes me feel like the section with the orchestra ( which is absolutely stunning ) represents a struggle from the character with himself. The song goes higher as he starts to realize the one-way trip he is in and, in a moment of panic and desperation, he tries to fight its way 'back in time' ( an attempt to erase his mistakes maybe ) but acknowledge that, as the music fade away, there is nothing he can do about it. He then enters a state of numbness and lethargy, which follows his acceptance.
Second verse: here he talks about human nature. There is happiness all around in the city, but it all comes to fake smiles and second intentions, and to reach someone's heart, 'find one's love line', is very hard. Not only love, but friendship also seems fake ( mention to fairweather friends ) and what may look like a sanctuary is actually a hollow building, with nothing there for you inside.
The second chorus is basically the same, some change of words but the meaning remains the same.
Very beautiful song. Brings something else, no doubt about it. It drags you in if you listen with some attention. Kudos to qotsa, once again.
You genius.
You genius.