| Christine Fellows – Bird as Prophet Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I think this song is primarily about coming of age and trying to make sense of budding romantic feelings, unrequited love, and general angst. Literally, what happens is as follows. A bird flies through a woman's window, and gets lost, fluttering around the room, trying to escape. She finds him and he begs her to put him outside, which she does. Later, he returns and asks to be let back in, and is surprised when she doesn't want to let him back in. She says that she's sorry, but she didn't mean it then, and she's sorry at how things have since played out. Finally, the bird flies in and seems self-satisfied that he was able to find a way in, and she tells him that the window was open the whole time. There are a few ways to look at this. Either the bird (ie. a would-be lover) sort of falls into a relationship with the singer, but doesn't know how he feels, and then breaks it off, only to realize that he actually cared for her more than he realized at first. The singer says she isn't interested in him and didn't mean to lead him on, but in the end they get together, and she lets him know that despite what she says, the window (ie. her heart) was open the whole time. Alternatively, the bird needs a friend and the singer is willing to be a good friend, but keeps her distance and lets him go when he's ready. But when the bird realizes that he actually loves her, she tells him that she only wanted to be his friend. And when he's able to get close to her and is triumphant in his success, she points out that she never intended to shut him out either, just as she never wanted to love him. Basically, the theme of falling into an uncertain situation (ie. a bird accidentally flying into a room), being rescued/released, and then returning for more only to discover that the situation has changed (possibly permanently). |
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| The Killers – Mr. Brightside Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Ok, I think most everyone has got an angle on this song but I don't think it HAS to be about any one particular story. Wether he feels incompetent because he's sleeping with a prostitute, or a voyeur, or frustrated with his tendancy to get infatuated with crushes, or whether this song is refering to an ex-lover of his whom he still has smouldering feelings for, these are all good stories. So, in order to make sense of the song, let's put on our high school English class thinking caps and break this down thematically. THEMES: 1) JEALOUSY: It's the subject of 5 or 6 lines. He talks about what it does to other people, what it does to him, and how he has to try to cope and focus on being "Mr. Brightside." Whether this is jealousy over the fact that this girl is making out/sleeping with another guy, or jealousy over his inability to just deal with it the way "normal" people do, it's a powerful theme in this song. 2) DISPAIR: What does jealousy to do him? See above. But in addition to being jealous, it causes him to lose hope, claiming that it's the price he pays. Inability to complete the phrase "I never..." suggests an inability to fully understand, cope, or rationalize what's going on at a truely deep and detatched level. Likewise his fundamental breakdown of what he is doing compared to what the guy and girl are doing, line by line. Also, note that he feels "sick" to his stomach, he is hearing "sick lullabies" in his head and he wants to go to bed, a common symptom of depression. 3) OBSESSION: Why is he singing this song in the first place? After all if he was cool with his circumstances, he wouldn't have to sing about it to vent. After all, who is this girl and why is she so important? Why does he keep saying that it's "all in my head"? Note the use of repetitions like "gotta gotta gota" and echo in the singer's voice, underscoring the importance of this situation to him. 4) HOPE: Although this song is very bitter in many respects, it is not devoid of hope either. Note that the first lines in the song are "Coming out of my cage/ And I've been doing just fine." Obviously it's not 100% true as he's got problems, but there does seem to be a sunnier side to his life at times. This particular episode with the kiss and girl and his obsession suggests a darker time in an otherwise recovering period of depression and anxiety. Note that he also refers to "saints," suggesting that while they can be dropped in the middle of nowhere by an emotionally troubling event, they are still "saints," perhaps drawing a parallel with what he's trying to be. Likewise, the final lines of "But it's jus tthe [rice I pay" also suggests that he's over whatever's bothering him and up to a point it no longer bothers him too too much. Also, his references to his "eager eyes" and his being "Mr. Brightside" (note how it's the title of the song). While these can be interpreted as somewhat ironic or bittersweet, it does suggest that he is struggle to overcome his fears and obsessions and that while he faces dark times, not all is lost. |
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