| Hot Chip – I Feel Better Lyrics | 14 years ago |
|
To me, it seems like this song is about being faced by a kind of existential crisis or despair, but nevertheless finding comfort in love and hope in the future. The lyrics seem to be split between a discussion between two (apparent) lovers and a kind of mantra. The split is expressed musically, with the mantra sung fairly typically and the discussion not so much sung as talked through an autotune. More than that, it is very disjointed with many syllables stretched unnaturally. It almost doesn't sound like speech at all, and you really have to pay attention to hear what is being said. The discussion seems to be about humankind in general. 'She' asks quite plainly how humanity became so "lost", and later there is an elaboration of this (either by 'she' or the other character, it isn't clear) that "we are a violent race" and no matter what path we had taken we would still end up lost. In what way are we lost? In the discussion we hear of a "violent race" and in the mantra we are told "this is the longest night" (which presumably is a night that lasts forever, which may mean death) and that we are "meeting arms to arms" (if that means weapons). To me this sounds a bit apocalyptic, like we are on the brink or in the process of destroying ourselves. However, the second discusser says that "we will not be leaving tonight", suggesting that rather that we are lost in a kind of violent dark age, and it is this has lead to the despair of the two discussers. It does not seem to be a perpetual state of violence, however, as night follows day, and day follows night. This could be a reference to a fairly common idea that humanity was once in a 'golden age' of peace and tranquility, but that we have entered an age of violence, suffering and despair. There is also an equally common idea that we will eventually emerge from this state somehow, and this seems to be hinted at in the mantra: "there is a day that is yours for embracing". Despite this state of 'night', the discussers find comfort in each other - "when you hold me, I feel better" -- perhaps enough to make it through the day again. The mantra seems reflect certain philosophical and (as someone else mentioned) humanist ideals. For instance, there's no supernatural heaven, but there are the stars which represent aspiration and wonderment. "Everything's nothing and nothing is ours" is a wonderfully paradoxical and layered line than contains too much meaning to go into. "There is a day that's yours for embracing" captures hope in the future and opportunity. "Nothing is wasted and life is worth living" is not at all clear, especially when you consider the complicated connections between everything, nothing and what is ours. But I think that it's a declaration that, despite the despair of the long night, the day is coming, and until then there is comfort in love. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.