| Arcade Fire – The Well and the Lighthouse Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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My personal interpretation on the lyrics, as always, step by step. I am serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again Left for dead, heaven is only in my head Introduction to the first part of the story -- he knows that if it happened all over again, he would do the same thing, and as a result of his actions he is trapped and left for dead (note left for dead, I'll get to that later) I heard a voice Calling from down inside the well "See that silver shine?" She said to come claim what was mine So down I fell, down into the water black My prison cell, only the moon was shining back He was greedy and saw silver down inside the well so went to pursue his riches, but it turns out the silver was only the moonlight shining back at him, now he is trapped inside the well with nothing gained. If I seem lost Well, I weighed the cost And chose my crime Now it's mine, all mine! He made his decision, the 'crime' he chose is all his decision...he weighed the cost of pursing riches and did it anyways. I heard the voice Calling from just outside the well She said "You fool, now that you know your end is near You always fall for what you desire or what you fear" The voice calls from outside the well telling him he is a fool for pursuing the riches, as it led to his entrapment...now that he knows his end is near (repitition of left for dead, his greed led to his demise...he always falls for his desires (riches) or his fears (entrapment) Resurrected, living in a lighthouse If you leave them ships are going wreck Now he is resurrected...due to the wording (left for dead, your end is near, and then 'resurrected') I believe it is the same character as before. In this life he is living in a lighthouse, attempting to light the way so that the ships don't wreck, like he had in his past life...if he leaves his post the ships will wreck. Resurrected, living in a lighthouse The lions and the lambs ain't sleeping yet The lion and the lamb lying together is a common phrase in Christianity speaking of the time of peace when Jesus will reign...alas the lion and the lamb aren't sleeping yet -- there is more work to be done. Resurrected, living in a lighthouse Can you see the funny side? The ships are gonna wreck This is the part I find interesting...can you see the funny side? Desipte all of the protagonist's efforts to guide others to safety rather than wrecking like he did, the lyrics don't state only "If you leave, them ships are gonna wreck" but also states that "The ships are gonna wreck" with no particular cause...regardless of all of his efforts, the ships are gonna wreck anyways...nothing lasts forever, and it is inevitable that the ships will eventually wreck...the lighthouse provides them comfort until they wreck, however, they will eventually meet their demise in the end...I think this relates to how religion might act as a lighthouse providing comfort to lost souls at sea, regardless of what you believe, you will come to your end anyways. That's the funny side. His initial existence was pursuing greed for no gain, ending only in his own entrapment, and this existence now is him selflessly attempting to guide others, but again for no gain...the ships are gonna wreck anyways, and it coincidentally results in his own entrapment. Rather than the contrast between greed and selflessness, I think it is illustrating more the pointlessness of both, showing that really..they are both the same. They are both fruitless, and result in your own isolation and imprisonment. (At least in this scenario) Just my thoughts, tell me what you think. |
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| Arcade Fire – Intervention Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I really think that the 'pastor in training''s comment holds quite a degree of weight but in the opposite sense...it kind of further proves the meaning that these lyrics hold, which I believe to be somewhat anti-religious. Now to delve into my interpretation. I think these lyrics are somewhat about how pastor's suffer as a result of their occupation, but moreso how their thoughts are centered around their own suffering rather than the suffering of their families "You're still a soldier in your mind, though nothing's on the line "shows how the pastors still believe they are soldiers for their cause, but they are really fighting for nothing. There is no war to fight. "Hear the soldier groan we'll go at it alone" also ties in with the above lyric...the pastor believes themselves to be alone...they are, as they can't turn to peers for help, and they won't get pity from the family that they are forcing to suffer. Who's going to throw the very first stone? Oh! Who's going to reset the bone? Walking with your head in a sling Want to hear the soldier sing. The family wants their pastor father to show that he acknowledges their suffering as well... You say it's money that we need, As if we were only mouths to feed, I know no matter what you say There are some debts you'll never pay. The father can never repay the debts he has made with his family, as he has isolated himself from them. He sees them as 'only mouths to feed' and can't offer them the emotional support they need...from experience, I can see how that happens...a pastor that truly believes the words he preaches also believes that you turn to god for help when you need it, and for someone who doesn't believe/turn to god, they are left alone with no help. Working for the Church While my family dies, Your little baby sister's Going to lose her mind, Every spark of friendship and love Will die without a home these are words from the father...he recognizes that his family is dying, but isn't talking about changing his ways...he is talking to his (son?) telling him that his little sister is going to lose her mind, not "I will help your sister so she doesn't lose her mind" I can taste your fear, It's going to lift you up and take you out of here, And the bone shall never heal, I care not if you kneel. The injuries that the father has inflicted on his family and himself will never heal, no matter what the pastor does (kneels before god, specifically)...his fear is going to force him only to isolate himself from his family further. The king's taken back the throne, The useless seed is sown, When they say they're cutting off the phone, I tell them you're not home. We can't find you now, But they're going to get their money back somehow, And when you finally disappear We'll just say you were never here. Further reinforces the uselessness of religion and how the father was never really present for his family. Been working for the church While your life falls apart, Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart, Every spark of friendship and love Will die without a home. The father's family and thus his life has fallen apart...as a religious soldier he has given his life for his cause, but all for nothing...despite this, he 'sings hallelujah with the fear in his heart'...he is somewhat blinded to how the cause of his suffering as well as that of his family is the very cause that he dedicates his life to. sorry if this is a bit unorganized, I did my best :\. |
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| Arcade Fire – Neighborhood #2 (Laika) Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Recently I have found this song quite relevant to my life. This is my personal interpretation of the song based on my own experiences: I will begin my analysis as I believe the events occur chronologically within the song, as the song doesn't specify the order of events in the lyrics. Our older brother bit by a vampire For a year we caught his tears in a cup And now we're going to make him drink it Come on Alex, don't die or dry up I interpret "bit by a vampire" as a reference to depression, or in my case, bipolar (which actually seems to fit just as well) For a year, the family supported Alex and 'caught his tears in a cup'. That time is over now, and he has overstayed his welcome, so to speak, so they are going to make him drink his tears...suicide often comes to the mind of those who suffer from such disorders, and now his family commands him "don't die" or essentially "just dry up (your tears)" and do something about it. When daddy comes home you always start a fight So the neighbors can dance in the police disco lights The police disco lights Now the neighbors can dance Alex has struggles with his father, as I do...specifics aren't so important, but personally my dad struggles with his son being bipolar and doesn't quite understand the way I feel often, and can be quite insensitive, leading us to have relatively frequent fights. Our mother should have just named you Laika! It's for your own good It's for the neighborhood As I am sure many of you have read, Laika was the first biological being to be sent into space, a dog that was for all intents and purposes innocent, but sent out into space to die for the good of mankind nonetheless. Similarly those who are struck with some type of mood disorder such as depression or bipolar didn't particularly do anything wrong to deserve it, it just happens. Sticking around just ends up hurting all of the people around you that you care about, though, and it would be 'for your own good' to stop hurting the people you care about, as that just hurts yourself even more every time you do. Of course it would be 'for the neighborhood', as those people that you care for wouldn't have to suffer at your expense anymore. After my attempted suicide, my mother was hit by a depression, and I often think it would help if I wasn't around to make her feel like that anymore. Come on Alex, you can do it Come on Alex, there's nothing to it If you want something, don't ask for nothing If you want nothing, don't ask for something I basically interpret this as just "make up your mind, if you want help then ask for it and get better (as a younger sibling might think--they generally don't understand the generally incurable nature of mood disorders) if you don't then, don't ask for it -- just leave" Alexander, our older brother Set out for a great adventure He tore our images out of his pictures He scratched our names out of all his letters After all of the things that have happened in his life, Alex finally left his family, and tried to forget about them (tearing out images, scratching out names) -- those reminders that they are still there somewhere is painful. It is easier to just try to forget. tl;dr: I believe Alex became depressed in some way, and his family suffers as a result of it, so he left them for his own good (not wanting them to suffer), as well as for their own good (not suffering). |
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| Pink Floyd – Keep Talking Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I can't get over how the vocals are basically the melody to "Sorrow" off of "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" | |
| Elliott Smith – Say Yes Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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aside from whatever the song really means, random statement...my favorite part is Crooked spin can't come to rest, I'm damaged bad at best she'll decide what she wants I'll probably be the last to know, no one says until it shows see how it is--they want you or they dont say yes just the harmonizing with the overdubbed singing on the first part of it, combined with just the beautiful and sad lyrics in general--"crooked spin can't come to rest" just shows how its all kind of out of control, and he is damaged bad at best...that is probably my favorite line...it just really expresses the amount of pain he is going through...he is hurt badly in the best case scenario |
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| Elliott Smith – Say Yes Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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aside from whatever the song really means, random statement...my favorite part is Crooked spin can't come to rest, I'm damaged bad at best she'll decide what she wants I'll probably be the last to know, no one says until it shows see how it is--they want you or they dont say yes just the harmonizing with the overdubbed singing on the first part of it, combined with just the beautiful and sad lyrics in general--"crooked spin can't come to rest" just shows how its all kind of out of control, and he is damaged bad at best...that is probably my favorite line...it just really expresses the amount of pain he is going through...he is hurt badly in the best case scenario |
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| Elliott Smith – Say Yes Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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aside from whatever the song really means, random statement...my favorite part is Crooked spin can't come to rest, I'm damaged bad at best she'll decide what she wants I'll probably be the last to know, no one says until it shows see how it is--they want you or they dont say yes just the harmonizing with the overdubbed singing on the first part of it, combined with just the beautiful and sad lyrics in general--"crooked spin can't come to rest" just shows how its all kind of out of control, and he is damaged bad at best...that is probably my favorite line...it just really expresses the amount of pain he is going through...he is hurt badly in the best case scenario |
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| Elliott Smith – Needle in the Hay Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Alternatively, although sort of weaker than the first though (I got the idea from a comment on the first page) it could be about a dad and his son. Your hand on his arm The hay stack charm around your neck Strung out and thin Calling some friend trying to cash some check He's acting dumb That's what you've come to expect This part is directed toward the dad...the dad strung out and trying to cash a check to get a fix for himself. His son is acting dumb, its what the dad has come to expect these days. He's wearing your clothes Head down to toes a reaction to you You say you know what he did But you idiot kid You don't have a clue Sometimes they just get caught in the eye You're pulling him through Once again directed toward the father--his son may literally be wearing his father's clothes (because money is tight due to the drug problem), or simply figuratively. Sons tend to look up to their fathers, even if they are messed up--he is a reaction to his father. The father says he knows what the son did. This part is up for interpretation (well all of it is, but in my version, it is moreso)...either the father literally knows what his son did (heroin) and just doesnt understand all of what is going on, or, my preferred interpretation, the father thinks his son stole his drugs and threw it away or something (like kids sometimes do with their parents who smoke)--realistically the son actually USED the drugs, hence the "you don't have a clue"--the father's guess was wrong. In the last line, the father is pulling his son, whether he realizes it or not, into a drug addiction. Now on the bus Nearly touching this dirty retreat Falling out 6th and powell a dead sweat in my teeth Gonna walk walk walk Four more blocks plus the one in my break Down downstairs to the man He's gonna make it all OK I can't beat myself I can't beat myself And i don't want to talk I'm taking the cure so i can be quiet Wherever i want So leave me alone You ought to be proud that i'm getting good marks This last part is from the son's perspective...he is now dependent on the drug and can't just steal from his dad anymore, so he buys his own. His father is disappointed, the son doesn't want to hear it. He says to his father "you ought to be proud that im getting good marks"...the marks could be a sort of pun here, where it might be a reference to school, it could also be referencing the track marks from heroin use...I think it is supposed to refer to both, so whichever the son is actually talking about is irrelevant. He means both. |
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| Elliott Smith – Needle in the Hay Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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My interpretation of the whole song: The song overall is about a guy addicted to heroin who has a girlfriend... note: the "needle in the hay" is the guy who the song is about--he has lost himself and can't find himself again, to the point of helplessness... The first part of the song is from the girlfriend's perspective--"hand on his arm"--she notices that hes been doing drugs again. He's strung out on drugs, in the middle of trying to cash a check, likely to buy more heroin. She thinks hes acting dumb getting back intro drugs, but its basically what she expects. Next part is from a third person perspective--talking to the girlfriend. I see "wearing your clothes" as mostly just that he has lost his identity, he doesn't know himself anymore, and centers his life basically around drugs and his girlfriend...she is sort of his last grip on the world, and he doesn't want to lose her, so is willing to change nearly anything (except drug habits obviously) to stay with her. The third person criticizes the girlfriend because she says "she knows what he did" (she saw the marks on his arm from drug use), but the "third person" disagrees, saying she doesn't have a clue...not disagreeing with the fact that he did drugs, but more just saying that she doesn't understand. "Sometimes they just get caught in the eye, you're pulling him through." He gets caught on the eye of the needle--the things she is saying and doing hurt him--he sees the disappointment and such from her, and this just pulls him deeper into his drug addiction and identity crisis of sorts. The last part of the song is from the guy's perspective. The guy goes to get a fix to feel better--he doesn't know what to do with his life anymore, so is basically just doing drugs. I think the last part addresses the girlfriend--he knows she knows about his drug habits, and just says that he doesn't want to talk about it...I think onemorebrando has the marks thing right--the last line is sort of sarcastic..."you ought to be proud that im getting good marks"... |
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| Arctic Monkeys – When the Sun Goes Down Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This song is basically in defense of prostitutes and criticism of the pimp... "I wonder what went wrong so that she had to roam the streets, she don't do major credit cards, I doubt she does receipts, it's not quite legitimate." --the prostitute in question didnt do anything wrong necessarily to deserve what she has to do for a living--she lives honestly outside of per proffession...essentially she is victim of an unfortunate fate. "He told Roxanne to put on her red light (The Police reference), they're all infected but he'll be alright because hes a scumbag, don't you know?...etc." ... "and look here comes a Ford Mondeo" --the pimp, a nearly exact opposite of the prostitute forementioned, is corrupted..."I bet he'll rob you if he can". His lifestyle is centered around abuse of the misfortune of the girls he works with, and he wins out from it. Essentially the song is just about basically how unfair the world, particularly the "prostitution industry" is. The good are forced to freeze to death while waiting to get picked up to sell their bodies, while the corrupt chill in their nice warm cars and rip people off (and these girls) to fund his decadence. |
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