| Gotye – Eyes Wide Open Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Whilst the literal view that the song is about a post-nuclear or post-environmental collapsed world (e.g. after peak oil), or even about now and the things we have already lost (e.g. fresh air being scarce, breathing problems and cancer increasing due to pollution of water and air), I think there is also another way to look at the song, which I will explain. The "plank" is a reference to being more harsh on others than your are on yourself, and trying to control others (even if you think you are doing them a service) rather than focus on major problems which you are ignoring. Your eyes are wide open, but you are not seeing clearly, because of the plank in your eye, and how you divide the world between "them" as active and "self" as a superior observer. So you walk the "plank of judgement", and in the process, lose sight of your own plans for the future, and the presence you need to take advantage of opportunities, manage resources, and make something better of yourself and the part of the world which you do actually influence directly. So rather than spending your time producing something of value, you spend your time consuming things which are worth "dust"... and the "water" or joy of flowing across the river of live, turns into the fear of being abandoned in the desert of desolation, desperation, and despair. The "few who worried" are those who saw that life can be much better when we raise our consciousness above the judgmental, consumer-only cycle, and focus on perception and managing our information, energy, and influence in accordance with our willpower. However, the song gives the warning that the end has already come, because it is already so commonplace to be a consumer, that the only way the message can be conveyed is through consumable goods like CDs and youtube videos! We are ALL in the same boat because being aware of it in theory does not change anything. The new beginning that is needed, needs to be a group effort, we can't afford to each give up just because our own "plank" is blocking our view of the future. Rather, remove the plank, and start seeing how reality is more than dust, and how we can restore the flow of life to our daily lives, thus being the change that we need to see in the world. So, it is another form of The Alchemist's journey, focusing on the water of eternal youth rather than on the philosopher's stone or something. |
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| Gotye – Smoke & Mirrors Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I take it to be about imposter syndrome, and listening to it helps me to put things in perspective. This and "Eyes Wide Open" remind me that all humans have major flaws, and we can get along better if we respect boundaries and avoid getting caught up in emotional drama, or letting our own legacy of emotions defeat us. In other words, every day we "take the stage" and continue to live in the world, despite our flaws. This courage is the start of moving pass those flaws and being true human beings, and not just humanoid creatures. |
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