| Florence + the Machine – Pure Feeling Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This amazing song definitely deserves to have an interpretation so let's get started. This will be lengthy, so in simplest terms, the song is about moving on after the end of a romantic relationship, or to be more precise that delicate place between letting go and clinging to the past which the contrasting lines and stanzas perfectly illustrate. Blinded by the glare I was moving like I didn't care But it was more than I could bear You know I hoped I'd see you there First off, this song fits in with the over-arching theme of the How Big How Blue How Beautiful: an Odyssey as the videos suggest. The person is embarking on a journey (of self discovery) and undergoes a process of healing. In the first stanza, glare refers to the glare of the sun and since the person was blinded by it, it could be argued that they haven't seen the sun for a while, thus the sun symbolizes the first step of a new beginning. The movement of the person conveys a nonchalance at first, but it is in truth a facade (like they don't care). A certain sense of disorientation is conveyed (because it is coupled with the aforementioned glare of the sun) and even more important fact is that the person has difficulty bearing something. The last line reveals what that something is: the speaker was hoping to see somebody, a former love. It is difficult to bear being without that person and moving on. Staring out the window I could see into the soul of every passer by So many lives So many pairs of eyes It could be argued that the window ties in well with the sun, but even on its own it symbolizes the vast space which awaits the person who is moving on. It conveys a great sense of freedom and the speaker can focus on so many other people. The whole introspection which always happens with great change is perhaps making the speaker curious about others and more likely to experience a heightened sense of wonder and amazement at the world and all the souls that occupy it. Staring into the souls (and eyes which are mirrors of the soul) also conveys a need for a connection. A pure feeling I'm invisible and magical If only for a moment A pure feeling I'm scared to control it And here we come to the titular 'pure feeling'. This sense of freedom and wonder following the loss and separation is incredibly pure. It may be only for a moment, but this moment grants an incredible feeling of magic and bliss. I am not entirely sure about being invisible, but it could tie in with feeling magical, but could also convey a sense of disconnectedness from others, because they cannot see the speaker. The speaker lets this feeling consume them, they are scared to try and control it because it is too overwhelming. Stretching out my arms I let it comfort me Our bodies moving in the dark It takes the pain from me And then I am in love With everyone I see I keep on moving in the spaces where you used to be Now we go into more detail. The speaker's outstretched arms represent their willingness to embrace this pure feeling, but as was already indicated, it is there to help sooth the speaker's wounds, help heal their broken heart. Bodies moving in the dark is a quite transparent reference to having sexual encounters (with strangers whose eyes were mentioned earlier) and even though there is a sense of freedom and pleasure that comes with these encounters, they are mostly a coping mechanism and a tool to 'take the pain' from the speaker. The next two lines, 'And then I am in love/With everyone I see' should be understood as a feeling of being content overall and being loved by someone new. And yet, the final line reveals that the speaker is still trapped, they 'keep on moving in the spaces where their love used to be'. And the illusion starts to tear Let everybody stand and stare Cause now I have no fear I knew that this would end in tears This stanza ties in with the final line of the previous one. The sense of freedom and pureness was transitory; to the speaker it may even feel completely fake, an illusion that is slowly being torn asunder (it does not merely dissipate, it is more violent than that). The speaker thought they were feeling better, feeling free, why do they have to experience this pain again? But the speaker did some moving on, despite this current feeling. They don't care about others who witness their lapses and mood swings, they are no longer afraid of their own feelings and everything that is happening. To me the final line carries two meanings: this refers both to the relationship (that would end in tears) and the attempt of dealing with it (illusion which was torn). The pre-chorus and chorus are now repeated and I believe that it nicely illustrates the process of letting go and moving on. The cycle is repeated, but this time the person feels a bit better and the pure feeling no longer feels fake. It is a sign of healing. Those strangers carry me I'm lost; they're finding me I'm gone; they're there with me But it's not over The spaces in between They keep you far from me The emptiness; it means it's not over Now we get a closer look of the strangers. It can be argued that it illustrates a certain pattern we are prone to. Sleeping with others to get over one person is a well-known coping mechanism (though here I don't think that it can be reduced to simple sleeping around and it is certainly not negative) and here we have introspection. The speaker wonders about and analyzes their healing process (after all, don't we all wish to get over something as soon as possible?). The sense of being lost is acknowledged and also the role of the strangers - the speaker is rediscovering himself or herself and the strangers are there to help in that process. By uttering 'But it's not over', the speaker also acknowledges that they still haven't let go of their lover. There is space between them (it most likely refers to the strangers that occupy the former lover's place, but it could also be metaphorical distance, actual distance or perhaps all three combined) and the speaker feels empty (sense of loss is combined with the feeling of missing the lover and simply getting used to them no longer being there): the speaker acknowledges that this means that the healing process will have to last a bit longer. A part of the chorus is then repeated once more, again for the purpose that I've mentioned earlier: mirroring a healing process. Though the song does not offer closure, I firmly believe that this makes it more realistic and more poignant. The ending may be bittersweet, but the speaker will eventually move on and experience a truly pure feeling of having moved on. |
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| Garbage – It's All Over but the Crying Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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For me this song is pretty straightforward, but I think that these feelings deserve to be analyzed closer in order to appreciate their depth. Even though my analysis is greatly influenced by a recent experience I nevertheless think that it is pretty close to the original intention. Also this will be very long. Everything you think you know baby Is wrong And everything you think you had baby Is gone At this point we don't have much information, but the first line indicates that the person speaking is either in a disagreement with the person she calls baby (term of endearment which is used in a romantic context) or knows something he or she doesn't. The next line favors the second interpretation and suggests an end of sort. Certain things turn ugly when you think too hard And nagging little thoughts change into things you can't turn off Everything you think you know baby Is wrong This part gives us some insight into the motivation of the speaker for breaking off the relationship. It was probably a lengthy, intense relationship, possibly a bit toxic as well because the speaker has thought deeply about everything that has happened between them and starts to notice the ugly sides of it more. It is not possible to turn off these thoughts and the relationship is now a torture. Now we have an added meaning to the last line, the person who is addressed (the loved one) probably doesn't have any idea that the speaker feels this way, he/she either thinks that the relationship is perfect or believes that she will stay in spite of everything and continue to suffer for love. Perhaps it is a mix of both. It's all over but the crying Fade to black I'm sick of trying Took too much and now I'm done It's all over but the crying Now we come to the chorus which reveals the depth of the speaker's desperation, immensity of his/her feelings as well as the acknowledgment that by doing this all ties between them are severed. It can never be the same and the speaker knows that, the only thing left now is to mourn what was lost. Here is the tricky part and definitely a more subjective part of my analysis. Even though the tears represent immense sadness (of both speaker and the loved one, both are suffering), they can dry out and they will eventually stop flowing. The end of these tears simultaneously means a sense of relief and a hope of a new beginning, but once the speaker and the loved one stop feeling emotional and become a bit number it will not mean that the relationship is forgotten, it has influenced both of them immensely and it cannot be erased. Do you really think I'm made of stone baby? C'mon! That we only love the things we own? Baby you're wrong This part made me think for awhile. At first I thought that the first line meant that the other person never really understood the speaker or perhaps that he or she believed that the speaker can handle the emotional burden of staying in that relationship. The third option, however, fits better with the other question. The loved one is not handling the whole situation very well, he or she probably views it as betrayal and as giving up, a confirmation that the speaker does not really feel as deeply as the loved one does (the speaker is suffering very much of course, both of them are). Confirmation is the other question, the loved one really believes that the other side doesn't love him or her because the speaker is prepared to end the relationship. The speaker however asserts the view that one can love even when he does not own the other (here owning is not necessarily toxic possessiveness, it refers to a relationship - I'm hers, she's mine). It basically means, I love you despite what i'm doing now (breaking up) and we could even argue that the whole thing is done out of love. Certain things just happen when you make no plans And love can really tear you up and it can break you down Everything you think you know baby Is wrong This is an elaboration on the speaker's decision to end it. The first line either means that the decision was spontaneous or that neither of the two is really to blame for the breakup. I prefer the second interpretation because it fits better with the next line. No matter how much love there is at the start and how much of it continues to survive it inevitably brings pain that can mentally destroy you. 'Everything you think you know' can mean that the addressee again doesn't understand love in this way or that he/she didn't notice how drained the speaker felt. It's all over but the crying Fade to black I'm sick of trying Took too much and now I'm done It's all over but the crying Baby we're done The repetition reinforces the feelings of loss, but this time there is another line, Baby we're done. Even though he/she is the one who's ending it the speaker had trouble coming to terms with it. Addition of this line means that the speaker is now somewhat prepared to sever the ties even though this pains him/her. It also means that the speaker is prepared to take that burden alone and tell his/her loved one the hard truth, the truth the loved one can't accept. If I could I would I'd change everything Cause I can't forget you though you don't believe me Now I can't walk back I can't leave behind Where does it go all the light that we had? Now the speaker expresses the wish to change everything and stop the loved one (and himself/herself) from hurting, but also acknowledges that this is impossible now, it is truly over. The next line ascertains that the feelings of the speaker are strong and true even though it does not seem that way at first. The loved one changed the speaker considerably and left their mark, that mark can never be erased. This is the saddest part for me. The speaker knows that nothing can go back to the way it was, but also knows that the feelings and the memories are too important and too lasting to be discarded. What to do now? What does one do with all the happy memories? Truly, for the speaker the happy memories will bring the most pain. Again the repetition signals that the loved one didn't know what was happening, and that he/she does not understand this decision fully nor the pain that the speaker feels. I believe that the speaker is also repeating these lines so that the loved one can accept it and try to move on - everything is gone. Baby we're done is also there for both the speaker and the loved one, a heart cannot easily give up on love, even if it was not meant to be. |
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