The Light and the Glass

This first part of this song is claudio trying to reply to a letter that newo sent him ("Slowly the pen touches paper, In the guidance of the words that you write") in which she asked if he was missing her (Is somebody thinking of you?). Claudio wants to tell Newo that he is hurt that she fooled around with Al the killer, but he can't find the words to say it because he is still deeply in love with her. However, he contemplates breaking up with her soon ("If you were to count the days left with your hands?"). He gazes at a photograph of them together and remembers how she used to hold the ladder for him when he climbed in through her window at night.

The subject changes in the next portion of the song, first he "speaks" to Coheed about Jesse ("Ignoring the words of your obnoxious little brother") then he thinks about what Ambellina has told him(""Kill or be killed," spilled the words from your mother") metaphorically Ambellina is Claudio's mother because she watches over him. He lays there thinking about the things affecting him.

He then becomes jelous and angry towards Al, saying that the fling Al and Newo had wouldn't last ("But you couldn't last a lifetime, Caught between here and the days of it") and assumes that Newo is caught between Al and himself. Claudio has distanced himself from Newo physically, but he can't distance himself from her emotionally ("I measured distance in lines, Departing the rest of my life") and he gets angry again thinking about Newo "having better things to do" i.e. fool around with Al. He calls her a liar.

Claudio feels overwhelmed, and considers suicide ("If you get put to sleep, Like an old dog, you're better off, If you get put to sleep") but he realises he has a job to do before he can die ("Allow this year before the world starts to end")

The final peice of the song is claudio reliving the moment Ambellina told him his father (and also his family) was dead. Claudio awoke from his dream in "Crowing" to find Ambellina crying and she informed him of his destiny. He is the mesiah and Ambellina tells him to "Pray for us all"

The whole storyline seems to have deep, deep roots in Greek mythology, and I'd wager that it's also based on Roman/Greek epics. Hell, there are even the fates watching over everything, but here they're called the "prise." To me, this song feels like the end of an act in a play, a reprise. All the characters come on stage and summarize what just happened. With just one voice, it's difficult to pick out voices (even though we KNOW there are multiple voices: Coheed, Claudio, Al the Killer, Sinistar perhaps, and so on and so forth), so having a reprise can be pretty tricky.

I take it as this: Claudio is pissed, confronts Al and Newo, hears Ambellina, has the Sinistar awaken (if anyone can confirm or deny this aspect, I'd really appreciate it. The Sinistar is something I really don't understand) and they're all having monologues at the same time.

Claudio (as Sinistar) "I've been cautious with the words I extend / allow this year before the world starts to end." Ambellina "Your father's dead, he passed in his sleep" Al the Killer ". . . and I woke to the sounds of her crying."

They all come to the conclusion that there is a lot going on and major changes are about to occur, so they plead the audience (in Greek/Roman theater fashion) to "Pray for us all."

Bah. There is far too much to think about here. We'll find out what's going on when the comic catches up to this point, seven years from now. :P

Is anyone else in love with the guitar solo at the end?

I share a theory that explains a lot of stuff in this song. I'm not sure how the Sinistar virus works, so I think it may be possible that it won't work untill a certain time. Therefore, at this point, Claudio can safely be with Newo. However, they don't know when Claudio will go berserk, so they decide to split up for an unknown amount of time. Jesse and his daughter are also with Claudio; I'm pretty sure they helped him rescue Newo from Al the Killer. Anyways, my personal theory is that Wilhelm was using Al the Killer to capture Newo in order to set a trap for Claudio. A Favor House Atlantic is them escaping Wilmhelm, I think. We know Al actually kills himself at the end of Velorium Camper III ("Bye bye world"), so I don't think this song has much to do with him.

I'm pretty sure Jesse is really beat up at this point and, as we know from the first few songs, he turned himself in in order to rescue his daughter (and ended up getting tortured, including have his limbs cut. The line about carving her name may be some sort of reference to getting his own arms cut to rescue her. Part of this song seems to be Jesse talking to his daughter before he dies, explaining things to her. "You're father died he passed in his sleep" is someone telling Jesse's daughter of his death. Claudio is then awoken by her crying.

The other part of the song, like people have stated, is Claudio missing Newo and wondering when/if he'll see her again. He goes from giving up on Newo (in the beginning of the album) to deeply needing/loving her again. That transition seems to occur during Velorium Camper I. Anyways, I've typed to much alreadly.

But I agree; the last two minutes of this song are absolutely amazingly powerful. I love this song so much.

I've read the Cobalt and Calcium version of what the lyrics mean but I can't say I agree. I know most of the stuff came directly from Claudio, but I don't think he clarified this one there.

I think this is what's really going on in the song:

I think Jesse is either standing in a doorway or laying in a cot, looking at Claudio sitting down chronicling in a journal and he's smiling. He knows things will get rough for him but he enjoys the glimpse of that innocent boy that his nephew once was. He thinks to himself "Slowly the pen touches paper in the guidance of words that you write. Memories roll in of the things you once did and who you shared them with. Is somebody thinking of HIM?"

He then explains everything and acknowledges how hard it is to explain "Words don't come with ease; they're forever my hurt" since he's the bearer of bad news. He continues to comfort Claudio and explain that his countdown to return to Newo is in vain and that his focus needs to be on the mission and what's at stake (Would it really matter if you were to count the days left with your hand? Your focus secure and the loves you left well [Newo is safe at home]. Smiles staged in photographs, here until (Those memories are forever])

Claudio then thinks of Newo as he gets close to breaking down.

Jesse then tries to reaffirm his and Claudio's resolve by mentioning Matthew and Cambria, "Ignoring the words of your obnoxious little brother, "Kill or be Killed" spilled the words from your mother. Jesse can't sleep at this point and justs lays back with the light on thinking in silence. Everything is sinking in with Claudio in the silence.

Jesse acknowledges "You couldn't last a lifetime" knowing his nephews life will never be the same and the kid he knew will be gone now that the situation is changing his role in everything. He know's how much Claudio has lost and given up in such a short time. He kind of taunts him as though Claudio won't accept his fate and says I know you have better things to do than avenge your family and save the world; go carve that girls name in your arm.

Claudio can't accept it and starts calling him a liar and isn't believing the story. Claudio tells his uncle, "Liar, lie away..." His uncle then get's angered by being called a liar and Claudio not heeding his words about his family and tells him "If you die in this, it'd be better than what you're about to go through" (If you get to put to sleep like an old dog, you're better off) Jesse then says, I've told you what you need to hear and what i needed to say, now take time to soak it in (I've been cautious with the words I extend. Allow this year before the world starts to end) as Ambellina looks on.

I think Claudio eventually drifts off to sleep but keeps replaying the scenario of what happened with his family according to his uncle and wakes up crying thinking of his mom crying for his dad. He begins accepting it throughout his sleep and begins to dream that he made it home that night (Which is where 21:13 begins)

I think Jesse is "The Light" as he held the truth about the events that transpired, and Claudio was "The Glass" who was about to break at the news of how everything changed for him in one fell swoop.

Geh. This song is great! Comment people.

Like how it starts all nice and gets heavy but it does get a bit tedious towards the end.

i luv this song

like the music at the end, and when it goes into the heavier bit, tis cool!

I find that all of the songs on this cd, except for this one and 2113, are somewhat easy to see what the significance of is to the story. This song has me completely stumped however. I think that the first part might have something to do with claudio and his parents (Coheed and Cambria) and i think that claudio might just be thinking of them and remembering the memories of them, i'm really not too sure tho. I think that maybe the end of the song has something to do with apollo since they do mention his name, but apollo also is a dog and theres the line, "like an old dog youre better off" thats really all i can think of. this and 2113 are definately the hardest songs on the cd to translate

The ending line of the song is the name of the next cd. Apollo you were right at the starting. The middle part is when Claudio finds out that Al raped Newo Ikkin.

okay, i have a few ideas about this song. my main thought is that this whole album, is kind of a love story with claudio and newo, with action, and despair and everything else going on in these two characters lives. i think this song, is about him reflecting on his relationship with newo and how he misses her. she waited for him to return at the end of the second stage turbine blade... and the call came in. and claudio did return to her. and she had lost hope because of "junesong provision". saying he's not comming home. and now his relationship with newo has gone down the tubes after everthing that happened in the velourium camper 1, 2 and 3, and he wants her back. at the end of the song, he realizes that he can't dwell on it. and he has to get back to work. the whole "your father's dead...." part is him reliving the realization that his father has died, and now claudio has to try his best to pretect everyone in his fathers name. so pray for them all....