its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
I woke up with the power out
Not really something to shout about
Ice has covered up my parents hands
Don't have any dreams, don't have any plans
I went out into the night
I went out to find some light
Kids are swingin' from the power lines
Nobody's home, so nobody minds
I woke up on the darkest night
Neighbors all were shoutin' that they found the light
(We found the light)
Shadows jumpin' all over my walls
Some of them big, some of them small
I went out into the night
I went out to pick a fight with anyone
Light a candle for the kids
Jesus Christ don't keep it hid
Ice has covered up my parents hands
Don't have any dreams don't have any plans
Growin' up in some strange storm
Nobody's cold, nobody's warm
I went out into the night
I went out to find some light
Kids are dyin' out in the snow
Look at them go, look at them go
And the power's out in the heart of man
Take it from your heart, put in your hand
What's the plan?
Is it a dream? Is it a lie?
I think I'll let you decide
Just light a candle for the kids
Jesus Christ don't keep it hid
Cause nothin's hid, from us kids
You ain't foolin' nobody with the lights out
And the power's out in the heart of man
Take it from your heart put in your hand
And there's something wrong in the heart of man
Take it from your heart, put it in your hand
Where'd you go?
Not really something to shout about
Ice has covered up my parents hands
Don't have any dreams, don't have any plans
I went out into the night
I went out to find some light
Kids are swingin' from the power lines
Nobody's home, so nobody minds
I woke up on the darkest night
Neighbors all were shoutin' that they found the light
(We found the light)
Shadows jumpin' all over my walls
Some of them big, some of them small
I went out into the night
I went out to pick a fight with anyone
Light a candle for the kids
Jesus Christ don't keep it hid
Ice has covered up my parents hands
Don't have any dreams don't have any plans
Growin' up in some strange storm
Nobody's cold, nobody's warm
I went out into the night
I went out to find some light
Kids are dyin' out in the snow
Look at them go, look at them go
And the power's out in the heart of man
Take it from your heart, put in your hand
What's the plan?
Is it a dream? Is it a lie?
I think I'll let you decide
Just light a candle for the kids
Jesus Christ don't keep it hid
Cause nothin's hid, from us kids
You ain't foolin' nobody with the lights out
And the power's out in the heart of man
Take it from your heart put in your hand
And there's something wrong in the heart of man
Take it from your heart, put it in your hand
Where'd you go?
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Some random things I don't think have been mentioned yet.
Arcade Fire's trademark skill seems to be in making something that at first seems wierd, ugly or even incoherent, and filling it with such depth and coherence that by the 100th listen it still astounds you. This is no exception. Although it seemed to me at first like an impossibly foreign sound, it turned out to be my favorite song ever, literally.
The flow of the song seems like the most genius thing to me. At the start the main guy is scared by the dark, and sets out to discover its cause. As it goes on, he realizes the contrast of his life with power - organized and comfortable, where "nobody's cold, nobody's warm" - and this horrible scene, where every man is for himself and kids are left to die.
The idea of "take it from your heart, put it in your hand," changes as the song goes on. It underscores his coviction before the climax that he has to help out to be a good person, but is stopped by the sudden discovery/realization he makes in the middle ("you ain't foolin nobody with the lights out!") By the end, when the lines come again, it seems to me that the meaning is totally different. It is fueled by desperation and anger as he must do something terrible (murder?) to get the power back. So by trying to end the power out, he really just puts out the power in his own heart.
In short, this goes into great detail about the death of idealism, in a five minute song. Incredibly well done. Basically, his idealism dies in a five minute song. Incredibly well done.