The Stairs

I love that this song is open to so many personal interpretations. Hutchence said it was about city life, but I've always read a deeper meaning based on that idea. "Story to Story" always seemed to me to have a double meaning. That is that whether you're going up or down, whichever way in life, we pass each other and don't take advantage of making connections. I don't think of him saying it in a judgmental way, just a gentle nudge that you could make more of connecting with people if you wanted. Great song all the way around.

Wonderful song, my favorite by INXS. America, the nation where our neighbors are strangers.

I don't like this song but it's one of the best lyrics of INXS. I don't think this song refers only to America. In my opinion refers to the people who live around the world. They share the same problems each day, no matter where they live. The narrator believes that people will find a way for better future. So generally it's an optimistic song albeit the stairs lead in two directions, up and down, so it might suggest that some people go ahead with hope, the other ones suffer depression.

just throwin somethin different out there I think this could be about 2 people who are considering attempting suicide one has gone to the top of a building and has decided not 2 do it and the other is on the way up to jump off the building the one on the way down has a positive outlook on life and attempts to convince him not to jump hence lines like the echoes of a life they both have similar stories and are reflectin on their lives

I love the live version on Live Baby Live, superb.

Best INXS song I've heard... so far.

The lyrics are a brilliant piece of poetry. I don't know what they mean but I do know that the verse "There are reasons here to give your life, and follow in your way, the passion lives to keep the faith, though all are different, all are great" is written across my heart. I wholeheartedly support and BELIEVE these lyrics.

On the outside it looks like a song about city life. If you dig deeper you will find multiple meanings. And now when I walk up a long flight of stairs I'll always think of this song.

I was recently making a fan video for this song and the image choice made me realize a new story behind it. Continuing from haydos's idea that it's about suicide, I realized the story is about two lovers/friends. One wants to kill him/herself (the nature of your tragedy is chained around your neck) because he/she feels there is no point to life, that someone is just yanking a chain-link leash to keep him/her going (do you lead or are you led? Are you sure that you don't care?) The next verse has changed drastically in how I view it now. The line "There are reasons here to give your life and follow in your way" sounds indeed like suicide. If someone can accurately explain the "passion lives to keep the faith" line, that would be helpful. Then the other person trying to talk the suicidal one out of it- "Though all are different, all are great." Then, "climbing as we fall" is a metaphor for how one tries to survive under so much pressure... "We dare to hold on to our fate" means they are daring to live this life and see what's in store for them. "And steal away our destiny, to catch ourselves with quiet grace"- actually that sounds a little bit like they went ahead and jumped/pushed the chair away anyway. Hm.

So basically I think the song is about inner-city suicide and the relationships in such a city.

I think this song is about religion and the many different ones in the world. "...the nature of your tragedy is chained around your neck..." Many people wear the symbol of their religion around their necks. The "tragedy" is perhaps speaking to the prejudice that is associated with the various religions. "Do you lead? or are you led? are you sure that you don't care?" I think speaks to those who "practice what they preach" vs. just going to church or synagogue or temple, and the fact that they may not care speaks perhaps to atheism. "There are reasons here to give your life and follow in your way" speaks again to devoting ones life to their religion. "The passion lives to keep the faith, though all are different, all are great" I think speaks for itself. People are passionate about their religion, and although there are many religions, all are great...no one is better than another. It's about the belief; that you believe in your faith. In general, it speaks to how we can all pass each other, every day, everywhere...how we all exist together. We are the same, yet different because of our religious beliefs and it doesn't make one of us better than the other.

Hutchence always said this song was about city life. I think while it can be interpreted deeper, it relates to what he wanted.

In a big city so many of our lives have the same movements, same repeats and yet we never know it or the people we pass on the street or in our buildings. At times we get so wrapped in our life that it can be like a chain around our neck and it begins to lead us instead of us leading our own life. We have reasons to give up this life and seek our own forms of "greatness" through our passion or the things we love but we have to want it bad enough.

@Abq_phys We don't want to be strangers! I appreciate all the gifts Australia has shared with us! ✌️