Situations

Before I begin, here are the real lyrics:

Situation number one It’s the one that’s just begun But evidently it’s too late

Situation number two It’s the only chance for you It’s controlled by denizens of hate

Situation number three It’s the one that no one sees It’s all too often dismissed as fate

Situation number four It’s the one that left you wanting more It tantalized you with it’s bait

People are thinking of this on such a narrow level. I thought this was one of the best songs on the album, because of these lyrics. My broader interpretation is something like this:

Situation 1: 'the one that just begun, but evidently it's too late'. This makes me think of innocence, like a kid not knowing all the evil in the world.

Situation 2: 'the only chance for you, controled by denizens of hate'. After growing up and losing your innocence, you think you have to do everything people tell you, even if these people are denizens of hate, which they often are. This is the buying into the coroporate scheme situation. He writes 'the only chance for you' because people feel this way, not because it is true.

Situation 3: 'the one that no one sees, all too often dismissed as fate'. I believe that this is like a religious pathway, where you close your mind and let fate guide you. Also it fits in with 'one that no one sees' because religious people tend to think that others need to see the way they do.

Situation 4: 'the one that left you wanting more, it tantalized you with it's bait'. This one is kinda more obvious, showing the quick and easy path, which often leads to addiction, and leading to an unfulfiling life.

So, the question the song leaves you with is 'which situation do I want?'. I think I found the answer by examining the lyrics carefully. Only 1 situation has a different composition than the other 3, and that is situation number one, which uses 'but' rather than 'it', which implies that it could be changed, rather than set in stone, as the other 3 are. To further back this up is the word 'evidently', again showing it is not set in stone.

So, the message of the song, in my opinion, is that people have to go back to the way they were before they got corrupted by society, back to Situation # 1. The others just won't work.

I thought it was the beginning of the end of a relationship.

Situation number 1: It's the one that just begun, but evidently it's too late.

I read that as something happened that caused a breakup and it's too late to change what has happened.

Situation number 2: It's the only chance for you, it's controlled by denizens of hate.

I read this as your one chance to kind of plea your case, but it falls on deaf ears of someone who currently hates you.

Situation number 3: It's the that no one sees, all too often dismissed as fate.

This is like when you've both kind of moved on and then you run into each other out of nowhere and catch up. Often the meeting is seen as fateful(?)

Situation number 4: The one that left you wanting more, tantalized you with its bait.

You attempt to reconcile the relationship, but are left with just breadcrumbs of the former relationship.

Maybe it's just me.

he ran outta words...??

This comes off to me as a song in progress that just didn\'t make into a full song...

I'd love to read what JJ has to say about this song.

it's "denizens" not denisons....

kinda confused about this one because obviously he just needed to finish this one cuz it coulda been so great but even tho i cant even figure out what the little bit of it means i think that maybe the last part

situation number four the one that left you wanting more tantalized you with its bait

could be directed at the listeners because it left us wanting more and kind of brought anticipation for more but then ...nothing but why would he torment us like this? y jack?

I personally love the fact that he included these mini songs like this one and belle in the album....proof that it doesn't have to be 2.5 minutes long to be good! I really like these tidbits....maybe he just wasn't finished yet and maybe he will finish it someday it doesn't matter...the fact is there is way more personality in these than in any pop song on the radio...they would never play this on the radio b/c it doesn't conform to the time standards...

To me, this song is just about different kinds of relationships. Four girls he could possibly end up with. Or possibly a mix of past, present, and future relationships.

It's about religions. I'm not sure of what he's referring to in every case, but here's what I'm guessing:

Situation #1 is probably science as a religion. Science has really only come into its own in the last 100 years, and evidently it's too late because the world has already been jerked around by other religions. Something along the lines of evolution; or maybe it's just social atheism, where people understand that morality comes from within, not from a higher power.

Situation #2 is definately Catholicism. It's your only chance to go to heaven, and it's controlled by people who may not have the best interests of all people in mind.

Situation #3 is one in which everything in the universe happens for a reason--hence fate.

Situation #4 I'm still very unclear on. Maybe something like scientology, where a lot of celebrities go in for it, yet it really gives no specific answers to the questions people ask.