Secret Oktober Lyrics
Full of surprising fireworks and sudden silence. Shh...
Lies on a stranger's bed
The new day breaks like a speeding train
Or an old friend ever expected, but never knocking.
Holding your own in a battered car,
All night parties, cocktail bars
And smile when the butterfly escapes the killing jar.
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Nothing but a fading track of footsteps
To prove that you'd ever been there.
Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot
Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder.
Tomorrow you'll be content to watch as the lightning plays along the wires, and you'll wonder...
Wise or naked in secret Oktober
Wise or naked in secret Oktober

This is the best Duran Duran song, in my opinion. I think it's about the loss of innocence. That's what the chorus sounds like.
The first line seems to be about the mysteriousness of the world.
As for the line "And smile when the butterfly escapes the killing jar", that reminds me of paradise and trapped beauty.
"Freefall on a windy morning shore Nothing but a fading track of footsteps To prove that you'd ever been there. "
This seems to be about making your mark on the world.
"Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder. Racing on a shining plain Tomorrow you'll be content to watch as the lightning plays along the wires, and you'll wonder..."
This seems to be about karma.

To me, this Is & Always will be one of the best singls DD have ever done! :D This is what I believe this song is about: It's all about the "Astral Body" also known as the ability to leave one's Physical body. I believe that Simon may have learned how to actually channel his inner Sexual energies into Khundalini Yoga & Meditation beginning when he traveled to Isreal years ago before Duran Duran were what they are today. I think that Simon has worked on attempting to remember what he sees & experencies & this song is one of many singles that discribe his own personal mystical experiences via Yoga, & Meditation. This song is about one of his own personal Out Of Body Travels, of course this Is my own opinion, so I don't expect You to believe me. If you interested in learning more, Please feel free to do so. :D Here are a few example I've taken Out of Simon's lyrics: "the butterfly escapes the killing jar", this meaning his Astral (Spirit) Body Leaving his Physical Body.....& "Freefall on a windy morning shore. Nothing but a fading track of footsteps to prove that you'd ever been there. Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder." discribes Simon's Astral Travel across earth's land. The same can be said concerning the single, "Faster Then Light" which also discribes this Astral Flight theory. :D
Racing on a shining plain Tomorrow you'll be content to watch as the lightning plays along the wires, and you'll wonder...

I agree. It's arguably their best song - lyrically and musically. And quintesentially Duran. The Smiths, Echo and Bunnymen, and others were always lauded for their literary, beautiful lyrics, but Simon LeBon wrote some of the most memorable, brilliant lyrics in the 80s (not sure if this one is his lyric).
Not sure about the connection between Simon's time on the kibbutz and alternative spirituality / thought. Must not have been a normal kibbutz then. They are fairly socialist / Jewish. I know he had a separate interest in the mind-body theories.

In re-reading these lyrics, I noticed a suicidal, self-destructive dark streak - freefalling on the windy morning shore and the gunshot...

In re-reading these lyrics, I noticed a suicidal, self-destructive dark streak - freefalling on the windy morning shore and the gunshot...

In re-reading these lyrics, I noticed a suicidal, self-destructive dark streak - freefalling on the windy morning shore and the gunshot...

this song is beautiful, I only discovered it recently and I'm hooked on it

this has to be my all time fav song from DD, too bad it was only a B-side though.... In reading all the above descriptions i still cant make up my mind what its about! i just think its a beautiful song!

"It’s about escaping on yer birthday" according to Simon Le Bon via an Ask Katy question. and Simon's birthday is in October too!

Starting out with "wise on a birthday party" always led me to believe that someone's ruminating about the passage of time in their life. A person has been occupied with "all night parties, cocktail bars" but is a bit world weary now. The person is looking, intentionally or not, for new experiences to feel re-birthed. That old versus young feeling that he/she feels each birthday seems implied by being "wise or naked in secret Oktober." (Was there ever a special meaning behind the spelling "Oktober" versus "October", or is that just simply an alternate spelling?")