I Will Follow You Into the Dark

I think really there are two meanings to this song- the first being the literal one of someone promising they'll never leave their love. But the second I feel is so complex that I can't really properly explain it, but I'll give it a shot. I think it's about the journey we all go through of growing up, maturing and learning what the world is really like.

The first verse is when a person realizes for the first time that they will eventually die, and it's a difficult concept to come to terms with. But, "No blinding lights or tunnels to gates of white," is reassurance to the person that death isn't as scary as it may seem. Everyone goes through the same thing, so that person is no exception and won't be alone.

The second verse is when the person becomes an adult, and is thrown into the world and learns what it's really like. Perhaps it is much more brutal than they expected because of all the rules, and the person's hopes and dreams are crushed by the harsh reality. It is like the person's innocence is being crushed by everyone else's experience (like Charles Dicken's theory of innocence and experience), so the person is forced to conform. But the lyrics, "I held my tongue," implies the person is reluctant to conform, as they don't want to become like everyone else.

In the final verse the person is very old, at the doors of death. They have seen the ways of the world, and are tired of watching people lose their innocence and gain experience. They don't want to see it anymore as too many people's dreams have been crushed, and so they welcome death. They are ready to go, so they no longer have the same irrational fear that they had once when they were young- now they know better. The lyrics, "The time for sleep is now, but it's nothing to cry about," supports this, as the person is no longer sad about dying and is ready to take the same journey that everyone else must one day take.

...A bit long I know, but this is my favourite song ever.