What are we all living for
If nothing's worth dying for tonight?
Your dreams are not enough
What I need is love
Thats worth laying down my life...
Sing along
Just like they taught us
It's soothing your mind this lullaby.
No heaven above us
Just mile after mile of empty sky.
No right or wrong
Can you imagine?
A world where there's no more need to cry
But no joy or passion.
It seems like the price is much too high.
But I am holding out for something real...
And though you offer peace
What I really need comes to so much more.
Your dreams are not enough
What I need is love thats worth dying for.
You say that you're a dreamer
But I'm a dreamer too.
I won't sing your lullaby.
However well intentioned
It's neither good nor true
The pallid dream is just a lie.
What are we all living for
If nothing's worth dying for tonight?
If nothing's worth dying for tonight?
Your dreams are not enough
What I need is love
Thats worth laying down my life...
Just like they taught us
It's soothing your mind this lullaby.
No heaven above us
Just mile after mile of empty sky.
Can you imagine?
A world where there's no more need to cry
But no joy or passion.
It seems like the price is much too high.
And though you offer peace
What I really need comes to so much more.
Your dreams are not enough
What I need is love thats worth dying for.
But I'm a dreamer too.
I won't sing your lullaby.
However well intentioned
It's neither good nor true
The pallid dream is just a lie.
If nothing's worth dying for tonight?
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I don't think it's a tribute. It's more of a "response". Dustin talks more about Lennon's logical flaws to his message.
ya im going to have to agree with fixxpannel. I think this song could definitly be compared to the romantic or protest poets works. To be vague about it, it seems like the narrator is trieing to get above what the mainstream, leaders etc want for him or his people. and by rebelling what is unjust... it becomes a romantic style poem. I absolutely love the amount of emotion thrice puts into displaying their emotion through their lyrics, but i think in this song (and others) it is so magnificently displayed through the combination of the music and lyrics coming together for a pinical climax about 3/4 of the way through the song...
There is no question that this is a response to Lennon's "Imagine". Kensrue breaks it down virtually line by line. He calls "Imagine" just a lullaby that has good intentions but cannot be good or true.
Wow. I have always dislike the song Imagine just because of what it talks about. I mean musically it is very good, but lyrically I completely disagree with it. And is it just coincidence that my favorite band of all time feels the same way? I think not. This is why I love Thrice. Every song, in some way, embodies an aspect of my life that I feel strongly about. They are basically singing the soundtrack to my life.
Let me tell you, the soundtrack to my life is pretty epic.
Well, I think you are missing the point that Dustin Is making in this song. I agree with you that a form of communism is quite Biblical and if you look at Acts 4:32-35 you see get a clear picture of what that looks like.
But Dustin is commenting on Lennon's brand of communism. The one that Lennon talks about is one that is not only free of personal possessions, but free from emotion and passion as well. Dustin makes the point that without these things, life is worthless and meaningless. And the absence of a god (the christian God or otherwise) takes away this passion and thus takes away the meaning to one's life.
Also, Dustin notes that with a lack of moral guidelines ("no right or wrong") it is no longer communism, but anarchy, where everyone takes what they want, when they want it. He points out the inconsistencies of Lennon's plan, where it falls short, what it lacks, why it won't work. He does nothing that comes into direct conflict with his religion.
The form of communism that is talked about in Acts is way different from Lennon's brand. In Acts it talks about everyone coming together in one mind and one heart, sharing everything with the knowledge that it doesn't belong to them in the first place, but rather to God. You see that both Lennon's and the Bible's forms forms deny personal possesions, but Lennon preaches this message for a completely different reason.
This song is a sort of lyrical tribute to Lennon's "Imagine."
I agree with the response idea. Lennon offers a nice, pretty world in "Imagine", but it could also be depressing if you think about. Dustin seems to believe that the "peace" offered takes away so much that makes life worth living.
edit: "Imagine" takes away hope.
This song is a brilliant statement about communism, fascism, totalitarian governments and other 1984-esque disutopias that promise a beautiful existence with your fellow man but fail to deliver on the promise.
The leaders of such governments always do what is in the "best interest of the people," or so the propoganda states, but the people waste away.
This song seems to focus a lot on the lack of feeling these governments promote. Less emotion, more production. Peopple are machines, not emotional, and spiritual beings.
It really seems to be a response to works like 1984 and A Brave New World, where those who fail to be brainwashed by their imposing governments are struggling to find what life is really about, knowing there's more than this 'palid dream' that's thrust upon them.
Overall, an astounding song. I wish it had made the record.
"Can you imagine? A world where there's no more need to cry But no joy or passion. It seems like the price is much too high."
Equilibrium, anybody?