The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime)

It was Tennyson who penned the phrase "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

I believe that is the core meaning of this song.

What is a world of lust and crime? It is a world of meaningless physical interactions. One night stands, Tinder hook-ups, etc. It is a world where people objectify others. A world where people do not make deep emotional connections.

The first verse is about the feeling of being in a meaningless relationship. Stabbing Westward said it best in the song Save Yourself. "And if I must be lonely, I think I'd rather be alone". Loneliness is a hollow feeling. One night stands do not fill that void.

Also in this first verse we see that he is leaving that life style behind. "Only one thing left behind, a world of lust and crime."

The second verse is about the guilt that one may feel when going from one meaningless relationship to the next. Many people do the walk of shame after having a one night stand. You can't hide from that guilt. Not knowing if it is wrong or right is the battle many have with these kinds of encounters. It feels so good in the moment, but often people feel used afterwards. Again, the pain and sorrow are those feelings of guilt and regret.

The chorus is where this becomes about what Tennyson wrote.

The wise man in the graveyard who is screaming and crying is mourning the loss of his wife who was probably the center of his universe. Without her he is full of pain and sorrow. This echos what was stated in the second verse. The pain and sorrow in the second verse was guilt and regret. The wise man's pain and sorrow is the loss of love. That is how this is a different story. Same similar feelings but for a different reason.

The second half of the chorus reiterates the knowledge of this wise man. He loved and lost and that means a lot more than to have never loved at all.

The bridge of this song is about finding that true love. That happened to me more than a year ago. I found that one person I spent my entire life looking for (I am now 50). I lived in that world of "lust and crime" for far too long. When I found her, it happened exactly like in the bridge.

Forever love is an endless game.
You don't have to worry cause its easy to play.

Anyone that has found their forever true love knows how true that is. That kind of love is easy. Many people know it when they first see the other person. Love at first sight. This kind of love takes very little effort. It just happens and it is the most wonderful feeling ever.

The third verse is the easiest to decipher. That forever love is like a dream come true. When you find your forever love, you don't want anything to do with that world of lust and crime.

That is my interpretation of the song. Just rehashing what Tennyson had written.

The wise man in the graveyard is the one who really understands things here. He's trying to get people to stop being in a superficial, image-is-everything world and trying to get people to put substance behind the image. This is the world of lust and crime.

Wow no comments? I assume the wise man in the graveyard is dead and all the lonely people too and that's a different story indeed, being dead.