Arcade Fire – My Body Is a Cage

General Commentanother line that supports the idea that he is singing about social anxiety is 'Though the fear keeps me moving, Still my heart beats so slow' the 'fear' is the anxiety which results in a rapid heart beat and panic but as he goes onto say 'my heart beats so slow' he plays on the contradiction of the disorder which is that when people have their social anxieties although their heart might be beating rapidly they are often dishertened by the fact that the fear is preventing them from doing the things they want to do.

Social anxiety is a disorder that most people who have it, will develop it in their teens and without treatment or recognising the disorder will have for several years. I really think that he is singing about how he has had this disorder and knows that he can not be close to the one he loves because of his anxieities, a lot of the lines are more literal then you

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  @aldc84

General CommentThe lyrics sound like they are written by someone who has social anxiety which is a disorder that can pevent people from expressing their real emotion even if they want to because of fear of being judged and extreme low self esteem. The line that really supports this is 'my mind is the key' and 'standing on the stage of fear and self doubt'.

Other parts of the lyrics that suggest this are also 'Though my language is dead, still the shapes fill my head' people who suffer from social anxiety are often very quiet and reserved because it is social interaction and attention from others that sets off their anxieties, so even though they might be passionate, cultured people their mental illness has made their 'language' or ability to communiate 'dead'.

The title of the song also suggest his/her anxieites are set off from their awkwardness or low confidence in the way they look or physically behave which is preventing them from being themselves and acting as they naturally would.

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  @aldc84

General CommentI'd always thought this was about being gay and in love with someone who was straight.

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  @whateverprime
  +1

  i thought something similar. i mean, songs are subjective and all, but that's how i personally interpret it.
  
  or just having a relationship that would be frowned upon in society in general. it's heartbreaking, really.

  Flag palicorreion June 03, 2009  

General Commenti think its simply about some one who is very un-sure about themselfs, it dosent matter weather his body CAN do what he wants to do, mentaly he cant... it covers all the examples given (physicaly, mentaly, emotinaly crippled)

it is all these songs... a true song of personal tragedy... perfect.

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  @SyroVision
  0

  That's exactly what I'm feeling at the moment, and the exact reason why I remembered this song and went to listen to it.
  
  As you say, it truly is a remarkable personal confession of a persons own tragedy, this day is the day I realized how delicately amazing it really is.
  
  As for the songwriters standpoint, I think his is driven from the same feeling, and in this case I'd say caused by his fears he isn't a good enough songwriter/musician. He's aware he has ideas, which to him look awesome, but he's not sure the others will really think the same. So he's trying to overcome his fears and trying to let himself do his best.

  Flag Shinraion March 12, 2012  

General CommentPersonally, I think this song is about a dead lover he can no longer 'dance' with. His living body is keeping him caged here on earth. If he were only dead they could dance in an afterlife.

Throughout the song he seems rather dispirited and melancholy, though he seems to understand that she will always be with him, in his head or in his heart, hence, his mind holds the key. He doesn’t feel good about it, though.

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  @brian_b

General Comment....think, look up social anxiety and it will make so much sense

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  @aldc84

My OpinionThe lyrics just remind me of severe anxiety. Anxiety cages you from doing the things you want.

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  @hellocastro

My InterpretationInstantaneous Contemplation of Life After Death
I think this song is about the moment right after someone dies- the interim split second between life and death. The speaker has one instant to think about his future, or eternity, or what's going to happen to him and what he deserves.
The "one I love" is Jesus; the stage is "of fear and self doubt" because for one last moment the speaker doesn't know if he'll go to heaven or if heaven even exists.
Somehow, though, he realizes that his "mind holds the key"- either to let him in, or to lead him on elsewhere.
He doubts himself, though, because he's been corrupted by the age where "darkness is light". Is he worthy? Is anyone?
Then, at the end, Jesus comes and stands next to him. I picture this all occurring on the top of a mountain, surrounded by a clear blue sky. Heaven is close but he's not in it yet; the speaker is still tied down physically.
This is when the key changes- it becomes more optimistic- and he turns to Jesus and asks him to "set my body free."
The song ends. The listener does not get to find out what happens because the instant isn't over. Maybe it never will be.

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  @crowmanche

My InterpretationI believe this song is talking about a man who can't be with the one he loves because she is dead, he wants to be with her but he would have to be dead too (set my spirit free) and he has to make the choice to die or not (my mind holds the key). She is still in his heart but he can't truly be with her.

He's standing on a stage of fear and self doubt, this might mean he's contemplating whether or not he should die but he fears she may not be there when his spirit is free..
"It's a hollow play but they'll clap anyway" could be saying he has no purpose without her and no reasons to live in so much pain because everyone dies in the end.

"I'm living in an age That calls darkness light" may mean people today don't show if they are sad and he shows his feelings and his sadness (Though my language is dead).
Or it could mean he DOESN'T show his sadness because the way of openly expressing your feelings is dead.

But either way he still can't get her out of his head (Still the shapes fill my head)

"I'm living in an age Whose name I don't know" He doesn't know what is happening around him because he feels too dead inside to notice anything around him, but the fear of never seeing his love again even if his spirit is freed keeps him alive (Though the fear keeps me moving Still my heart beats so slow).

"Still turning in the night" He is having nightmares about when he dies, and his spirit is freed, she isn't there anyways. (But when I get to the doorway There's no one in sight)

"Realizing I'm dancing With the one I love" He might as well be dead because, to him, he feels dead.

I'm still working on the "We take what we're given Just because you've forgotten, that don't mean you're forgiven" part.

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  @Jacabbb

General CommentWhen I originally heard this song, due to some of the religious overtones on this album I thought perhaps that "the one I love" may have referred to some version of God. I took it in an Eastern religious tradition sort of way since "my mind hold(ing) the key" would then seem to speak of something like enlightenment (which isn't to say that this completely discounts the entirety of the Judeo Christian side of things, as well as some others).

I thought the homosexual interpretation was also interesting and plausible. I think there are some commonalities to both ways of looking at things, though, that might be both more broad and more true to the song's DNA. It's about feeling isolated and alienated both from and due to one's circumstances, and about longing not to be defined so narrowly by those around us, who, in so doing, are complicit in our imprisonment. I'm sure there are many more situations these feelings might apply to.

Music is wonderful, and so is this song.

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  @cobalt