Angry Heart Lyrics
I thought the only thing
That mattered was me
You always told me it was just insane
To feel such joy
While others feel pain
There's no way to change this angry heart
Cause when love goes
It will tear you apart
And it's been this way since time began
It's a desperate search for a promised land
And the years slip by like so much sand
So many people who are dying to live
It tortures my heart
They've got so much to give
I never saw it as a battle before
To win the fight
There has to be more
And there's no way to change this angry heart
Cause all these fears
Will tear you apart
And it's been this way since time began
It's an endless journey, it's the fate of man
To live each day and never understand
And it's been this way since time began
It's a desperate search for a master plan
And the years slip by like water through your hands
This song has at least two layers imo. First of all, it seems to be a "classic" tale of a lost love. The first lines confess selfishness as the reason. However, then it gets interesting:
"You always told me it was just insane, to feel such joy while others feel pain"
Granted, this has to do with being selfish as well, but it is explained in a quite confusing way. There's always someone in this world who feels pain, is that a reason for us never to feel joy?
"There's no way to change this angry heart, cos when love goes it will tear you apart"
Brings us back to the classic, but still brilliant, tale of a broken heart.
"And it's been this way, since time began, it's the desperate search for the promised land, and the years slip by so much like sand"
This has only in part to do with the broken heart. It is no longer a one-mans tale. It has been this way since time began, no one can ever change it, no one has power to find this promised land. Though we must all search, there has never been any other option. Still the years slip by...
"So many people who are dying to live, it tortures my heart they got so much to give"
The song moves even further away, there is no clear connection to the main message of the broken heart. There is a connection though to the promised land, which we all so desperately search for. "People who are dying to live" is almost a nod to "Killing Yourself to Live" but perhaps with a slightly different angle. People are destroying themselves in their search, it is their fate. The egoism is now fading away, as his love disappears he begins to see how much suffering that covers his heart.
"I never saw it as a battle before, to win the fight there has to be more"
This reminds me of a feeling I often have myself, all this suffering and struggle cannot possibly accord with our nature. Why is there a battle to begin with? Who do we fight? If we should, against all odds, win the fight, then what? There has to be more. Again:
"Theres no way to change this angry heart, cos all these fears will tear you apart"
Note that the selfish cry after the loss of love is gone, now it is relpaced by the fear, the fear for ourselves.
"And it's been this way since time began It's an endless journey, it's the fate of man To live each day and never understand And it's been this way since time began It's a desperate search for a master plan And the years slip by like water through your hands"
The last words remind us of that we are not in charge of our own lives. We think so only because that is what we are meant to think. The endless journey towards our fate is unstoppable, we cannot change our course. The master plan that we search was not created by us, nor was it created for us to find. After all we only obey, we never decide. And the years slip by, like water through your hands...