Dead Letter & The Infinite Yes

The title is "Dead Letter & the Infite Yes." A dead letter is 1. An unclaimed or undelivered letter that after a period of time is destroyed or returned to the sender by the postal service.

2. A law, directive, or factor still formally in effect but no longer valid or enforced. Clearly the song refers to the destructive nature of the human mind: Restless sense of detachment, nausea and or violence, IN CONTRAST with the body: There's been talk of chemical imbalances, and the body is dead. The reference to the therapist also suggests that the narrator is caught in this juxtoposition as reinforced by the therapist. The 'directives' of our world, humanities mind-generated ideas on how to further humanity (ie possibly technology) aren't working: they're just accidents. The infinite yes, however, ie, the way out, or the anciently perpetuated desire for salvation (as seen in all the worlds religions), is an unconditional acceptance to the plight of our condition. Even in the face of feeding on viruses, there is a very smll chance of hope (ie whispers of it), that will take us out of our current situation. The therapist in the story, clearly is not helping the narrator, almost taunting the narrator to keep the fatalistic point of view. But the narrator can't help hear it coming: an infinite yes, and it's coming, fast.

That's the wonderful thing about ambiguous songs, everyone has the chance to bring their own meaning to it.

I always imagined it to be about depression. 'Dead Letter' being a suicide note and 'Infinite Yes' meaning the actual act of suicide as the answer (albeit imaginary) to the singer's problems. I interpreted the first verse as this person's brain telling them that humans are nothing but destructive and that he is plaguing the earth (ie why be here when all I'm doing is adding to the awfulness of the world.) And I interpreted the second verse as him talking to his therapist and reaching out for help. His therapist then prescribes him antidepressants that will repair his 'chemical imbalances' which might have some side-effects like 'restless sense of detachment, nausea, etc.' The bridge is him fighting with his diseased mind, trying to tell himself, 'You think too much, even your therapist agrees, just calm down,' but then the depression takes over with thoughts of hopelessness, ideas like 'we're alone and we're sick and we just take these pills to shove it all down.' The chorus is, in my opinion, as I've stated about suicidal ideation. The whispers of an infinite end to his sadness come on to him powerfully and quickly. The 'our bodies are dead, why do you look so sad' is him saying, 'I am at peace, why are you sad?' to his loved-ones.

Probably not the meaning, but that's how I'd imagined it since I first heard the song.

Seems to be a religious song to me. Even as an Atheist, I find the lyrics profound and beautiful. His therapist tells him that we are here by accident, that the material world is all that there is, but he wants more.

He seems to be expressing disappointment in elements of his physical existence, both internal and external, and is also thinking beyond it.

Global warming could be one of the side effects of our existence, but I don't think this song focuses on any single one. We are already destroying ourselves along with our environment through various forms of pollution in far more direct and dangerous ways than global warming anyway.

I thought this song was about feeling meaningless, thoughts of one's purpose in a population of 6 million. Confusion about life, big questions about life and death... hard to put into words...

not sure!

what a great song.

Going throw a breakup and this song has been stuck in my head all day

Someone really paranoid about the "Doomsday Clock?"

Beautiful, desolate, hopeful. Wanting something more out of this life.

That's a really good way of looking into the song. I never thought of it in context of global warming and it makes sense to me if it is about that. Personally the song meant a lot to me although I looked at it from a completely different angle while listening to it. I listened to while I was in the process of moving to a different country and I had to leave my boyfriend that I had been with for a long time, and there was a stage where I wondered whether we were meant to be and if eventually things will work out, never mind the distance. I guess it can apply to all the little traps life sets up for us that we can fall into. I suppose I managed to turn the words into something they would meant to me and apply them to my current situation, and that is why it is such a well written song. I like thinking of it in terms of global warming too, it illustrates things very well, but I guess you can make anything of it :)

Nausea?? I like that word..In such a serious song!