2-1

Honestly when I first heard this song, I had no clue what she was talking about. What's interesting is that everybody who first came across it seems to have been confused by at least one part; and that's ironic as I feel the song is talking about things in life which confuse us when we get carried away with our own personal beliefs and ideas. And not only when we believe things, but when we don't believe or understand things. The line that sticks out is "will you/we be ready" - I think she's talking about mankind and will we be ready when we find out that things we always thought were true and believed in are in fact "not always how they seem".

First verse is so clever. It's on a large scale. What I gather from it is that she's basically telling us how we always get things wrong trying to fill in the gaps. How we first thought the Earth was flat, then we decided it wasn't, then we decided that we are in orbit and then it seemed our own surroundings supposedly told us of "billion galaxies". There she quite easily sums up the increasing knowledge we are gaining of our existence. Whenever I hear it though, it sounds as if she's almost making fun of our indecisiveness or our stupidity in trying to place things in boxes with labels and tags.

Second verse is blatantly about personal beliefs which are on a smaller scale in comparison to the "billions of galaxies". "Interim of life" bleeds temporariness and that since we know we'll all die one day, just knowing that makes us clutch at straws to try to understand things. And then although polyfilla is used to fill cracks, she sounds doubtful of its purpose - "polyfilla way looks strong in the weakness of the gaps" - though it may look strong, the chorus goes on to say that "things are not always as they seem. What we use to fill gaps in our knowledge, whether it be science or religion (whichever side you're on) or anything else, isn't always sufficient enough - or one thing is sufficient and one thing isn't.

Definitely agree with LUNASOL about the bridge. I also think that Imogen cleverly conducted the song and it sounds misleading - the beat and the instruments become racy and more intense and so when she starts asking the person she's talking to, "What's in your head?" and "How it all got in there", it sounds as if she's attacking them for what they believe. But then as the music calms, she asks, "Tell me, is it my fault?" pretty much asking whether their weakness in their beliefs or ideas is because she's spent so long trying to tear them down - (also making fun in the first verse of their belief perhaps). And then she says apologetically almost, "And I care about you darling". They're both in the same boat as we all are: trying to figure out what's fact and what's fiction; what's real and what's fake; what's truth and what's false.

And I'm sorry, but who else ever says more about "being ready" than those who believe that the Son of God will return one day? I have no idea from what viewpoint Imogen says this -- (perhaps I can glean a little from the song "Oh Me, Oh My" where she asks: "God, are you there? If so where are you hiding, I'm having trouble in finding you") -- but it sounds hauntingly familiar of those so-called "Jesus freaks"...

Personally, I think "Dying to know what's in your head... tell me is it my fault" is her talking to someone so sure of their own beliefs that she can't make sense of it. She wants to know why they think that way, how they got to that place, and if her questioning what they believed has pushed them to such an extreme that they can't get out of it. I think this is an extremely kind song, I think she's talking to someone who's first finding the gaps in their beliefs, she wants them to know that they're not alone, that others have gone through the same thing, and that she truly cares about them and will help them out. I think she might've before attacked this person for their beliefs, perhaps being so exapserated at their inability to see out of the box they're in, and she's sorry, and wants to know if she's part of the reason they're so angry and scared of new opinions. And she wants them to get ready, because usually when you ask the first question, take the first step, you get into new territory with so many new beliefs, and it can be terrifying. I don't think she's angry or yelling at God at all, I think she's talking to a friend who's scared and confused, and that she's sad and sorry, but wants to help.

I have a feeling that this song is about maybe something to do with god. The "I'm dying to know" part just makes me feel like she's asking god that...in an angry fashion.

Also maybe about if you'll be ready for the fact that nothing in life is permanent, displayed by the first set of verses. Also the idea of nothing is how it seems, which is kind of obvious. Originally it was fact the earth was flat, but that wasn't true. Maybe this song has to do with a death? Like will you be ready for the non-permanence, of life, and the sudden coming of death.

ADORE this song. Favorite on Ellipse next to Canvas, and Little Bird.

If you listen to the earlier clips, it is a bit slower, and feels a little more "haunting". This seems to swing in moods - at least for me.

I also second the notion that this is about God, or maybe just religion in general. I didn't see Prince Casbian, so it might make references to that as well, but certain things, like "pinning your hopes on the top dog of dreams", and the word play of "2-1". And really, would people be ready if they found out their beliefs might not be true? Would you be able to face that everything you believed in was a lie?

And hasn't everyone wondered those "I'm dying to know" questions about their head honcho of religion?

Just a song about... "What if?"

Small tweak in the lyrics - from the album lyrics it says "Course I care about you", not "'Cuz I care about you". Take it with a grain of salt though - I know the first printing of the lyric book is slightly off, but I think it's right.

I'm pretty sure it says, "And holes to heaven", not "a host from heaven." That makes more sense as well, because it means the stars are pointing out that we're surrounded by a billion galaxies (which they are a part of).

I also believe the line says,

"The interim of life Has got you tip-toed and pinning all your hopes On the top dog of dreams You're not alone in this The pollyfilla way looks strong in the weakess Of the gaps."

I think that makes sense as well, because life is the interim between birth and death, the time before our spirit enters our body and the time our spirit leaves to be reunited with the universe. Or as some people say, the dash between the beginning and end dates - the interim. The interim of life has you pinning all your hopes "on the top dog of dreams" - that is, Heaven, the afterlife, living "right" or following the "correct" religion so that you go to Heaven when you die.

Pollyfilla is spackling, it's meant to fill cracks in plaster/drywall. The milky way looks a bit like pollyfilla smeared across the sky. Because of that, the line, "The pollyfilla way looks strong in the weakness of the gaps" makes sense, because the gaps highlight the white pollyfilla paste, the way the "holes to heaven" (stars) in the milky way shine strong in the night sky.

"I'm dying to know what's in your head I'm dying to know how we all got in there I'm dying to know, to help make some sense of it all I'm dying to know, tell me, is it my fault?"

This line, to me, isn't to a person grilling them about their religious beliefs - it's to God, asking Him about the nature of the universe. If you listen closely it's saying, "I'm dying to know how WE all got in there." That seems to me like she's asking God, "What's in your head, how did we (creation) get in there?" To make sense of it all - to understand why we're here, what the point of the universe is... the meaning of life.

The line "tell me, is it my fault?" goes back to the idea of original sin, something evangelical Christians are really big on. The claim is that all humans are tainted by original sin because of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge. When she asks, "Tell me, is it my fault?" I think she's asking, "Is it my fault that I'm bad? Is it original sin? Is any of this story true?"

"Things are not always, things are not always How they seem They don't turn out always, don't quite turn out always How we think Will we be ready?"

We may try to understand God/the nature of the universe as much as we want, but we'll probably never have a true understanding. Things aren't always "how they seem" - the earth wasn't flat, for example, like in the beginning of the song, even though it seemed that way. So when she asks, "Will we be ready?" I think she's asking, "Will we be ready to find out, one day, that we might have misunderstood everything?"

Just my two cents. :)

the ?? i think is the polyfilla way or the polyfilla weight.

in her blogs she was doing when making the album there was a song she was always toying with the title for and for a long time she was going to call it polyfilla

anyone else watch her updates on her site or youtube care to help out?

I believe it's "the polyfilla way - look strong in the weakness of the gaps". Polyfilla is used to fill cracks in the wall.

Also, in the beginning it's "but it fattened up", not flattened up, because she's referring to when people realized the Earth is round.

I love this song :) I like it that she left polyfilla in it. In her blogs I was so intregued about this song especially and I love it! The album is so awesome! :D xoxox

thanks for the comments, made the changes.. i did mean fattened, that was a typo.. really love this song, and the album.

Apparently this song was originally created for the film "Prince Casbian" but it was considered too dark so they looked elsewhere. Ehh, at least it was put on her CD instead!!!