Letter from a Thief

It's pretty obvious the song refers to the feelings and thought Pete had when their gear was stolen... Pete has said many times over that a majority of his songs are personal and about experiences he has had or the band has shared. When their equipment was stolen, no clues were left, the band was asleep at a hotel, and of course Pete was very upset. These ideas can be found in the song like "Faceless, so little there to judge," "Why lead if everybody sleeps, So few ways to, Cover up the old ruins," and "This sends us medicating Through it all" respectively.

I might have to go against the grain on this song... I don't interpret it as being political.

Here's how I see it.

The thief = solitude.... It being a "thief" because society typically views it as a "waste of man".... Society typically has a very negative view of solitude, and paints it as depression, etc.

Solitude: people either try to get rid of it (dissolve), just wait for the next emotion (choose to fade)...or learn to appreciate it (allow it stay, learn to control it and hide their desire for it)

================

"Lost in, a finger forced in lie. This sends us medicating through it all"

The lie being that solitude is a thief... that the emotion is a "waste of man"... and how people typically interpret the desire for solitude as depression and choose to medicate themselves for it.

=================

"If you ever enter my mind. Stay there, you'll learn. To fend it off, and fool them all. Stay there"

People are "fooling" each other about not having the desire to experience solitude

=================

"If you ever enter my mind. Stay there, you'll learn. To fend it off, and fool them all."

This is saying, if the desire for solitude ever enters his mind, he wants it to stay there and learn to fend off societies desire to push us in the opposite direction (society tends to paint solitude as being bad.. or as depression..).. He is saying he can learn to appreciate solitude and embrace it, while feigning enough that society isn't "worried about him"... (like we typically worry about people who enjoy solitude "too much")

Pete said in an interview the song is about a guy who stole equipment from them. their lyrics always go deeper

the song is about a thief, who was forced into a life he didnt want by cirumstances he cant control

i lead when everybody sleeps- obvious, a thief does their work at night so few ways to cover up the old ruins- the man has emotional damage from the past that he can only hide for so long

lost in a finger forced to lie, this sends us medicating- he's forced to live a dishonest life, does drugs to cope

if you ever enter my mind, stay there - (spoken as the thief) see it from my side, either defend being a thief, or fool them into thinking youre honest, either way youd do the same thing if you were in my position

solitude, waste of a man- no friends, no family, dishonest living, he's nothing, he has nothing

this fades as soon as the sun sets- once night comes around, its time for him to go to work stealing, so at night he;s the king, whatever he wants he can take

i now own this fatal role that lives- im not sure on this one, maybe he shouldnt be alive because of whatever circumstances forced him into this life

imagine here's a better feel- he doesnt like what he does, or who he is

told to dissolve- stop stealing or choose to fade- or fade out of the world (go to prison)

or stay here- or get better at what he does

just my take on the song

Great interpretation. I hear everything the same. :) Except, I think it might say "Defend it off.." not 'Defend it all'. But great job.

Pete says "Stay there, You'll learn," not "Stay there, You'll live." Awesome song.

This song is about their equipment being stolen while on tour.

anybody got a thought on what the meaning is.. cause i'm kinda lost.. which i think is a good thing... i agree with beiselb this is their most lyrical album yet... its very difficult to get a read on what his meanings are behind his songs, unlike past albums.

BTW: "Solitude. Waste of a man... This fades as soon as the sun sets" ... "I lead, when everybody sleeps"...

I think this is referring to how solitude suddenly becomes "acceptable" at night when everyone is supposed to be asleep....

I think instead of "ruins" its "wounds" and also instead of "defend it off" I think it says "to fend it off"

I'm starting to think that it's You'll Learn/To fend it off.