At first there was
There was just no question
Who wouldn't rather be there reflection
When I get here everything was cold and perfect
When I get here everything was cold and perfect

It was clear and bright
Like a mid-winter sunlight
My heart beat counting down a moment precise and quiet
(I love how I sit my own reflection helpless
I love how you saw my over world and helpless

[Chorus]
But I
What have I done what have I done
Oh (oh) what have I done
Oh what have I done
My god what have I done
Oh (oh) what have I done
Oh what have I done

As time went on
You could feel a silence
Solidifying
The sound of my thoughts paralyzing
I tried to come back to and melt the glass and perfect
I tried to come back to and melt the glass and perfect

[Chorus]

Every day is the same
We're praying for rain
When it finally came
Oh when it came
Everyday was the same
Still praying for rain

Every day is the same
We're praying for rain
When it finally came
Oh when it came
Everyday was the same
Still praying for rain


Lyrics submitted by Christa426, edited by Emzee4life, Coachskau, heskey3331

In the Glass Lyrics as written by Damian Kulash

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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In The Glass song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    I agree with willhirsch's comment, though I'll give a deeper analysis:

    “Well at first there was, there was just no question”

    • In the beginning he didn’t question “Who wouldn’t rather be their reflection?” -Wouldn’t you be happier in a place with no problems or worries? “And when I got here everything was cold and perfect” -When he switched with his reflection, he found the place had no emotion, but because it didn’t have emotion, there was no faults, and it was “perfect”

    “It was clear and bright like midwinter sunlight” -This could mean 3 things; a) the decision, b) his last day in the real world, or c) the reflection’s land (Though I doubt it since bright = warm, but he said the place was cold) “My heartbeat counting down the moments, precise and quiet” -He was extremely nervous beforehand, heart beating heavily, but decided to keep quiet “I looked out and saw my own reflection, helpless” -He looked in the mirror and saw his reflection “I looked out and saw him overwhelmed and helpless”

    • Between the last 2 lines the switch takes place, and he is now the reflection looking at himself

    “What have I done?” -He regrets his decision

    “And as time went on, you could feel the silence”

    • The more he stayed there, he realized the lack of emotion was getting to him “Solidifying the sound of my thoughts was paralyzing”
    • If you mesh these two lines, he’s saying the lack of public discussion (prevention of speaking ones mind) crushed his thoughts/idea’s (he lost hope) and was unable to do anything about it (trapped, paralyzed, helpless) “I tried to call out to him but the glass was perfect” -He tried to escape, but since the glass has no faults, it wouldn’t let him, for reasons unknown

    “What have I done?” -Again, regrets his decision “What wicked penance to get what you want”

    • He put himself through this horrible torture because he did something wrong, all for this one person

    “Everyday is the same: we’re praying for rain”

    • Rain is considered a miracle is some tribes in the desert since water is so scarce, so basically they’re praying for a miracle “And when it finally came, and when it came”
    • Now we’re in past tense, saying a miracle did come “Everyday was the same: still praying for rain”
    • if you split the sentence in two, he’s saying after the miracle nothing happened, and they continue praying for another one, since there’s nothing else they can do

    Please understand that it is VERY hard to try and explain these things. There are other interpretations of some lines, so I could be wrong. I also realized that the third and last stanza remind me of communist lifestyles, though I could be mistaken because in the chorus he’s talking about “to get what you want”, so it could be about a girl as well, and the singer in-between in his real life and his rock-star life.

    magnoliamaggiemagon July 06, 2011   Link

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