Encoder

The end of this song is amazing

I would go a step further from the obvious relationship views of the song (maybe because I'm bias), but I imagine it being about coming to terms with your past and all you've shut out.

I imagine the narrator talking to himself, in a sort of inner struggle.

I think the correct lyrics are this, but I could be wrong. I found them from a forum, and they sound pretty accurate:

You couldn't even show yourself out, You were so held up by your thoughts.

Along the way we got divided, And I'm not showing you the door, Couldn't look me in the eyes So I'll dim the lights.

When you take me out on your side, We're standing out of sight, Believe me, I'm on your side.

It took so long for me to speak up, It was the hardest thing to say

Taken right up to the entrance, At the last minute turned away, Just can't look you in the eyes So lets dim the lights.

Get a case out, Bag up your pride. It's over, we're out of time, Don't leave me, I'm on your side.

For everything that could have been, But at least we took the ride. There's no relief in bitterness, Might as well let it die.

....sounds like it could be about a relationship or broken friendship. Possibly something went wrong, and in the end learning from a bad experience is what made the journey worthwhile. In the end, it sounds like someone should not focus on the bad aspects of life because it takes too much energy. Instead, let it go, and focus on the good things :)

This might be wrong... but I think Kitsune was right about inner struggle's place in the song.

My opinion is that the song is about the band redefining itself through the album Immersion and its predecessor In Silico.

"For everything that could have been, But at least we took the ride. There's no relief in bitterness, Might as well let it die."

Pendulum is saying that they know they could've kept producing cookie-cutter D&B, but that it introduced other genres into its music and that this has been a success. Fans of the old pendulum should stop being bitter over that. Former fans are so angry that they haven't just jumped off the pendulum bandwagon, but have constantly spewed hate instead of coming to terms with the change for themselves.

Taken directly from one of rob swires tweets:

Encoder was about having to leave friends behind.

Seems to me like it's about leaving friends behind, honestly.

The first verse/chorus sounds to me like when everyone comes together, maybe even a romantic relationship with someone ("You couldn't look me in the eyes, so I'll dim the lights."), and then the part when they're "true friends"/in a relationship. ("We're spinning, out of sight, believe me, I'm on your side.")

The second section is about the narrator breaking the news of his departure ("It took so long for me to speak up, it was the hardest thing to say.") and his disappointment of all the things they'd never get to do if he left. ("Taken right up to the entrance, at the last minute turned away.")

The outro is the "goodbye", describing how the narrator wishes he could stay with his friends longer, but he was glad they "took the ride.", that there was no use in being bitter ("No relief in bitterness.") and that they shouldn't be sad ("let it die.")

Specifically a friend with romantic interests involved, IMO.

Also there are a few corrections to the posted lyrics:

You couldn't even show yourself out, You were so held up by your thoughts.

Along the way we got divided, And I'm <b>left</b> showing you the door, You couldn't look me in the eyes So I'll dim the lights.

When you take me out on your side We're standing out of <b>time</b>, Believe me, I'm on your side.

It took so long for me to speak up, It was the hardest thing to say

Taken right up to the entrance, At the last minute turned away, Just can't look you in the eyes So lets dim the lights.

Get a case out, Bag up your pride. It's over, we're out of time, Don't leave me, I'm on your side.

For everything that could have been, But at least we took the ride. There's no relief in bitterness, Might as well let it die.

Seems to me to be about a couple that is on an on-and-off relationship.

Along the way we got divided / And I'm left showing you the door

They try to break up but somehow always end up together again.

You couldn't look me in the eyes / So I'll dim the lights

Implying he or she tried to quit the other but ended up once again in a romantic setting.

It took so long for me to speak up / It was the hardest thing to say It's over, we're out of time / Delete me There's no relief in bitterness / Might as well let it die

Again sounds like someone having a hard time telling the other that it's over.

I'm on your side At least we took the ride

They eventually end it but manage to remain friends.

I think I love most of all that the song (and the album) ends with...

Coming up for air.

It's about the fact that we leave sometimes, it does not matter why, but we need to. Special cases you can imagine by feeling the song, it depends on your current psychological situation. And, I have listened to this song all day long comparing phrases in the way the singer sings it and I have this lyrics, if you listen to it reading this you can see that it is accurate.

You couldn't even show yourself out, You were so held up by your thoughts.

Along the way we got divided, And I'm left showing you the door, You couldn't look me in the eyes So I'll dim the lights.

When you take me out on your side We're spinning out on your side, Believe me, I'm on your side.

It took so long for me to speak up, It was the hardest thing to say

Taken right up to the entrance, At the last minute turned away, Just can't look you in the eyes So let's dim the lights.

Get a case out, Bag up your pride. It's over, we're out of time, Delete me, I'm on your side.

For everything that could have been, But at least we took the ride. There's no relief in bitterness, Might as well let it die.