Crossfire

I think you are being too much SUPERFICIAL: let's not forget it's brandon flowers' song we are talking about, knowing his other songs, his way of explaining things and stories, it can be a good help even if it's always tricky to understand the killers' songs.

I DO NOT think he is talking about an affair between married-engaged people. It talks about a COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP. as you may remember, human-incomplete nature and debility it's one of the killers topics. so this relationship between two people who love each other but are not really able to love and are afraid and are infirm and fragil (they keep secrets, they harm each other, still they want to be together), it's a STRUGGLE. life is a CONSTANT FIGHT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, the only thing we can do is look for shelter.

NOTICE that as in many other songs (all these things that i've done, for example) it comes the time when the "good" wins the fight, the victory against evil. and this doesn't happen because of human or how much we try (in fact, it seems the only thing to do is look for shelter and lay down, he is deceived and afraid) but it happens because of SOMETHING GREATER, much bigger, that breaks even the boundaries of the fears of these poor people. THIS IS CALLED REDEMPTION. I am not talking about any religion concretely, but the concept of redemption is this.

so, to put it in short words:

1. HUMAN-INCOMPLETE NATURE; debility, fears, harm...
2. GOOD vs EVIL; life is a fight, it's hard.
3. REDEMPTION;this "hardest part"has an end. Something greater wins against evil and gives us freedom, we have no more boundaries, we can dream.

Well.. i feel very identified with this song, and I think it's about a very hard relationship, ex boyfriend/girlfriend still in love, but they can't be together because they are or external factors.. but they still miss each other..and they might be together sometimes.. well, this is how I feel it in my own experience..

There's a still in the street outside your window You're keeping secrets on your pillow Let me inside, no cause for alarm I promise tonight not to do no harm Yeah I promise you babe, I won't do you no harm

Here after a break up, or a fight.. it's like, I know you are sad, it seems like the world outside stopped, but you think about me, you're there in your room thinkin' about it.. you still miss me, but you won't say it, it's just between you and your pillow.. Please let me see you, i know i hurt you, but let's talk about it..I just wanna be with you, I'm sorry I, I won't hurt you again..

And we're caught up in the crossfire Of heaven and hell And we're searching for shelter Lay your body down Lay your body down Lay your body down

This is how we feel, in the crossfire of heaven and hell..of how much we still love each other but it hurts, we don't know what to do, get back..or stay away.. maybe they still see each other as friends, but there's the need of having her body close, a hug, lay together..

Watching you dress as you turn down the lights I forget all about the storm outside Dark clouds roll their way over town Heartache and pain came a-pouring down Like hail, sleet and rain, they're handing it out

This is a very obvious sexual part, when they are together that way.. and you see the person you love gettin' dressed after having sex.. it's perfect, and they forget all the problems of their relationship, and the people outside that maybe don't want them together either.

We're caught up in the crossfire Of heaven and hell And we're searching for shelter Lay your body down Lay your body down Lay your body down

Lay your body down Lay your body down Lay your body down

Tell the devil that he can go back from where he came His fiery arrows drew their bead in vein And when the hardest part is over we'll be here And our dreams will break the boundaries of our fear The boundaries of our fear

Here is like.. come back to me!, forget all the bad, and don't listen to the ones that say we shouldn't be together.. don't be afraid, let's get back and do what we used to dream..together.Lay your body down

Lay your body down Lay your body down

Next to mine

this is obvious... i need you with me,, here by my side

Interesting thoughts so far by everyone. Kudos to "luciuss" on pointing out the recurring themes that are present in both this solo effort and in what The Killers have done in the past. I, too, think this is about a relationship where one party is saved, so to speak. So many times, we hear the stories of the knight in shining armor coming in and saving the damsel in distress; but why can't it be a dude in distress being saved by his dame in shining armor? That's what I see here: a girl who is stronger than her male, and both being okay with that.

I think lavendersky is right. Its about good/evil, devil/god, us/them. I also believe its about a relationship but between Jesus (or Joseph Smith or whomever) and this girl (in the dress). Brandon Flowers crucified pose in the video also support this. "And when the hardest part is over we'll be here And our dreams will break the boundries of our fear"; this part i read as: well be the winners of this war (of god/devil), and our dreams (religious beliefs) will break the boundaries of our fears ( doubt). I read it this way because Brandon Flowers is a member of the LDS church. Im an atheist, and think the song is meaningful for anyone, were all fighting our battles, even if were not religious.

Mkay I got something quite different, from the get go. I think this could work with Brandon Flower's previous songs because we all have heard by now he doesn't take sleeping around lightly ('Mr. Brightside', 'Joyride', 'I Can't Stay' to name a few...not to mention all the other depressed hooker and stripper songs they do)

Sure, it's about a couple...I got the gist that the conflict was the purity of the relationship. Like they're trying to maintain a relationship without sex but it's really hard and they find themselves compromising emotional/spiritual values.

"Let me inside, no cause for alarm." They're going to have a date night at her house and they're going to keep it casual and fun.

"I promise tonight not to do no harm. Yeah, I promise you, babe." They're putting themselves in compromising situations, but they assume they'll keep it in check.

"We're caught up in the crossfire of Heaven and Hell" Apparently they're not as in control as they thought they'd be. Fairly obvious to me. Heaven is the beauty of the relationship, not wanting to spoil it with sex too early, loving each other, ethics, purity, etc. While Hell is the opposite-giving in to what they want at the moment even though it might not be good for the relationship in the long run. Plus, assuming they're not married could bring a new layer of moral chaos.

"We're searching for shelter" I take this line as in they are well intentioned, they're in it together-but they're having a hard time doing what they feel is right.

"Lay your body down." Whatever 'lay your body down' physically implies, it is the victory of one side. Laying down could be sex, in which 'Hell' won, or it could be snuggling cutely. Aka Heaven won.

Let's assume that chorus meant Heaven won, considering the next verse is pretty dang confident.

"Tell the devil that he can go back from where he came His fiery arrows drew their bead in vein And when the hardest part is over we'll be here"

I take it as they made it through the night without having sex even though he came over late at night and it was chancey ("the hardest part is over"). But they beat the devil and he can go to Hell for all they care because they're in it to win it. ("We're still here.")

"And our dreams will break the boundaries of our fear."

That's a really powerful line, no matter what the song directly means. In this context, it couuld mean that they're more determined than ever to do the relationship the right way. No matter what their fears are of themselves and their physical relationship. Their 'dream' of having a pure relationship is worth it.

Anwho. Just my first impression when I heard the line 'I won't do any harm tonight' and then later the Heaven and Hell concept along with the entire comaradery he feels with this girl seems to add up to me. I really love this song--keep it going, Brandon.

Thoughts?

I'm a Mormon too as BF, and I try not to interprete all his songs in a religious way, because not all BF's fans are Christians. I'm sure he writes songs for everybody. I like all the different comments from everyone. It's nice to read how different people feel about a song, and how they interpret it. Every interpretation is special. That's the beauty of art.

the song is great...

I agree with lavendersky and Erdis, more like spiritual meanings. Nice one babyboyblue too! I have 2 friends who are of the same religion as Flowers and his lyrics are typically about his beliefs: spiritual wars between good and evil... fiery arrows is often used in the mormon beliefs, as the attacks of Lucifer/ trials... also used as fiery darts of the adversary in the mormons scriptures. If Flowers' a faithful Mormon then he ain't talking about affairs. He could be talking about the saviour helping his Saints in the battle, or talking about a friend who's spiritually on your side in the battle. Anyone can interprete it as they want I suppose, that is the beauty of art and music.

Apparently we can't edit our comments. Grrr.
So, I listened again today and I'm all but positive that "Watching you dress as you turn down the light" is "Watching YOUR dress..." It is a more sexual verse, she's now let him in, he's watching her silhouette as she dims the lights then of course he forgets all about the world outside. It is consistent with the sexually suggestive repeat of "Lay your body down" and the final "Next to mine." He's seeking not just the calming retreat of her home, but of her bed as well.

I love this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's a new one I love too at the moment, only the young, the video is awesome!

Being a Mormon, I can't really see a spiritual meaning to Crossfire song, although he has quite a lot of spiritual songs in the Flamingo album. This song is more about a relationship striving to get there despite a complicated situation they're in. Could even be someone from the Mormon faith with someone from a complete different field and how complicated it is for both, yet their love is strong? Often the 2 opposite worlds attract each other greatly and sometimes intrigue each other. I always heard that opposites attract, and there Flowers seems to put it nicely into a song. I even admitt we, Mormons are completely different from this world.