In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
These days, my life, I feel it has no purpose
But late at night the feelings swim to the surface
'Cause on the suburbs the city lights shine
They're calling at me, come and find your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Then we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights
We rode our bikes to the nearest park
Sat under the swings, we kissed in the dark
We shield our eyes from the police lights
We run away, but we don't know why
And like a mirror these city lights shine
They're screaming at us, we don't need your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Then we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights
They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Can we ever get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
These days, my life, I feel it has no purpose
But late at night the feelings swim to the surface
'Cause on the suburbs the city lights shine
They're calling at me, come and find your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Then we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights
We rode our bikes to the nearest park
Sat under the swings, we kissed in the dark
We shield our eyes from the police lights
We run away, but we don't know why
And like a mirror these city lights shine
They're screaming at us, we don't need your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Then we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights
They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
Can we ever get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights
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Someone asked about the line "They heard me singing and the told me to stop - quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock", which is the most deeply impacting line of the song for me.
I take it to mean our culture's lack of value for creativity and how we are told to repress our imaginations. You get this sense in our public education system when the curriculum forced onto teachers and students looks for objective, one word answers rather than open-ended questions, critical thinking, or creativity. This carries over to our jobs where we are valued for our objective output not for our SELF as a person. So to me, this line is about this sort of spirit - the creative spirit - being squelched by a jaded coworker or boss. Its one of those situations where someone who has numbed their creative spirit will criticize someone else who is freespirited (and perhaps singing to themselves) by leveling the accusation that their singing is somehow pretentious or ego-driven, which just twists the knife deeper since its a heartfelt expression of their soul (and perhaps the only HOPE in disassembling the Suburban Beast). Though, sadly, I suppose the insincere only hear insincerity.
I also think this line a reaction to people/fans who hear the arcade fire's music and accuse them of being pretentious because they sing about heartfelt issues or lofty social issues.