This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Lost in a strange city
Nowhere to turn
Far cry from the streets that
I came from
It can get lonely
When you're travelling hard
But you can even be lonely
Standing in your own backyard
Nobody knows the existential dread
Of the things that go on inside
Someone else's head
Whether it be trivial
Or something that Dante said
But baby nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
No matter how well you know someone
You can only ever guess
How can you ever really know somebody else?
It takes more than a lifetime
Just to get to know yourself
Nobody know the meaning of loneliness
I have to say a word about solitude
For the soul it sometimes they say can be good
I'm partial to it myself I must confess
Nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
Well there's Sarte and Camus, Nietzsche and Hesse
If you dig deep enough
You gonna end up in distress
And no one escapes having to live life under duress
And no on escapes the meaning of loneliness
Well they say keep it simple when it gets to be a mess
And fame and fortune
Never brought anyone happiness
I must be lucky
Some of my friends think that I'm really blessed
Nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
Bright lights, big city nowhere to run
Far cry from the streets where I was born
I've been doing some travelling
Sometimes the road gets hard
But you can also be lonely
Standing in your own backyard
No, no, no, no, no, no, nobody knows
The meaning of loneliness
No, no, no, no, nobody knows
The meaning of lonelinss
Nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
Nowhere to turn
Far cry from the streets that
I came from
It can get lonely
When you're travelling hard
But you can even be lonely
Standing in your own backyard
Nobody knows the existential dread
Of the things that go on inside
Someone else's head
Whether it be trivial
Or something that Dante said
But baby nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
No matter how well you know someone
You can only ever guess
How can you ever really know somebody else?
It takes more than a lifetime
Just to get to know yourself
Nobody know the meaning of loneliness
I have to say a word about solitude
For the soul it sometimes they say can be good
I'm partial to it myself I must confess
Nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
Well there's Sarte and Camus, Nietzsche and Hesse
If you dig deep enough
You gonna end up in distress
And no one escapes having to live life under duress
And no on escapes the meaning of loneliness
Well they say keep it simple when it gets to be a mess
And fame and fortune
Never brought anyone happiness
I must be lucky
Some of my friends think that I'm really blessed
Nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
Bright lights, big city nowhere to run
Far cry from the streets where I was born
I've been doing some travelling
Sometimes the road gets hard
But you can also be lonely
Standing in your own backyard
No, no, no, no, no, no, nobody knows
The meaning of loneliness
No, no, no, no, nobody knows
The meaning of lonelinss
Nobody knows the meaning of loneliness
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Meaning of Loneliness Lyrics as written by Van Morrison
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is a bit of a dirge and certainly not the most melodic thing Van has ever done but there is enough in it to suggest it is part biographical and part applicable to most of our lives. Note the contrast throughout to the so called 'celebrity' lifestyle and the back streets that he came from. Some might say "slap it into him for being such a grump" and if he behaved differently he may not be as lonely but I think that misses the penetrative substance and meaning of the song. One line says, "It takes more than a lifetime just to get to know yourself" suggests we have still a bit to go on the journey of life in finding out about ourselves. I don't think this is a depressing song as it expresses the sentiment that no matter how fulfilling your life may appear to be "you can also be lonely standing in your own backyard".