Unbelievers

I think the song is saying that no matter what you believe, you're going to die as an unbeliever in something. For example, I'm a Christian and when I die, I'll be known as an unbeliever to my Muslim friends. I forget where I read the interview, but Ezra said something to the effect that the song is all about how there's so many different divisive groups and how he'd like to see a little unity. It's not necessarily religious, but it's definitely got religious influences with verses like, "If I'm born again, the world will disagree." Christians often say that they are not "of this world" and the world would obviously disagree. It's one of my favorite songs and if anyone can find that interview I'm talking about, it'd be greatly appreciated.

I think it asks the question........where do you actually fit in, in this overly religious world if you don't believe?

I certainly think it's a religious song (much like most of the new album - see Ya Hey).

Grace, warmth, heat, and light are all metaphors for spiritual support, and spiritual love. If I'm an unbeliever (don't believe in God) or a believer in a different religion (don't believe in the "correct" God), who's gonna save a little grace for me? Will there be an afterlife for me?

We know the fire (hell) awaits unbelievers, so as an unbeliever, I'm not excited for an afterlife, but should I be? Is this the fate that half of the world (folks who believe in God, or folks who believe in a dominant religion like Christianity) has planned for me?

The cool thing is that Ezra wrote one song on the album from a "believers" point of view (Ya Hey) and one from an "unbelievers" point of view. He's come a long way from writing about sleeping on the balcony after class.

I honestly don't like the line, "and you love the sea". It's so vacuous. It's a poetic way of saying, you love "vast infinities to explore" and it means absolutely nothing or everything. In fact, I hear the line as "and you'd love to see what holy water contains a little drop, a little drop for me". And I like it better that way.

Either way, it implies that "Girl" and the singer are having a little disagreement about spirituality and the singer feels inclined to explain his position. He hasn't found any answers, but it's clear that he, as a normal human being, would really like to feel all these spiritual feelings. It's cold, it's dark, he's thristy, and yet nothing is really a solid solution. He wants to be convinced, but who will convince him?

In fact, the only thing he knows is that he loves Girl. And she might not even love him back, but it doesn't matter how much time they spend searching for answers, they will still die. And they still won't have any answers even if she seems happy to accept "faith" (vast infinite unexplainable) as an answer.

I particularly like the line "bound to the tracks of the train." It's a dark image when you imagine a freight-train bowling over two helpless people bound to the tracks. And yet it's somewhat ironic, given the context of the song. And that's why he's flippantly unexcited about it all and considers it somewhat of a joke. All these different conflicting religious beliefs and theories, all proclaiming to be correct; if they are all correct, then they are equally all incorrect, so picking one leaves you just as helpless as picking none.

The singer doesn't have much hope for conversion, but Girl is content to hope.

Then finally this line throws the whole song deep down a rabbit hole: "is this the fate that half of the world has planned for me?" Another line with double-meaning; both "hell" and consideration for "marriage" with Girl. And this is where alternate interpretations of the entire song can be created. It could be that the singer is "really" trying to explain his reluctance to commit to a long-term relationship with Girl and that the whole metaphysical explanation he gives is all a long reason for why it's hard for him to settle down with one person. He's not excited. He's more worried that with so many options out there, he's making the wrong decision. And if he can't choose a religion, how can he choose a wife?

After listening and reading the lyrics a few times, this song relates to Life and Religion.

The song is called unbelievers, in religion, especially in Islam, we have to believe and have faith in the existence of Allah. Allah is the god for Muslims and in Islam we have to also believe in heaven and hell

In the chorus it's said;

'We know the fire awaits unbelievers All of the sinners, the same'

-In most religion, if you don't believe in God and do sins, you will go to hell. And the fire of hell will burn you. Unless you repent.

'I'm not excited, but should I be? Is this the fate that half of the world has set for me.'

-This stanza shows that the person knows what's going to happen to him and he doesn't really care or should he? This is what half of the people in this world believes, that God exist and we are taught this things as we grow up, to not do sins or we'll go to hell.

It's very clear what message this song is giving. The whole song continues like that and I only pointed out the major ones. The person is an unbeliever and he knows what's awaits him and sinners, and he still doesn't care but he wonders if he should care but in the end of the chorus he's sure that he will most probably die an unbeliever.

'Girl you and I will die unbelievers Bound to the track of the train'

This song has a few themes. It is a manifesto of the speaker's personal philosophy, which contains elements of skepticism and fatalism. He also acknowledges the existence of other belief systems, and plays with the idea that everyone is an "unbeliever" in someone else's personal philosophy or religion. There are double meanings that could be applied to words throughout the song that expand on the idea of differing viewpoints, and he explores the idea that we are all unified in our unhappiness. Normally I hate when people say songs could have different meanings for different people, but in this case, the ambiguity is intentional. It expands on the speaker's theme of multiple viewpoints. He also reflects on his romantic relationship with a "believer," and he directly addresses her in the choruses. He and the girl have opposing philosophies. They are both unwavering in their ideas, but the speaker suggests that their opposing viewpoints complement each other in a beneficial way. Here it is line by line. I'm going to skip around a bit.

In the first verse, there could be multiple meanings of "got a little soul." He could mean a small soul, meaning a nonspiritual person. He could mean some soul, meaning a spiritual person. A person is also said to "have soul" when they are a singer, so the speaker could be referring to himself, and all artists, who have to be philosophers in many ways. These multiple meanings are intentional. No matter how you interpret it, "the world is a cold, cold place to be." Believers, nonbelievers, philosophers are all in the same boat.

Everyone is seeking "a little warmth," some refuge from the cold world. He also wants the warmth of belief, but he is a skeptic. This is the first of many verses that end in a question, reflecting his need to question everything. The question he asks indicates he is skeptical of more than just religion. He is also skeptical of the romanticism and magic of love. The verse also plays into the complementarity theme. He wants warmth and is looking for someone to provide it for him. He's missing belief, so maybe he is seeking a believer to complement him. The verses about grace and light are very similar, and all reinforce these same themes.

If he's "born again" he knows "that the world will disagree." No matter what belief system he adopts, most people are going to disagree with him. Also, if he returns to faith himself, he knows that eventually he will go back to skepticism, because, to him, the world reinforces his current belief system. This also indicates his belief in destiny, or fatalism. He is a skeptic, and even if he wanted to change, he'd just be forced back on the track that the world has planned for him. This could be expanded to apply to anyone's belief system, which develop from a person's own experiences in the world.

The speaker sees the sun going down, and knows that the night is deep. I think this is about the brightness, optimism, and naive belief that we have in youth, which has developed into a kind of depressing skepticism of everything for the speaker. I think it's also about feeling pressured to find a romantic partner. He's getting older, and here night is the prospect of being alone, and the setting sun is his ticking clock to find a lover.

In the chorus, he says "we know the fire awaits unbelievers." The one thing we know is that everyone else is wrong. There is double meaning in both fire and unbeliever here. Fire could refer to hell, but in other verses the speaker wants warmth and light, both of which are provided by fire. Unbeliever could mean an atheist/ skeptic, or it could mean anyone who doesn't agree with your own life philosophy. We often think other people are happier than us, but we also think that they are wrong. We think that both happiness and damnation await those who disagree with us. "All of the sinners the same" expands on this. We think of those who don't follow our own moral code as happier than us, but we condemn their actions. "Girl, you and I will die unbelievers, bound to the tracks of the train." This draws on the fatalism theme. No one is going to change their mind, they're stuck on a track. There is no choice, and they're going to die being unbelievers in each other's personal philosophy. Even in the last moments before death (if he was tied to a railroad track), he will remain a skeptic, and she will remain a "believer."

The speaker is not excited, but wonders if he should be. He has a pessimistic view of the world, but thinks that this view is justified. He sees the world as it is, and there is not much to be excited or happy about. I think he is also wondering if other people are as happy as he thinks they are from the other side of the fence. He wonders if he is already living in hell when he asks if this is the fate that half of the world has planned for him. "Believers" say he's going to hell, but perhaps hell is just the unhappiness that comes with the pessimism of his skepticism. This also draws on his belief in fatalism. He refers to his own fate, and indicates that the rest of the world has control over it.

He knows he loves this girl. Despite his skepticism, he has found love. She loves the sea. She is a romantic, a "believer." He loves her but not in the fantastical way that some people view love. He asks what holy water contains a drop for him. In what belief system could he find happiness? I think the sea is also a metaphor for potential mates, and the drop of holy water is the one for him. He's referring to, and questioning, the idea of "soul mates."

Girl, you and I will die unbelievers Bound to the tracks of the train

-I hear this as a response to the claim that there are 'no atheists in a foxhole' -- meaning that if you know you are about to die you will quickly accept god. But here the singer is refuting that claim. Being bound to the tracks means you know your death is imminent and yet, they'd still die as unbelievers.

It's interesting that the song is overtly about religion, possibly the biggest philosophical subject matter there is, and yet Ezra uses this huge subject as a metaphor for something smaller and more personal - specifically a relationship.

This song is about how, according to many popular religions, we will all die sinners. It is also saying we should make the most of life while we can, since we can't avoid sin in the first place.

"Got a little soul The world is a cold, cold place to be" These lines just mean that the world is unfair to you, if Christianity or Judaism or Islam are actually accurate. The rules are unfair and they don't actually serve to make us happy.

"Want a little warmth but who's going to save a little warmth for me?" What religion can be accepting of me and my lifestyle?

"We know the fire awaits unbelievers All of the sinners, the same" According to Christianity and many other religions, you will be punished in the afterlife if you sin. And all sin is weighed the same, meaning that if you steal something or envy your neighbor and never repent you will go to Hell.

You are in the same boat as murderers and rapists, so why not enjoy your life if you're going to Hell anyway?

"Girl you and I will die unbelievers bound to the tracks of the train" They are both unbelievers, as we all are, since we all sin. They can't avoid being sinners, like being bound to a train track and awaiting the inevitable collision. It's going to happen no matter what.

"I'm not excited, but should I be? Is this the fate that half of the world has planned for me?" He is questioning religion and why so many people believe that God punishes people for doing things so little as using His name in vain.

"I know I love you and you love the sea" The girl he is with, or anyone he is close to, believes in a very vague religion, similar to a deep, unfathomable sea. However, they are afraid to question it because of verses that say they will go to Hell if they don't believe.

"but what Holy water contains a little drop, little drop for me?" Like before, he is wondering what religion would be accepting of his carefree lifestyle.

I think this song makes it clear that Ezra is atheist.

This is very obvious.

Ezra and his girl are Atheists.

Got a little soul The world is a cold, cold place to be

(If you are religious, you are shut out from the believers - the world is a cold place for non-believers)

Want a little warmth but who's going to save a little warmth for me?

(Again, there is no love for Atheists - people are more discriminatory against Atheists than they are against believers of religions other than their own).

We know the fire awaits unbelievers all the sinners, the same

(Hell awaits for Atheists, Agnostics and Sinners)

Girl you and I will die unbelievers bound to the tracks of the train

(The "bound to the tracks of the train" is a metaphor for their pending doom for being non-believers. According to believers they - Ezra and his GF - are going to hell when they die).

If I am born again I know that the world will disagree

(if he becomes a "born again christian" no none would believe him

Want a little grace but who's going to say a little grace for me

(Again, as an Atheist, he is discriminated against - mostly by believers. They will say "grace" at meals for Jesus and other believers, but not for him.

Im not excited, but should i be? is this the fate that half of the world has planned for me.

(At least half the world believes in Heaven/Hell/God and that means that at least that many people believe that he is going to burn in hell for being a non-believer.

I know I love you and you love the sea but holy water contains a little drop, little drop for me?

(If there is anything at all real or spiritual in holy water - then wouldn't it work on non-believers as well as believers?

He is questioning in a coy way the existence of God. Poking fun at Holy Water, the Gates of Hell, Saying Grace, and more.

He (and his GF in the song) are Atheists