Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh

I was left to my own devices
Many days fell away with nothing to show

And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Grey clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

We were caught up and lost in all of our vices
In your pose as the dust settles around us

And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Grey clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

Eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh

Oh, where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?
Oh-oh, where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?

And the walls kept tumbling down (oh, where do we begin?)
In the city that we love (the rubble or our sins?)
Grey clouds roll over the hills (oh, where do we begin?)
Bringing darkness from above (the rubble or our sins?)

But if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
Oh, how am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

If you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh


Lyrics submitted by psychedelicglee, edited by noelsguitar, henrymo, thatismahogony, Ashleeeee, amrj, tuckerka, marlize105, Jbail2322

Pompeii Lyrics as written by Daniel Campbell Smith

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Pompeii song meanings
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114 Comments

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  • +4
    My Interpretation

    Love this interpretation.

    I totally agree. This song poses a strong connection between an apocalyptic situation and daily life. The line "if you close your eyes does it almost feel like you've been here before" explains this. In other words, if you forget just what you're sensing and focus on what you're feeling, this isn't the first time you've felt doomed, hopeless, lost. Really, it's exactly this feeling that impacts and determines your reality, less so than the actual situation.

    "Where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?" echoes this idea. After a tragedy, how does one begin to recover—rebuilding the physical destruction, or making amends for the personal damage one has caused to both themselves and others. Furthermore, it shows the panic and confusion that results, but that despite this panic, using "we" suggests that the intent to rebuild and learn has brought the victims of tragedy closer.

    (Not saying you specifically said this, but nonetheless) I don't think it makes sense to interpret the apocalyptic/life-shattering event that seems to be the focus of the song as a punishment or retribution for "sins" or for being "caught up in lust and all of our vices" so much as it highlights how in this kind of event can cause one to alter their priorities toward more collective, humanistic goals.

    redsoxfan3189on January 12, 2014   Link

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