The Universe Expanded

This song is so catchy.

There are 2 theories in the Universes life cycle. Since the Big Bang we are in expansion, we will either continue to expand, or expansion will reach its maximum point and then begin to contract again into whats called the Big Crunch. The Big Crunch will then reach a critical mass creating a singularity (another Big Bang) and the cycle starts again.

As previously mentioned it is about losing some one you have loved and he is trying to find solace in seeing her again and making it right. He is imagining the Universe contracting, and everything playing backwards in the process, and that he will be with her again. And this time, they will part as friends the way they met, not with all the emotional baggage and feelings of hurt you have after giving someone your love and breaking up.

In a way the song to me is about how we tend to end relationships badly, atleast one person is hurt, or angry, often both. Because we have invested so much emotion in to it, we can simply let it go and walk away as friends. This song is a, would it be nice if scenario.

It's about two lovers who broke up. He wants to rewind their relationship up to a point that it even doesn't exist anymore. This is shown in multiple lines in the verses like:

//We'll pose after every photograph Has been removed from the negative

I turn from a friend Of your friend Unintroduced Forget your name forevermore

We'll part as happy strangers From a long friendship That grew from such a love\

He wants this to happen, so it won't hurt him anymore (But I don't mind losing you this time). It seems that they aren't even friends anymore, they (or at least she) hate eachother.

In the chorus he explains, how this rewinding could be made possible:

<<I'll meet you coming backwards Yes I'll meet you coming back When the universe has expanded Time will contract You'll come back And I'll meet you coming backwards Next time>>

Everything will be rewinded when the universe stops to expand (sort of). There is a theory which describes what happens when the universe would stop expanding. Space will not expand anymore, but it will soon start retracting again and thus, contracting the time again so that it seems that the time goes backwards. When this would happen, everything will rewind like he explained. It would look like she is coming back to him backwards.

This again shows us, that he still may has feelings for her, because he seems to enjoy the idea of her coming back.

But there is still a catch, he can't overcome yet (and probably won't):

<< But we move forwards Into emptiness Into the void Into the universe>>

The universe is still expanding and thus also expanding the "space" between their love (in a metaphorical way).

I like how these lyrics trivialize the hurt of a break-up (I recently went through one).

The crux is, of course, he won't feel hurt this second time, because everything goes backwards, so they'll break up as they once met: happy. ("I don't mind losing you this time.")

But there's more going on here. "I'll meet you coming backwards" means he originally walked away from her, so when the universe expands he won't even look her in the eye when he meets her again. This could indicate he still holds a grudge or blames her for something. As if he WANTS to turn his back on her this time around. Not make the same mistake again.

The last part, "We'll part as happy strangers from a long friendship that grew from such a love" might not be about this hypothetical expanded universe, but about what actually happened. A lot of relationships end because people have become friends rather than lovers. That strong friendship did originally grow from an enormous love, however.

I agree with previous comment, but can't help noticing how this great song fits nicely with a great movie - "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".

(spoiler ahead :) )

Undoing everything about a relationship, just to do it all again the right way, because two of you are meant for each other...