Mystery Disease

This song is about a person's drug addiction, which is their "mystery disease". I read on a forum that Andrew VanWyngarden said the song was written about a friend of his that had fallen into drug addiction. How true that is, I don't know, but it certainly makes for a very convincing interpretation of the lyrics. I'll go verse by verse to explain what I mean:

It can’t pay attention What slips into the system A light touch, a whisper that puts you to sleep Don’t sympathize with the mystery disease

The first two lines reference the person's inability to think critically about the drug or drugs they are ingesting. The following line ("a light touch...") is a kind of self-rationalization by the person in the song, implying that the drug is only a "whisper" that puts him/her to sleep. The narrator then instructs this person not to "sympathize with the mystery disease", or give in to the addiction.

All it is is a feeling, Pain in a dress too revealing, A lost bond an old friend who likes what it sees You can’t shake off the mystery disease

The first line is another rationalization by the person, they are ignoring the bad aspects of the abuse and instead focusing on the immediate effect of the drug(s). The second line is a metaphor for the visual aspect of depression and sorrow. A drug addict who is on hard substances will usually look much worse for wear than your average person, which is "pain in a dress too revealing". You can see the addict's sorrow evidenced in the changes to their face and body, whereas a normal person who is only depressed will not "reveal their pain" visually, so to speak. The third line details the effects of drugs on the person's social life. There are "lost bonds" in old friends who are, over time, ignored by the addict. The "old friend" is the drug(s), which are always there and easy to come back to, and are personified as inviting and warm. The final line evidences the difficulty in overcoming addiction to hard substances.

Lovers in a past life Meet in the street close to midnight, A last look sweet like the end of a dream, Then fall back into the mystery disease

This is probably my favorite verse in the song because it's so poignant. The person in the song previously had a partner (spouse or otherwise) but lost them ostensibly to their drug habits. The first line evidences the changes that the person has gone through, with the narrator going so far as to say that they are completely separate lives now. The next three lines detail an encounter where, somewhere along the line after they split, the person and their former lover meet again in the street. For the addict, it's a "last look, sweet like the end of a dream" before falling back into the drug addiction.

Go on, tell your symptoms to me It’s not in any of the books you can read It’s no fun to face what you don’t get to be, But what’s one more to the mystery disease?

The first two lines compare the drug addiction to an illness, but one that is incurable. This is the reason why drug addiction is like a "mystery disease". The third line details missed opportunities and wasted time throughout the person's drug addiction, with the person only thinking about what they feel they are capable of doing instead of actually acting on it. The last line in this verse shows the indifferent nature of addiction; it doesn't care who it sucks in. Throughout history it has affected people of every conceivable category in the world, be it class, creed, education, etc.

Floating impatience Snuffs my limited sapience Black smoke as soon as the pressure’s released Deep space sighs, the mystery disease

This verse details the pressure and anxiety in the waiting, acquisition, and subsequent taking of a drug or drugs. "Floating impatience snuffs my limited sapience" shows the person's thoughts while waiting to satisfy their addiction. Their already limited mental capacity, or "sapience", is taken away completely by thoughts of the drug. The last two lines are a dark visualization of the release of the pressure. This is clearly not a blissful release, with the pleasure of the person tainted by "black smoke".

Consumed by a weakness Cut with perpetual unrest You see stars, sunsets blurred through a screen, Trap what you want, waste what you need

I feel this is one of the most self-explanatory verses in the song. The person is "consumed by their weakness", allowing the addiction to take over their life. This is "cut with perpetual unrest", referring back to the concept of waiting and being anxious about getting the drug(s). The third line details the viewing of life through a "screen", or the person being high all of the time. "Trap what you want, waste what you need" refers back to the clouding of judgment that the mystery disease has left on the person. The addict only thinks about what they want, which over time grows to be solely the drug(s).

And when the west wind sweeps through the leaves, Emperors of history fall to their knees Small fronds can’t see the wood for the trees, Left in the dust of the mystery disease

For the final verse of the song, Andrew VanWyngarden refers back to the topic of drug addiction throughout history. Once again, it is shown that the mystery disease can affect anyone, including "emperors of history". Not being able to see the wood for the trees is a common expression which means not being able to see the bigger picture, or more importantly in this case, the consequences of actions. There have been countless people "left in the dust of the mystery disease".

It'd be great to know what other people think of this, as I have to say I don't necessarily agree with the "seven deadly sins" interpretation that's been posted a few times on here.