Pure Feeling

This amazing song definitely deserves to have an interpretation so let's get started. This will be lengthy, so in simplest terms, the song is about moving on after the end of a romantic relationship, or to be more precise that delicate place between letting go and clinging to the past which the contrasting lines and stanzas perfectly illustrate.

Blinded by the glare I was moving like I didn't care But it was more than I could bear You know I hoped I'd see you there

First off, this song fits in with the over-arching theme of the How Big How Blue How Beautiful: an Odyssey as the videos suggest. The person is embarking on a journey (of self discovery) and undergoes a process of healing. In the first stanza, glare refers to the glare of the sun and since the person was blinded by it, it could be argued that they haven't seen the sun for a while, thus the sun symbolizes the first step of a new beginning. The movement of the person conveys a nonchalance at first, but it is in truth a facade (like they don't care). A certain sense of disorientation is conveyed (because it is coupled with the aforementioned glare of the sun) and even more important fact is that the person has difficulty bearing something. The last line reveals what that something is: the speaker was hoping to see somebody, a former love. It is difficult to bear being without that person and moving on.

Staring out the window I could see into the soul of every passer by So many lives So many pairs of eyes

It could be argued that the window ties in well with the sun, but even on its own it symbolizes the vast space which awaits the person who is moving on. It conveys a great sense of freedom and the speaker can focus on so many other people. The whole introspection which always happens with great change is perhaps making the speaker curious about others and more likely to experience a heightened sense of wonder and amazement at the world and all the souls that occupy it. Staring into the souls (and eyes which are mirrors of the soul) also conveys a need for a connection.

A pure feeling I'm invisible and magical If only for a moment A pure feeling I'm scared to control it

And here we come to the titular 'pure feeling'. This sense of freedom and wonder following the loss and separation is incredibly pure. It may be only for a moment, but this moment grants an incredible feeling of magic and bliss. I am not entirely sure about being invisible, but it could tie in with feeling magical, but could also convey a sense of disconnectedness from others, because they cannot see the speaker. The speaker lets this feeling consume them, they are scared to try and control it because it is too overwhelming.

Stretching out my arms I let it comfort me Our bodies moving in the dark It takes the pain from me And then I am in love With everyone I see I keep on moving in the spaces where you used to be

Now we go into more detail. The speaker's outstretched arms represent their willingness to embrace this pure feeling, but as was already indicated, it is there to help sooth the speaker's wounds, help heal their broken heart. Bodies moving in the dark is a quite transparent reference to having sexual encounters (with strangers whose eyes were mentioned earlier) and even though there is a sense of freedom and pleasure that comes with these encounters, they are mostly a coping mechanism and a tool to 'take the pain' from the speaker. The next two lines, 'And then I am in love/With everyone I see' should be understood as a feeling of being content overall and being loved by someone new. And yet, the final line reveals that the speaker is still trapped, they 'keep on moving in the spaces where their love used to be'.

And the illusion starts to tear Let everybody stand and stare Cause now I have no fear I knew that this would end in tears

This stanza ties in with the final line of the previous one. The sense of freedom and pureness was transitory; to the speaker it may even feel completely fake, an illusion that is slowly being torn asunder (it does not merely dissipate, it is more violent than that). The speaker thought they were feeling better, feeling free, why do they have to experience this pain again? But the speaker did some moving on, despite this current feeling. They don't care about others who witness their lapses and mood swings, they are no longer afraid of their own feelings and everything that is happening. To me the final line carries two meanings: this refers both to the relationship (that would end in tears) and the attempt of dealing with it (illusion which was torn).

The pre-chorus and chorus are now repeated and I believe that it nicely illustrates the process of letting go and moving on. The cycle is repeated, but this time the person feels a bit better and the pure feeling no longer feels fake. It is a sign of healing.

Those strangers carry me I'm lost; they're finding me I'm gone; they're there with me But it's not over The spaces in between They keep you far from me The emptiness; it means it's not over

Now we get a closer look of the strangers. It can be argued that it illustrates a certain pattern we are prone to. Sleeping with others to get over one person is a well-known coping mechanism (though here I don't think that it can be reduced to simple sleeping around and it is certainly not negative) and here we have introspection. The speaker wonders about and analyzes their healing process (after all, don't we all wish to get over something as soon as possible?). The sense of being lost is acknowledged and also the role of the strangers - the speaker is rediscovering himself or herself and the strangers are there to help in that process. By uttering 'But it's not over', the speaker also acknowledges that they still haven't let go of their lover. There is space between them (it most likely refers to the strangers that occupy the former lover's place, but it could also be metaphorical distance, actual distance or perhaps all three combined) and the speaker feels empty (sense of loss is combined with the feeling of missing the lover and simply getting used to them no longer being there): the speaker acknowledges that this means that the healing process will have to last a bit longer.

A part of the chorus is then repeated once more, again for the purpose that I've mentioned earlier: mirroring a healing process. Though the song does not offer closure, I firmly believe that this makes it more realistic and more poignant. The ending may be bittersweet, but the speaker will eventually move on and experience a truly pure feeling of having moved on.