The Literal Heart

The song begins by immediately establishing a disconnect between ambitions and motivation necessary to make them a reality. The singer refers to what they could have if only they had to resolve to obtain whatever "changes" they wanted to see. The song continues along the theme of these potential, novel events that they wish to come true but don't have the passion to pursue. The issue the protagonist is faced with is the seemingly gripping jaws of comfort and complacency. Hence the lyrics, "But I'll be damned, I'd rather sleep.The gardens soft, my skin is weak.".

There is no resolution or answer to this Kierkegaardian dilemma found in the lyrics themselves. There is, however, a warning in the music itself. After the vocals end they are replaced with building and quickening instrumentals. This creates a very anxious feeling because you keep expecting every loop to be the last. But the climax you receive is very odd. Instead of the music halting or dying out it simply ends. Not in the sense of the instruments ceasing to be played but as if the recording itself was cut short. Being "cut short" is the key term because this instrumental build up (in my opinion obviously) is the crux of the song. Because this instrumental at the end IS the "Literal Heart". The ending represents the sudden stop of a heart.It is important to understand that although the song seems to have been cut short to the listener, to the writer it ended at its intended time. An appropriate ending to a song lamenting the passions of the heart being unable to overpower the will of the body to obtain ones desires.