Consequence

When I listened to this song for the first time, I was complety... I don't know, I just couldn't get enough of it, so I had to listened to it over and over again. And then, suddenly, this feeling was gone and for one moment, I was disappointed, because I thought, that I couldn't enjoy this song anymore the way I did before. But I was wrong, now it's not driving me mad anymore, it's better, it just feels great to hear it.

The first lines are probably the most beautiful lines ever written: "You're the colour, you're the movement and the spin..." So beautiful, maybe the best way do describe someone you love. Imagine a world without colour, movement or spin. That's everything he sees when she's gone, he just feels paralysed. He needs her to feel great, so he doesn't want her to leave, but he knows, that he doesn't have a chance ("fail with consequence, lose with eloquence"), because this is real life and not a stupid hollywood film with a happy end ("I'm not in this movie, I'm not in this song"), so I think, he's thankful for the moments he can share with her ("and smile"), maybe when he meets her at work, school or whatever. For me, this song is not only about love, it IS love...

(but I could use some colour again...)

i love how the lyrics of the song act just like the notwist's musical style (electronic and acoustic combined). i'm pretty sure that colour, movement, and spin are all qualities of sub-atomic particles. so, in essence, he's using these scientific-digital-era objects to describe love, the most universal (and possibly most scientifically indescribable) quality of humans. brilliant.

To me this song is about noticing someone who you're really attracted to at first glance. You can't get past the attraction and everything around becomes a total blur. You're not paying attention to anything else going on around, you're essentially paralyzed by the prospect of love. You're not planning your "move" but you know there are 'consequences' involved, you might not win her affection and your world at that time, which is consumed by her, would take a hit and come crashing down. So you sit back for awhile and just watch, you're "left paralyzed" and "hypnotized" by her for a moment. Does he ever eventually go up to her is the bigger question?

The "experience" of this song is muddled by the romantic feelings it emotes as juxtaposed by the pensive "longing for more" type of feeling implied by the lyrics. The reference to color, movement, and spin artfully depict ineffable yet clearly palpable feelings of attraction. However, the next three lines seem to temper this sensation to a temporary and passing experience (i.e., "Never, Could it stay with me, The whole day long"). So, apparently there was attraction but why didn't deeper connection develop? Was the other s/he not the right one? Possibly . . . but not likely. It seems more obvious that this song really is describing a fucked-up attempt--as opposed to a successful connection--with finding the one who sustains "love."

"Failing with consequence" seems to imply a concerted effort to move beyond attraction to something deeper, yet this effort is in vain and things clearly don't work out. . . "Lose with elegance" and "smile" seem to imply that the singer/protagonist is somewhat okay and accustomed to having attraction fade and connection fail to develop, at least to a degree that s/he can put on a superficial smile. These lines scream that this has happened before. . .

Then, the lyrics deviate from a romanticized or commonly socialized view of "love." In other words, the experiences reflected do not parallel traditional notions of love in the U.S. The singer cannot claim Disney-esque romance yet s/he still is enthralled with the notion of being bowled over by love--overtaken to such a degree that s/he is paralyzed and hypnotized by it.

In conclusion, the lyrics of this song produce two viable interpretations:

1) The lyrics describe an individual who pines for a deeper connection yet repeatedly fails to make this happen because of some perceived problem or deficit.

OR

2) The lyrics describe someone who is used to being attracted to and maybe connecting with others on some level (e.g., having sex), yet still wants something deeper out of relationships but does not know how to get it.

this is one of those songs you want playing in the background of your life when something completely exotic and significant happens. like the movies. it's almost a letdown.

This is one of the greatest songs ever.

So god damn sexy.

It's like the sound of loneliness. Deep and inspiring, tender and beautiful.

Actually, I see "You're the color, the movement and the spin" as "You're the world". Basically, she's everything to him. The earth is filled with color, the earth spins, moves,ect. never could it stay with him the whole day long because it's constantly changing. Colors change, earth keeps moving and changing as well, EVERYTHING changes and she is his everything.

^ *should say "You're NOW planning your move..."