La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)

its about war veterans, "lifes has been unfaithful" to them when by fighting for a just cause "promised so much".No-one thinks about them, except when theyre "wheeled out once a Year, to the cenotaph". Politicians use them to their own ends, "I see Liberals, I am just a fashion accessory". Most Veterans are so poor because of their pathetic pensions, that the have to make money somehow, "I sold my medal, it paid a bill". All in all its about the disgusting way that the elderly get treated, which is even more sad when you consider that these people fought & lost friends to allow us to live in the style weve become accustomed to.

"We took the title from a book on Van Gogh, although the song's got nothing to do with Van Gogh. It means something like 'the sadness goes on', and it's about the way life doesn't get any better as you get older. It's always a beautiful image every year when the war veterans turn out at the Cenotaph, and everyone pretends to care about them - but then they're shuffled of f again and forgotten. I'm much more sympathetic towards older people than towards my generation - I think they have a lot more dignity, and seem to be able to take care of their problems themselves. People of my generation seems to be so selfish. I'm no exception, because you can't escape from the culture that surrounds you. A phrase like 'Trade Unionism', and the idea of caring about the community you come from, is now seen as laughable - and of course, that's a product of the political culture over the last 15 years." (Richey James; Melody Maker, 19 June 1993)

It's about how the elderly, especially veterans, are (mis)treated by society. Lines such as "wheeled out once a year, a cenotaph souvenir" and "I sold my medal, it paid a bill" reinforce this idea.

Its about peoples lives and their contribution to society not being recognised or appreciated - this links the Van Gogh and veterans references.

As has been said its about vetrans,on the face of it I think the sadness that continues is that of seeing their friends die and then being wheeled out every year to be patronised and forced to remember "Scream to a Sigh" I suppose is that the scream of death to the sigh of the apathy pensioners are forced into with no respect, prospects or means to live.

Guys, I think you need a European angle on this, it is about the sadness that was caused by the 1st world war, and the damage it has done to the generation that witnessed it and the generations that have followed. In Europe, the damage done continues, and has yet to be forgotton or healed.

There is no harm in paraphasing other people in the song, it doenst mean it is about VVG though.

Here is the cenotaph: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenotaph

A memorial to those that lost theier lives, what the manics are saying, is that the veteran is also a monument to that undying sadness that the war caused.

The second verse is ensconced in the veterans bitterness at how he is treated. People are only pretending to care because they cannot be see to do otherwsie.

As for the selling of the medal, its a reflection on how we asked the greatest sacrifice and abandoned the soldiers to poverty.

Its all about the wars.

M

I'm not if it's actually about Van Gogh, or just using his as an example, or even a metaphor or something i havent figured out yet, Mainstreet may on the right lines though.

but the scream isn't a painting by van gogh. It's by edward munch!

It's not about Van Gogh at all, Nicky said once. It's about veterans.

The title, as said above, means "The sadness continues". And it has to with Van Gogh because "La Tristesse Durera" was a sentence from his suicide note. The song is not ABOUT Van Goh, but it "La Tristesse Durera" is his quote.