Kids are swingin' from the power lines
neighbors all were shoutin' that they found the light.
Kids are dyin' out in the snow
What this says to me is that kids were on the power lines and the parents turned the power on and the kids started dying. This could be a metaphor for basically anything. As someone else said, the other lyrics, such as ice has covered up my parents' hands, could imply apathy on the parents' parts for what they're doing. What this song says to me is that adults are screwing over the kids and ignoring it, or covering it up, and the kids know all about what's happening. Interpreted this way, everything in the song fits:
I woke up with the power out,
not really something to shout about.
Ice has covered up my parents hands
don't have any dreams don't have any plans.
Interpretation: I woke up with no hope for us, no surprise there, parents don't care about us anymore, I have no dreams or plans.
This part in particular is, I think, the most powerful in regards to the lack of hope and love for the kids:
I went out into the night,
I went out to find some light.
Kids are dyin' out in the snow,
look at them go, look at them go!
And the power's out in the heart of man,
take it from your heart put in your hand.
Basically: I went out into the hopeless world, I went out to find some hope, all these kids have been left to die, watch them die, no one cares about them anymore, why doesn't anyone help them?
Kids are swingin' from the power lines neighbors all were shoutin' that they found the light. Kids are dyin' out in the snow
What this says to me is that kids were on the power lines and the parents turned the power on and the kids started dying. This could be a metaphor for basically anything. As someone else said, the other lyrics, such as ice has covered up my parents' hands, could imply apathy on the parents' parts for what they're doing. What this song says to me is that adults are screwing over the kids and ignoring it, or covering it up, and the kids know all about what's happening. Interpreted this way, everything in the song fits:
I woke up with the power out, not really something to shout about. Ice has covered up my parents hands don't have any dreams don't have any plans.
Interpretation: I woke up with no hope for us, no surprise there, parents don't care about us anymore, I have no dreams or plans.
This part in particular is, I think, the most powerful in regards to the lack of hope and love for the kids:
I went out into the night, I went out to find some light. Kids are dyin' out in the snow, look at them go, look at them go!
And the power's out in the heart of man, take it from your heart put in your hand.
Basically: I went out into the hopeless world, I went out to find some hope, all these kids have been left to die, watch them die, no one cares about them anymore, why doesn't anyone help them?
But that's just my opinion.