To me, this song is about the sadness of very sick patients and their loved ones, many of whom might never be under the sky again when it rains. It seems as though the vocalist is a visitor at the hospital (although he does say “my darkest hour,” which hints that this is probably a loved one or, perhaps, himself). The “concrete sky” is the hospital ceiling and the countless floors of “sandstone and steel” above it. Why doesn’t the building cry at all the sorrow it has witnessed? I don’t know what to make of the train, but I think the vocalist is expressing frustration at the outside world, in which so many people take their health for granted. I think the overall messages are: (1) don’t take your health for granted - respect it, (2) don’t spend all of your life enveloped in its trivialities, and most importantly (3) try to empathize with people who are suffering, because it is humane and it will make you a better person. The wisest man I ever knew once said: “I think the most important part of being a good person is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.” After seeing many tragic situations in hospitals, this may be one of the most difficult things to do, but I couldn’t agree more.
To me, this song is about the sadness of very sick patients and their loved ones, many of whom might never be under the sky again when it rains. It seems as though the vocalist is a visitor at the hospital (although he does say “my darkest hour,” which hints that this is probably a loved one or, perhaps, himself). The “concrete sky” is the hospital ceiling and the countless floors of “sandstone and steel” above it. Why doesn’t the building cry at all the sorrow it has witnessed? I don’t know what to make of the train, but I think the vocalist is expressing frustration at the outside world, in which so many people take their health for granted. I think the overall messages are: (1) don’t take your health for granted - respect it, (2) don’t spend all of your life enveloped in its trivialities, and most importantly (3) try to empathize with people who are suffering, because it is humane and it will make you a better person. The wisest man I ever knew once said: “I think the most important part of being a good person is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.” After seeing many tragic situations in hospitals, this may be one of the most difficult things to do, but I couldn’t agree more.