I LOVE this song! It's so mature and poetic, like most other Editors songs!!! _
I think (This is just a guess) that it's about someone whose partner died of an illness.
'When the time comes
You're no longer here
Fall down to my knees
Begin my nightmare'
The person (impersonated by the singer) realises that the one he/she loved is dead, and life becomes like a nightmare for him/her.
'Words spill from my drunken mouth
I just can't keep them all in'
He/she can't believe it has happened, and is saying so and expressing the sorrow.
'I keep up with the racing rats
and do my best to win'
A 'racing rats' situation is when people are trying to become more advanced, etc. but are actually getting nowhere. The singer feels that his/her life is totally pointless.
'Slow down little one
You can't keep running away
You musn't go outside yet
It's not your time to play'
I'm not too sure about this, but my guess (pretty straightforward) is that the people had a child together, and the singer wants to protect the child from harm as well as the knowledge of its parent's death.
'Standing at the edge of your town,
With the skyline in your eyes,'
The singer is visiting the place where he/she and the dead person spent time, to remember it. The skyline may be the fact that the death is still fresh on his mind, or the singer is thinking about the afterlife.
'Reaching up to God,
The sun says its goodbyes.'
This may be another reference to heaven and the afterlife, as well as the fact that the happy memories have to end and that the singer must go back to reality.
'If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it leave
In the surface of the earth?'
This shows how the singer's world was devastated by the loss.
'Let's pretend we never met
Let's pretend we're on our own
We'll live different lives
Until our cover's blown.'
The singer is thinking about how it would have been to never have met the person and not to be affected by the death, but he knows he can't escape, hence 'until our cover's blown'.
'I push my hands up to the sky
Shade my eyes from the sun
As the dust settles around me
Suddenly night time has begun.'
The singer is again trying to escape from reality, but he can't and the memories of the death (dust) remain.
'Come on now
You knew you were lost
But you carried on anyway
Come on now
You knew you had no time
but you let the day drift away'
The singer is finally finding a bit of hope as he thinks about his/her partner's bravery in fighting the illness.
Another thing, I'm really not sure about the 'Slow down little one...' verse. I'm sure my interpretation is wrong. Can someone please help me? :-)
I LOVE this song! It's so mature and poetic, like most other Editors songs!!! _
I think (This is just a guess) that it's about someone whose partner died of an illness. 'When the time comes You're no longer here Fall down to my knees Begin my nightmare' The person (impersonated by the singer) realises that the one he/she loved is dead, and life becomes like a nightmare for him/her. 'Words spill from my drunken mouth I just can't keep them all in' He/she can't believe it has happened, and is saying so and expressing the sorrow. 'I keep up with the racing rats and do my best to win' A 'racing rats' situation is when people are trying to become more advanced, etc. but are actually getting nowhere. The singer feels that his/her life is totally pointless. 'Slow down little one You can't keep running away You musn't go outside yet It's not your time to play' I'm not too sure about this, but my guess (pretty straightforward) is that the people had a child together, and the singer wants to protect the child from harm as well as the knowledge of its parent's death. 'Standing at the edge of your town, With the skyline in your eyes,' The singer is visiting the place where he/she and the dead person spent time, to remember it. The skyline may be the fact that the death is still fresh on his mind, or the singer is thinking about the afterlife. 'Reaching up to God, The sun says its goodbyes.' This may be another reference to heaven and the afterlife, as well as the fact that the happy memories have to end and that the singer must go back to reality. 'If a plane were to fall from the sky How big a hole would it leave In the surface of the earth?' This shows how the singer's world was devastated by the loss. 'Let's pretend we never met Let's pretend we're on our own We'll live different lives Until our cover's blown.' The singer is thinking about how it would have been to never have met the person and not to be affected by the death, but he knows he can't escape, hence 'until our cover's blown'. 'I push my hands up to the sky Shade my eyes from the sun As the dust settles around me Suddenly night time has begun.' The singer is again trying to escape from reality, but he can't and the memories of the death (dust) remain. 'Come on now You knew you were lost But you carried on anyway
Come on now You knew you had no time but you let the day drift away' The singer is finally finding a bit of hope as he thinks about his/her partner's bravery in fighting the illness.
Another thing, I'm really not sure about the 'Slow down little one...' verse. I'm sure my interpretation is wrong. Can someone please help me? :-)