An awesome song - probably the most Keane-like on the album, so no wonder it's so popular.
As for the meaning, I definitely read an anti religious extremism context... the contradiction of fighting for a religious cause.
"Who are you? What are you fighting for?
Holy truth? Brother I choose this mortal life"
... if discovering the “holy truth” involves violence, then the singer clearly opts out for a mortal life.
The only piece that I can't really make much sense of is the internet / email connection. I guess the singer despairs at reading about the countless news stories that are linked to religious cause – 7/7; 9/11 etc ?
The verse:
“Oh boy you ought to leave this town
Get out while you can the meter's running down
The voices in the streets you love
Everything is better when you hear that sound”
An awesome song - probably the most Keane-like on the album, so no wonder it's so popular.
As for the meaning, I definitely read an anti religious extremism context... the contradiction of fighting for a religious cause.
"Who are you? What are you fighting for? Holy truth? Brother I choose this mortal life"
... if discovering the “holy truth” involves violence, then the singer clearly opts out for a mortal life.
The only piece that I can't really make much sense of is the internet / email connection. I guess the singer despairs at reading about the countless news stories that are linked to religious cause – 7/7; 9/11 etc ?
The verse:
“Oh boy you ought to leave this town Get out while you can the meter's running down The voices in the streets you love Everything is better when you hear that sound”
… is amazing – sends shivers down my spine.