i think this is a great song in that it can mean something different to everyone who listens to it. it sort of reminds me of losing a family member or close friend.
the "but i won't see you for a little while" line is pretty overt, he also talks about seeing the person's face "age backwards changing shape in my memory" which suggests that he's not seeing the person anymore, just remembering them. then later in the song he says "i watched your face die backwards little baby in my memory." the "i felt your poltergeist love like Savannah heat" line reminds me of the tangible feeling of a loved one who passed away giving you a hug.
and then there is the fact that the song title is "Cape Canaveral," which is where humans (at least americans) get the closest we can really get to heaven. it also talks about outer space being sort of a scary place "all that flying saucer terror made me lazy drinking lemonade," sort of like space/death is this scary thing that makes you not want to take any risks and just sit at home drinking lemonade.
like i said, that's just my interpretation, for all i know he wrote this song as a tribute to neil armstrong or something. the whole 2012 Mayan calendar thing is really interesting too.
My interpretation of the "flying saucer terror" line is this:
My interpretation of the "flying saucer terror" line is this:
He has spent too much time in the past on false pursuits, i.e. getting obsessive over things like UFOs and watching shows like Ancient Aliens instead of searching for the truth in life. Whether it's finding truth through science or religion, it doesn't matter. it's all about a pursuit of knowledge, of genuine knowledge, not getting caught up in the carnival side shows of life, which are so easy to get caught up in.
There's a phrase used commonly today that if someone is just going along with the group without giving it much thought, they are said to be "drinking the Kool aid." (This phrase came from the Jonestowne Massacres, where hundreds followers of Jim Jones intentionally drank poisoned kool aid to die with their leader.)
So when Conor sings "Wait, wait, wait mighty outerspace. All that flying saucer terror made me lazy, drinking lemonade. A waste. It just went to waste," he's saying "all that UFO bullshit made my brain lazy, and I was just drinking the kool aid. And all that time? It just went to waste."
That is my interpretation, and I absolutely love this line. I used to get caught up in conspiracy theories, ghosts, UFOs, and the like, with no regard for discovering actual truths, I just wanted to be entertained. As I got older that wasn't enough for me anymore, even though it was still enough for a lot of people around me. Conor articulates this in a way I never could, and I adore it.
i think this is a great song in that it can mean something different to everyone who listens to it. it sort of reminds me of losing a family member or close friend.
the "but i won't see you for a little while" line is pretty overt, he also talks about seeing the person's face "age backwards changing shape in my memory" which suggests that he's not seeing the person anymore, just remembering them. then later in the song he says "i watched your face die backwards little baby in my memory." the "i felt your poltergeist love like Savannah heat" line reminds me of the tangible feeling of a loved one who passed away giving you a hug.
and then there is the fact that the song title is "Cape Canaveral," which is where humans (at least americans) get the closest we can really get to heaven. it also talks about outer space being sort of a scary place "all that flying saucer terror made me lazy drinking lemonade," sort of like space/death is this scary thing that makes you not want to take any risks and just sit at home drinking lemonade.
like i said, that's just my interpretation, for all i know he wrote this song as a tribute to neil armstrong or something. the whole 2012 Mayan calendar thing is really interesting too.
My interpretation of the "flying saucer terror" line is this:
My interpretation of the "flying saucer terror" line is this:
He has spent too much time in the past on false pursuits, i.e. getting obsessive over things like UFOs and watching shows like Ancient Aliens instead of searching for the truth in life. Whether it's finding truth through science or religion, it doesn't matter. it's all about a pursuit of knowledge, of genuine knowledge, not getting caught up in the carnival side shows of life, which are so easy to get caught up in. There's a phrase used commonly today that if someone is just going along with the group without giving it much thought, they are said to be "drinking the Kool aid." (This phrase came from the Jonestowne Massacres, where hundreds followers of Jim Jones intentionally drank poisoned kool aid to die with their leader.) So when Conor sings "Wait, wait, wait mighty outerspace. All that flying saucer terror made me lazy, drinking lemonade. A waste. It just went to waste," he's saying "all that UFO bullshit made my brain lazy, and I was just drinking the kool aid. And all that time? It just went to waste." That is my interpretation, and I absolutely love this line. I used to get caught up in conspiracy theories, ghosts, UFOs, and the like, with no regard for discovering actual truths, I just wanted to be entertained. As I got older that wasn't enough for me anymore, even though it was still enough for a lot of people around me. Conor articulates this in a way I never could, and I adore it.