When I hear this song I can't help but think about it as a story. It's true that the story reflects upon the futility of an individual human's life in the grand scope of the world, but there is so much more to this song that just that fact. To the story...
The conflict is introduced within the first couple lines about a person being at odds with his/her demons. The personal demons are so powerful that they prevent this person from ever falling in love again. When I heard the lines, "Oh it's a hollow love, for a heart with no blood, in its veins" the last line initially sounded like, "...and it's vain". I'm sure I simply misheard it, but I can't help but think about how it makes sense either way. Obviously, the narrator is having trouble seeing life beyond his/her own selfish being, and that line transitions into the next section of the story.
The second verse is the rising action and anti-climax. Now the narrator is having issues reconciling the emotion of love on a large scale since it seems doomed from the onset, and humans are governed by a innate sense to procreate just like any other species. I especially appreciate the line about believing in God. A person has to believe that love exists; there's nothing tangible about it. The same goes for a person who believes in a god; they do so not because anyone proved it to them (most of time) but simply because it's a matter of faith. The narrator seems to come to the conclusion that love doesn't really exist because of the luck involved in finding that perfect companion, and because the world is in perpetual motion with no consideration to any of its creations.
The third verse is the climax in which a compromise is reached between biology and faith in a force greater than the human being (whether that be a god or love). If humans evolved as a process of nature so did everything incorporated with them. All the emotions connected to the human heart have their niche because it helps people place value on things and prioritize their lives. Without love; sympathy, compassion, honesty, empathy and guilt could not exist.
Finally, the last verse is the denouement and falling action. The narrator realizes that the world governs his/her life and even though love can bring hardships its human nature to pursue love. Striving to find love (and simply exist) may seem futile on an individual level at times with consideration of the world as a whole, but without love, people around the world would act only in self-interest from which very little good would come.
That's my interpretation of the song. I may have spent far too much time listening to and analyzing it lately, but it's a really great song. Sorry for such a long post, I just wanted to get that out there. Thanks
HunnaCole that was a great analysis. I think this song is about Charles Fink's journey of coming to terms with his experience of existence and love using a evolutionary framework. I think this song is a perfect embodiment of an evolutionary, atheistic and existential worldview. Realizing the world and our existence is random and futile and then trying to find meaning to live despite that. I absolutely love the line about God and love, I think hes on to something really huge there.
HunnaCole that was a great analysis. I think this song is about Charles Fink's journey of coming to terms with his experience of existence and love using a evolutionary framework. I think this song is a perfect embodiment of an evolutionary, atheistic and existential worldview. Realizing the world and our existence is random and futile and then trying to find meaning to live despite that. I absolutely love the line about God and love, I think hes on to something really huge there.
When I hear this song I can't help but think about it as a story. It's true that the story reflects upon the futility of an individual human's life in the grand scope of the world, but there is so much more to this song that just that fact. To the story...
The conflict is introduced within the first couple lines about a person being at odds with his/her demons. The personal demons are so powerful that they prevent this person from ever falling in love again. When I heard the lines, "Oh it's a hollow love, for a heart with no blood, in its veins" the last line initially sounded like, "...and it's vain". I'm sure I simply misheard it, but I can't help but think about how it makes sense either way. Obviously, the narrator is having trouble seeing life beyond his/her own selfish being, and that line transitions into the next section of the story.
The second verse is the rising action and anti-climax. Now the narrator is having issues reconciling the emotion of love on a large scale since it seems doomed from the onset, and humans are governed by a innate sense to procreate just like any other species. I especially appreciate the line about believing in God. A person has to believe that love exists; there's nothing tangible about it. The same goes for a person who believes in a god; they do so not because anyone proved it to them (most of time) but simply because it's a matter of faith. The narrator seems to come to the conclusion that love doesn't really exist because of the luck involved in finding that perfect companion, and because the world is in perpetual motion with no consideration to any of its creations.
The third verse is the climax in which a compromise is reached between biology and faith in a force greater than the human being (whether that be a god or love). If humans evolved as a process of nature so did everything incorporated with them. All the emotions connected to the human heart have their niche because it helps people place value on things and prioritize their lives. Without love; sympathy, compassion, honesty, empathy and guilt could not exist.
Finally, the last verse is the denouement and falling action. The narrator realizes that the world governs his/her life and even though love can bring hardships its human nature to pursue love. Striving to find love (and simply exist) may seem futile on an individual level at times with consideration of the world as a whole, but without love, people around the world would act only in self-interest from which very little good would come.
That's my interpretation of the song. I may have spent far too much time listening to and analyzing it lately, but it's a really great song. Sorry for such a long post, I just wanted to get that out there. Thanks
well this might be the most well thought out and beautiful response to a song I've seen on here... brought tears to my eyes actually
well this might be the most well thought out and beautiful response to a song I've seen on here... brought tears to my eyes actually
HunnaCole that was a great analysis. I think this song is about Charles Fink's journey of coming to terms with his experience of existence and love using a evolutionary framework. I think this song is a perfect embodiment of an evolutionary, atheistic and existential worldview. Realizing the world and our existence is random and futile and then trying to find meaning to live despite that. I absolutely love the line about God and love, I think hes on to something really huge there.
HunnaCole that was a great analysis. I think this song is about Charles Fink's journey of coming to terms with his experience of existence and love using a evolutionary framework. I think this song is a perfect embodiment of an evolutionary, atheistic and existential worldview. Realizing the world and our existence is random and futile and then trying to find meaning to live despite that. I absolutely love the line about God and love, I think hes on to something really huge there.