A Whisper and a Clamor

I think this song is about ending the silence and actually doing something about whats going on around us. I also think its about seeking out who we truly are, and not becoming what others say we are.

"Growing tired of bedside resolve"

This part makes it seem that somebody is getting tired of praying to solve their problems. (People often kneel and pray by their bedsides)

"(Public display of depression)"

They're frustrated with whats going on and they're becoming depressed.

"Something's got to give now Something's going to break down"

The person might compromise who they are because of their depression.

"I grow tired of writing songs While people listen but never hear What's really going on now"

To me it seems that Christian is saying that if the people really heard what he was saying in his songs they wouldn't be giving in to depression and they would want to be working to change the world around them.

"Tell me what's so wrong now"

He wants to know whats so wrong and what made them depressed when there's so much hope to be had.

"Clap your hands, all ye children There's a clamor in your whispering Clap your hands tonight Hear what the silence screams"

My interpretation of this part is that he wants all the children (fellow Christians) to rejoice in the hope that they have and to give that hope to others. To clap your hands shows the rejoicing, it also could represent action, because clapping makes noise in the middle of silence (silence meaning doing nothing). Whispering seems to mean praying. The clamor is your prayers breaking through the silence because they bring about change in the world. "Hear what the silence screams" means understand that the consequences of doing nothing are too great.

"For most who live and breathe Hell is never knowing who they are now Tell me who you are now"

Christian seems to be suggesting that to truly know yourself you have to know your Creator. According to the Bible not knowing yourself would then mean hell, because you chose to reject God. "Tell me who you are now" seems to be a challenge for people to seek and find out who they truly are in God.

"Finally saved from the outside Trapped in what you know Are you safe from yourself? Can you escape all by yourself?"

Here he seems to point out that there's people who know that truth comes from God and the ways of the world are lies, yet they feel trapped because they know better but keep following the lies. Christian points out that to be safe from ourselves we need to abandon ourselves (our pride, our egos, our selfishness) and put faith in Christ so we can die to ourselves and follow Him.

"It's not the lies that you sing But what the silence will scream"

I think the "lies that you sing" represents the ignorance people have about who they are and what's going on in the world around them. "But what the silence will scream" means once again that because of the ignorance and the inaction the consequences will be great.

Great song.