I agree that on the surface this appears to be a break-up song. But to me, there seem to be allusions to the songwriting process. It's not unusual for your internal dialog with yourself to refer to 'we' or 'us' (Imogen takes this to the extreme in the song 'Bad Body Double'). So from this point of view, one can imagine the songrwriter struggling to overcome a dry period, where inspiration is in short supply. I imagine working to complete a song:
"Where do we go from here? How do we carry on? I can't get beyond the questions.
Clambering for the scraps in the shatter of us collapsed - it cuts me with every could-have-been."
The unfinished writing/recording process:
"Pain on pain on play repeating."
And the alternative to being a successful songrwriter/musician:
"With a back-up, makeshift life in waiting."
Impatience, frustration:
"Everybody says: time heals everything. But what of the wretched hollow? The endless in-between?
Are we just going to wait it out?"
The self-portrait of the frustrated artist:
"There's nothing to see here now - turning the sign around.
We're closed to the earth til further notice.
A stumbling, cliche case: crumpled and puffy-faced, and dead in the stare of a thousand miles."
Invoking the muse:
"All I want's only one street-level miracle. I'll be an out and out born again for none more cynical."
Let's do this thing:
"Everybody says that time heals everything: ALL IN THE END.
But what of the wretched hollow? The endless in-between?
Are we just going to wait it out? Sit here cold?
We'll be long gone by then, luckluster, in dusty layers on old magazines."
So back to the drawing board/studio:
"Fluorescent lighting sets the scene for all we could and should be being
In the one life that we've got. Ah...! In the one life that we've got..."
"Everybody says: time heals everything. And what of the wretched hollow?
The endless in-between? Are we just going to wait it out? Sit here?
Just going to wait it out? Sit here, cold? Just going to sweat it out?
Wait it out?"
I agree that on the surface this appears to be a break-up song. But to me, there seem to be allusions to the songwriting process. It's not unusual for your internal dialog with yourself to refer to 'we' or 'us' (Imogen takes this to the extreme in the song 'Bad Body Double'). So from this point of view, one can imagine the songrwriter struggling to overcome a dry period, where inspiration is in short supply. I imagine working to complete a song:
"Where do we go from here? How do we carry on? I can't get beyond the questions. Clambering for the scraps in the shatter of us collapsed - it cuts me with every could-have-been."
The unfinished writing/recording process:
"Pain on pain on play repeating."
And the alternative to being a successful songrwriter/musician:
"With a back-up, makeshift life in waiting."
Impatience, frustration:
"Everybody says: time heals everything. But what of the wretched hollow? The endless in-between? Are we just going to wait it out?"
The self-portrait of the frustrated artist:
"There's nothing to see here now - turning the sign around. We're closed to the earth til further notice. A stumbling, cliche case: crumpled and puffy-faced, and dead in the stare of a thousand miles."
Invoking the muse:
"All I want's only one street-level miracle. I'll be an out and out born again for none more cynical."
Let's do this thing:
"Everybody says that time heals everything: ALL IN THE END. But what of the wretched hollow? The endless in-between? Are we just going to wait it out? Sit here cold? We'll be long gone by then, luckluster, in dusty layers on old magazines."
So back to the drawing board/studio:
"Fluorescent lighting sets the scene for all we could and should be being In the one life that we've got. Ah...! In the one life that we've got..."
"Everybody says: time heals everything. And what of the wretched hollow? The endless in-between? Are we just going to wait it out? Sit here? Just going to wait it out? Sit here, cold? Just going to sweat it out? Wait it out?"
Apparently - not.
Great interpretation. Totally makes sense... Super creative way to get rid of the writer's block too....
Great interpretation. Totally makes sense... Super creative way to get rid of the writer's block too....