The Mall and Misery Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Cyberghost 

Cover art for The Mall and Misery lyrics by Broken Bells

Luckyguess had a good interpretation of this, I just viewed a few things differently :

"The dead mouths it costs to be alive" I think he's saying that while you're here alive there are millions that are dying and they could probably do a better job at living your life than you are now. Also "powder hope' could mean drugs, her young mind turns to drugs for hope while the world around "the morning tide" washes her ideas away in this dark time when true genius is ignore and pandering puppets rise to fame.

Oh she lies half burning From the biting cold You're falling a lamb What you've never been told There's a real world Somewhere a good girl Lives and breathes

This verse confuses me a bit, could he be talking about a different side of her? "lamb" I think is a reference to innocence rather than stupidity.