Pretty sure the whole thing is just about the apocalypse and not wanting to have to walk around trying to make life seem useful after that (which is an extended metaphor just for death in general, but anyway) All the imagery comes from post-apocalypse stories and he even calls out Mad Max. The first verse he's just saying kids knew how to play and he thought he should be back at work (rebuilding or whatever), but when that day comes he wants someone to bury him with it (it not being a physical object, being the apocalypse itself. As in "Eh, just bury me with it.") Next verse, planets come and go, obvious. Third verse, he's still wearing a suit but its all ripped up and he wants to keep it nice but there's no way to do that anymore. Next he's remembering the parties and saying that was what we should have been doing this whole time. Shooting at the moon verse is pretty much a repeat of the first. 'Life handed us a paycheck and we said "We worked harder than this"'- that's the whole point of the song, the world ends and everything is crappy and he's thinking, why oh why did we work so hard when it was just gonna come to this anyway?
If I were a teacher grading this, you'd get an F for re-wording the original work without adding an iota of insight. And you definitely didn't clear anything up, these many years later. But kudos for still being interested in good music in this late century.
If I were a teacher grading this, you'd get an F for re-wording the original work without adding an iota of insight. And you definitely didn't clear anything up, these many years later. But kudos for still being interested in good music in this late century.
And now, on to my own crappy synopsis/paraphrase, in two parts (just like the song)- first part is Verse/Chorus, second part is Coda ("hummingbirds").
And now, on to my own crappy synopsis/paraphrase, in two parts (just like the song)- first part is Verse/Chorus, second part is Coda ("hummingbirds").
Part 1. All Verses/Chorus
"If, as I get older, I get progressively less...
Part 1. All Verses/Chorus
"If, as I get older, I get progressively less...
-free time to spend as I wish
-enjoyment from simple things
-of an...
-free time to spend as I wish
-enjoyment from simple things
-of an untainted, healthy planet Earth to enjoy
-attractive, skinny, fashionable
-energy/health/endurance to endure the wild, fun life of the young I so loved
-optimistic/idealistic about myself, others, the earth, the universe, and existence itself
... then you might as well just fucking kill me now."
Part 2. Coda
"Humans have lost sight of any meaningful or compelling reason for their existence. Now they just reflexively seek out drama/tragedy/sorrow/hurt and wallow instinctually in it (through the thoroughly human traits of gossip/schadenfreude/morbid voyeurism/apathy)."
Ok, so that last part was a little deconstructionism on my part. But it's what I hear.
I take it to be all about the Apocalypse too... if life shits that hard, just take me out. It's like The Walking Dead, things go from bad... to worse... to worse.. to worse.
I take it to be all about the Apocalypse too... if life shits that hard, just take me out. It's like The Walking Dead, things go from bad... to worse... to worse.. to worse.
Pretty sure the whole thing is just about the apocalypse and not wanting to have to walk around trying to make life seem useful after that (which is an extended metaphor just for death in general, but anyway) All the imagery comes from post-apocalypse stories and he even calls out Mad Max. The first verse he's just saying kids knew how to play and he thought he should be back at work (rebuilding or whatever), but when that day comes he wants someone to bury him with it (it not being a physical object, being the apocalypse itself. As in "Eh, just bury me with it.") Next verse, planets come and go, obvious. Third verse, he's still wearing a suit but its all ripped up and he wants to keep it nice but there's no way to do that anymore. Next he's remembering the parties and saying that was what we should have been doing this whole time. Shooting at the moon verse is pretty much a repeat of the first. 'Life handed us a paycheck and we said "We worked harder than this"'- that's the whole point of the song, the world ends and everything is crappy and he's thinking, why oh why did we work so hard when it was just gonna come to this anyway?
So anyway, 6 years later, glad to clear that up.
If I were a teacher grading this, you'd get an F for re-wording the original work without adding an iota of insight. And you definitely didn't clear anything up, these many years later. But kudos for still being interested in good music in this late century.
If I were a teacher grading this, you'd get an F for re-wording the original work without adding an iota of insight. And you definitely didn't clear anything up, these many years later. But kudos for still being interested in good music in this late century.
And now, on to my own crappy synopsis/paraphrase, in two parts (just like the song)- first part is Verse/Chorus, second part is Coda ("hummingbirds").
And now, on to my own crappy synopsis/paraphrase, in two parts (just like the song)- first part is Verse/Chorus, second part is Coda ("hummingbirds").
Part 1. All Verses/Chorus "If, as I get older, I get progressively less...
Part 1. All Verses/Chorus "If, as I get older, I get progressively less...
-free time to spend as I wish -enjoyment from simple things -of an...
-free time to spend as I wish -enjoyment from simple things -of an untainted, healthy planet Earth to enjoy -attractive, skinny, fashionable -energy/health/endurance to endure the wild, fun life of the young I so loved -optimistic/idealistic about myself, others, the earth, the universe, and existence itself
... then you might as well just fucking kill me now."
Part 2. Coda
"Humans have lost sight of any meaningful or compelling reason for their existence. Now they just reflexively seek out drama/tragedy/sorrow/hurt and wallow instinctually in it (through the thoroughly human traits of gossip/schadenfreude/morbid voyeurism/apathy)."
Ok, so that last part was a little deconstructionism on my part. But it's what I hear.
I take it to be all about the Apocalypse too... if life shits that hard, just take me out. It's like The Walking Dead, things go from bad... to worse... to worse.. to worse.
I take it to be all about the Apocalypse too... if life shits that hard, just take me out. It's like The Walking Dead, things go from bad... to worse... to worse.. to worse.