Their parents tried to shelter them in the light, but inevitably the night will come. As they start to think for themselves they enter the “half light” which changes how they feel about everything. I think this captures the excitement of starting to really think for yourself. You start to question your parent’s beliefs and find beauty where it wasn’t before.
However, the whole song is very ominous. They’ve entered the half light, but that means that the night is coming with disillusionment and loneliness.
This is one of the best songs on The Suburbs. I actually like it more than Half Light II, which is also great. Lyrically there's a lot to sink your teeth into, especially this part:
This is one of the best songs on The Suburbs. I actually like it more than Half Light II, which is also great. Lyrically there's a lot to sink your teeth into, especially this part:
Our heads are just houses,
Without enough windows,
You say you hear human voices,
but they're only echoes.
Our heads are just houses,
Without enough windows,
You say you hear human voices,
but they're only echoes.
Lots of ways to interpret it, but I take it to mean being alone with your thoughts and emotions, not being able to reveal your inner self to others(i.e. keeping the window to your mind closed and concealing your inner reality). The "houses" that "hide the ocean...
Lots of ways to interpret it, but I take it to mean being alone with your thoughts and emotions, not being able to reveal your inner self to others(i.e. keeping the window to your mind closed and concealing your inner reality). The "houses" that "hide the ocean in a shell" can be understood as both literally the houses of the suburbs that look so peaceful on the outer shell/surface but hide so much behind their external facades(i.e. family turmoil,etc.) as well as figuratively speaking with the houses as our heads analogy. This illustrates the idea that what's going on in someone's head is also walled off and away from public view, again hiding an ocean of thoughts and emotions in a shell(or an "Ocean of Noise" if you will, for Neon Bible fans). The echo is seemingly the echo of your own voice in your head, a product of feeling isolated or alone with your thoughts. Those aren't other humans you're hearing, it's just your own voice repeating on you. Interestingly, "Empty Room" precedes this song on the album by only two tracks and features the lines "said your name in an empty room", which one could also imagine producing an echo. So there's an apparent theme on the album between being alone with the echoes of your thoughts, which you've either concealed from others or have been unable to share with others.
The "half light" appears to represent a transition to becoming more free and open under the cover of partial darkness. The "half light" is enough to illuminate and shed light, but there's enough darkness present to feel more comfortable about opening up to someone else. Greater awareness and freedom result, and now they no longer feel imprisoned by living inside their heads/houses. "We are not insane". Instead, they are free("on the streets") and the world begins to look different to them. They are beginning to see things in a new light -- even if it is only a half light.
Their parents tried to shelter them in the light, but inevitably the night will come. As they start to think for themselves they enter the “half light” which changes how they feel about everything. I think this captures the excitement of starting to really think for yourself. You start to question your parent’s beliefs and find beauty where it wasn’t before.
However, the whole song is very ominous. They’ve entered the half light, but that means that the night is coming with disillusionment and loneliness.
This is one of the best songs on The Suburbs. I actually like it more than Half Light II, which is also great. Lyrically there's a lot to sink your teeth into, especially this part:
This is one of the best songs on The Suburbs. I actually like it more than Half Light II, which is also great. Lyrically there's a lot to sink your teeth into, especially this part:
Our heads are just houses, Without enough windows, You say you hear human voices, but they're only echoes.
Our heads are just houses, Without enough windows, You say you hear human voices, but they're only echoes.
Lots of ways to interpret it, but I take it to mean being alone with your thoughts and emotions, not being able to reveal your inner self to others(i.e. keeping the window to your mind closed and concealing your inner reality). The "houses" that "hide the ocean...
Lots of ways to interpret it, but I take it to mean being alone with your thoughts and emotions, not being able to reveal your inner self to others(i.e. keeping the window to your mind closed and concealing your inner reality). The "houses" that "hide the ocean in a shell" can be understood as both literally the houses of the suburbs that look so peaceful on the outer shell/surface but hide so much behind their external facades(i.e. family turmoil,etc.) as well as figuratively speaking with the houses as our heads analogy. This illustrates the idea that what's going on in someone's head is also walled off and away from public view, again hiding an ocean of thoughts and emotions in a shell(or an "Ocean of Noise" if you will, for Neon Bible fans). The echo is seemingly the echo of your own voice in your head, a product of feeling isolated or alone with your thoughts. Those aren't other humans you're hearing, it's just your own voice repeating on you. Interestingly, "Empty Room" precedes this song on the album by only two tracks and features the lines "said your name in an empty room", which one could also imagine producing an echo. So there's an apparent theme on the album between being alone with the echoes of your thoughts, which you've either concealed from others or have been unable to share with others.
The "half light" appears to represent a transition to becoming more free and open under the cover of partial darkness. The "half light" is enough to illuminate and shed light, but there's enough darkness present to feel more comfortable about opening up to someone else. Greater awareness and freedom result, and now they no longer feel imprisoned by living inside their heads/houses. "We are not insane". Instead, they are free("on the streets") and the world begins to look different to them. They are beginning to see things in a new light -- even if it is only a half light.