Any reference to walls falling suggests an allusion to the Battle of Jerico, from the Bible, book of Joshua-5. What is significant is that in this battle all the Canaanites of Jerico were killed, including the innocent children. One could make a strong argument for the innocent (the children) being bound to the damned in this case. "How the innocent are bound to the damned"
If we stick with the Jerico reference, you could review Joshua:5 for a reason for why the city attacked and its inhabitant murdered... however, you might come up empty in that search. In that bible passage there is no obvious reason given, no motivation, save except that the city was built near the River Jordan, of why these people were killed. One cold make a case for a lack of reason (lack of motivation) is found.. or "A day without a trace of reason"
If we take this song as an indictment organized religion, we can ask how a progressive might view religion. Such a progressive might as ask what motivates people of religion, why they they follow religious dogma without insightful introspection. Many progressives view different world religions as a means of leaders controlling their respective populations. This view reduces religion to a paradigm more akin to magical thinking and superstition, for reasons of controlling the masses. So such a progressive might argue that in many ways religion is similar to wishing upon a star, or luck (such as trying to get lucky at cards): "Call on your brightest star or play your hand as it lies" Although, the lyrics offer up an alternative, both are reliant upon unseen forces out of the individual hands and left up to a god of some sort.
The dilemma of fatalism and God: In many religious doctrine this is a recurring theme. We are without control and the fate of our lives is all in a deity's hands, yet we are asked to act moral as if we had a choice in a fatalistic reality. "What is, just is, I know."
If what is held in religious dogma is the ultimate and true answer to all our questions, what is left for us to do if we are still unsatisfied by those answers. Thus, we find ourselves "trapped by answers" we're not happy with. This would require one to break with their cultural past, to break through to find unconsidered alternatives.
Mercer steps out of character to the broach broader topic and ask, where are we if we expel God from the heavens? "Are we all to ride the edge of nothing?" It's like the fear and exhilaration of when you learn how to ride a bike and your father lets go. You're now free and you have control, but you're somehow alone. And can we reconcile this new freedom against our need for the comfort of an omnipotent and benign caregiver. So we're at once at odds with our own understanding. We "shake hands with fighting eyes" and it leaves us reconciling this new schema with uncertainty.
And if we reject out of uncertainty the religions we we're born into, then can we ever know is right? Perhaps all religions are wrong when they don't consider that each one is a component of this whole we comprise as humanity. So what is left other than to conclude they are all right? "And if they don't know... The heart is stopping... Cause everyone is right"
So can we ever know what it means to be an insightful sentient being if we cannot offer purpose for our existence? Can we ever truly know ourselves? We begin life unknowing and uncaring of the philosophical mountains we may one day climb. And when we reach the top of what is knowable, in maturity or our time of reflection such as in old age, are we anymore certain than we were when we newly born? "From the moment that we're born... Till we're old and tired... Do we ever know people?"
LOVE HAUNTS TO THE END - perhaps all that is knowable is that we live, we die, and if we're lucky there our some things in life we learn to love, whether they are things, places, ideas, or most importantly, people. In the end, what thing better defines what we are than what we love.
What is important to note in this song is riddled with three question marks??? Mercer's is a mind that is questioning internally, but not rhetorically. (Mercer is not trying to guide us to his answer, she he doesn't have these answers.) This suggests that Mercer isn't trying to lead the listener to a pat answer, a nice, neat and tidy answer to explain all that there is. The overall theme of the song suggests that Mercer is attempting to get the listener to questions their own existence and how they view the world, its people and their motivation. And in essence, Mercer is guiding the listener to ask their own questions, and search their own answers.
Any reference to walls falling suggests an allusion to the Battle of Jerico, from the Bible, book of Joshua-5. What is significant is that in this battle all the Canaanites of Jerico were killed, including the innocent children. One could make a strong argument for the innocent (the children) being bound to the damned in this case. "How the innocent are bound to the damned"
If we stick with the Jerico reference, you could review Joshua:5 for a reason for why the city attacked and its inhabitant murdered... however, you might come up empty in that search. In that bible passage there is no obvious reason given, no motivation, save except that the city was built near the River Jordan, of why these people were killed. One cold make a case for a lack of reason (lack of motivation) is found.. or "A day without a trace of reason"
If we take this song as an indictment organized religion, we can ask how a progressive might view religion. Such a progressive might as ask what motivates people of religion, why they they follow religious dogma without insightful introspection. Many progressives view different world religions as a means of leaders controlling their respective populations. This view reduces religion to a paradigm more akin to magical thinking and superstition, for reasons of controlling the masses. So such a progressive might argue that in many ways religion is similar to wishing upon a star, or luck (such as trying to get lucky at cards): "Call on your brightest star or play your hand as it lies" Although, the lyrics offer up an alternative, both are reliant upon unseen forces out of the individual hands and left up to a god of some sort.
The dilemma of fatalism and God: In many religious doctrine this is a recurring theme. We are without control and the fate of our lives is all in a deity's hands, yet we are asked to act moral as if we had a choice in a fatalistic reality. "What is, just is, I know."
If what is held in religious dogma is the ultimate and true answer to all our questions, what is left for us to do if we are still unsatisfied by those answers. Thus, we find ourselves "trapped by answers" we're not happy with. This would require one to break with their cultural past, to break through to find unconsidered alternatives.
Mercer steps out of character to the broach broader topic and ask, where are we if we expel God from the heavens? "Are we all to ride the edge of nothing?" It's like the fear and exhilaration of when you learn how to ride a bike and your father lets go. You're now free and you have control, but you're somehow alone. And can we reconcile this new freedom against our need for the comfort of an omnipotent and benign caregiver. So we're at once at odds with our own understanding. We "shake hands with fighting eyes" and it leaves us reconciling this new schema with uncertainty.
And if we reject out of uncertainty the religions we we're born into, then can we ever know is right? Perhaps all religions are wrong when they don't consider that each one is a component of this whole we comprise as humanity. So what is left other than to conclude they are all right? "And if they don't know... The heart is stopping... Cause everyone is right"
So can we ever know what it means to be an insightful sentient being if we cannot offer purpose for our existence? Can we ever truly know ourselves? We begin life unknowing and uncaring of the philosophical mountains we may one day climb. And when we reach the top of what is knowable, in maturity or our time of reflection such as in old age, are we anymore certain than we were when we newly born? "From the moment that we're born... Till we're old and tired... Do we ever know people?"
LOVE HAUNTS TO THE END - perhaps all that is knowable is that we live, we die, and if we're lucky there our some things in life we learn to love, whether they are things, places, ideas, or most importantly, people. In the end, what thing better defines what we are than what we love.
What is important to note in this song is riddled with three question marks??? Mercer's is a mind that is questioning internally, but not rhetorically. (Mercer is not trying to guide us to his answer, she he doesn't have these answers.) This suggests that Mercer isn't trying to lead the listener to a pat answer, a nice, neat and tidy answer to explain all that there is. The overall theme of the song suggests that Mercer is attempting to get the listener to questions their own existence and how they view the world, its people and their motivation. And in essence, Mercer is guiding the listener to ask their own questions, and search their own answers.
Kickass Write up!
Kickass Write up!
I created an account just so I could rate this interpretation. Two thumbs up!
I created an account just so I could rate this interpretation. Two thumbs up!