Trap Doors Lyrics

Lyric discussion by ArrowDynamic 

Cover art for Trap Doors lyrics by Broken Bells

I had been a political activist in the Freedom movement for the last 25 years. I know what it means to work in the "Belly of the Beast." At the age of 52, I have struggled giving up the fight because I have missed so much in life trying to get our nation back on track towards Liberty. It is seemingly futile. However, once I realized that the world is on a track that nobody can change, I decided to move on with my life...play the drums, writes some songs, write a book, date my wife.

This song, the first time I heard it while following the lyrics, resonated on a parallel that can scarcely be articulated in words. I played it over and over and it just kept getting better and better.

To hell with the Establishment...let it destroy itself because its actions are not infinitely sustainable. But, music is, and music is where I will devote the latter years of my life.

Your interpretation and mine parallel in our understanding of the general message--each of us (unless I have misunderstood your post) spotted hints of tireless efforts, ultimately fruitless, mired in hopelessness and regret.

After applying my own subjective filters, I imagined a poor soul whose fear of trust fuels a tireless engine of self-isolation; finally one of this person's few loved ones, exhausted, decides to give up on caring about this person; and then the song is over. In my world, listening to Trap Doors by The Shins leaves a person with a sense of loss and disappointment. I...

Woops. Broken Bells, not The Shins.

To clarify:

Though we both heard the same music, the same instruments, the same voice, the same lyrics, and even the same core message, we find ourselves feeling very differently from one another after hearing the song.