i think the song is about faith, christianity, sacrifice, and death.
i had a friend who kept a candle in his pocket
he used to touch it when the wind was blowing high
i guess it made him feel like he could buck the system
and when it flickered out we laid him down to die.
"I had a friend who kept a candle in his pocket"
to me, this seems like the author is beginning with a quick metaphor and image of the candle to allude to the candles lit in a church when people pray for something in particular. catholic church along with many others, recognize a small monetary donation and the lighting of a candle for a special prayer... kinda like a Jesus-wishing-well.
"He used to touch it when the wind was blowing high"
kinda illustrates my point. People pray and light candles when they are in rough times "wind blowing high".
"I guess it made him feel like he could buck the system"
is doubting the friend. The system is nature and the laws of physics... which-of course-care none for the wishes and prayers of man.
"and when it flickered out we laid him down to die." the friend died... unsurprisingly to the world, but perhaps unsuspectingly of the friend... after all, he lit the damned candle right?
turn on the light
turn on a million blinding
brilliant white incendiary lights
a beacon in the night
i'll burn relentlessly until my juice runs dry
The chorus is the theme of the song. "Pray Pray Pray... when you don't understand something, don't worry and god will figure it out. Just have faith"... blind, dumb faith. Hell, you can pray that you are immortal... and when you finally die, it must've been because you just didnt have enough faith.
i'll construct a rack of tempered beams and trusses
and equip it with a million tiny suns
i'll install upon the room of my compartment
and place tinfoil on my floor and on my walls
"i'll construct a rack of tempered beams and trusses"
kinda saying something about faith again and how it must be super strong for these prayer jesus-wishing-wells to work.
"and equip it with a million tiny suns"
a million powerful prayers, candles, hope, faith
"i'll install upon the room of my compartment"
pretty self explanatory up to this part, if you have bothered to catch the overall theme.
"and place tinfoil on my floor and on my walls."
reflective coating for the entire room, so the candles(prayers) will be the strongest ever conceived.
and i'll burn like a roman fucking candle
burn like a chasm in the night
burn for a miniscule duration
ecstatic immolation incorrigible delight
Same overall theme, but the last two lines stand out the most.
"burn for a miniscule duration"
relative to the universe, human beings and their gods, faith, prayers, luck, talismans, and jesus-wishing-wells are but a tick mark on a mile long time line. insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
"ecstatic immolation, incorrigible delight."
to be happy that one is making this sacrifice, means that one must have dedicated, yet wasted their lives believing this... yet still people just don't seem to get it.
i think the song is about faith, christianity, sacrifice, and death.
i had a friend who kept a candle in his pocket he used to touch it when the wind was blowing high i guess it made him feel like he could buck the system and when it flickered out we laid him down to die.
"I had a friend who kept a candle in his pocket" to me, this seems like the author is beginning with a quick metaphor and image of the candle to allude to the candles lit in a church when people pray for something in particular. catholic church along with many others, recognize a small monetary donation and the lighting of a candle for a special prayer... kinda like a Jesus-wishing-well.
"He used to touch it when the wind was blowing high" kinda illustrates my point. People pray and light candles when they are in rough times "wind blowing high".
"I guess it made him feel like he could buck the system" is doubting the friend. The system is nature and the laws of physics... which-of course-care none for the wishes and prayers of man.
"and when it flickered out we laid him down to die." the friend died... unsurprisingly to the world, but perhaps unsuspectingly of the friend... after all, he lit the damned candle right?
turn on the light turn on a million blinding brilliant white incendiary lights a beacon in the night i'll burn relentlessly until my juice runs dry
The chorus is the theme of the song. "Pray Pray Pray... when you don't understand something, don't worry and god will figure it out. Just have faith"... blind, dumb faith. Hell, you can pray that you are immortal... and when you finally die, it must've been because you just didnt have enough faith.
i'll construct a rack of tempered beams and trusses and equip it with a million tiny suns i'll install upon the room of my compartment and place tinfoil on my floor and on my walls
"i'll construct a rack of tempered beams and trusses" kinda saying something about faith again and how it must be super strong for these prayer jesus-wishing-wells to work.
"and equip it with a million tiny suns" a million powerful prayers, candles, hope, faith
"i'll install upon the room of my compartment" pretty self explanatory up to this part, if you have bothered to catch the overall theme.
"and place tinfoil on my floor and on my walls." reflective coating for the entire room, so the candles(prayers) will be the strongest ever conceived.
and i'll burn like a roman fucking candle burn like a chasm in the night burn for a miniscule duration ecstatic immolation incorrigible delight
Same overall theme, but the last two lines stand out the most.
"burn for a miniscule duration" relative to the universe, human beings and their gods, faith, prayers, luck, talismans, and jesus-wishing-wells are but a tick mark on a mile long time line. insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
"ecstatic immolation, incorrigible delight." to be happy that one is making this sacrifice, means that one must have dedicated, yet wasted their lives believing this... yet still people just don't seem to get it.