My first post!
Arcade Fire often makes songs with recurring metaphors(bombs in Neon Bible), and I believe this song has one matching with Wake Up,
"The lightning bolt made enough heat
To melt the street beneath your feet"
in this song and
"With my lightning bolts a-glowin'
I can see where I am going to be
When the reaper, he reaches and touches my hand"
in Wake Up. In wake up the lightning bolt represents the awareness that comes with growing up and maturity. In this song the lightning bolts of awareness have returned and shocked Regine into awareness about her mother's death and how she must be independent and must "drive" herself. These lightning bolts also represent an awareness of mortality. When they come I can see that I and those I love are all going to die. "When the reaper, he reaches and touches my hand" is obviously about becoming aware when you witness death and I believe that this is the essence of this song too.
My first post! Arcade Fire often makes songs with recurring metaphors(bombs in Neon Bible), and I believe this song has one matching with Wake Up, "The lightning bolt made enough heat To melt the street beneath your feet" in this song and "With my lightning bolts a-glowin' I can see where I am going to be When the reaper, he reaches and touches my hand" in Wake Up. In wake up the lightning bolt represents the awareness that comes with growing up and maturity. In this song the lightning bolts of awareness have returned and shocked Regine into awareness about her mother's death and how she must be independent and must "drive" herself. These lightning bolts also represent an awareness of mortality. When they come I can see that I and those I love are all going to die. "When the reaper, he reaches and touches my hand" is obviously about becoming aware when you witness death and I believe that this is the essence of this song too.