My interpretation of the song is very similar to others, but I'd just like to break it down for everyone.
"Synapse to synapse: the possibility's thin.
I'm dressed up for free drinks and family greetings
on your wedding, your wedding, your wedding date.
The figures in plastic on the wedding cake that I took were so real."
Our narrator is running through his memories, numbing himself (synapse, to synapse), and realizing that he has no chance at getting his old love back. He's dressed in a suit, or tuxedo, and is simply there to drink and numb himself while the woman he loves is getting married to someone else. The figures in plastic that he took represent his almost childish desire to ruin the wedding and tear holes in their love like the love he had was torn.
"And I kept distance: the complications cloud
the postcards and blip through fiberoptics,
as the girls with pigtails were running from little boys wearing bowties
their parents bought them: "I'll catch you this time!""
He kept his distance from her after they broke up while she kept him updated on all the great things happening in her life. The young girls and boys represent innocence in spite of the dark reality going on around them. "I'll catch you this time!" is indicative of the narrator's desire to win the bride back.
"Crashing through the parlor doors, what was your first reaction?
Screaming, drunk, disorderly: I'll tell you mine.
You were the one, but I can't spit it out when the date's been set.
The white routine to be ingested inaccurately."
I'm not sure if this is during, or after the ceremony, but our narrator bursts out screaming, trying to tell her that she was the one for him and that he should be her groom, but that he simply couldn't say it when she had gotten engaged. The white routine, being the wedding, is played out wrong and is taken in inaccurately as opposed to how it maybe should have played out.
"Synapse to synapse: the sneaky kids had attached
beer cans to the bumper so they could drive
up and down the main drag.
People would turn to see who's making the racket.
It's not the first time."
This stanza is after his outburst and after they have kicked him out. He describes the car with beer cans attached to the back to rattle, saying "Just Married" on the back. Synapse to synapse represents yet again, his numbness. People would turn and look and see that the couple had just got married. It's not the first time it's happened (obviously).
"When they lay down the fish will swim upstream
and I'll contest, but they won't listen
when the casualty rate's near 100%,
and there isn't a pension for second best or for hardly moving..."
The narrator imagines the bride and her newly married groom having sex, or "laying down." The fish swimming upstream being symbolic of impregnation. I'm not entirely sure how he would contest that, but maybe he means he'll contest his imagination, but "they," being his imaginary caricatures of them wont listen and continue on. The casualty rate being near 100% is a reference to pregnancy, more specifically sperm, as is the "pension for second best, or for hardly moving."
The chorus is then repeated, and then acoustic chords, sans drums, are played as the final two lines of the chorus are sang.
"You were the one, but I can't spit it out when the date's been set.
The white routine to be ingested inaccurately."
This represents his admitting defeat. At least, that's how I view it.
I agree with this very well thought out and well worded interpretation. The only thing that I got that was different from yours was the stanza that says
I agree with this very well thought out and well worded interpretation. The only thing that I got that was different from yours was the stanza that says
""When they lay down the fish will swim upstream
and I'll contest, but they won't listen
when the casualty rate's near 100%,
and there isn't a pension for second best or for hardly moving..."
""When they lay down the fish will swim upstream
and I'll contest, but they won't listen
when the casualty rate's near 100%,
and there isn't a pension for second best or for hardly moving..."
I believe he is talking in general about the marriage between the woman he loves and the man that she is with. The swimming upstream, to me, refers to an unnatural movement. Them being together is...
I believe he is talking in general about the marriage between the woman he loves and the man that she is with. The swimming upstream, to me, refers to an unnatural movement. Them being together is unnatural to the narrator because he believes he is the one for her. He could argue this point but nobody would listen. She won't change her mind because she's already made her decision. And even though the failure rate for marriage is so high (near 100%) he doesn't think that he would stand a chance if given a second opportunity with her. There is no reward for second best.
My interpretation of the song is very similar to others, but I'd just like to break it down for everyone.
"Synapse to synapse: the possibility's thin. I'm dressed up for free drinks and family greetings on your wedding, your wedding, your wedding date. The figures in plastic on the wedding cake that I took were so real."
Our narrator is running through his memories, numbing himself (synapse, to synapse), and realizing that he has no chance at getting his old love back. He's dressed in a suit, or tuxedo, and is simply there to drink and numb himself while the woman he loves is getting married to someone else. The figures in plastic that he took represent his almost childish desire to ruin the wedding and tear holes in their love like the love he had was torn.
"And I kept distance: the complications cloud the postcards and blip through fiberoptics, as the girls with pigtails were running from little boys wearing bowties their parents bought them: "I'll catch you this time!""
He kept his distance from her after they broke up while she kept him updated on all the great things happening in her life. The young girls and boys represent innocence in spite of the dark reality going on around them. "I'll catch you this time!" is indicative of the narrator's desire to win the bride back.
"Crashing through the parlor doors, what was your first reaction? Screaming, drunk, disorderly: I'll tell you mine. You were the one, but I can't spit it out when the date's been set. The white routine to be ingested inaccurately."
I'm not sure if this is during, or after the ceremony, but our narrator bursts out screaming, trying to tell her that she was the one for him and that he should be her groom, but that he simply couldn't say it when she had gotten engaged. The white routine, being the wedding, is played out wrong and is taken in inaccurately as opposed to how it maybe should have played out.
"Synapse to synapse: the sneaky kids had attached beer cans to the bumper so they could drive up and down the main drag. People would turn to see who's making the racket. It's not the first time."
This stanza is after his outburst and after they have kicked him out. He describes the car with beer cans attached to the back to rattle, saying "Just Married" on the back. Synapse to synapse represents yet again, his numbness. People would turn and look and see that the couple had just got married. It's not the first time it's happened (obviously).
"When they lay down the fish will swim upstream and I'll contest, but they won't listen when the casualty rate's near 100%, and there isn't a pension for second best or for hardly moving..."
The narrator imagines the bride and her newly married groom having sex, or "laying down." The fish swimming upstream being symbolic of impregnation. I'm not entirely sure how he would contest that, but maybe he means he'll contest his imagination, but "they," being his imaginary caricatures of them wont listen and continue on. The casualty rate being near 100% is a reference to pregnancy, more specifically sperm, as is the "pension for second best, or for hardly moving."
The chorus is then repeated, and then acoustic chords, sans drums, are played as the final two lines of the chorus are sang.
"You were the one, but I can't spit it out when the date's been set. The white routine to be ingested inaccurately."
This represents his admitting defeat. At least, that's how I view it.
I agree with this very well thought out and well worded interpretation. The only thing that I got that was different from yours was the stanza that says
I agree with this very well thought out and well worded interpretation. The only thing that I got that was different from yours was the stanza that says
""When they lay down the fish will swim upstream and I'll contest, but they won't listen when the casualty rate's near 100%, and there isn't a pension for second best or for hardly moving..."
""When they lay down the fish will swim upstream and I'll contest, but they won't listen when the casualty rate's near 100%, and there isn't a pension for second best or for hardly moving..."
I believe he is talking in general about the marriage between the woman he loves and the man that she is with. The swimming upstream, to me, refers to an unnatural movement. Them being together is...
I believe he is talking in general about the marriage between the woman he loves and the man that she is with. The swimming upstream, to me, refers to an unnatural movement. Them being together is unnatural to the narrator because he believes he is the one for her. He could argue this point but nobody would listen. She won't change her mind because she's already made her decision. And even though the failure rate for marriage is so high (near 100%) he doesn't think that he would stand a chance if given a second opportunity with her. There is no reward for second best.
This song is heartbreakingly beautiful.