I detect an irony in the chorus; "let's grow old together and die at the same time". This is a dark song, not a hopeful one. The chorus is lamenting or even mocking the idealistic notion that you and your lover will be together forever through thick and thin.
To me, the song is about love being incompatible with life. To love someone you have to be willing to compromise - in effect, lose a part of your 'life' (i.e. stop sleeping around, tame your behavior, not be so selfish and 'careless as a child' etc) - and if you can't do that then you will lose your 'love'. The immature part of you - aka the child, or the soul - wants to be free, want to fly 'above the trees' and not be tied to anything or any one love, be it a person or a profession or a hobby. Note the clever use of opposites: ABOVE the trees, BENEATH the mud. In order for you to be clean and selfish and carefree ('soul will soar above the trees') you have to sever your ties ('I said I have no time, I've got to go') and sacrifice your love ('our dead love's buried beneath the mud'), probably in a very messy way that will end in pain and heartbreak ('crying on the chapel steps'). And of course, this is emotional baggage that you'll be lugging around for the rest of your life ('well mine's regret').
Another interpretation of the second verse could be that the person whose heart - aka love - has 'faded' is another negligent lover; again reinforcing the notion of incomopatibility between two people. He can't be bothered to keep the flame of love alive, and his lover (I think the chapel is an allegory, basically saying the couple split up at the 11th hour) regrets that (s)he is equally incapable, so they go their separate way. -OR- yet another interpretation could be that it's two sides of the same person, trying to figure out and rationalize why they cannot commit.
I only discovered White Lies recently and I absolutely love them. The lyrics seem to have real substance and depth rather than simply being obtuse for obtuse's sake, but you do have to dig deep to figure them out. Makes you ponder the nature of humanity, really.
I detect an irony in the chorus; "let's grow old together and die at the same time". This is a dark song, not a hopeful one. The chorus is lamenting or even mocking the idealistic notion that you and your lover will be together forever through thick and thin.
To me, the song is about love being incompatible with life. To love someone you have to be willing to compromise - in effect, lose a part of your 'life' (i.e. stop sleeping around, tame your behavior, not be so selfish and 'careless as a child' etc) - and if you can't do that then you will lose your 'love'. The immature part of you - aka the child, or the soul - wants to be free, want to fly 'above the trees' and not be tied to anything or any one love, be it a person or a profession or a hobby. Note the clever use of opposites: ABOVE the trees, BENEATH the mud. In order for you to be clean and selfish and carefree ('soul will soar above the trees') you have to sever your ties ('I said I have no time, I've got to go') and sacrifice your love ('our dead love's buried beneath the mud'), probably in a very messy way that will end in pain and heartbreak ('crying on the chapel steps'). And of course, this is emotional baggage that you'll be lugging around for the rest of your life ('well mine's regret').
Another interpretation of the second verse could be that the person whose heart - aka love - has 'faded' is another negligent lover; again reinforcing the notion of incomopatibility between two people. He can't be bothered to keep the flame of love alive, and his lover (I think the chapel is an allegory, basically saying the couple split up at the 11th hour) regrets that (s)he is equally incapable, so they go their separate way. -OR- yet another interpretation could be that it's two sides of the same person, trying to figure out and rationalize why they cannot commit.
I only discovered White Lies recently and I absolutely love them. The lyrics seem to have real substance and depth rather than simply being obtuse for obtuse's sake, but you do have to dig deep to figure them out. Makes you ponder the nature of humanity, really.