Flashbulb Eyes Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Upha 

Cover art for Flashbulb Eyes lyrics by Arcade Fire

It sounds like he's talking about the optimism of up-and-coming artists. First, the hypothetical is presented

What if the camera Really do Take your soul

Then the eager and ambitious (yet naive) artist accepts the challenge, the grammatical error is an indication of the artist's naivety.

Hit me with your flashbulb eyes Hit me with your flashbulb eyes

But the more the artist asks for it, the more deterioration occurs on the artist's soul

You know I've got nothing to hide You know I've got nothing No, I got nothing

Eventually the music fades into nothing but noise, thus confirming the hypothetical.

This happens every day where young and naive people are funneled through the bureaucracy of the record industry (or Hollywood, even). Even the best and brightest go in with high hopes and leave with nothing but a wasted life of overexposure.

My Interpretation