This is a terrific song about depression and the afterlife, even more so because of how much it makes you want to move around instead of just being all moany and, well, depressing.
The depression part is pretty obvious, so I'll point out the afterlife piece because it's a little more elusive. In the first verse, Matt is basically saying that he doesn't really listen to what anyone has to say because nobody really knows what happens after death. He doesn't talk about it because he doesn't know himself. The books he bought are probably a mix of religious texts and scientific books about life after death. "Do it again" refers specifically to reincarnation, or at least to living one's life over again. This alludes to a death he is coping with, definitely someone close to him.
The second verse is a little more metaphorical than the first, and refers specifically to the experiences of a corpse in the grave. Time doesn't matter when you're dead, the seasons change from hot to cold and you're lying down in the ground. Also, azaleas are an ornamental flower often found in cemeteries.
The bridge is about how much energy it takes to keep on living, especially when suffering under depression. The breathing nearby seems to be referring to the lingering thoughts of the person he lost. "I want you lazy science, I want some peace" refers directly to the comfort of religious and the idea of Heaven or some afterlife. Is that his future?
Acceleration is referring to the feeling of moving faster, being engaged in what you are doing--the depression fades into the background and it's easier to feel alive. Twenty-five cent game sort of dates the song since it is a reference to arcade games in the 90s when the prices started going up from 25 cents to 50, 75, even $1.00 for some games. When you played a game that only cost $0.25, you wanted to milk every single ounce of gameplay out of that quarter that you could, kind of like you should get as much fun and enjoyment and happiness out of life as you can before you die since who knows what happens after that.
Finally, the weight is the weight of depression and grief and it's a gift because overcoming it made him realize that it wasn't too much for him -- he could lift it and go on living his life.
This is a terrific song about depression and the afterlife, even more so because of how much it makes you want to move around instead of just being all moany and, well, depressing.
The depression part is pretty obvious, so I'll point out the afterlife piece because it's a little more elusive. In the first verse, Matt is basically saying that he doesn't really listen to what anyone has to say because nobody really knows what happens after death. He doesn't talk about it because he doesn't know himself. The books he bought are probably a mix of religious texts and scientific books about life after death. "Do it again" refers specifically to reincarnation, or at least to living one's life over again. This alludes to a death he is coping with, definitely someone close to him.
The second verse is a little more metaphorical than the first, and refers specifically to the experiences of a corpse in the grave. Time doesn't matter when you're dead, the seasons change from hot to cold and you're lying down in the ground. Also, azaleas are an ornamental flower often found in cemeteries.
The bridge is about how much energy it takes to keep on living, especially when suffering under depression. The breathing nearby seems to be referring to the lingering thoughts of the person he lost. "I want you lazy science, I want some peace" refers directly to the comfort of religious and the idea of Heaven or some afterlife. Is that his future?
Acceleration is referring to the feeling of moving faster, being engaged in what you are doing--the depression fades into the background and it's easier to feel alive. Twenty-five cent game sort of dates the song since it is a reference to arcade games in the 90s when the prices started going up from 25 cents to 50, 75, even $1.00 for some games. When you played a game that only cost $0.25, you wanted to milk every single ounce of gameplay out of that quarter that you could, kind of like you should get as much fun and enjoyment and happiness out of life as you can before you die since who knows what happens after that.
Finally, the weight is the weight of depression and grief and it's a gift because overcoming it made him realize that it wasn't too much for him -- he could lift it and go on living his life.