I feel like this song is talking about a person who can his death nearing him far in the future. He is distressed because he lost contact with many of his good friends over time, and he says that they followed him wherever he went.
Then he goes to say "When I'm old and wise" which I translate to - "When I'm ready to die". So, when he's ready to die, he will be immune to words and troubles, almost emotionless. However, "When they ask me if I knew you" - when he feels alone, he remembers his lost friends and smiles, showing emotion, lifting all his sadness away; no longer being sad, when he's ready to die.
Then far in the future, all he can see is his death. And in this gloomy time, he will be missing his lost friends.
And then, when he's ready to die, words that once affecting him greatly will lose all their meaning. And in this sadistic time, his only wish is for his lost friends to remember that they were once friends. Then he can finally surrender himself to death.
I have my own interpretation of this song.
I feel like this song is talking about a person who can his death nearing him far in the future. He is distressed because he lost contact with many of his good friends over time, and he says that they followed him wherever he went.
Then he goes to say "When I'm old and wise" which I translate to - "When I'm ready to die". So, when he's ready to die, he will be immune to words and troubles, almost emotionless. However, "When they ask me if I knew you" - when he feels alone, he remembers his lost friends and smiles, showing emotion, lifting all his sadness away; no longer being sad, when he's ready to die.
Then far in the future, all he can see is his death. And in this gloomy time, he will be missing his lost friends.
And then, when he's ready to die, words that once affecting him greatly will lose all their meaning. And in this sadistic time, his only wish is for his lost friends to remember that they were once friends. Then he can finally surrender himself to death.