After my first read-through, I think this might be about either depression or being overly cautious about opening up to others after being hurt (possibly betrayed).
From a few select lines, it becomes clear that the depressive feelings are cyclic:
"I'm familiar with this way / I face this fear / I've been a slave"
but the narrator also knows what it feels like to feel normal:
"I've held a torch - it's gone away"
I think the torch is referring to the concept of the Glow, which is a recurring theme in Phil's music. My interpretation of the Glow is that it's some transcendental happiness that comes and goes.
The end of the song is about how, even though the narrator knows the depression/Glow cycle repeats and will continue to repeat, he can't help but scorn the idea of the Glow ever coming back:
"And now I look the moon in the face / And in my fear, I curse its grace"
After my first read-through, I think this might be about either depression or being overly cautious about opening up to others after being hurt (possibly betrayed).
From a few select lines, it becomes clear that the depressive feelings are cyclic:
"I'm familiar with this way / I face this fear / I've been a slave"
but the narrator also knows what it feels like to feel normal:
"I've held a torch - it's gone away"
I think the torch is referring to the concept of the Glow, which is a recurring theme in Phil's music. My interpretation of the Glow is that it's some transcendental happiness that comes and goes.
The end of the song is about how, even though the narrator knows the depression/Glow cycle repeats and will continue to repeat, he can't help but scorn the idea of the Glow ever coming back:
"And now I look the moon in the face / And in my fear, I curse its grace"
He doesn't want to get his hopes up again.