I hadn't thought about the meaning of this song much until charbin said that yourself is steam means your self esteem.
I could be wrong in this, but this is the way I interpret it:
"Bombed out lovers, gallant red flocks of mellow seducers, fine [find?] eager seekers"
here he is talking about well adjusted people in relationships
"it's not as easy as it may seem, remember that yourself is steam"
it doesn't come naturally
"Their pretty shells are so inviting, well protected
Their eyes are rivers, they give me shivers"
it is easy to hide inside yourself like a turtle. close yourself off
"it's not time for the real life [live?] sign, it's not time for these fears of mine"
while closed off from everyone you convince yourself that this isn't your real life yet. That eventually you will come out of your shell and have experiences and live your life.
"I'm feeling troubled, I'm feeling trapped, can't shake that bubble off my back"
once you get used to being closed off it becomes very hard to leave the comfort of your shell and live like a normal person.
"I feel no harm, I feel no harm, ...feel no harm"
closed off you are safe from rejection, ridicule, etc.
"what once was lost will never be found, keep spinning in circles until you break new ground"
now you are stuck in this situation doomed to come to a bunch of epiphanies about why your life isn't that great, but never really change anything major.
I hadn't thought about the meaning of this song much until charbin said that yourself is steam means your self esteem. I could be wrong in this, but this is the way I interpret it:
"Bombed out lovers, gallant red flocks of mellow seducers, fine [find?] eager seekers" here he is talking about well adjusted people in relationships
"it's not as easy as it may seem, remember that yourself is steam" it doesn't come naturally
"Their pretty shells are so inviting, well protected Their eyes are rivers, they give me shivers" it is easy to hide inside yourself like a turtle. close yourself off
"it's not time for the real life [live?] sign, it's not time for these fears of mine" while closed off from everyone you convince yourself that this isn't your real life yet. That eventually you will come out of your shell and have experiences and live your life.
"I'm feeling troubled, I'm feeling trapped, can't shake that bubble off my back" once you get used to being closed off it becomes very hard to leave the comfort of your shell and live like a normal person.
"I feel no harm, I feel no harm, ...feel no harm" closed off you are safe from rejection, ridicule, etc.
"what once was lost will never be found, keep spinning in circles until you break new ground" now you are stuck in this situation doomed to come to a bunch of epiphanies about why your life isn't that great, but never really change anything major.