I see this song as an indictment of the current culture of America and the idea that we all just "standing in the mirror and wait for the feedback" from others. We either want the approval of strangers (to be famous) or we want to numb ourselves with our creature comforts (a painless life). Finally, all of this seeking approval and creature comforts is just noise to cover up the fact that each of us is in pain and will one day die. The song also pokes fun at the emptiness of American prosperity--we don't know what we want, and if/when we get what we want, we aren't sure if we want it. Arcade Fire is so good at getting to the heart of the issue.
I see this song as an indictment of the current culture of America and the idea that we all just "standing in the mirror and wait for the feedback" from others. We either want the approval of strangers (to be famous) or we want to numb ourselves with our creature comforts (a painless life). Finally, all of this seeking approval and creature comforts is just noise to cover up the fact that each of us is in pain and will one day die. The song also pokes fun at the emptiness of American prosperity--we don't know what we want, and if/when we get what we want, we aren't sure if we want it. Arcade Fire is so good at getting to the heart of the issue.