One option that no one mentions, and which seems very likely to me, is that the entire story is a delusion on the part of the narrator. For a long time I considered this a lovely story of interrupted childhood romance, and then I took another look at the video, as well as some of his others (I was on a Utube nostalgia kick, as sometimes happens).
I noticed that in many of the videos where Dolby "plays" the narrator (as opposed to simple concert footage) the narrator is portrayed as being mentally off balance, if not outright crazy. Specifically in the E&TPT video the use of the white veil to bind and blind him, and his extreme twitchiness and intense glares throughout, would seem to show that the character Dolby portrays is less than stable. For me the clincher is during the line "some bodyguard grabed me..." In the video, it is NOT bodyguards who grab him, but rather two guys in white medical coats. And, after dragging him away, he apparently gets tossed back into his beachside illusion.
Given this, as well as the way Dolby has portrayed other less than sane characters (She Blinded Me With Science, for example) really puts the truthfulness of the narrators' story into doubt. And if you think about it, it does sound like the kind of story that a crazed stalker fan might make up to justify his/her actions.
Dolby said that the song is kinda/sorta autobiographical, but this doesn't mean the details are true. He could have based the story on a relationship from his childhood, but then embellished it to create the songs' narrative.
Is this the true interpretation? I don't know. But I think we have to admit that it COULD be. And frankly, not knowing for sure makes the song even more awesome.
One option that no one mentions, and which seems very likely to me, is that the entire story is a delusion on the part of the narrator. For a long time I considered this a lovely story of interrupted childhood romance, and then I took another look at the video, as well as some of his others (I was on a Utube nostalgia kick, as sometimes happens).
I noticed that in many of the videos where Dolby "plays" the narrator (as opposed to simple concert footage) the narrator is portrayed as being mentally off balance, if not outright crazy. Specifically in the E&TPT video the use of the white veil to bind and blind him, and his extreme twitchiness and intense glares throughout, would seem to show that the character Dolby portrays is less than stable. For me the clincher is during the line "some bodyguard grabed me..." In the video, it is NOT bodyguards who grab him, but rather two guys in white medical coats. And, after dragging him away, he apparently gets tossed back into his beachside illusion.
Given this, as well as the way Dolby has portrayed other less than sane characters (She Blinded Me With Science, for example) really puts the truthfulness of the narrators' story into doubt. And if you think about it, it does sound like the kind of story that a crazed stalker fan might make up to justify his/her actions.
Dolby said that the song is kinda/sorta autobiographical, but this doesn't mean the details are true. He could have based the story on a relationship from his childhood, but then embellished it to create the songs' narrative.
Is this the true interpretation? I don't know. But I think we have to admit that it COULD be. And frankly, not knowing for sure makes the song even more awesome.
@bennett115 Great mental picture there! Thanks for another way to look at it!
@bennett115 Great mental picture there! Thanks for another way to look at it!
@bennett115 Great mental picture there! Thanks for another way to look at it!
@bennett115 Great mental picture there! Thanks for another way to look at it!