Without the vocal, the sound of this song alone communicates a conflict, a very deep pain. We almost don't need the lyrics to tell us he attempts to resolve it variously through sex, substances, or power dynamics in a relationship. So many people have this same "secret," it's no secret at all. The uninitiated who encounter someone like this learn soon enough, and they do lose some of their innocence in the revelation. This song is not about ecstasy; it is the sound of loss and the miles and the time spent trying to make sense of it even as they are the cause of loss to others.
Without the vocal, the sound of this song alone communicates a conflict, a very deep pain. We almost don't need the lyrics to tell us he attempts to resolve it variously through sex, substances, or power dynamics in a relationship. So many people have this same "secret," it's no secret at all. The uninitiated who encounter someone like this learn soon enough, and they do lose some of their innocence in the revelation. This song is not about ecstasy; it is the sound of loss and the miles and the time spent trying to make sense of it even as they are the cause of loss to others.