To me this song seems to use a musical arrangement that, without even attending to the words, evokes concepts of sensuality and sexuality. This is very good because those seem to be two of the major themes of this work. The words conjure (among other things) the same themes. The other half of the equation seems to be a dreamlike quality. This is also smart because the writer/composer here seems to be juxtaposing the idea of sex with the idea of dreams, in the sense that what is going on at the surface level is an emotionally impactful sexual encounter, if not an ongoing (but fruitless) sexual relationship. However, there is something "unreal" about this sexual relationship, perhaps being that the sex is superficial and means more to the writer than it does to the object of his affection. M'aidez or "mayday" as we call it farther west, is the international distress call for pilots and sailors. So in the chorus he continues to go back and forth between "m'aidez" and "this is no m'aidez". I believe this has something to do with mixed feelings -- "I'm in trouble", "I'm not in trouble"; "it's okay", "it's not okay". An inconsistent sense of security seems to exist in this relationship. Faltering confidence in one's own emotional perspective. At one point the writer sings about dead zones and half way homes. I think of dead zones as areas where you don't get cell phone service, which I think is apropos given that the next line is about still life lived on mobile phones. This seems to be talking about a communication breakdown, and when communication IS there, it's superficial (lives lived through the more artificial with a less human kind of communication/less fulfilling or meaningful connection). Half way homes I think is referring to like, home being where the heart is, and a person's "home" being another person's love in a figurative sense. Problem is, this relationship only includes 50% or half of what the singer really wants (I make that assumption about the singer's desires because he sounds somewhat mournful of this). Again, it's okay, it's not okay; I'm fine with this, I'm not fine with this.. Save me, don't worry about it. Writer clearly enjoys his sexual relationship with the other person, and even idealizes her (the girl had wings and precious things -- she's an angel with wonderful qualities). He may be realizing, however unfortunately, that he is in love with this person who he already knows is not looking for more than a sexual relationship with him, and he's struggling with this idea that he (probably) agreed to this situation, but now he wants more and he's not likely to get it, and that whether he cuts this off or stays the course, he's going to be met with an emotional challenge either way. He is telling himself he should be okay with the situation as is, but he's not sure if he can. I'm not entirely sure what "open charms lost on velvet" means, but if I had to speculate, perhaps it's something about how his openness and good qualities don't seem to register with this other person in the context of this sexual relationship (velvet is sometimes associated with sex). Like it's lost on her that he has good qualities worth loving and this is and always has been "just fun". When he says "wide awake at dawn" I can think of two things, those being either losing sleep over this emotional conflict, or remaining awake after a full night of sex. Not sure about "the sun won't choose to shine on" other than maybe, she's the sun, and won't choose to shine on this situation in the form of her actually loving him. There is BDSM imagery throughout the song as well, hinting at a certain kind of power dynamic, where he is kind of "bound" in this situation, a clever double entendre about this being a sexual relationship, and himself being caught between a rock and a hard place emotionally. If she doesn't know he's feeling this way, and she finds out, then she holds all the cards (all the power). And in a way she already does because she is unattached emotionally to the outcome, where as he seems to care very much about it, so he's the vulnerable one and she's impervious. He talks about how she's "happy with the western world". This could be taken to mean that she is content with this more superficial, less genuine lifestyle, in a part of the world where polyamory or nonmonogomy, is more socially accepted. "a string of pearls", not sure but could be a reference to semen. "Diamonds on her tongue" either means literally a tongue piercing or maybe that she has a way with words, able to convince him to remain in this situation by the way she talks to him.
To me this song seems to use a musical arrangement that, without even attending to the words, evokes concepts of sensuality and sexuality. This is very good because those seem to be two of the major themes of this work. The words conjure (among other things) the same themes. The other half of the equation seems to be a dreamlike quality. This is also smart because the writer/composer here seems to be juxtaposing the idea of sex with the idea of dreams, in the sense that what is going on at the surface level is an emotionally impactful sexual encounter, if not an ongoing (but fruitless) sexual relationship. However, there is something "unreal" about this sexual relationship, perhaps being that the sex is superficial and means more to the writer than it does to the object of his affection. M'aidez or "mayday" as we call it farther west, is the international distress call for pilots and sailors. So in the chorus he continues to go back and forth between "m'aidez" and "this is no m'aidez". I believe this has something to do with mixed feelings -- "I'm in trouble", "I'm not in trouble"; "it's okay", "it's not okay". An inconsistent sense of security seems to exist in this relationship. Faltering confidence in one's own emotional perspective. At one point the writer sings about dead zones and half way homes. I think of dead zones as areas where you don't get cell phone service, which I think is apropos given that the next line is about still life lived on mobile phones. This seems to be talking about a communication breakdown, and when communication IS there, it's superficial (lives lived through the more artificial with a less human kind of communication/less fulfilling or meaningful connection). Half way homes I think is referring to like, home being where the heart is, and a person's "home" being another person's love in a figurative sense. Problem is, this relationship only includes 50% or half of what the singer really wants (I make that assumption about the singer's desires because he sounds somewhat mournful of this). Again, it's okay, it's not okay; I'm fine with this, I'm not fine with this.. Save me, don't worry about it. Writer clearly enjoys his sexual relationship with the other person, and even idealizes her (the girl had wings and precious things -- she's an angel with wonderful qualities). He may be realizing, however unfortunately, that he is in love with this person who he already knows is not looking for more than a sexual relationship with him, and he's struggling with this idea that he (probably) agreed to this situation, but now he wants more and he's not likely to get it, and that whether he cuts this off or stays the course, he's going to be met with an emotional challenge either way. He is telling himself he should be okay with the situation as is, but he's not sure if he can. I'm not entirely sure what "open charms lost on velvet" means, but if I had to speculate, perhaps it's something about how his openness and good qualities don't seem to register with this other person in the context of this sexual relationship (velvet is sometimes associated with sex). Like it's lost on her that he has good qualities worth loving and this is and always has been "just fun". When he says "wide awake at dawn" I can think of two things, those being either losing sleep over this emotional conflict, or remaining awake after a full night of sex. Not sure about "the sun won't choose to shine on" other than maybe, she's the sun, and won't choose to shine on this situation in the form of her actually loving him. There is BDSM imagery throughout the song as well, hinting at a certain kind of power dynamic, where he is kind of "bound" in this situation, a clever double entendre about this being a sexual relationship, and himself being caught between a rock and a hard place emotionally. If she doesn't know he's feeling this way, and she finds out, then she holds all the cards (all the power). And in a way she already does because she is unattached emotionally to the outcome, where as he seems to care very much about it, so he's the vulnerable one and she's impervious. He talks about how she's "happy with the western world". This could be taken to mean that she is content with this more superficial, less genuine lifestyle, in a part of the world where polyamory or nonmonogomy, is more socially accepted. "a string of pearls", not sure but could be a reference to semen. "Diamonds on her tongue" either means literally a tongue piercing or maybe that she has a way with words, able to convince him to remain in this situation by the way she talks to him.
Anyway, that's my take.