The lyrics could apply to any tragedy, but the most logical interpretation, in my opinion, is that it is about a hundreds-long period of time that showcases human nature and how we tend to ignore valuable indications of disaster. The first verse describes migration away from a country/continent to a new land (presumably describing the American revolution) and how once established, the immigrants heard news about the land from which they came and how it endured war and/or economic collapse (represented in this song by a metaphorical “storm”). Amidst the excitement of their newfound liberty and rapid economic development (“we built a mansion in a day”), they turned their heads and learnt nothing from the story of their neighbors. The song then describes “auctioning off memories”, which further supports that idea of capitalistic tunnel-vision. Living inside of a powerful “mansion”, the immigrants don’t “feel the breeze” of the “storm” that was mentioned earlier, so they assume they are safe. However, the “storm” has already rolled all the way back to them from the shore of their old home, and the same story plays out again. There is an economic collapse as the substance of the storm floods through the “revolving doors” and into the mansion. The revolving door, a post-industrial revolution invention, indicates the time at which this occurs. The doors also represent the phenomenon of a force hitting you from behind; you push the panel in front of you, but if you stop following that panel, you get hit. So basically, we don't help others because we are pushing forwards with our own lives. The result of this is that others won't help us because they need to look out for themselves, as we clearly aren't looking out for them. This forms a cycle, which is represented by the spinning storm and revolving doors. I suppose what this song is ultimately saying is that our division is what will lead to our downfall.
The lyrics could apply to any tragedy, but the most logical interpretation, in my opinion, is that it is about a hundreds-long period of time that showcases human nature and how we tend to ignore valuable indications of disaster. The first verse describes migration away from a country/continent to a new land (presumably describing the American revolution) and how once established, the immigrants heard news about the land from which they came and how it endured war and/or economic collapse (represented in this song by a metaphorical “storm”). Amidst the excitement of their newfound liberty and rapid economic development (“we built a mansion in a day”), they turned their heads and learnt nothing from the story of their neighbors. The song then describes “auctioning off memories”, which further supports that idea of capitalistic tunnel-vision. Living inside of a powerful “mansion”, the immigrants don’t “feel the breeze” of the “storm” that was mentioned earlier, so they assume they are safe. However, the “storm” has already rolled all the way back to them from the shore of their old home, and the same story plays out again. There is an economic collapse as the substance of the storm floods through the “revolving doors” and into the mansion. The revolving door, a post-industrial revolution invention, indicates the time at which this occurs. The doors also represent the phenomenon of a force hitting you from behind; you push the panel in front of you, but if you stop following that panel, you get hit. So basically, we don't help others because we are pushing forwards with our own lives. The result of this is that others won't help us because they need to look out for themselves, as we clearly aren't looking out for them. This forms a cycle, which is represented by the spinning storm and revolving doors. I suppose what this song is ultimately saying is that our division is what will lead to our downfall.