Here's my interpretation on the song "Ahead by a Century".
Two people (Friend/first and singer/second) are having a philosophical conversation about the afterlife (Illusion of someday [that's] cast in a golden light). The Friend comments that there's "No dress rehearsal. This is our life". Indicating that they think the real life is the one we are currently living. The Afterlife is just a promise/ illusion and may not be real.
And that's when the hornet (uncomfortable idea and their consequences) stung the singer and causes them to question their beliefs in a panic (Feverish Dream). "With revenge and doubt", the singer commits to restore their faith in their beliefs (revenge) and remove these doubts ("Tonight we smoke them out").
In the Chinese culture, "A century" is a synonym for "eternity" or "A Lifetime". Thus when the singer states "You are ahead by a Century", they indicate that the friend may be living the "real life" where the singer is living "this life" (and not the reality of the afterlife). Alternative, it may take the singer a lifetime to "catch up" to his friend with regards to living the "real life".
A shroud is a veil placed over the face of the dead. The morning is the end of the time of Dreaming. Thus to "Stare in the morning shroud" is the singer confronting the possible end of the their belief in the "illusion of someday"/ afterlife. "And then the day began" indicates the singer's dream of the afterlife has ended.
"I tilted your Clouds. You tilted my hand." - The singer is commenting on how little the singer is affecting the friend relative to how the much the Friend's idea is affecting him. (The clouds are ephemeral and far away whereas the hands are close by and solid).
"Rain falls in real time. Rain falls through the night." - The singer is recognizing that there is non positive attributes to both the "real life" and the promised "afterlife". This allows the singer to better accept the friend's comments. Now his dream is "serious" instead of "feverish".
The song is open to whether the singer continues on this train of thought or returns to their original beliefs in the second verse. The "hornet" still refers to the discomforting ideas. But it is open as to whether the idea being smoked out is the Friend's comments or the singer's original beliefs.
By repeating "You are ahead by a century." six times, the singer is lamenting how the the singer cannot bring themself to "catch up" to their friend, or the singer is thanking their Friend for the Friend's clarity. I think that it is the former possibility as in last line is the singer is disappointing his friend.
The last line also indicate that the Friend and the Singer genuinely care for one another despite the difference in their philosophical stances.
[Edit: Added interpretation of "I tilted your clouds. You tilted my hand."]
Here's my interpretation on the song "Ahead by a Century". Two people (Friend/first and singer/second) are having a philosophical conversation about the afterlife (Illusion of someday [that's] cast in a golden light). The Friend comments that there's "No dress rehearsal. This is our life". Indicating that they think the real life is the one we are currently living. The Afterlife is just a promise/ illusion and may not be real. And that's when the hornet (uncomfortable idea and their consequences) stung the singer and causes them to question their beliefs in a panic (Feverish Dream). "With revenge and doubt", the singer commits to restore their faith in their beliefs (revenge) and remove these doubts ("Tonight we smoke them out"). In the Chinese culture, "A century" is a synonym for "eternity" or "A Lifetime". Thus when the singer states "You are ahead by a Century", they indicate that the friend may be living the "real life" where the singer is living "this life" (and not the reality of the afterlife). Alternative, it may take the singer a lifetime to "catch up" to his friend with regards to living the "real life". A shroud is a veil placed over the face of the dead. The morning is the end of the time of Dreaming. Thus to "Stare in the morning shroud" is the singer confronting the possible end of the their belief in the "illusion of someday"/ afterlife. "And then the day began" indicates the singer's dream of the afterlife has ended. "I tilted your Clouds. You tilted my hand." - The singer is commenting on how little the singer is affecting the friend relative to how the much the Friend's idea is affecting him. (The clouds are ephemeral and far away whereas the hands are close by and solid).
"Rain falls in real time. Rain falls through the night." - The singer is recognizing that there is non positive attributes to both the "real life" and the promised "afterlife". This allows the singer to better accept the friend's comments. Now his dream is "serious" instead of "feverish". The song is open to whether the singer continues on this train of thought or returns to their original beliefs in the second verse. The "hornet" still refers to the discomforting ideas. But it is open as to whether the idea being smoked out is the Friend's comments or the singer's original beliefs. By repeating "You are ahead by a century." six times, the singer is lamenting how the the singer cannot bring themself to "catch up" to their friend, or the singer is thanking their Friend for the Friend's clarity. I think that it is the former possibility as in last line is the singer is disappointing his friend. The last line also indicate that the Friend and the Singer genuinely care for one another despite the difference in their philosophical stances.
[Edit: Added interpretation of "I tilted your clouds. You tilted my hand."]