Before you can understand In Limbo, you need to understand how it fits with its neighboring tracks. While Optimistic saw a burning world and smiled at it through individualism, In Limbo prepares us for Idioteque where the world collapses in on itself. In Limbo would also make sense near Morning Bell and Motion Picture Soundtrack, as they cover more personal conflicts than the nation-breaking crises of tracks 6-8.
"Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, I've got a message I can't read." The song stems from an isolated feeling. You've done all you can, but you can't read the messages the world sends. You're begging to be thrown a bone.
"I'm on your side. Nowhere to hide." This reads like an invader taunting the people they're intruding on. I'm on your side of the fence, and you can't hide, so show me plan B.
"trapdoors that open, I spiral down." and "I'm lost at sea, don't bother me, I've lost my way." speak to a confusion within the speaker. Their world is wrong, they get lost in trapdoor thoughts. It reminds me of Lost Child Syndrome, where someone will disconnect from the world and often daydream. Don't believe me?
"You're living in a fantasy, this beautiful world" The world around becomes too much, and if you can't physically escape, you have to mentally escape the invasion.
"Come back!" something pleads the lost person to come back, or possibly, the delusion escaped them and they want to be lost in their daydream again. Haunting song.
Before you can understand In Limbo, you need to understand how it fits with its neighboring tracks. While Optimistic saw a burning world and smiled at it through individualism, In Limbo prepares us for Idioteque where the world collapses in on itself. In Limbo would also make sense near Morning Bell and Motion Picture Soundtrack, as they cover more personal conflicts than the nation-breaking crises of tracks 6-8. "Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, I've got a message I can't read." The song stems from an isolated feeling. You've done all you can, but you can't read the messages the world sends. You're begging to be thrown a bone. "I'm on your side. Nowhere to hide." This reads like an invader taunting the people they're intruding on. I'm on your side of the fence, and you can't hide, so show me plan B. "trapdoors that open, I spiral down." and "I'm lost at sea, don't bother me, I've lost my way." speak to a confusion within the speaker. Their world is wrong, they get lost in trapdoor thoughts. It reminds me of Lost Child Syndrome, where someone will disconnect from the world and often daydream. Don't believe me? "You're living in a fantasy, this beautiful world" The world around becomes too much, and if you can't physically escape, you have to mentally escape the invasion. "Come back!" something pleads the lost person to come back, or possibly, the delusion escaped them and they want to be lost in their daydream again. Haunting song.