As previously stated by Jamie this song talks about regret in relation to sex, but I also believe it mentions the need for someone despite the guilt and the yearning for death. From the beginning it is clear that the individual this song focuses on wants their life to end, as having "no eyes, no nose, no mind" (all parts of the body which becomes futile after death) is their "strange delight." However, this might not just stand for death, but also the need to be free of the senses and feelings, which might be troubling to them.
I believe this song touches on self-worth as well. If comparing the individual to the fruit as the lyrics hinted, they were never picked, never chosen, they were always the last one remaining. They were left to rot. This might imply that the individual feels worthless and is desperate to be 'picked'.
I also believe this song has a continuing analogy on flies and fruit. The 'fly' is desperate for nourishment to survive; it needs to be saved. There is nothing but rotten fruit, but it's fine because they are naturally drawn to rotten fruit anyway. I believe this analogy explains it well, also when considering my previous point. The 'fruit' is desperate to be chosen, the 'fly' is desperate to be fed. They both want to be saved. However the 'fruit', or the individual this song speaks of, doesn't wish to live on, so they try to give themselves up to benefit the other.
However, I do believe this song has more depth than animal-fruit analogies, which is where the other lines come in. Fruit cannot be cured, but humans can. They know they have a chance, but they still want to be 'saved', anyway. I believe the line '...impressed by the night' and 'pull your shirt down' are meant to be signs of the regret and need for sex as Jamie had mentioned. Night itself can mean different things in this case, but I believe it hints at how night is thought to be when all sin exists. The act of being impressed by it, is the act of having a desire to do such sins. This can also show guilt when considering my next point. I noticed in the song, 'pull your shirt down' was sung noticeably quiet while the 'save me, save me' was sung much louder, almost as if it were trying to combat the previous lyrics. Maybe once the 'night' is over, they experience regret for what happened. The next lyrics show that even with this guilt, they still have the intense urge to be saved. There are many other lines which prove this song isn't a simple analogy, but I enjoy the addition of it as it acts as a figurative way to imagine it for me.
To put it as simply as I can, I believe this song refers to giving up oneself to each other when they need it the most. There are countless emotions and reasons on both sides, but sometimes people do not want to come face-to-face with the struggles of their own feelings, emotions, and senses. No matter what it takes, they just want to be saved.
Note: I wonder if anybody else noticed how this song relates a lot to Portugal? 'Porto' mentioned in the song is a city in Portugal which is known for being grey (and can also further hint how the individual in the song feels their life is 'grey' or dull). Also, I found some other things which prove this relation. I am not from Portugal and I am not very knowledgeable about the country, so whatever I say likely isn't 100% factual and is only from my own personal research. I found out that both apples and melons are extremely common fruits grown in Portugal, both of which are mentioned in the song comparing them to the individual. Also, the mandolin was used in this song, and a variation of the mandolin is a very common instrument in Portuguese music. The violin was also used in this song, and although I have found records of violins being common in Portuguese music, it isn't very prominent from my research. This might all just be a coincidence, or a stylistic choice, but I believe this implies that the individual this song is speaking of is from, or related to Portugal in some way. One of the main ways the "grey light of Porto stays with..." someone is if they had lived there or experienced being there, right? As I said this might be for any other possible reason, or my connections are just me looking too deep into it, but I still think the idea of it is interesting.
I have also looked into the other comments and they all have really good points as well. This is just how I view the song and how I see it! :)
Here are my thoughts!
As previously stated by Jamie this song talks about regret in relation to sex, but I also believe it mentions the need for someone despite the guilt and the yearning for death. From the beginning it is clear that the individual this song focuses on wants their life to end, as having "no eyes, no nose, no mind" (all parts of the body which becomes futile after death) is their "strange delight." However, this might not just stand for death, but also the need to be free of the senses and feelings, which might be troubling to them.
I believe this song touches on self-worth as well. If comparing the individual to the fruit as the lyrics hinted, they were never picked, never chosen, they were always the last one remaining. They were left to rot. This might imply that the individual feels worthless and is desperate to be 'picked'.
I also believe this song has a continuing analogy on flies and fruit. The 'fly' is desperate for nourishment to survive; it needs to be saved. There is nothing but rotten fruit, but it's fine because they are naturally drawn to rotten fruit anyway. I believe this analogy explains it well, also when considering my previous point. The 'fruit' is desperate to be chosen, the 'fly' is desperate to be fed. They both want to be saved. However the 'fruit', or the individual this song speaks of, doesn't wish to live on, so they try to give themselves up to benefit the other.
However, I do believe this song has more depth than animal-fruit analogies, which is where the other lines come in. Fruit cannot be cured, but humans can. They know they have a chance, but they still want to be 'saved', anyway. I believe the line '...impressed by the night' and 'pull your shirt down' are meant to be signs of the regret and need for sex as Jamie had mentioned. Night itself can mean different things in this case, but I believe it hints at how night is thought to be when all sin exists. The act of being impressed by it, is the act of having a desire to do such sins. This can also show guilt when considering my next point. I noticed in the song, 'pull your shirt down' was sung noticeably quiet while the 'save me, save me' was sung much louder, almost as if it were trying to combat the previous lyrics. Maybe once the 'night' is over, they experience regret for what happened. The next lyrics show that even with this guilt, they still have the intense urge to be saved. There are many other lines which prove this song isn't a simple analogy, but I enjoy the addition of it as it acts as a figurative way to imagine it for me.
To put it as simply as I can, I believe this song refers to giving up oneself to each other when they need it the most. There are countless emotions and reasons on both sides, but sometimes people do not want to come face-to-face with the struggles of their own feelings, emotions, and senses. No matter what it takes, they just want to be saved.
Note: I wonder if anybody else noticed how this song relates a lot to Portugal? 'Porto' mentioned in the song is a city in Portugal which is known for being grey (and can also further hint how the individual in the song feels their life is 'grey' or dull). Also, I found some other things which prove this relation. I am not from Portugal and I am not very knowledgeable about the country, so whatever I say likely isn't 100% factual and is only from my own personal research. I found out that both apples and melons are extremely common fruits grown in Portugal, both of which are mentioned in the song comparing them to the individual. Also, the mandolin was used in this song, and a variation of the mandolin is a very common instrument in Portuguese music. The violin was also used in this song, and although I have found records of violins being common in Portuguese music, it isn't very prominent from my research. This might all just be a coincidence, or a stylistic choice, but I believe this implies that the individual this song is speaking of is from, or related to Portugal in some way. One of the main ways the "grey light of Porto stays with..." someone is if they had lived there or experienced being there, right? As I said this might be for any other possible reason, or my connections are just me looking too deep into it, but I still think the idea of it is interesting.
I have also looked into the other comments and they all have really good points as well. This is just how I view the song and how I see it! :)