I realize that a lot of people on here interpret the song by the video clip, but the truth is, that the producer of the clip interpreted it his own way, which in my opinion doesn’t coincide with the meaning of the song. So, 10:24 has absolutely nothing to do with this song.
This song is about global destruction. Most likely through global warming and pollution. It may sound weird but people who have the slightest idea about the meaning and consequences of environmental pollution (etc.), will understand what I’m saying.
Fist verse is about seduction. Not in a physical, sex-related way, of course. It’s about things that might make our day to day lives easier, thus are appealing to us but yet bad/damaging for our world. Like capitalism, cars/gas, fossil energy, etc. and if these things make it easier for us, why should they be bad ("what’s so wrong with being happy")? Truth is, that my interpretation of the first verse is very vague and probably not very convincing, but if we move on through the song it all makes more sense.
The chorus is about people, in this case a female, that try to warn us about how we’re destroying our own planet. So this person they talk about was initially destructive herself until she noticed the fatal results and how it is too late for her (“she knew that her life had passed her by”) and decides to warn us before it’s too late for everyone.
First three lines of the second verse tell us how we should have more respect for ourselves, that is, human kind in general, before the harmful stuff on earth “takes over”.
“When will we learn? When will we change?” <-- Referring to our selfish and wreckful habits.
“Just in time to see it all come down” <-- Well, I think this could also have a question mark behind it, since throughout the song they do emphasize that it isn’t over yet.
The next two lines are the most significant for the song’s meaning. It just says that the time will come where very few people will still be conscious about the facts. And once the earth is practically already broken and destroyed those people will be the one's to write about the right things we should have done to save ourselves.
The last verse isn’t written correctly, so I will write it down:
“Floating in this cosmic Jacuzzi
We are like frogs oblivious
To the water starting to boil
No one flinches, we all float face down”
Some of you may know that several frog-species don’t move at all when they find themselves in boiling water. That’s just a fact, not interpretation.
Well, and this is applied to us: a simile that describes how we all see our world crumbling down little by little and yet we do nothing, in the end going down with it. I might even say that this can directly refer to global warming.
Ok, so this is it. Don’t take me for a crack-head, it really does make sense and from the very first time I listened to this song, I understood it this way. My father works in the environmental area, so I know what I’m talking about. I say this because a lot of people don’t realize how severely we are actually damaging our world with cars, electricity, money/capitalism, etc. And I’m also not an eco-freak, just someone very well aware of the facts. ;)
@purplePhilosophy I don't know if you'll ever see this, all these years later, but the timing was so incredible, I actually created an account just to comment here.
@purplePhilosophy I don't know if you'll ever see this, all these years later, but the timing was so incredible, I actually created an account just to comment here.
I loved this song the first time I heard 20-odd years ago. In my youth, I took a slightly hopeful and optimistic view from this song, in an idealistic sort of way. "Warning" has remained a personal favorite over the years, one I come back to again and again.
I loved this song the first time I heard 20-odd years ago. In my youth, I took a slightly hopeful and optimistic view from this song, in an idealistic sort of way. "Warning" has remained a personal favorite over the years, one I come back to again and again.
And yesterday, after falling in love with the song for the, I-don't -know-how-many time, I finally looked up the lyrics for the first time (there were some I had misunderstood) and let my brain mull them over again. Today, mere hours ago, while I was out and about,, and jamming out, their meaning hit me. And I mean, like a ton of bricks.
So when I had the chance, I sat down to see what others might have thought about the subject, and happened on the eloquent post I'm responding to and yes! All of it! It was so cool to find the same thought as I was realizing it myself. Crazy it took all these years!
I realize that a lot of people on here interpret the song by the video clip, but the truth is, that the producer of the clip interpreted it his own way, which in my opinion doesn’t coincide with the meaning of the song. So, 10:24 has absolutely nothing to do with this song.
This song is about global destruction. Most likely through global warming and pollution. It may sound weird but people who have the slightest idea about the meaning and consequences of environmental pollution (etc.), will understand what I’m saying.
Fist verse is about seduction. Not in a physical, sex-related way, of course. It’s about things that might make our day to day lives easier, thus are appealing to us but yet bad/damaging for our world. Like capitalism, cars/gas, fossil energy, etc. and if these things make it easier for us, why should they be bad ("what’s so wrong with being happy")? Truth is, that my interpretation of the first verse is very vague and probably not very convincing, but if we move on through the song it all makes more sense.
The chorus is about people, in this case a female, that try to warn us about how we’re destroying our own planet. So this person they talk about was initially destructive herself until she noticed the fatal results and how it is too late for her (“she knew that her life had passed her by”) and decides to warn us before it’s too late for everyone.
First three lines of the second verse tell us how we should have more respect for ourselves, that is, human kind in general, before the harmful stuff on earth “takes over”.
“When will we learn? When will we change?” <-- Referring to our selfish and wreckful habits. “Just in time to see it all come down” <-- Well, I think this could also have a question mark behind it, since throughout the song they do emphasize that it isn’t over yet.
The next two lines are the most significant for the song’s meaning. It just says that the time will come where very few people will still be conscious about the facts. And once the earth is practically already broken and destroyed those people will be the one's to write about the right things we should have done to save ourselves.
The last verse isn’t written correctly, so I will write it down:
“Floating in this cosmic Jacuzzi We are like frogs oblivious To the water starting to boil No one flinches, we all float face down”
Some of you may know that several frog-species don’t move at all when they find themselves in boiling water. That’s just a fact, not interpretation. Well, and this is applied to us: a simile that describes how we all see our world crumbling down little by little and yet we do nothing, in the end going down with it. I might even say that this can directly refer to global warming.
Ok, so this is it. Don’t take me for a crack-head, it really does make sense and from the very first time I listened to this song, I understood it this way. My father works in the environmental area, so I know what I’m talking about. I say this because a lot of people don’t realize how severely we are actually damaging our world with cars, electricity, money/capitalism, etc. And I’m also not an eco-freak, just someone very well aware of the facts. ;)
@purplePhilosophy I agree with pretty much everything you say here apart from one point. I think "She" is mother earth.
@purplePhilosophy I agree with pretty much everything you say here apart from one point. I think "She" is mother earth.
@purplePhilosophy I don't know if you'll ever see this, all these years later, but the timing was so incredible, I actually created an account just to comment here.
@purplePhilosophy I don't know if you'll ever see this, all these years later, but the timing was so incredible, I actually created an account just to comment here.
I loved this song the first time I heard 20-odd years ago. In my youth, I took a slightly hopeful and optimistic view from this song, in an idealistic sort of way. "Warning" has remained a personal favorite over the years, one I come back to again and again.
I loved this song the first time I heard 20-odd years ago. In my youth, I took a slightly hopeful and optimistic view from this song, in an idealistic sort of way. "Warning" has remained a personal favorite over the years, one I come back to again and again.
And yesterday, after falling in love with the song for the, I-don't -know-how-many time, I finally looked up the lyrics for the first time (there were some I had misunderstood) and let my brain mull them over again. Today, mere hours ago, while I was out and about,, and jamming out, their meaning hit me. And I mean, like a ton of bricks.
So when I had the chance, I sat down to see what others might have thought about the subject, and happened on the eloquent post I'm responding to and yes! All of it! It was so cool to find the same thought as I was realizing it myself. Crazy it took all these years!