I recently stumbled upon an incredible website, SongMeanings.com. It includes a large database of lyrics for various songs with comments from users attempting to explain said lyrics.
Most of the comments are from well-meaning people who have different interpretations of a song. What I love, though, are the people who are extremely confident about their insane interpretation.
For example, consider the classic Arcade Fire song “Rebellion (Lies)”. Most people think it’s about the melancholy of growing up. The geniuses at SongMeanings.com, though, know otherwise. User doughbro writes:
yea, i think that a lot of people had the idea that this song is about how not sleeping doesnt kill you, and i think that’s a too literal view of this song, I mean, if you dont sleep, your body will pass out in exaustion, I think that the message is using a metaphor, and sleeping represents closing your eyes to the horror’s of the system and our world, and that the people in power want you to just ‘fall asleep’ and blindly accept the world you live in, but this song is saying that we need to wake up and realize what’s going on and take action.
supernuke replied:
They’re not saying don’t sleep at all… they’re saying you don’t have to sleep when society tells you to and that its just a social convention that should be broken and that there are plenty others like that.
“You don’t have to sleep when society tells you” will live rent-free in my head forever.
Let’s keep exploring. What do these titanic minds make of “Human” by The Killers, a song whose lyrics are so nonsensical that the chorus asks, “Are we human, or are we dancer?”
ManOfSteele wrote a whole essay:
This song has been interpreted so many different ways. It’s really cool to see. Here is mine.
Its about a soul being born.
The first part suggests a soul in heaven being sent to earth. He’s gets a bit nervous. Who wouldn’t I have trouble committing to what kind of toothpaste to buy. this soul is committing to possibly the next 80 years as a human…will it be enjoyable or painful? who knows.
Open door…birth canal…looks like its this way out. Close your eyes, clear your heart. - this guy is gritting his teeth, this isn’t going to be a fun trip, but he releases himself into it. cut the cord literally cutting the cord at birth, but more deeply cutting his ties to heaven/the spirit realm. My sign is vital - reference to a starsign. cancer, capricorn that sort of thing. The sign he is born under makes a huge difference to whether he will be able to accomplish what he is meant to do. My hands are cold - Our hands are our most useful physical tool as humans, they can do a lot of good planting crops, holding someones hand, doing magic card tricks, performing energy work like reiki. Yet he arrives and feels like he doesn’t want to do all the good he wanted to. He feels cold (emotionally) and isn’t doing all the stuff he thought he would.
Im on my knees looking for the answer - reference to praying for answers - I can’t remember why I am here. I need a purpose. Why can’t I flit about and dance the way I did as a soul? Are we human or are we dancer? - Human refers to the aetheistic viewpoint that there is nothing else, we come to earth do our thing and die. there is nothing before and after that. Dancer refers to a soul that can “dance” between states of being, one moment pure light and energy in heaven, another moment it may choose to live a lifetime as a tree, or a butterfly, or it may choose to take a lifetime as a human. Dancing between states of being. In this case I think he tried to dance as a human and found out that it’s really hard. Pay respects to grace virtue good, soul, romance etc… As a spirit in heaven he looked at becoming human as a big step in his growth. Now that he is here, it’s really hard. He is forgetting all the positive stuff of being a soul. He wishes he could be virtuous and good, but those romantic notions are difficult to hold on to when you get into the peer pressure cooker of earth. They always did the best they could - is often a reference to our parents. So he is indicating that he was raised by values of grace, virtue, good - but it’s too hard and he is letting that all go, succumbing to human whims.
So long to devotion it taught me everything I know. He has been devoted to this whole romantic notion of being born & being virtuous and good, but since getting here, he can’t take the pressure. His devotion to goodness isn’t strong enough. He is going to take his chances without god and hope he makes it through life okay.
Will your system be alright, when you dream of home tonight, no message we’re receiving let me know is your heart still beating? - Heavens calling. Some people think that when we dream, we are connecting to our spirit guides to sort out our lessons from the day and learning new lessons. here his guides, or god is asking…you okay down there? We haven’t heard from you.
An alternative viewpoint is that he actually was stillborn. He’s pretty pissed off about the whole thing. he expected to do a lot of good, but his hands are cold (dead) he. In his anger is saying goodbye to god (virtue goodness etc…). On his knees asking why he had to die. Probably had to die because his starsign was REALLY vital, and his timing was off. He dances between human and soul worlds. of course the whole phrase about no message we’re receiving is your heart still beating is totally obvious to interpret if he is stillborn.
Thats my 2 cents Jason
Who is Jason??? Unclear.
Lastly, I could not help but look up the nu-metal classic “Freak on a Leash”, by KoЯn. What’s this song about, user Dreadlock:
This song’s about being treated like a freak on a leash (and hence the title).
There you go, folks!