Whisper To A Scream

another lyrically descriptive and theatrical sung IWs release. this has the typical heavy drumming style common of many english early-mid 80s bands (esp. adam and the ants). sounds a lot like similar liverpudlian bands (echo & bunnymen, julian cope) of the time. like many of ian's songs, beautifully crafted lyrics. I always associated this as a spiritual song.

I agree that the lyrics are wrong here and elsewhere: We are MATURE children

also, in many places it says "Changes forever" when it's "Take us forever", like here.

Now here's my interpretation, and I have to say one tiny line has really had a HUGE impact on my life: "Whisper to a scream"

To me, this song is about the difficulties of discussing, debating, and in the end arguing. It's such a necessary part of doing anything together in a group. But in both personal relationships and in politics, it so often degrades into everyone screaming at the top of their lungs, and never getting anywhere. We choose the loudest words, the words that most hurt, over the words that would really make a difference in getting us somewhere.

If I were to write this song, the parallel I'd try isn't with birds, but with fighting dogs. When I was a kid, I had a pitbull, really a sweet thing, but would get in a lot of scraps with other dogs... As a kid, I would sometimes have to pull them apart, and it was there that this song really started resonating with me: I found that the more I yelled at my dog to stop fighting, the more excited he got. So I had to learn to jump in the middle of the violence, and start soothing him. Soft words, petting, anything to calm him down and "change the subject" - a whisper to a scream.

And this is what I see over and over again with people: the worst thing you can do when you disagree is to yell at them, but it's the hardest thing to do, to learn to pull back and speak in a whisper rather than adding fuel to the fire. "Take us forever" has a double meaning to me: it seems like it takes forever to get a point across when you decide to slow down and cool off. And, it will take forever for all of us mature children to learn how to whisper to a scream.

The lyrics above are butchered.

Also, the chorus begins "We are but your children" NOT "mature children".

This song is a prayer. From the very first line the writer is asking for love, wisdom, and deliverance. He pleads that "we are but you (ie God's) children" trying to find our way through this life and all the confusion. "Take us forever" is a plea for salvation before "nighttime (I e. Death) sends us on our way"

The lyrics are wrong here and on most sites.

It is "We are we are we are MATURE children..." :)

I always thought it was charred children.