It's sort of focussing on Australian reactions to the Dili massacre.
There's a candlelight vigil (we pay to shed the sombre tear in the darkness together here) but then everyone just goes and sees a happy movie afterwards, like it's just a token effort that makes us feel good about ourselves and then we can escape and stop worrying about it.
"We would have all been Schindler there."
We like to imagine ourselves being in places like Timor and helping people in a way that's actually workable and possible like Schindler, but how many of us actually do anything?
"A two minute hate is now a three hour love" is the most interesting line. Two minute hate is from 1984, and it was just this organised time when everyone concentrated any feelings of hate on a particular enemy of the state and it was a way of controlling the people. Perhaps the line sugests that this token effort of a vigil (the three-hour love) is just a way of keeping people complacent about the issues and problems in East Timor. "I care, I spent three hours caring, now I'm a good person and I can get on with life."
It's just drawing attention to this sort of faux-caring and apathy, which is just a natural part of being human.
It's a very cleverly written song
It's sort of focussing on Australian reactions to the Dili massacre. There's a candlelight vigil (we pay to shed the sombre tear in the darkness together here) but then everyone just goes and sees a happy movie afterwards, like it's just a token effort that makes us feel good about ourselves and then we can escape and stop worrying about it.
"We would have all been Schindler there." We like to imagine ourselves being in places like Timor and helping people in a way that's actually workable and possible like Schindler, but how many of us actually do anything?
"A two minute hate is now a three hour love" is the most interesting line. Two minute hate is from 1984, and it was just this organised time when everyone concentrated any feelings of hate on a particular enemy of the state and it was a way of controlling the people. Perhaps the line sugests that this token effort of a vigil (the three-hour love) is just a way of keeping people complacent about the issues and problems in East Timor. "I care, I spent three hours caring, now I'm a good person and I can get on with life."
It's just drawing attention to this sort of faux-caring and apathy, which is just a natural part of being human. It's a very cleverly written song