I had never thought about this song in terms of spirituality, but that makes sense. I had always it was about the sense of majesty and wonderment you get when stargazing.
A few comments:
"No one here can show you where it is but I can point to a sign" - Almost obviously, it refers to when stars were used for navigation. I suppose it also is about more Eastern ideas of spirituality, where no one person or one thing can tell you the path to enlightenment, only guide you.
"The conversation of impassive planets intercepted by a human being"
The way planets move (gravity) can tell us where satellites, other planets, or stars are.
"The air is thin / up on a mountain" might also refer to where observatories are located (high, where the air is thin), and possibly where those raptors (the birds) are.
The second-to-last stanza is great - It's very vivid, and while it uses complex language, does not sound haughty or self-important (which is kind of true of all Bad Religion's songs - Maybe it's Greg's delivery, but they use big words not just to sound smart).
I had never thought about this song in terms of spirituality, but that makes sense. I had always it was about the sense of majesty and wonderment you get when stargazing.
A few comments: "No one here can show you where it is but I can point to a sign" - Almost obviously, it refers to when stars were used for navigation. I suppose it also is about more Eastern ideas of spirituality, where no one person or one thing can tell you the path to enlightenment, only guide you. "The conversation of impassive planets intercepted by a human being" The way planets move (gravity) can tell us where satellites, other planets, or stars are. "The air is thin / up on a mountain" might also refer to where observatories are located (high, where the air is thin), and possibly where those raptors (the birds) are. The second-to-last stanza is great - It's very vivid, and while it uses complex language, does not sound haughty or self-important (which is kind of true of all Bad Religion's songs - Maybe it's Greg's delivery, but they use big words not just to sound smart).