The song is written as a simple first person vignette of a man stopping at an unnamed diner for a cup of coffee. He notes the newspaper he is reading, and the women who come and go in the diner, outside in the rain. The ringing of bells at a nearby cathedral cause him to reminisce on an unnamed companion with whom he had picnicked previously. Finishing his coffee, he hurries from the diner to catch a train.
Vega wrote the song based on a comment by her friend Brian Rose, a photographer, who mentioned that in his work, he sometimes felt as if "he saw his whole life through a pane of glass, and [...] like he was the witness to a lot of things, but was never really involved in them."
Perfect description of this song's tone. I have this feeling come over me sometimes: often it would happen at work, late in the day when most of my colleagues were leaving (I was always the last to leave, often alone for an hour or two).
Perfect description of this song's tone. I have this feeling come over me sometimes: often it would happen at work, late in the day when most of my colleagues were leaving (I was always the last to leave, often alone for an hour or two).
Used to think, "I'm having that 'rat in a maze' feeling again." Turns out there's a term for this feeling: "depersonalization". The sense that one's life is unreal or dreamlike...of being a spectator rather than a participant in one's life...a fragile sense of self.
Used to think, "I'm having that 'rat in a maze' feeling again." Turns out there's a term for this feeling: "depersonalization". The sense that one's life is unreal or dreamlike...of being a spectator rather than a participant in one's life...a fragile sense of self.
Although depersonalization as a primary, "standalone" symptom is believed to be unusual, it is one of three symptoms patients most often report to their therapists (the others being sadness and anxiety). People experiencing panic attacks often feel as if their hold on reality is slipping. It's also linked with disassociation, which is when you do not identify your self with your body (similar to an out-of-body experience, but the intensity of the sensation can vary tremendously).
The song is written as a simple first person vignette of a man stopping at an unnamed diner for a cup of coffee. He notes the newspaper he is reading, and the women who come and go in the diner, outside in the rain. The ringing of bells at a nearby cathedral cause him to reminisce on an unnamed companion with whom he had picnicked previously. Finishing his coffee, he hurries from the diner to catch a train.
Vega wrote the song based on a comment by her friend Brian Rose, a photographer, who mentioned that in his work, he sometimes felt as if "he saw his whole life through a pane of glass, and [...] like he was the witness to a lot of things, but was never really involved in them."
Perfect description of this song's tone. I have this feeling come over me sometimes: often it would happen at work, late in the day when most of my colleagues were leaving (I was always the last to leave, often alone for an hour or two).
Perfect description of this song's tone. I have this feeling come over me sometimes: often it would happen at work, late in the day when most of my colleagues were leaving (I was always the last to leave, often alone for an hour or two).
Used to think, "I'm having that 'rat in a maze' feeling again." Turns out there's a term for this feeling: "depersonalization". The sense that one's life is unreal or dreamlike...of being a spectator rather than a participant in one's life...a fragile sense of self.
Used to think, "I'm having that 'rat in a maze' feeling again." Turns out there's a term for this feeling: "depersonalization". The sense that one's life is unreal or dreamlike...of being a spectator rather than a participant in one's life...a fragile sense of self.
Although depersonalization as a primary, "standalone" symptom is believed to be unusual, it is one of three symptoms patients most often report to their therapists (the others being sadness and anxiety). People experiencing panic attacks often feel as if their hold on reality is slipping. It's also linked with disassociation, which is when you do not identify your self with your body (similar to an out-of-body experience, but the intensity of the sensation can vary tremendously).