Here's my attempt at interpretation of this song. I hope it goes well...
"(The surrealists were just)
Nihilists with good imaginations"
Kevin talks specifically about the cultural movement that we all should be relatively familiar with by now, known as surrealism in which artists (in whatever form) express philosophical beliefs, specifically the process of thought through works of art, and most of the time these operate outside a moral framework. The idea that life has no universal truth, is a nihilist view of the world. Nietzsche critiques this idea and identifies two forms of nihilists: active- those who see nihilism as inaction, and consciously make decisions outside a moral framework because life has no universal truth, and passive Nihilists- those who argue that this life is just a "phase" if you will... Nietzsche argues that Christians are the ultimate passive Nihilists.
"I am satisfied
Hiding in our friend's apartment
Only leaving once a day
To buy some groceries
Daylight, I'm so absent minded
Nighttime meeting new anxieties
So am I erasing myself?
Hope I'm not erasing myself"
Barnes quite possibly could be referring to drugs in this stanza as a form of inaction, but at the end says that, as Nietzsche argues- nihilism "Erases" the meaning of life to the individual. they no longer desire to seek great things.
"I guess it would be nice to give my heart to a god
But which one, which one do I choose?
All the churches fill with losers, psycho or confused
I just want to hold the divine in mind
And forget all of the beauty's wasted"
Kevin Barnes wants to be a passive nihilist, because that is easy for him, but at this point he can't... forget, for lack of a better term, all of the things that he has learned, and go back to the easier life. He's figured things out, and he doesn't like it.
"Let's fall back to earth and do something pleasant
We fell back to earth like gravity's bitches
(Physics makes us all its bitches)"
There is no afterlife, so now we are all just forms on the physical earth, no heaven to reach. Thus physics would hold us to this earth forever.
"I guess it would be nice to help in your escape
From patterns your parents designed
All the party people dancing for the indie star
But he's the worst faker by far
But in the set, I forget all of the beauty's wasted"
Parents often times pick the religion for their child. Children are raised in ignorance. Kevin critiques this idea a bit here, i think. As he moves through the stanza we hear a critique of the music industry, in my opinion. Artists write lyrics to cater to their audience, not for self gratification. That's a guess. But at the end of the day it's fun to listen to. They all have the potential. that's the wasted beauty, but it goes to waste.
Here's my attempt at interpretation of this song. I hope it goes well...
"(The surrealists were just) Nihilists with good imaginations"
Kevin talks specifically about the cultural movement that we all should be relatively familiar with by now, known as surrealism in which artists (in whatever form) express philosophical beliefs, specifically the process of thought through works of art, and most of the time these operate outside a moral framework. The idea that life has no universal truth, is a nihilist view of the world. Nietzsche critiques this idea and identifies two forms of nihilists: active- those who see nihilism as inaction, and consciously make decisions outside a moral framework because life has no universal truth, and passive Nihilists- those who argue that this life is just a "phase" if you will... Nietzsche argues that Christians are the ultimate passive Nihilists.
"I am satisfied Hiding in our friend's apartment Only leaving once a day To buy some groceries Daylight, I'm so absent minded Nighttime meeting new anxieties So am I erasing myself? Hope I'm not erasing myself"
Barnes quite possibly could be referring to drugs in this stanza as a form of inaction, but at the end says that, as Nietzsche argues- nihilism "Erases" the meaning of life to the individual. they no longer desire to seek great things.
"I guess it would be nice to give my heart to a god But which one, which one do I choose? All the churches fill with losers, psycho or confused I just want to hold the divine in mind And forget all of the beauty's wasted"
Kevin Barnes wants to be a passive nihilist, because that is easy for him, but at this point he can't... forget, for lack of a better term, all of the things that he has learned, and go back to the easier life. He's figured things out, and he doesn't like it.
"Let's fall back to earth and do something pleasant We fell back to earth like gravity's bitches (Physics makes us all its bitches)"
There is no afterlife, so now we are all just forms on the physical earth, no heaven to reach. Thus physics would hold us to this earth forever.
"I guess it would be nice to help in your escape From patterns your parents designed All the party people dancing for the indie star But he's the worst faker by far But in the set, I forget all of the beauty's wasted"
Parents often times pick the religion for their child. Children are raised in ignorance. Kevin critiques this idea a bit here, i think. As he moves through the stanza we hear a critique of the music industry, in my opinion. Artists write lyrics to cater to their audience, not for self gratification. That's a guess. But at the end of the day it's fun to listen to. They all have the potential. that's the wasted beauty, but it goes to waste.
this really clicked in my head; thanks for the constructive post.
this really clicked in my head; thanks for the constructive post.