Yes, definitely cold war stuff and coming out of a country that was smack in the middle of the cold war with a divided Germany and a divided Berlin. People were really afraid and very aware of the possibility of nuclear war, witness many other cultural things like "The Day After" or Sting's "Russians" song or even The Smiths "Ask" ("if it's not love then it's the bomb that will bring us together"). In the 80s, "The Bomb" was pretty clearly understood to refer to an atomic bomb.
Everyone was very aware that the human race was poised to destroy itself, but there was not much an average person could do. ("Are you gonna drop the bomb or not.")
Not only is it the cry of youth for the possibilities for it yet to fulfill, but the idea of lost youth forever unfulfilled by nuclear obliteration. Killed possibilities times a million, ten million, 100 million, 8 billion?
Yes this song is sad because it talks about the different types of people (some like water, heat, etc) and so many possibilities for good things to happen and good experiences that will be lost prematurely.
Even without the nuclear Armageddon overtones it's still sad since it points out the inevitability of death, maybe without so much lost potential, but still ultimately sad.
It's the perfect mix of a beautiful song that is even more beautiful because it's sad and it points out the shortness of life and needing to try and fulfill the good possibilities of it.
Yes, definitely cold war stuff and coming out of a country that was smack in the middle of the cold war with a divided Germany and a divided Berlin. People were really afraid and very aware of the possibility of nuclear war, witness many other cultural things like "The Day After" or Sting's "Russians" song or even The Smiths "Ask" ("if it's not love then it's the bomb that will bring us together"). In the 80s, "The Bomb" was pretty clearly understood to refer to an atomic bomb.
Everyone was very aware that the human race was poised to destroy itself, but there was not much an average person could do. ("Are you gonna drop the bomb or not.")
Not only is it the cry of youth for the possibilities for it yet to fulfill, but the idea of lost youth forever unfulfilled by nuclear obliteration. Killed possibilities times a million, ten million, 100 million, 8 billion?
Yes this song is sad because it talks about the different types of people (some like water, heat, etc) and so many possibilities for good things to happen and good experiences that will be lost prematurely.
Even without the nuclear Armageddon overtones it's still sad since it points out the inevitability of death, maybe without so much lost potential, but still ultimately sad.
It's the perfect mix of a beautiful song that is even more beautiful because it's sad and it points out the shortness of life and needing to try and fulfill the good possibilities of it.