I think y'all are off a bit here. It seems almost certain that the "blindness that touches perfection" is referring to the "others who care for themselves" and who have caused him to surrender to self preservation. It is their perfect blindness which "hurts just like anything else." This understanding will also strengthen the tone of isolation and speak to it more directly than seeing in it a reference to the songwriter's epilepsy.
The basic irony of the song, as I see it, is that the isolation is both torture and pleasure, just as total isolation always is. The songwriter is a person frought with shame and loneliness, but who since that is so total it becomes beautiful. This is his "wonderful prize" which is of course no prize at all. Tremendous, haunting and painful song. One of the best ever written, IMO.
I think y'all are off a bit here. It seems almost certain that the "blindness that touches perfection" is referring to the "others who care for themselves" and who have caused him to surrender to self preservation. It is their perfect blindness which "hurts just like anything else." This understanding will also strengthen the tone of isolation and speak to it more directly than seeing in it a reference to the songwriter's epilepsy.
The basic irony of the song, as I see it, is that the isolation is both torture and pleasure, just as total isolation always is. The songwriter is a person frought with shame and loneliness, but who since that is so total it becomes beautiful. This is his "wonderful prize" which is of course no prize at all. Tremendous, haunting and painful song. One of the best ever written, IMO.