I can relate to this song, being from Houston myself and having spent significant parts of my life in various parts of it and seeing people from all walks of life. I too can feel that the city is a living, breathing thing despite the atrocities that are committed on a daily basis.
To me the relationship between the city and people is a metaphor between humanity (and/or maybe god {"like who on top of this?"}) and the individual members of humanity. In the song people treat the city as an inorganic machine ("Strength in metal and fiber optics'). However, anybody with an urban background knows the city is a living, breathing thing, ("I can feel the city breathin, Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening"). The members of the city are slowly killing it because they treat it as a machine that has input only ignoring the reciprocal effects of their actions.
This can be extended to how we interact as society at large. We are generally trained to make decisions that are in the best interest of ourselves or a small circle of friends and family. So when we do things for personal gain("mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips for profits", "No Batman and Robin, can't tell between the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless With no conscience") or take steps toward transforming to an elitist society (ignoring the plight and interests of the less powerful or small numbered), we are indifferent to the outward effects that these actions have on humanity at large. We are slowly killing it.
Yet society still has life left ("chest heavin"). Just like the city, it refuses to give up.
I can relate to this song, being from Houston myself and having spent significant parts of my life in various parts of it and seeing people from all walks of life. I too can feel that the city is a living, breathing thing despite the atrocities that are committed on a daily basis.
To me the relationship between the city and people is a metaphor between humanity (and/or maybe god {"like who on top of this?"}) and the individual members of humanity. In the song people treat the city as an inorganic machine ("Strength in metal and fiber optics'). However, anybody with an urban background knows the city is a living, breathing thing, ("I can feel the city breathin, Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening"). The members of the city are slowly killing it because they treat it as a machine that has input only ignoring the reciprocal effects of their actions.
This can be extended to how we interact as society at large. We are generally trained to make decisions that are in the best interest of ourselves or a small circle of friends and family. So when we do things for personal gain("mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips for profits", "No Batman and Robin, can't tell between the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless With no conscience") or take steps toward transforming to an elitist society (ignoring the plight and interests of the less powerful or small numbered), we are indifferent to the outward effects that these actions have on humanity at large. We are slowly killing it.
Yet society still has life left ("chest heavin"). Just like the city, it refuses to give up.