I think this song is about absurdism, nihilism, and existentialism.
The first verse seems to paint a picture of someone who is struggling with the worry that their world may not be real. If the "zeros and ones" are meant to be binary code, than this could be a reference to the theory that our reality may just be a computer program, hence not real.
simulation-argument.com/
I'm not fully sure about the second verse. I think its about someone trying to live their life as if there is meaning in the world though their unsure. I like pinstripesandpedals' idea that masterfade is a reference to part of a mixing deck that let's you fade everything to silence. In this case, the masterfade could represent the ability to imagine the world as unreal, or 'silence reality'. "And I'm awfully glad my finger's resting gently on the masterfade" - this particular line makes me think of a time when I used to consider my disbelief in reality as enlightenment. I was fairly arrogant in this mind set.
"Does it matter if we're all matter when we're done
When the sky is full of zeros and ones" - This again seems to talk about the possibility that our reality is infact unreal, while bringing into question whether or not this is even worth worrying about.
"With GPS you know it's all just a matter of degrees" - I think the GPS represents blindly following religion. Choosing faith over rationality is one way people cope with the Absurd. Like a GPS, religion maps out a single life path to follow, and right and wrong is measured in objective 'degrees'.
"Your happiness won't find you underneath that canopy of trees" - Again, I think this is about religion. Trying to force yourself to have blind faith, like hiding from the binary code sky under a canopy of trees, is only a superficial solution.
"If the green grass is 6 and the soybeans are 7
The junebugs are 8 the weeds and thistles are 11" - I think this line is about trying to impose absolute values on the world.
"And if the 1s just hold their place the 0s make a smiley face
When they come floating down from the heavens" - This line is about assigning personal meaning to the world.
I think this song is about absurdism, nihilism, and existentialism.
The first verse seems to paint a picture of someone who is struggling with the worry that their world may not be real. If the "zeros and ones" are meant to be binary code, than this could be a reference to the theory that our reality may just be a computer program, hence not real. simulation-argument.com/
I'm not fully sure about the second verse. I think its about someone trying to live their life as if there is meaning in the world though their unsure. I like pinstripesandpedals' idea that masterfade is a reference to part of a mixing deck that let's you fade everything to silence. In this case, the masterfade could represent the ability to imagine the world as unreal, or 'silence reality'. "And I'm awfully glad my finger's resting gently on the masterfade" - this particular line makes me think of a time when I used to consider my disbelief in reality as enlightenment. I was fairly arrogant in this mind set.
"Does it matter if we're all matter when we're done When the sky is full of zeros and ones" - This again seems to talk about the possibility that our reality is infact unreal, while bringing into question whether or not this is even worth worrying about.
"With GPS you know it's all just a matter of degrees" - I think the GPS represents blindly following religion. Choosing faith over rationality is one way people cope with the Absurd. Like a GPS, religion maps out a single life path to follow, and right and wrong is measured in objective 'degrees'.
"Your happiness won't find you underneath that canopy of trees" - Again, I think this is about religion. Trying to force yourself to have blind faith, like hiding from the binary code sky under a canopy of trees, is only a superficial solution.
"If the green grass is 6 and the soybeans are 7 The junebugs are 8 the weeds and thistles are 11" - I think this line is about trying to impose absolute values on the world.
"And if the 1s just hold their place the 0s make a smiley face When they come floating down from the heavens" - This line is about assigning personal meaning to the world.