I personally think this song is about the drug trade and the drug war, but I'm a huge believer that all songs are up for interpretation and everyone's view is valid.
(Some of the lyrics on this page are wrong, so in my interpretation some of the lyrics are different from what is on this page because I'm using what I believe are the lyrics).
Most people who think that this song is about drugs probably think that "the high road" is a reference to drugs, mainly because it says "high" in it; I believe that "the high road" in this song is used as the same way that this phrase is usually interpreted: taking the better way out of a bad situation.
That being said, let me start from the beginning of the song and work my way through:
"We're bound to wait all night
She's bound to run amok
Invested enough in it anyhow,
To each his own..."
I think that this is talking about maybe a group of friends waiting with a girl who is waiting for a dealer to give her drugs for the first time. They feel like they're "bound to wait all night" and "she's bound to run amok" because she might be nervous about getting caught, but she's already risked enough and is "invested enough in it anyhow".
"The Garden needs sorting out
She curls her lips on the bow
And I don't know if I'm dead or not
To anyone..."
The garden might be his or her life: it needs sorting out, it needs to be cleaned up and needs some TLC. She doesn't know if she's dead to society and she probably feels isolated.
"Come on and get the minimum
Before you open up your eyes,
This army has so many heads
To analyze...
Come on and get your overdose
Collect it at the borderline
And they want to get up in your head..."
This is the voice of the drug trade wanting you to "come on and get the minimum" that you need just to try drugs and get hooked, and try drugs "before you open up your eyes" that drugs are not the way out of your problems. The Army represents the police/those who fight against drugs, and the "so many heads to analyze" refers to the drug tests that cops use to convict people of felonies involving drugs and the many people that they try to convict. The drug traders "want to get up in your head" so that you'll get hooked on drugs and keep coming back for more, which means more money for them.
"Cause they know and so do I
The high road is hard to find
A detour to your new life
Tell all of your friends goodbye"
The drug traders ("they") "know...the high road is hard to find" and that drugs are a "detour" or easy way to fix your problems, rather than struggling to reach the high road. But while you're using these hard drugs, you'll likely lose your friends and leave everything behind you.
"The dawn to end all nights
That's all we hoped it was
A break form the warfare in your house...
A soldier is bailing out
He curled his lips on the barrel
And I don't know if the dead can talk
To anyone..."
"The dawn" refers to drugs and "all nights" represents all troubles and pains in life. So you hoped that "the dawn to end all nights" would "end the warfare in your house" (that drugs would end your problems that you're facing "in your house" or family or life in general). The soldier bailing out may be someone who has lost everything and tried very hard to escape drugs but can't, and so he "curls his lips on the barrel" and takes his life.
"It's too late to change your mind
You let loss be your guide..."
It's too late to escape from drugs or change your mind, because you let all of your problems push you to doing drugs as a means of escape, but now you're hooked and can't go back.
I personally think this song is about the drug trade and the drug war, but I'm a huge believer that all songs are up for interpretation and everyone's view is valid.
(Some of the lyrics on this page are wrong, so in my interpretation some of the lyrics are different from what is on this page because I'm using what I believe are the lyrics).
Most people who think that this song is about drugs probably think that "the high road" is a reference to drugs, mainly because it says "high" in it; I believe that "the high road" in this song is used as the same way that this phrase is usually interpreted: taking the better way out of a bad situation.
That being said, let me start from the beginning of the song and work my way through:
"We're bound to wait all night She's bound to run amok Invested enough in it anyhow, To each his own..."
I think that this is talking about maybe a group of friends waiting with a girl who is waiting for a dealer to give her drugs for the first time. They feel like they're "bound to wait all night" and "she's bound to run amok" because she might be nervous about getting caught, but she's already risked enough and is "invested enough in it anyhow".
"The Garden needs sorting out She curls her lips on the bow And I don't know if I'm dead or not To anyone..."
The garden might be his or her life: it needs sorting out, it needs to be cleaned up and needs some TLC. She doesn't know if she's dead to society and she probably feels isolated.
"Come on and get the minimum Before you open up your eyes, This army has so many heads To analyze... Come on and get your overdose Collect it at the borderline And they want to get up in your head..."
This is the voice of the drug trade wanting you to "come on and get the minimum" that you need just to try drugs and get hooked, and try drugs "before you open up your eyes" that drugs are not the way out of your problems. The Army represents the police/those who fight against drugs, and the "so many heads to analyze" refers to the drug tests that cops use to convict people of felonies involving drugs and the many people that they try to convict. The drug traders "want to get up in your head" so that you'll get hooked on drugs and keep coming back for more, which means more money for them.
"Cause they know and so do I The high road is hard to find A detour to your new life Tell all of your friends goodbye"
The drug traders ("they") "know...the high road is hard to find" and that drugs are a "detour" or easy way to fix your problems, rather than struggling to reach the high road. But while you're using these hard drugs, you'll likely lose your friends and leave everything behind you.
"The dawn to end all nights That's all we hoped it was A break form the warfare in your house... A soldier is bailing out He curled his lips on the barrel And I don't know if the dead can talk To anyone..."
"The dawn" refers to drugs and "all nights" represents all troubles and pains in life. So you hoped that "the dawn to end all nights" would "end the warfare in your house" (that drugs would end your problems that you're facing "in your house" or family or life in general). The soldier bailing out may be someone who has lost everything and tried very hard to escape drugs but can't, and so he "curls his lips on the barrel" and takes his life.
"It's too late to change your mind You let loss be your guide..."
It's too late to escape from drugs or change your mind, because you let all of your problems push you to doing drugs as a means of escape, but now you're hooked and can't go back.
A well thought-out interpretation. Thank you.
A well thought-out interpretation. Thank you.
This is my favorite interpretation I've read so far.
This is my favorite interpretation I've read so far.