I can say with relative certainty that this song is NOT about a relationship, a specific person/story, or and definitely not just telling the story of Pompeii. The song is dense with truths about humanity and our tendency to inadvertently cause our own downfalls.
Here's my interpretation: Both on a large scale (wars, poverty, etc.) and a small scale (hopelessness, poor relationships, etc.), our world falls apart due to our own faults ("vices" in the song — selfishness, greed, general wrongdoings). We look around and recognize that our society and our own personal lives are flawed.
Over and over in anyone's life, there are problems and difficulties. Yet, when we "close our eyes" (stop thinking about the problems themselves), we realize that despite our recognition of these flaws, we really haven't changed our attitudes at all to help make things better ("nothing's changed at all"). For that reason, we keep making the same mistakes over and over again — we've "been here before," and we're making the same mistakes again, one reason why the metaphor of Pompeii and it's destruction is brilliant for this song. We want to change everything that's going wrong, when maybe we should be looking to change ourselves and our own shortcomings.
One of the most powerful lines of the song conveys this message — "Where do we begin? The rubble or our sins?" In other words, do we just clean up and hide our messes, or do we dig for the root of the problem first? It seems to suggest that the first option will lead to continued failure and an endless cycle of destruction.
There's definitely more here, but I think that's part of it. And like many songs, there are multiple valid interpretations, but I think this idea of our cyclical flaws is definitely in there. Fantastic song, even better lyrics.
I totally agree. This song poses a strong connection between an apocalyptic situation and daily life. The line "if you close your eyes does it almost feel like you've been here before" explains this. In other words, if you forget just what you're sensing and focus on what you're feeling, this isn't the first time you've felt doomed, hopeless, lost. Really, it's exactly this feeling that impacts and determines your reality, less so than the actual situation.
I totally agree. This song poses a strong connection between an apocalyptic situation and daily life. The line "if you close your eyes does it almost feel like you've been here before" explains this. In other words, if you forget just what you're sensing and focus on what you're feeling, this isn't the first time you've felt doomed, hopeless, lost. Really, it's exactly this feeling that impacts and determines your reality, less so than the actual situation.
"Where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?" echoes this idea. After a tragedy, how does one begin to recover—rebuilding the physical destruction, or making amends for the personal damage one has caused to both themselves and others. Furthermore, it shows the panic and confusion that results, but that despite this panic, using "we" suggests that the intent to rebuild and learn has brought the victims of tragedy closer.
(Not saying you specifically said this, but nonetheless) I don't think it makes sense to interpret the apocalyptic/life-shattering event that seems to be the focus of the song as a punishment or retribution for "sins" or for being "caught up in lust and all of our vices" so much as it highlights how in this kind of event can cause one to alter their priorities toward more collective, humanistic goals.
Love your interpretation! However, for me, intuitively, interpreting it on the relationship-level does make more sense. I have wondered why, and I guess it is because of the opening sentence. It says "I was left to my own devices", which, for me, makes it very personal: I fucked up again. Me, not all of us. If it was meant on the level of humanity, I would expect the song to open with "We were left to our own devices". Of course, later on it becomes clear that the "I" isn't the only one to blame, when the song goes on...
Love your interpretation! However, for me, intuitively, interpreting it on the relationship-level does make more sense. I have wondered why, and I guess it is because of the opening sentence. It says "I was left to my own devices", which, for me, makes it very personal: I fucked up again. Me, not all of us. If it was meant on the level of humanity, I would expect the song to open with "We were left to our own devices". Of course, later on it becomes clear that the "I" isn't the only one to blame, when the song goes on to sing about "our vices" and "our sins". However, because of the opening sentence, it does seem to me that the "I" made a very substantial contribution to the failure.
The song makes me think about trying to make a relationship work, but failing time after time, because, in line with your interpretation, we make up after each crises (the rubble), but we don't change our characters (our vices, our sins) which are causing new crises over and over again. So when we close our eyes, and stop to be distracted by the particularities of the current crisis situation, we realize that nothing changed at all in the underlying dynamics. How, in these circumstances, can we be optimistic about the future?
I can say with relative certainty that this song is NOT about a relationship, a specific person/story, or and definitely not just telling the story of Pompeii. The song is dense with truths about humanity and our tendency to inadvertently cause our own downfalls.
Here's my interpretation: Both on a large scale (wars, poverty, etc.) and a small scale (hopelessness, poor relationships, etc.), our world falls apart due to our own faults ("vices" in the song — selfishness, greed, general wrongdoings). We look around and recognize that our society and our own personal lives are flawed.
Over and over in anyone's life, there are problems and difficulties. Yet, when we "close our eyes" (stop thinking about the problems themselves), we realize that despite our recognition of these flaws, we really haven't changed our attitudes at all to help make things better ("nothing's changed at all"). For that reason, we keep making the same mistakes over and over again — we've "been here before," and we're making the same mistakes again, one reason why the metaphor of Pompeii and it's destruction is brilliant for this song. We want to change everything that's going wrong, when maybe we should be looking to change ourselves and our own shortcomings.
One of the most powerful lines of the song conveys this message — "Where do we begin? The rubble or our sins?" In other words, do we just clean up and hide our messes, or do we dig for the root of the problem first? It seems to suggest that the first option will lead to continued failure and an endless cycle of destruction.
There's definitely more here, but I think that's part of it. And like many songs, there are multiple valid interpretations, but I think this idea of our cyclical flaws is definitely in there. Fantastic song, even better lyrics.
Love this interpretation.
Love this interpretation.
I totally agree. This song poses a strong connection between an apocalyptic situation and daily life. The line "if you close your eyes does it almost feel like you've been here before" explains this. In other words, if you forget just what you're sensing and focus on what you're feeling, this isn't the first time you've felt doomed, hopeless, lost. Really, it's exactly this feeling that impacts and determines your reality, less so than the actual situation.
I totally agree. This song poses a strong connection between an apocalyptic situation and daily life. The line "if you close your eyes does it almost feel like you've been here before" explains this. In other words, if you forget just what you're sensing and focus on what you're feeling, this isn't the first time you've felt doomed, hopeless, lost. Really, it's exactly this feeling that impacts and determines your reality, less so than the actual situation.
"Where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?" echoes this idea. After a tragedy, how does one begin to recover—rebuilding the physical destruction, or making amends for the personal damage one has caused to both themselves and others. Furthermore, it shows the panic and confusion that results, but that despite this panic, using "we" suggests that the intent to rebuild and learn has brought the victims of tragedy closer.
(Not saying you specifically said this, but nonetheless) I don't think it makes sense to interpret the apocalyptic/life-shattering event that seems to be the focus of the song as a punishment or retribution for "sins" or for being "caught up in lust and all of our vices" so much as it highlights how in this kind of event can cause one to alter their priorities toward more collective, humanistic goals.
Love your interpretation! However, for me, intuitively, interpreting it on the relationship-level does make more sense. I have wondered why, and I guess it is because of the opening sentence. It says "I was left to my own devices", which, for me, makes it very personal: I fucked up again. Me, not all of us. If it was meant on the level of humanity, I would expect the song to open with "We were left to our own devices". Of course, later on it becomes clear that the "I" isn't the only one to blame, when the song goes on...
Love your interpretation! However, for me, intuitively, interpreting it on the relationship-level does make more sense. I have wondered why, and I guess it is because of the opening sentence. It says "I was left to my own devices", which, for me, makes it very personal: I fucked up again. Me, not all of us. If it was meant on the level of humanity, I would expect the song to open with "We were left to our own devices". Of course, later on it becomes clear that the "I" isn't the only one to blame, when the song goes on to sing about "our vices" and "our sins". However, because of the opening sentence, it does seem to me that the "I" made a very substantial contribution to the failure.
The song makes me think about trying to make a relationship work, but failing time after time, because, in line with your interpretation, we make up after each crises (the rubble), but we don't change our characters (our vices, our sins) which are causing new crises over and over again. So when we close our eyes, and stop to be distracted by the particularities of the current crisis situation, we realize that nothing changed at all in the underlying dynamics. How, in these circumstances, can we be optimistic about the future?