for me this song is about the loss of tradition and reverence for history (and even old wisdoms) in humanity and as every new generation comes along.
It references Remembrance Day to evoke honoring our forefathers that have lived their lives not only because life is good, but because we can learn some things from the way that they lived their lives.
"Lest we forget the lesson
Enshrined in funeral clay"
There's a lesson to be learned from the way others have lived their life. Juxtaposition of the immaterial in "lessons" and the material "clay".
"History is never written
By those who've lost
The defeated must bear witness to
Our collective memory loss"
Here he's suggesting that those who take part in this "collective memory loss" (forsaking tradition and history) will in fact be forgotten by history itself. Very potent imagery.
"We live in the dream time
Nothing seems to last
Can you really plan a future
When you no longer have a past"
Present-day people live in a time of great promises, promises that give us lofty hopes for a perfect and ideal future, but can we really move ahead if we don't have tradition to guide us?
"If we are subject to
Empirical minds
I wonder what lies beyond
Our memory's confines"
This is a little tongue-in-cheek. It seems to be criticizing modern science and philosophy, where nothing that can't be empirically proven could ever be valuable or sacred. He criticizes those who hold the ideal over the privileges that we already have, those who wish to rise above their humanity, their "memory's confines".
"If memory is the true
Sum of who we are
May your children know the truth
And shine like the brightest star"
This is where he defines our histories as what will ultimately define our futures. Only when our future generations take heed of the lessons that history teaches us will they be able to reach their potentials.
"All my love and all my kisses
Sweet Mnemosyne
All my love and all my kisses
Sweet Mnemosyne
Sweet Mnemosyne"
The part of the song with the most pathos. Essentially he's associating our memories with the greatest joy that we can give to others, love and kisses. The conclusion is that by forgetting our past, we have forgotten how to love. Nice imagery as well with the allusion to Mnemosyne, the personification of memory in Greek mythology.
The song's title is apt, encompassing all those who have forgotten how to live by their disgracing tradition and history.
for me this song is about the loss of tradition and reverence for history (and even old wisdoms) in humanity and as every new generation comes along.
It references Remembrance Day to evoke honoring our forefathers that have lived their lives not only because life is good, but because we can learn some things from the way that they lived their lives.
"Lest we forget the lesson Enshrined in funeral clay"
There's a lesson to be learned from the way others have lived their life. Juxtaposition of the immaterial in "lessons" and the material "clay".
"History is never written By those who've lost The defeated must bear witness to Our collective memory loss"
Here he's suggesting that those who take part in this "collective memory loss" (forsaking tradition and history) will in fact be forgotten by history itself. Very potent imagery.
"We live in the dream time Nothing seems to last Can you really plan a future When you no longer have a past"
Present-day people live in a time of great promises, promises that give us lofty hopes for a perfect and ideal future, but can we really move ahead if we don't have tradition to guide us?
"If we are subject to Empirical minds I wonder what lies beyond Our memory's confines"
This is a little tongue-in-cheek. It seems to be criticizing modern science and philosophy, where nothing that can't be empirically proven could ever be valuable or sacred. He criticizes those who hold the ideal over the privileges that we already have, those who wish to rise above their humanity, their "memory's confines".
"If memory is the true Sum of who we are May your children know the truth And shine like the brightest star"
This is where he defines our histories as what will ultimately define our futures. Only when our future generations take heed of the lessons that history teaches us will they be able to reach their potentials.
"All my love and all my kisses Sweet Mnemosyne All my love and all my kisses Sweet Mnemosyne Sweet Mnemosyne"
The part of the song with the most pathos. Essentially he's associating our memories with the greatest joy that we can give to others, love and kisses. The conclusion is that by forgetting our past, we have forgotten how to love. Nice imagery as well with the allusion to Mnemosyne, the personification of memory in Greek mythology.
The song's title is apt, encompassing all those who have forgotten how to live by their disgracing tradition and history.