Broken Hinges
Swinging on Broken Hinges: Unveiling a Realm of Defiance and Redemption
Lyrics
I know a little place where the sunlight dares to tread
The singer is familiar with a secluded place where sunlight is scarce.
Where the barman mops the counter with a rag that's stained with red
The barman cleans the counter with a rag stained with red, implying a violent or intense atmosphere.
Underfoot smashed glass, spent rounds and broken bones
The ground is littered with broken glass, spent bullet casings, and shattered bones, suggesting a dangerous environment.
Well I've never found a place where I felt so quite at home
The singer expresses a sense of belonging to this chaotic place, feeling at home there.
At the gates of the temple of Janus
Reference to the temple of Janus, symbolizing a place of great significance that has been open since ancient times, possibly representing conflict or turmoil.
Its DEFCON five
-At the gates of the temple of Janus
-We've been open since the dawn of time
-Swinging, swinging on those broken hinges
The gates of Janus are metaphorically described as constantly swinging on broken hinges, emphasizing their perpetual openness and the futility of hoping for closure.
There's no point in ever hoping, those gates are never closing
-Swinging, swinging on those broken hinges
-There's no point in ever hoping those gates are always open
-I drag myself up from the depths of the ocean floor
The singer narrates a journey from the ocean floor, through learning to walk, to participating in war, with references to a blacksmith and the destructive act of "Little Boy."
First I learnt to walk, then I went to war
-The blacksmith hammers a beat on a ancient blade
-And the Little Boy blew the whole damn city away
-At the gates of the temple of Janus
At Janus' gates, both cowards and courageous individuals, as well as tormentors and saviors, coexist, underscoring the universality of experiences in this tumultuous place.
The cowards and courageous
-At the gates of the temple of Janus
-Our tormentors and all our saviours
-Swinging, swinging on those broken hinges,
Reiteration of the swinging gates, emphasizing the permanence of their openness and the futility of hoping for closure.
There's no point in ever hoping, those gates are never closing
-Swinging, swinging on those broken hinges
-There's no point in ever hoping those gates are always open
-Swinging, swinging on those
Repeated reference to swinging on broken hinges, intensifying the imagery of perpetual motion and instability.
Swinging, swinging on those
-Swinging, swinging on those
-Broken hinges
-Swinging, swinging on those broken hinges
Final repetition underlining the hopelessness of expecting the gates to ever close, suggesting a continuous cycle of chaos and conflict.
There's no point in ever hoping, those gates are never closing
-Swinging, swinging on those broken hinges
-There's no point in ever hoping those gates are always open
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