Lyrics
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
The repetitive "Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh" serves as a rhythmic, almost tribal chant that may symbolize a collective or universal feeling.
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-I was left to my own devices
The speaker reflects on a period of solitude or self-reliance.
Many days fell away with nothing to show
Many days have passed without significant achievements or outcomes.
And the walls kept tumbling down
Metaphorical depiction of a city in turmoil, possibly symbolizing challenges or hardships.
In the city that we love
-Grey clouds roll over the hills
-Bringing darkness from above
-But if you close your eyes
Suggests a longing for a sense of familiarity or stability in the face of adversity.
Does it almost feel like
-Nothing changed at all?
-And if you close your eyes
-Does it almost feel like
-You've been here before?
-How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
Expresses the difficulty of maintaining optimism in difficult circumstances.
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
-We were caught up and lost in all of our vices
Describes being entangled and overwhelmed by indulgences or weaknesses.
In your pose as the dust settles around us
-And the walls kept tumbling down
Reiteration of the city's decline and the impending darkness.
In the city that we love
-Grey clouds roll over the hills
-Bringing darkness from above
-But if you close your eyes
Questions whether closing one's eyes can create a temporary illusion of unchanged circumstances or returning to a familiar state.
Does it almost feel like
-Nothing changed at all?
-And if you close your eyes
-Does it almost feel like
-You've been here before?
-How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
Repeats the challenge of maintaining optimism in the face of adversity.
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
-Eh-oh, eh-oh
Repetition of the tribal chant, possibly emphasizing the collective nature of the experience.
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Oh, where do we begin?
Rhetorical questions about where to start addressing problems – the physical destruction or moral failings.
The rubble or our sins?
-Oh-oh, where do we begin?
-The rubble or our sins?
-And the walls kept tumbling down (oh, where do we begin?)
Continuation of the metaphorical collapse of the city and the darkness looming.
In the city that we love (the rubble or our sins?)
-Grey clouds roll over the hills (oh, where do we begin?)
-Bringing darkness from above (the rubble or our sins?)
-But if you close your eyes
Revisits the idea of finding solace or illusion by closing one's eyes and reflecting on familiarity.
Does it almost feel like
-Nothing changed at all?
-And if you close your eyes
-Does it almost feel like
-You've been here before?
-Oh, how am I gonna be an optimist about this?
Repeats the challenge of maintaining optimism, suggesting the difficulty of the task.
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
-If you close your eyes
Questions the effectiveness of closing one's eyes in creating a sense of unchanging reality.
Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Repetition of the tribal chant, potentially reinforcing a sense of collective experience or shared emotion.
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
-Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
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