Long Division
Hope Amidst Long Division
Lyrics
There's a pain in my heart
Expressing emotional distress or sorrow within
As it pumps the blood through my veins
Symbolizing the functioning of the heart and circulation system
So flows a little shame.
Emotion of guilt or embarrassment
I'll pull back on my reins a bit
Exercising control or restraint in behavior
'Cause on the flip there's a man
Contrasting situations; juxtaposing oneself with someone in need
With his aluminum can
A person collecting recyclable materials (aluminum cans) in poverty
In an old wheelchair he sits.
Highlighting the poverty and disability of the person in an old wheelchair
I flip a coin into the wishing well
Throwing a coin into a wishing well, a symbolic act for good wishes
I stop to wish him well.
Expressing goodwill or a desire for the well-being of the person
There was hope once for us both
Reference to a shared past optimism or potential
As our long division grows.
Metaphorical representation of growing apart or division
Failure upon failure made one mountain and one stones.
Accumulation of failures resulting in obstacles
Pray for my friend tonight
Soliciting empathy or prayers for the person in need
Because poor isn't that far from your middle class line.
Highlighting the proximity between poverty and middle-class lifestyles
Long division takes its time.
Implying that division or separation takes time
There's too much daylight between
Emphasizing the disparity between aspirations and reality
All our pockets and our dreams.
Gap between ambitions and achievements
So when you reach into your pockets
Encouraging generosity or reaching deeper within oneself to help others
Reach down further than the seams
Metaphorically urging to extend assistance beyond surface levels
To the leg that you could kneel down
Illustrating the potential to change fortunes
And beg upon; one day a prince
Life's unpredictability and shifts in circumstances
And the next day a vagabond.
Unstable nature of life's circumstances
I flip a coin into the wishing well
Repeating the symbolic act of wishing well for someone in need
This one's for you
Dedicating the act of goodwill to the individual in question
There was hope once for us both
Reiterating past aspirations or shared hopes
As our long division grows.
Continued separation or divergence in life paths
Failure upon failure made one mountain and one stones.
Accumulation of failures contributing to obstacles
Pray for my friend tonight
Requesting support or prayers for the individual in hardship
Because poor isn't that far from your middle class line.
Highlighting the closeness between different socio-economic statuses
Long division takes its time.
Emphasizing the prolonged process of division or separation
The depths of a man
Reflection on the shallowness of a person's character
With water in his hand
Symbolizing an individual holding something precious yet not sharing it
Is shallower than sand
Emphasizing the superficial nature of someone withholding help
If its water he doesn't share.
Importance of sharing and generosity in human interactions
This world's a low tide beach of lies and deceit
Commentary on a world filled with dishonesty and falsehoods
Some go hungry and some eat
Highlighting societal inequalities and disparities in access
Some are stupid and some teach.
Contrasting intellect and ignorance, knowledge and teaching
I flip a fist full of coins into a wishing well
Symbolic act of contributing more to a wish for universal hope
Now there's hope for us all.
Expressing a renewed sense of hope or possibility
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