INTRODUCTION
I’m on a bit of an “Arcade Fire” kick right now. I’ve been listening to a lot of their music recently and I find it especially inspiring to write about. Last week I made a post about my interpretation of the meaning behind the song “We Used to Wait.” This article is my interpretation of their song “Creature Comforts.” I want to emphasize that this is only my interpretation, please feel free to comment and discuss your own thoughtson the song. I will also post the song at the end of this article in case you haven’t heard it yet. I hope you enjoy.
If you are interested in reading my previous article the link is below:
Meaning and Interpretation of the Song “We Used to Wait” by Arcade Fire
THE LYRICS AND INTERPRETATION
Some boys hate themselves Spend their lives resenting their fathers Some girls hate their bodies Stand in the mirror and wait for the feedback
Saying God, make me famous If you can't just make it painless Just make it painless
The song begins by identifying some of the internal struggles that young individuals face in our society today. Some youth are pushed by their parents to behave a certain way. They are forced to join sports despite a lack of interest in them or they may be pushed into a certain type of career. This form of inhibited freedom by one’s parents can create feelings of resentment within the individual. On the other hand, young girls especially in our society, are bombarded with images of how a woman is “supposed” to look. They see thousands of images each day of an unrealistic “idealized” version of feminism and beauty. Young girls may look in the mirror and compare themselves to the women they see in magazines or on tv and they may feel inadequate which can cause pain and internalized shame.
Grown up flooded by images of celebrity and famous lifestyles, people often want to escape their seemingly mundane lives so they fantasize about being famous. But really its not fame that they want, its to be free from the pressures of life and society. People want to be free from their pain. Please - “Just make it painless.”
Assisted suicide She dreams about dying all the time She told me she came so close Filled up the bathtub and put on our first record
Saying God, make me famous If you can't just make it painless Just make it painless
The phrase “our first record” suggests that this story line comes from an actual fan of Arcade fire. A fan that perhaps wrote to the group and described an actual experience. This alludes to the idea that the song is actually about real life fans who are battling a variety of inner demons. The song may be an attempt by the group to connect with their fans who are struggling. In a way the song says “we hear you and we are trying to understand what you are going through.”
It goes on and on, I don't know what I want On and on, I don't know if I want it On and on, I don't know what I want On and on, I don't know if I want it (On and on I don't know what I want) (On and on I don't know if I want it) (On and on I don't know what I want) (On and on I don't know if I want it)
The struggle continues on and on. People are in pain but they don’t know what to do about it. They don’t know how to end the pain they feel. The line “I don’t know if I want it” also comes directly after the verse on suicide. These individuals don’t want to die but they may think that's its the only way to escape their pain.
Some girls hate themselves Hide under the covers with sleeping pills and Some girls cut themselves Stand in the mirror and wait for the feedback Some boys get too much, too much love, too much touch Some boys starve themselves Stand in the mirror and wait for the feedback
This is a particularly heavy verse. It discusses a variety of traumatic events that individuals experience in society. Suicidal thoughts and self-harm, sexual harassment, abuse or molestation, and eating disorders like anorexia are some of the things mentioned in the passage. These experiences can happen to males or females of any age. What’s particularly sad is that people who experience trauma or a mental health issue often blame themselves for their condition or what happened to them. They often hate or judge themselves even though its not their fault.
Creature comfort makes it painless Bury me penniless and nameless Born in a diamond mine It's all around you but you can't see it Born in a diamond mine It's all around you but you can't touch it
Creature comforts refers to the physical material necessities of life, like food, clothing and shelter. These are the things that provide us with a physical sense of well-being and tend to be the things that we take for granted in life. The verse suggests that in our society we have a lot. We live in a "diamond mine." All of our basic physical needs are met and we often use these material things to cover up and bury our pain. However, pain exists all around us despite the fact that we cannot see it or touch it.
Saying God, make me famous If you can't just make it painless Just make it painless It's not painless
She was a friend of mine, a friend of mine And we're not nameless, oh
The lines suggest the overarching thoughts from fans: “if I can’t be famous then I may as well kill myself.” These individuals have given up hope in life and they are tired of living with their pain.
Suicide and self-harm is a real issue in our society. Society may not want to discuss it. They may want to sweep it “under the rug.” But the issue is real. People who die have friends who were close to them and they have names - they're not "nameless."
It goes on and on, I don't know what I want On and on, I don't know if I want it On and on, I don't know what I want On and on, I don't know if I want it (On and on I don't know what I want) (On and on I don't know if I want it) (On and on I don't know what I want) Well if you're not sure, better safe than sorry
Creature comfort, make it painless Creature comfort, make it painless
We're the bones under your feet The white lie of American prosperity We wanna dance but we can't feel the beat I'm a liar, don't doubt my sincerity
Just make it painless Creature comfort, make it painless
The line “We’re the bones under your feet” suggests that teen suicide and depression and mental health concerns in general are real issues in our society. Sometimes people get the impression that these things do not happen in countries of prosperity. Some people think that they only happen in developing countries. But that way of thinking is the “White lie of American Prosperity.” Real people are dying. Real friends with names.
Na-na-na-na Na-na-na na-na-na-na (Na-na-na-na na-na-na) (Na-na-na-na na-na-na) Na-na-na na-na-na-na Na-na-na na-na-na-na (Na-na-na-na na-na-na)
Creature comfort, make it painless
Overall, I personally think that the song is quite powerful. I think that is it something that a lot of people who are experiencing a mental health concern can relate to. What are your thoughts? Did you interpret the song differently?