through the looking glass
Great Glass Elevator Lyrics
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Is gray and dead
And dry as bone
For children climbing, for weather molding
No one takes time to look below
To see the beauty in the mold
Turn me over, turn me over
I dont want to die alone
Dust in earth and dry (as bone)
Look me over, look me over
I'll die happy if you know
My underside is beautiful
Within the confines of my stone
My mind is warm, my heart is cold
And I've been finding my love declining
The god-shaped void is never full
Wine, song and women flood my skull
A bell is chiming, come home
The lyrics of Great Glass Elevator's 'Through The Looking Glass' are a commentary on the human condition and how society is quick to judge, without taking the time to look beyond the surface. The stone is used as a metaphor for people, just like how a stone's surface is rough and grey, we humans have our own rough edges and unappealing qualities, but there is more to a person than what meets the eye. The verse 'for children climbing, for weather molding, no one takes time to look below' points to how society is quick to judge and how it is easier to take things at face value than to dig deeper.
The repetition of 'turn me over' is a plea to the listener to look beyond the surface and to a deeper level. The lines 'I'll die happy if you know, my underside is beautiful' suggests that the singer is accepting of himself and his flaws as well as his positive attributes. The song winds down with the verse 'within the confines of my stone, my mind is warm, my heart is cold.' This is perhaps a reflection on how the person is more than just their outward personality, and how they may have things going on beneath the surface that others may not see.
Line by Line Meaning
The surface of a stone
The exterior of a stone
Is gray and dead
Appears colorless and lifeless
And dry as bone
Extremely arid like bones
For children climbing, for weather molding
Used for playing by children and getting sculpted by the weather
No one takes time to look below
People seldom look beneath its surface
To see the beauty in the mold
Unable to witness the beauty present in its flaws
The insects thriving
However some insects manage to exist in its crevices
Turn me over, turn me over
Flip me to my other side
I dont want to die alone
I don't want to waste away unnoticed
Dust in earth and dry (as bone)
My remains will eventually become dusty and lifeless like the stone's surface.
Look me over, look me over
Inspect me more closely
I'll die happy if you know
I'll be satisfied with my life having been observed and appreciated.
My underside is beautiful
My hidden side is exquisite to behold.
Within the confines of my stone
Interior aspect of the stone
My mind is warm, my heart is cold
I am sentient but affectless or indifferent.
And I've been finding my love declining
My ability to care is slowly waning
The god-shaped void is never full
A desire for fulfillment by something beyond one's control or comprehension
Wine, song and women flood my skull
Attempts to fill the void with hedonistic pleasures
A bell is chiming, come home
A reminder of the inevitable end.
Contributed by Juliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.