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Three Minutes for a Detuned Diorama
Squalloscope Lyrics
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You got no money, you're still alive
You'll spend everything on plane tickets til the day you die.
And when you got nothing nice to say don't say anything
That doesn't truly help to overthrow the king.
Bring me the head of the past, i want to see it.
How big is the monster looking over your shoulder?
How big is the river in which you are the boulder?
I take it in, i take it in, i take it in, i take it in (i need it, i need it)
One at a time.
I put sugar on everything.
In the time of every little breath being one/two/three mississippi closer to death
And in the time of wrapping heads round poles and watching them dance,
What will come nobody knows but i'll run with you, i take the chance.
But dear, the skeleton always smiles.
As if there was something funny about the afterlife.
The opening lines of Squalloscope's "Three Minutes for a Detuned Diorama" allude to the transience and fleeting nature of life – everything builds up only to fall back again. The singer acknowledges that even with no money, they are still alive and continue to prioritize spending their earnings on experiences such as plane tickets. However, there is more to the song than just seizing moments before they disappear. The line "When you got nothing nice to say don't say anything / That doesn't truly help to overthrow the king" hints that the song has some political undertones. The singer acknowledges that complaining about the status quo without offering a solution only further entrenches established power structures. To make a change, one must aim to overthrow the king rather than merely shake one's fist at them.
The mystery deepens with the call to "Bring me the head of the past," which could be interpreted as a cry to overthrow the status quo and bury outdated systems. The chorus poses introspective questions about the vastness of the world around us, such as "How big is the monster looking over your shoulder? / How big is the river in which you are the boulder?" Despite the acknowledgment of the enormity of the world, the singer seeks to make sense of it all and "wish[es] [their] heart would manage to grasp it all." The repeated phrase "I take it in" suggests that the process of understanding and accepting the world's complexity takes time and effort.
Line by Line Meaning
In the time of every detuned thing coming forward only to fade back in
During a period of flux where everything that seems to rise up eventually loses momentum and fades away.
You got no money, you're still alive
Even though you're broke, you're still breathing and therefore have something to be thankful for.
You'll spend everything on plane tickets til the day you die.
You're willing to exhaust all your resources just to keep traveling until the end of your time.
And when you got nothing nice to say don't say anything
If you can't say anything kind or helpful, it's better to refrain from speaking altogether.
That doesn't truly help to overthrow the king.
Mere words alone will not suffice to effect significant change or bring about a revolution.
Bring me the head of the past, i want to see it.
I yearn to witness a tangible representation of the past, so I can come to terms with it and move on.
How big is the monster looking over your shoulder?
What is the magnitude of the fear or anxiety that is currently plaguing your mind and hindering your progress?
How big is the river in which you are the boulder?
Are you strong enough to weather the obstacles and challenges that come your way as a stable, immoveable force?
I wish my heart would manage to grasp it all.
I wish I could fully comprehend and internalize the complexity of the world and the emotions it evokes.
I take it in, i take it in, i take it in, i take it in (i need it, i need it)
I deliberately expose myself to experiences, thoughts, and feelings, no matter how challenging, because I feel a yearning for it.
One at a time.
I take things slowly, tackling one thing at a time, rather than trying to rush through everything at once.
I put sugar on everything.
I have a tendency to try to sweeten situations that are bitter or difficult to bear, often to my own disadvantage.
In the time of every little breath being one/two/three mississippi closer to death
As we continue living, every breath we take brings us incrementally closer to the end of our lives.
And in the time of wrapping heads round poles and watching them dance,
During periods of chaos, confusion or uncertainty, when people lose their bearings, grasp to any semblance of structure they can find and follow without questioning.
What will come nobody knows but i'll run with you, i take the chance.
The future is unknown and unpredictable, but I'm willing to take a risk and embark on this journey with you, come what may.
But dear, the skeleton always smiles.
Although death is often seen as something grim or sorrowful, it is an inevitable part of life that can be met with acceptance and grace.
Contributed by Aria O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.