Someone asked on the LPMB about the meaning of the lyrics on Minutes to Midnight. As we've read, there's a bit of influence from the Doomsday Clock, but supposedly that's not the only influence on the album. If you were to argue that this is a bit of a concept album, here's how I would outline it: It's really about the struggle of trying to impact the world for a better good, but realizing you can only change yourself. The World is just too stubborn. Wake sets the tone, a sort of overture for the album...quiet, introspective rising to hope and optimism and abruptly ending in silence, or disappointment. Given Up signifies the initual frustration with a situation, the anger and outright "toss your hands up" and turn away point. You've stopped, you're done, and it's time to change. Leave Out All The Rest is about determing what to keep while you change. You figure out what's worth salvaging and you scrap the rest. Bleed It Out is the actual removal process. The stuff you determined to keep now needs to be seperated from the crap. Shadow Of The Day is the introspective, look at the remains of the situation as you move on. What I've Done is that period of initial regret for making such a drastic change, with the slight hope that you have done something for the better. Hands Held High is an admonishment of those involved in your original situation, a sort of scolding and display of disgust at those who pushed you to such drastic measures. No More Sorrow is the anthem signifying the end of the stripping process. Hands Held High was the set-up, and No More Sorrow is the emphatic punch-line, the knockout blow. Valentine's Day is about the slow climb back up the mountain, and the first setback along the way. In Between is another misstep in the process of getting back up the mountain. It's an apology for hurting someone who stopped you along the way and you treated poorly. In Pieces is the seperation from the last thing to get you back to the top, obviously a love ballad. You have to leave her in order to finish your journey and she reacts very negatively. You won't be coming back for her. Little Things You Give Away is the realization that you've climbed to the top and...it's not what you thought. Maybe the change was worth it, but there's so much evil and destruction in the world that you only changed yourself, you didn't and couldn't change the world itself. Just my initial impression.
I love concept albums, and while that may not be what LP had in mind I still see it as a great interpretation. Congrats.
I don't know. I just figured Minutes to Midnight was a "bash Bush" album, hence the music poking at him, and the whole doomsday clock thing.
Love the interpretation to the album, very abstract. I can see how it fits very well too, even if you think about what was happening in world, politics, and their lives.