The Killers: Spaceman Meaning
Song Released: 2008
Spaceman Lyrics
Next thing I knew they ripped me from my bed
And then they took my blood type
It left a strange impression in my head
You know that I was hoping
That I could leave this star crossedworld behind,
But when they...
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I asked to a professor in Geology and he told me that like +10.000 years ago (don't remember exactly), the Nile did run from east to west (the mediterraneo sea was a close salt(?) lake)
I believe this song talks about paranormal phenomens and i think the killers want to make you believe in what's behind what you see.
I believe they did choose the spaceman figure because when he's on his journey, he stays high on the sky and he can see the entire world without being seen...he can see clearly the spiritual worlds (being more near to them than normal people) and also clearly see that the people under is living in false convinction, that they are too materialist and superficial (that's explain why he's talking about media etc...). The media creates a world of illusion and who has sensibility or the ability to perceive and feel that there's something behind materia, is believed to be crazy, an outsider.
I think that in the start, the song describes a OBE (Out of Body Experience) afther wich the first person in the song has paranormal sensations and feeling and finally understands what's life meaning but also sees that unfortunately he's lonely in his condition (very few people can understand this position, very few are that advanced in spiritual life) That's why the song is a bit melanchonic, I guess. -
"the Spaceman says everybody look down, it's all in your mind"
Anybody else ever seen "The Impossible Planet"/"Satan's Pit" episodes of the new Doctor Who series? If you have, then you already know what I'm going to say ;) -
This is song a about Brandon Flower's Uncle. He believed he was abducted by Space Aliens. He had a gun and tried to shoot his private part off (trying to destroy the sperm). He missed and hit his leg. Then he lost a lot of blood. And they cut his leg open to get out the bullet and sew him up. This was not Johnny the Uncle that was high on cocaine, this is another uncle. Obviously a colorful family. Brandon Flowers is a genius to take these experiences and turn them into poetic lyrics that shock, delight, and amaze. There certainly may have been a near death experience associated with this experience, in addition. Considering the circumstances this is altogether possible. The drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. Is a believer in Aliens. So perhaps he thinks this event was a real abduction. Others (myself included) would tend toward the explanation that it was all in Brandon's Uncle's mind. Were drugs involved? Other than at the hospital, it is hard to say for sure. My guess is it is likely that it was associated with some sort of O.D. My prayer is that no more space aliens will visit any of the Flowers Clan. Real or imagined. By the way, the phrase is song maker not "[whatever fill in the blank] maker". That would of course be referring to Brandon Flowers himself, or it could in addition be referring to a sort of Avatar of Brandon Flowers, since the whole premise of the song is fantastical, despite its altogether realistic, and life changing origins. All added up this is a song about second chances and going toward the light. Which of course means God.
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The song is like any great artwork, it works on many levels. My interpretation is about someone losing their mind. They believe they were abducted by aliens and that God was talking to them, part of their delusions, but in reality it was a visit to the hospital and their imagination running wild. Several times in the video you see Brandon looking somewhat crazy/"mad". "I'm fine but I hear those voices at night". Or the frustration when he's talking about the Nile running east to west.
The line "the spaceman says everybody look down, it's all in your mind" is especially telling. The person who lost his mind in the song, the "spaceman", eventually recovers from his illness, and appreciates his regained sanity. He looks at the experience of losing his mind similarly to a near-death experience, which is why he tries to enjoy life now. (people partying, having fun, dancing, etc) There is also a more serious side, a lingering enlightenment. (all the lights in the video) The "spaceman" knows it wasn't real, but the experience still haunts him, how he thought and what he saw. It's made him wonder about the reality of a lot of things: aliens, god, life, what he's been told, his beliefs in general.
The line about the nile running east to west is especially great :) It makes no sense, except to a crazy person. But if you think about it, if the Nile did run east to west, it would go through the Sahara. So it would no longer be desert, it would be a green place, maybe even a really big jungle. Brandon's frustration when he sings that line is awesome. Because he's saying it as someone who is now sane and doesn't understand the secret meaning anymore. But he knows it meant something, at sometime, and he kind of senses it was something profound. He even repeats it twice to emphasize this. But he's not "crazy" anymore, he's "normal"; so he lost that insight. But he still has a certain insight though, that "normal" is a little crazy too. Because there's a lot of things people believe, that aren't necessarily true. Like, for example, that there are no aliens. -
You people are way overthinking this. Sometimes there are no hidden meanings in songs and to search for one is missing the point. I don't know another band in the world who could get away with a lighthearted song about alien abduction. The Killers pull it off seamlessly. This is the most fun song to sing along to and it rocks live. But there's no way this is about suicide. It's not about depression. Why does there always have to be a deeper meaning, just because you think the song should have one? Brandon wrote the song because Ronnie is obsessed with aliens. It's fun and straightforward. No hidden meaning. And for those of you breaking songs down line by line, have you ever written a song? Most of the time, the lyrics should be taken as a whole and not broken down line by line. This is a song about aliens. Read the article.
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/entertainment/music/71603/Brandon-Flowers-Im-not-crazy.html -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I reckon it's about Apollo 13.
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These songs have as many valid interpretations as there are opinions, but I think there is a much deeper meaning as well. The Meaning of Life.
oh oh ohoh oh oh oooah x4
It started with a low light,
Next thing I knew they ripped me from my bed;
And then they took my blood type,
they left a strange impression in my head.
- I think he refers to the light of awareness, and
being ripped from mundane existence. Then tested,
(blood type) this might be a spiritual experience.
If you would like to think aliens or suicide I'm sure
that works too.
You know that I was hoping,
That I could leave this star-crossed world behind;
But when they cut me open,
I guess I changed my mind.
- He thought that enlightenment would be simple, and
would be the answer to all his problems. He changed
his mind when his 'mask' was removed. His identity,
was taken away forcefully. (ie cut me open) After
this terrific experience he changed his mind. The star-crossed part is interesting, a star is a person who shines. star-crossed world, a world that prevents itself from realizing it's true potential.
And you know I might
Have just flown too far from the floor this time,
'cause they calling me by my name!
And the zipping white light beams
disregarding bombs and satellites!
- flown too far from the floor, i.e. very high state of
being. (high on drugs would work too I suppose).
cause they are calling me by my name! - illumined
beings calling to him by name, he can't hide.
(hence the zipping white light beams disregarding bombs and satellites)
That was the turning point;
That was one lonely night!
- turning point, realization at what the stakes are for
trying to fly too high. lonely night would be the dark
night of the soul.
The star maker says, "It ain't so bad"
The dream maker's gonna make you mad
The spaceman says, "Everybody look down!
Its all in your mind!"
- The star maker, to me refers to the creator or force
of creation. Evolution in a way, hence 'It ain't so bad'. Survival of the fittest, because he could lose his soul.
The dream maker, the maker of illusion and fallacy, or
desire. If one goes into this wearing illusion and lusting for the goal, they could possibly go insane.
Everybody look down! Its all in your mind! Trust and let go.
Well now I'm back at home and-
I’m looking forward to this life I live;
You know it's gonna haunt me,
So hesitation to this life I give.
- Rebirth, but he was just shown something beyond that of human nature. Thus it will haunt him, so he'll show caution.
You think you might cross over,
You caught between the devil and the deep blue sea;
You better look it over,
Before you make that leap!
- Cross over, caught between the devil and the deep blue
sea. You better be sure you are ready before you try
and cross the abyss, because your soul is at stake.
And you know I'm fine, but I hear those voices at night
sometimes... They justify my claim,
and the public don’t dwell on my transmission
'cause it wasn’t televised...
- He's in touch with beings on a higher plane, and he can't go back and pretend that he is crazy. The public
only knows what the dream makers want them to, and
most of it is spoon fed propaganda of the boob tube.
My global position systems are locally addressed;
They say the Nile used to run from east to west,
They say the Nile used to run… from east to west.
- I suppose this means he identifies himself with the
world and all the wildlife. The nile part I believe
refers to atlantean times, when the nile ran east to west. Also the sun raises in the East, and sets in the West.
In read my mind:
Good old days, the honest man, the restless heart the promised land. The subtle kiss that noone sees.. So what I don't mind, you don't mind. Cuz if you don't shine, I don't shine. The promised land being enlightenment, don't sweat the small stuff. This is a recurring theme in their music.
In Human:
Are we human? or are we dancer? (puppets or beings with free will?)
Platform of surrender, giving up one's mask.
Pay my respects to grace and virtue, give my condolences to good, give my regards to soul and romance they always did the best they could. And so long to devotion, you taught me everything I know, wave goodbye wish me well, you gotta let me go. Sacrifice, Giving up everything, so that one can find the truth. -
Interesting. I thought this song was about John Glenn, the first man in space
"and the public dont dwell on my transmission coz it wasnt televised" - the first televised transmission was the man on the moon; Neill Armstrong, yet Glenn was the first person to leave the Earth. -
Umm I find the talking the most interesting, so I'm just gonna guess on those ones: the star maker = the rich/lucky people who only see good things; the dream maker = the optimistic people who will always make you want more than you have; the space man = the people who have actually been there who tell you not to worry about, because they know there's nothing there
these can be applied in different aspects of life, not just religion, but for the rest of the song... whatever -
It's like the remake of Starman by David Bowie.
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I believe this song is about a drug "trip." Anyone who has experienced hallucinogens like shrooms or LSD should understand why.
"It started with a lowlight" when you are tripping, your pupils constantly dilate and then shrink back down at a very fast pace, this is what causes some of hallucinations. A common thing that people experience on shrooms as they are "taking of" are the lights growing dimmer and then brighter.
"Next thing I knew they ripped me from my bed" and "it left a strange impression in my head" he has finished escalating and has reached a plateau in the drug high a strange feeling indeed as if traveling into a new dimension.
"You know that I was hoping that I could leave this starcrossed world behind, but when they cut me open I guess I changed my mind" Hes doing drugs because he wants to escape from this reality and into a new one so as to forget his problems or expand his thoughts. But apparently this reality was a little to overwhelming for him, maybe the trip was too intense (high doses) or he is having a "bad trip."
"And you know I might
Have just flown too far from the floor this time" again the trip is too intense, he probably took more than he should've and has immersed too deep into this new world which an be extremely hard to manage.
"and the zippy white light beams" = hallucinations
"that was the turning point, that was one lonely night" drugs tend to change people, induce a different state of consciousness make them realize things and can be a changing experience for some.
Now the chorus is what sold it to me: "the starmaker says it aint so bad" the trip, you can control it its not so bad. "the dreammakers gonna make you mad" drugs make you hallucinate, dream, hence dreammaker and they are powerful enough to leave you mad for life. "Spaceman says everybody look down, its all in your mind" Spaceman= you're high, high up in space or another dimension but you can come down. The whole drug trip is inside your own head its all in your mind so long as you are in control of your mind you can come back down to reality or look down.
Well, now I'm back at home
And I'm looking forward to this life I live
You know it's going to haunt me
So hesitation to this life I give
You think you might cross over
You're caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
You better look it over
Before you make that leap
hes back from the experienced and has returned to reality, refreshed and good as new ready to keep on living his life. The trip is gonna haunt him, flashbacks and thoughts from the occasion can arise any time. He feels he might cross over at any time, possibly into insanity but "you better look it over before you make that leap" its no joke be careful.
again: "I'm fine,
But I hear those voices at night sometimes"
I know its a little too far but I hope you can understand my logic. It could really be about an alien abduction but that just sounds stupid to me. Anyone who hasn't experienced these psychedelics will have a hard time seeing where I'm going with this, but enjoy! btw has anyone seen the video? it's crazyyy -
"They say the Nile used to run from east to West"
The only sense I can make out of that was that THEY (aliens) were informing him of a time when the poles were shifted (as has happened before) in which the north pole was somewhere like Russia making east to west what is currently south to north -
Well, simply put, I think this could be a clever metaphor used to describe a person being introduced to the real world, but with a viewpoint that is finding our culture to be outlandish and/or otherworldly, like aliens.With this explanation in mind, watch the music video, and listen to the lyrics.I just thought that I would provide a different possibility than Suicide.
Thank you.
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