"Believe" by The Bravery

Although a popular song, "Believe" by The Bravery discusses some pretty deep themes. Without sounding at all depressing, the poem gives an existential vibe. I cannot help but sound like an existentialist from time to time; how significant are we, anyway? For that reason, I enjoy the lyrics of this song.

"We do our time like pennies in a jar/ What are we saving for?" Although ending with a preposition (blasphemy!), these lines promote questions about money, jobs, the system. We are each insignificant pennies in a jar, but what is the end result/reward? "We sit and grow our roots into the floor/ But what are we waiting for?" We get so comfortable and become selfish, thinking our own lives are of utmost importance. I hate to be depressing and blunt, but everyone dies; in fact, there are more dead people than people living. 

My interpretation of this song is not totally depressing, though. The chorus, although sounding existential again, inspires hope: "So give me something to believe/ Cause I am living just to breathe/ And I need something more/ To keep on breathing for/ So give me something to believe." A quote I read the other day explains this chorus very well: "The most important skill of a species intelligent enough to understand both their insignificance and their mortality is the capability for distraction. Because the facts of reality are just too intense"(waitbutwhy.com). How do we deal with the fact that we know we are mortal? We are the only creatures that are conscious of the fact. We need something to believe!

Sources:http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/08/putting-time-in-perspective.html
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bravery/believe.html