The Killers/WMG
Mr. Brightside can be about a man losing a woman to another man as well as a man losing another man to a woman
Think about it, it's very plausible, if not possible. The interactions between the other man and the woman never make it clear who is letting him go.
- This troper came to this conclusion too, but took it a step further - it can be about anyone losing anyone. Leting go the fact that it's a guy singing, it could easilly be telling the story of a woman losing a man to another woman (or vice versa), or even someone missing out on a chance with an unrequited crush.
- My personal stupid idea: it's about Odin right after gaining his powers of insight... and realizing he's going to have to see every mortal he loved leave him for another.. The price he pays is seeing all things, including ones he'd rather never see. Basically, the song is about the price someone pays for knowledge. Stupid theory, yes, but still.
Spaceman Is About Schizophrenia
Or some other mental illness, or maybe even something like overdosing on drugs. That's always been the vibe I got off it, and the Killers do seem to write about some crazy stuff...
- I've always felt it was about recovering from a drug overdose, specifically the lines "And you know I might have just flown too far from the floor this time" and "That was one lonely night"; they certaintly seem to be indicating a massive high. And the repeated "I'm fine, but I hear those voices again sometimes"; the singer is making a recovery, but can still occasionally go through withdrawals.
The Killers are slowly losing their edginess.
Each progressive album has been progressively tamer. Hot Fuss dealt with murder, adultery, and stalking. Sams's Town was less edgy but still had "Bones," which was incredibly suggestive, and "This River is Wild" which had some rebellious overtones. Day and Age however, was more introspective than the others, and Flamingo was downright tame, which was unsuprising given that it was much more religious than the others. However, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it's just a trend I'm noticing.
- Yes, but I think that it's just that... they're aging? The themes changed, and I must say, the lyrics and the sound are more mature than before. Nobody can expect that a 30 year old guy do the same that he did when he was 20.
- This troper would like to point out that Flamingo is Brandon Flower's solo album, not a Killers album and therefor shouldn't be included on that list.
"Somebody Told Me" is a warning that Brandon's friend is about to have a Bridget dropped on him.
Most people assume that the person being addressed in the song is a woman the speaker is hitting on, but this is never made explicit. "February of last year" is an oddly specific time frame; most short relationships aren't that memorable. For the speaker to remember the time frame that clearly something must have happened to burn it into his brain. The addressee is a man who, until now, was unaware that he even had a boyfriend.
- I always assumed the song was about a transexual. The girl's boyfriend looked like the speaker's ex-girlfriend because he in fact used to be that girlfriend. Given that The Killers first played in a transexual dive bar, it makes sense that such subjects would be on Brandon's mind.
- Huh, I always thought that this one was about a man getting revenge on a woman Saw-style for something obnoxiously, incredibly petty. No real evidence, but ehh....
- I thought that the song was about a guy who's fighting with his girlfriend because found out she's cheating on him with a girl, and he's The Beard.
Sam's Town is a story about a love triangle.
The story takes place in small town America, probably sometime in the early 80s or late 70s (Sam's Town). The Girl is engaged to a man she doesn't really love but feels indebted to, because he rescued her from a life of poverty (When You Were Young); the Boy is an old flame of hers but still hopelessly in love, no matter how much his common sense is telling him to move on (Bling). The Girl's Fiance has noticed that she's not nearly as passionate as she used to be, and he's not sure whether to blame her or himself (For Reasons Unknown). On the eve of their wedding, the Boy starts reminiscing about the times he and the Girl spent together (Read My Mind), and when night falls he decides to go to the Girl's house, where he witnesses the Fiance shooting himself up with heroin (Uncle Johnny). While the Fiance is knocked out, he convinces the girl to sneak out with him to the beach (Bones). The next day, the Boy finally works up the courage to confess his love to the Girl (My List). She reciprocates, and the two of them head off to an uncertain but promising future (This River Is Wild), while the Fiance resolves to go to rehab (Why Do I Keep Counting).