Pardon?

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of internal struggle and a desperate attempt to avoid confrontation. A persistent ringing, described as "tinnitus," seems to represent an intrusive thought or a lingering internal noise that won't cease. This internal sound contrasts with external voices that have "stopped going," suggesting a disconnect or a withdrawal from genuine communication. The narrator is caught in a loop of mishearing or pretending to mishear, asking "Pardon? You say that again?" as a way to stall or deflect. The central tension lies in the narrator's active avoidance of engagement. They "pretend you did not hear" and "pretend to be out of sight," creating a fragile facade of non-existence or ignorance. The Japanese phrase "聞Ki返Shi up again" (which translates to something like "ask again" or "hear again") reinforces this cycle of feigned incomprehension. This isn't just about not hearing; it's about actively *not wanting* to hear, pushing away whatever is being communicated. The most striking element is the juxtaposition of internal chaos with external stillness. The "tinnitus" is a constant internal "saying something again," a relentless hum. This is met with "The voices stopped going," creating a disorienting quietude that the narrator seems to exploit. The final lines, "This kind / Quaking / Color transparency," suggest a fragile, unstable state, where the narrator's inner turmoil makes them feel transparent and shaky, yet they still choose to remain unseen and unheard. This piece is effective because it captures the exhausting effort of maintaining a deliberate disconnect. The repetition of "again" and the act of asking "Pardon?" underscore the cyclical nature of this avoidance. It's a raw portrayal of someone so overwhelmed by their internal state that they opt for a performative deafness, a quiet quaking just out of view.