Song Meaning
The lyrics open with a stark portrayal of global dread, where "headlines drip with horror" and the "news says no tomorrow." Yet, the speaker finds an immediate, almost defiant peace. This creates a powerful tension between external catastrophe and internal serenity.
The core conflict here is the individual's response to overwhelming societal fear. The repeated "Beware, beware, beware!" amplifies the external panic, but the speaker's question, "But how can I be scared... In her arms?", immediately pivots the emotional landscape. It suggests that intimacy provides an impenetrable shield against the world's worst.
The most striking craft element is the transformation of threatening imagery. What begins as "military light" – harsh, intrusive, perhaps symbolic of conflict – is recontextualized. From the lovers' perspective, safely ensconced, it becomes "merely rain against the glass." This reframing highlights how a shared, intimate space can literally alter one's perception of external threats, rendering them benign.
These lyrics are effective because they don't deny the world's darkness; instead, they acknowledge it fully before asserting a powerful, chosen escape. The declaration "World do your worst" isn't naive; it's a statement of profound emotional resilience. By "closed our eyes And lifted every curse," the narrator and their companion actively choose to disengage from fear, finding their true "away" not in physical distance, but in a shared, protective bond.