The Great Gibber Plain

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a sweeping, almost geographical, sense of detachment, moving from the "great gibber plain" to the "Indian ocean" and "Gallipoli's cliffs" to the "banks of the Thames." This vastness suggests a desire to escape or distance oneself from something significant, perhaps a shared history or emotional burden. The phrase "sawn off emotions" is particularly striking, implying a deliberate, violent severing of feelings, setting a tone of cold, calculated removal. The central tension seems to revolve around the concept of "seceding" – breaking away. The repeated assertion that "It's already gone / We've already been" functions as a justification for this departure. It suggests that whatever is being left behind is no longer truly present or relevant, making the act of secession feel less like an abandonment and more like a formal acknowledgment of an existing void. The repetition of "free free so free" amplifies this sense of liberation, bordering on an almost desperate insistence. A key lyrical device is the recurring image of "crimson turning to gold." This transformation could represent a fading of intense emotion or conflict into something more muted or valuable, or perhaps a nostalgic idealization of past experiences. However, the context of "losses and gains" and the overall theme of secession suggest this transformation might also be a way of processing or rationalizing painful memories, turning them into something less immediate and more abstract. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their stark, almost clinical portrayal of emotional and historical detachment. The juxtaposition of grand geographical scales with the intimate, brutal image of "sawn off emotions" creates a powerful sense of alienation. The insistent refrain of being "free to secede" leaves the listener contemplating the cost and nature of such a radical break from the past, even when that past is declared to be "already gone."