Who Decides

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a world where control and meaning are elusive, opening with the insistent, almost desperate refrain, "They can't reach heaven." This sets a tone of futility, suggesting a fundamental inability to attain a higher state or ultimate truth. The narrator then encounters a familiar, yet disorienting, situation, marked by "dirt on our feet," implying a grounded, perhaps grubby, reality, but immediately questions the very nature of decision-making: "Who knows who really decides?" This introduces a central tension between perceived order and the chaotic, arbitrary forces that seem to govern existence. The core of the song grapples with the blurred lines between good and evil, and the arbitrary nature of judgment. The chorus starkly contrasts "heroes and rapists" who "all have nice faces," highlighting how outward appearances can deceive and how societal definitions are fluid and perhaps meaningless. The repeated questions, "But who decides, who defines / Who draws the lines?" underscore a profound uncertainty about authority and the criteria used to categorize individuals and actions. This existential questioning is amplified by the imagery of a "wasted miracle" and the "outcome so terminal," suggesting a sense of irreversible decay or loss. The lyrics employ a disorienting, almost surreal perspective, particularly with the recurring image of "the astronaut." This figure seems to be an observer, listening to "voices that call" and seeing "hate, loathing, wonder, and fear" born in their eyes. The astronaut, detached yet immersed, becomes a vessel for the conflicting emotions and judgments that plague humanity. The contrast between the "lover and the blind man" and the "pleasured and the pained" further emphasizes this spectrum of human experience, all seemingly under the same unanswerable question of who holds the power to judge or save. The ultimate emotional impact stems from the brutal self-reliance the lyrics demand. The realization that "Forgive yourself, for no one else / Will die for your crimes" is a heavy, isolating truth. It strips away the possibility of external absolution, leaving the individual solely responsible for their actions and their internal peace. The final, echoing "But who decides?" leaves the listener suspended in this ambiguity, forced to confront the lack of definitive answers and the weight of personal accountability in a world where heaven feels out of reach.