Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a picture of existential confusion and detachment. The opening questions, "What does it mean? What can you do about it? What can you say?", immediately establish a sense of powerlessness and a lack of understanding. This feeling is amplified by the observation that "Nobody talks, Nobody listens," suggesting a breakdown in communication and connection.
The narrator then shifts focus to an external scene: "look out your window / They're having a ball, Having a party." This contrast between the internal questioning and the external revelry highlights a feeling of being an outsider. The invitation to "come inside, You can do what you like" is met with a starkly negative assessment: "Well it's a nightmare, It's all negative."
The core tension emerges in the lines, "Nothing matters / And what if it did." This paradox captures a profound apathy, a resignation to meaninglessness that is so complete it questions the very premise of caring. The subsequent imagery of "lock your doors, Close all your windows and Hide away" suggests a retreat from this overwhelming, perhaps even frightening, reality.
Ultimately, the repeated, almost dismissive, refrain "It's only life" serves as a bleak encapsulation of the narrator's perspective. It's a phrase that attempts to downplay the significance of everything, from the existential questions to the external parties, reducing it all to a manageable, albeit negative, experience. The effectiveness lies in this stark, unvarnished portrayal of feeling adrift and disconnected, using simple language to convey a deep sense of ennui.