Sarajevo

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of lost innocence and the lingering weight of past actions. Initially, the narrator recalls a time of being "the lucky few," a state that quickly dissolved, leaving them adrift and longing for a place called Sarajevo. This longing isn't just for a location, but for a lost state of being, a stark contrast to the present feeling of being "lost at sea" and sinking to the "seabed." The core tension lies in the narrator's identity as one of the "faraway kids on the run," a group perpetually "nowhere to hide" from the consequences of their choices. The phrase "Good times die young" encapsulates this fleeting happiness, suggesting that the youthful exuberance or perhaps the innocence they once possessed was destined to be short-lived. The repetition of "faraway kids" emphasizes their isolation and the collective nature of their predicament. The lyrics reveal a deep sense of regret, particularly in the second verse where the narrator admits to having "forsook Sarajevo." This act, coupled with the mention of "charges lacked all proof" and failing to "light the fuse," hints at a past involvement in something significant and potentially destructive, even if the official justification was absent. The bridge hammers home the inescapable identity of these "faraway kids," while the second chorus shifts to a more direct confession: "I can't outrun / The terrible things I have done." Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their evocative imagery of drowning and drifting, mirroring the emotional state of the narrator. The contrast between the remembered "lucky few" and the present reality of being "on the run" creates a powerful sense of loss. The repeated refrain of "faraway kids" serves as a haunting reminder of an inescapable identity tied to past deeds, making the longing for Sarajevo a poignant expression of a lost, perhaps irrecoverable, past.