Lifting the Fog

The song “Come a Little Closer” from Cage the Elephant’s album Melophobia expresses the notion that human life is full of chaotic and traumatic events, however, people are often blind and negligent to this occurrences.

In the first verse, using words such as, “shake,” “earthquakes,” and “blind,” the speaker sets up an apocalyptic or chaotic setting that continues throughout the rest of the song. This sets up a so called, "veil of life” where life is itself a system of entropy.

The chorus exemplifies the central meaning of the song. The speaker says, “Come a little closer then you’ll see, come on come on come on, things aren’t always what they seem to be.” The use of a command underscores the necessity for a person to open their eyes, and truly examine the intricacies of a situation, understanding how each part forms the whole and not just blindly follow the path of life.

In the second verse, the theme of chaos continues. Using an allusion to the Greek mythological figure Atlas in the phrase, “The heavy world is upon your shoulders.” The speaker contemplates the overbearing weight of the world. Diction is also important with the use of the words “burn” and “smolder." They not only describe the effects of this weight, but they also add to the imagery of chaos. When he says, “I wanna see if you can change it” he is hoping that if that person can look past this curtain, they can begin to understand the true state of the world.

The final verse address the passage of time:

Ten thousand people stand alone now
And in the evening the sun sets
Tomorrow it will rise
Time flies by, they all sang along (X3)
Time flies - bye, bye

This verse deals with the passage of time, especially through the imagery of the setting and rising sun, as it creates a feeling of an infinite process. The use of the words “by” and “bye” side by side demonstrates the idea that as time does continue on, people are unwilling to examine and understand a situation. Through a chaotic tone, Cage the Elephant’s lyrics provide an important message: that people often fail to understand a particular aspect of the world, or overlook what is truly happening.