While the song is mostly about interpersonal relationships, adulthood, spiritual uncertainty and the inevitable suffering that comes with being in a relationship, I think about the lines "our disease is the same one as the trees, unaware that they've been living in a forest" a lot... but in a different context.
So, storytime:
I moved to London in September last year to study for my Master's degree. I came here alone without any friends or family.
I am usually very introverted irl. I spend most of my time reading books and listening to music all day instead of going to random pubs and talking to people for no reason.
The art of social-skydiving scares me and I find it very hard to approach and talk to people even if it's just telling the stranger sat next to me on the bus that I like their earrings. Since I spend most of my time indoors by myself, I haven't been able to make a lot of friends. Only maybe two people that I can think of and that I can trust my life with but we don't really hang out with each other cause they have very busy lives of their own and live far away from each other.
Having lived in random small towns in India for most of my life, I'm used to an environment where life is slow, everyone knows each other's names and have a stronger sense of community. I even walk very slowly and daydream quite a bit and I’m the type to stop and smell the roses kind.
A friend of mine told me before I moved here that people often feel the loneliest in the biggest of cities and I think that is somewhat true. Everything and everyone moves so quickly here. Everyone seems to be in a constant rush, trying to get into the nearest tube carriage before the doors close, go to their next business meeting or hurry to buy groceries. Moving here alone and spending most of my time studying indoors, loneliness and social isolation hit me like a brick in my face in a way I wasn't prepared for.
That's why I'm so grateful I found this website earlier this year where I got to meet and connect with so many beautiful and amazing people like mouse tiff marxinista r1ana caffy and dagny irl.
The song lyrics remind me that while all of us are here, existing and breathing the same air, we sometimes feel super-isolated and lonely and not able to really connect with people on a deeper, more meaningful level but we're all on our own individual journeys living, learning and growing together whilst being completely unaware of the suffering of the person right next to us might be going through.
Be kind to people y'all 🫶
