THE THE

THE SINKING FEELING (lyrics)
(click on the title to be linked to hear a sample of the song)
All my books lay on the table Waitin' to unfold
I sit and stare at my reflection While the darkness chills my bones
My head fills like a junk shop In desperate need of repair
The path of least resistance Leads to the garbage heap of despair
(I think I'd better get back in bed)
I'm just a symptom of the moral decay That's gnawing at the heart of the country

You can't destroy your problems By destroying yourself
Death is not the answer For your soul may burn in hell
My memory, my fond deceiver Is turning all my past into pain
While I'm being raped by progress Tomorrow's world is here to stay
(They wouldn't have it any other way)
I'm just a symptom of the moral decay That's gnawing at the heart of the country

Sometimes in a song you can find crystal clear lyrics that are mixed in with vague, enigmatic words. Such is the case with this band’s song. “The The” is an enjoyable group from a musical standpoint because of their diverse use of musical instruments. What attracted me to the music of this band was a unique sound: new wave at one point; cajun at another; and even a heavy drum beat at times. I can’t think of any other musical group that could quite be considered a copycat.

The lyrics to this song seem to describe a person at a juncture in time that doesn’t know where life is going. All my books lay on the table Waitin' to unfold
I sit and stare at my reflection While the darkness chills my bones
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 describes the futility of man trying to know how all things on earth will work in time. “When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.”

The lyrics also describe what would seem to be an admission of the corruptness of the human mind and the sins that follow from it.
My head fills like a junk shop In desperate need of repair
The path of least resistance Leads to the garbage heap of despair
(I think I'd better get back in bed)
Romans 1:28-31 illustrates the depravity of the mind because of sin “and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”

The chorus is pretty straightforward about the issue of sin. While the lyrics seem to be blaming the country (culture) for the problem, rather than the real problem.
I'm just a symptom of the moral decay That's gnawing at the heart of the country
Romans 3:10-12 direct us to the true problem of sin, it is our nature that is contaminated with sin (not an outside influence). “As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

There is something else in the lyrics that ring true, although I doubt the writer may have been aware of it. It is a picture that the problem isn’t solved by killing yourself to get rid of the angst of sin (problems). In fact, you may be destined to hell if you kill yourself to rid the problem, which would be a bigger problem.
You can't destroy your problems By destroying yourself
Death is not the answer For your soul may burn in hell
I cannot speak for the writer of these lyrics because he may have a Roman Catholic understanding of ‘suicide’. However, I can speak for the Scriptures that affirm that someone that hasn’t been reconciled to God is stuck in sin and will be judged for sin by an eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Matthew 13:41-42 says “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Is there anything redeeming from this song?
Listening to this song might focus your attention on the desperate condition that people can feel because of sin. It is not a song of hope because there is not gospel of Jesus Christ in it. For the Christian, it might be a reminder of the greatness of Jesus Christ and the hopelessness of humanity. If this song can help you praise God for your salvation, then you have done a good job of using it to “think on the things above”. However, this song has no good news to it’s lyrics in themselves. So, it will not automatically take you to the foot of the cross!