By: Jackie Greenberg / January 22, 2020
To me, almost all of Arcade Fire’s discography is perfect. Funeral, The Suburbs, Reflektor, and Neon Bible were crucial to how I matured as a person. I’ll even readily say that many of the songs on these albums are partially what saved my life in 2017. There are so many underlying messages that make these albums a treasure chest full of gold.
Now, this is no hot-take opinion, but instead a post full of appreciation and love. Funeral (2004) is influential. Incredibly so. It promotes different perspectives on how to cope with life and death. Funeral is an intimate coming of age story compacted into an album.
The songs Neighborhoods (#1-4) give me a new way to envision my adolescence. “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” talks about the resistance to growing up. It’s an imagined utopia where you never have to grow up. A place filled by those that made your childhood so significant. “Neighborhood #2 (Laika)” touches light on how life is never what you see on a sitcom. It talks about how children want to rebel and go against the grain. It talks about how people stray from their families once they feel like they aren’t needed anymore. “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” analyzes the struggle of adults connecting with their children. The classic parent-child relationship is more times than not, troubling and hard. This song measures that dynamic (or lack thereof). There’s a clear divide between the two parties, and this song goes into that. “Neighborhood #4 (Kettles)” talks about being in a passive state in your own life. It takes a magnifying glass and looks at the transition between adolescence and adulthood. The front half of the album discusses growing up and what that means.
On the back half of the album, the main themes are now love grows and dies and the responsibilities of adulthood. The song “Wake Up” is about acknowledging the power each of us has as individuals and how special it is to be alive. We are all plagued with the idea that things will last forever, but everything ends. Death is slowly impending and while we may not understand why we’re here, we make the most of our time spent here and with the people around us. The song, “In the Backseat”, is the most coming-of-age song on the album. It can be interpreted in several ways. One interpretation is physically being in the backseat of the car as a young lover and the significance of those intimate moments. Or, it can be seen as being in the backseat, young and without responsibility. Sitting there allows you to glance out the window and stare to your heart’s desire. We spend so much of our time in cars; who knew sitting in the backseat was a privilege.
This record allows me to have a deeper appreciation of the intricacies of life, love, and death. Impermanence gives life meaning. Temporary isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes temporary is the push we need to move forward. This album examines all different types of relationships, whether it be between parents and children or two lovers. The fact that death is slowly impending makes each and everyday much more meaningful. Our relationships aren’t meant to last with every person, that’s what makes certain people special. It’s one of the most bittersweet things, not knowing why we’re here or how long we’re here for, but still doing what we can while we’re here.
This album has impacted my life in such an extreme matter that further explaining its impact is a thesaurus worth of words. Funeral, an album that sounds like it’s primarily going to be about death, shines a light on how love changes over time, our fading adolescence, and the transition between childhood to adulthood. It has given me insight into my own relationships and how special it is to be alive.
Turn this album on when you’re struggling to find the silver-linings in life. Turn this album on when nothing else makes sense – because this will. Turn this album on when you’re struggling with your disappearing youth, death, new ways to live life. This album taught me more about myself than I could have imagined. This album is a warm embrace on a chilly day. Accept with open arms and hug back.
