A man longs for authenticity and healing, lamenting that “The World We Live In” tends to squelch the good in us. Hope in God strengthens people struggling with aging (“A Dustland Fairytale”). “Human” mourns a culture that has lost its soul and dispensed with honor (“Pay my respects to grace and virtue/Send my condolences to good/Give my regards to soul and romance/They always did the best they could”). However …
The Killers’ social commentary can shift from hopeful to hopeless in less than a stanza. “The World We Live In” employs the graphic metaphor “Reel me in and cut my throat.” Lead singer Brandon Flowers declares, “I don’t wanna be damned to hell … I don’t wanna be saved,” unaware that it’s one or the other (“Neon Tiger”). Fans get obscure word games on “Goodnight, Travel Well,” which finds a man facing either death, the death of a relationship or both with grim resignation. A “Joyride” into the desert begins by picking up a woman “on the sidewalk,” and ends with a tryst at a motel.
Day & Age wants us to know that the world is seductive, and that resistance is the path to happiness. That’s a good message, provided teens can make heads or tails of The Killers’ lyrical hieroglyphs. On the whole, it’s pretty dour stuff for a band that claims to be high on life.
Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.
