An Audience with the Pope by Elbow Lyrics Meaning – Deciphering Desire and Devotion in a Modern Hymn
Lyrics
She has the sweetest, darkest eyes
And when it comes into her eyes
I know iron and steel couldn’t hold me
Good God, I’m easily bruised
So often in love to her flame
And the things that she’s asked me to do
Will see a city of saints forgetting his name
I have an audience with the Pope
And I’m saving the world at eight
But if she says she needs me
She says she needs me everybody’s gonna have to wait
(Where could she be?)
Was that a minute or an hour?
(Where could she be?)
She turns the hours into days
Kill the phone, cover the cage
And wait for the doorbell to ring
(Where could she be?)
No, she won’t come running
(Where could she be?)
The world is turning at her pace
Kill the phone, cover the cage
And wait for the doorbell to ring
I have an audience with the Pope
And I’m saving the world at eight
But if she says she needs me
She says she needs me everybody’s gonna have to wait
I have an audience with the Pope
And I’m saving the world at eight
But if she says she needs me
She says she needs me everybody’s gonna have to wait
I have an audience with the Pope
And I’m saving the world at eight
But if she says she needs me
She says she needs me everybody’s gonna have to wait
Everybody’s gonna have to wait
Elbow, the British alternative rock band known for its rich orchestrations and emotive lyrics, has often walked the tightrope between the mystical and the mundane. ‘An Audience with the Pope’, a stand-out track from their 2009 album ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’, is a stirring ode to the overwhelming force of personal devotion and the places it can take us.
The song, seemingly a narrative about desperate love and the sacrifices it demands, operates on a metaphysical level as much as it portrays a real-world romance. It’s a poignant exploration of where our intentions and actions lead us when we’re in the thrall of an all-consuming passion.
The Divine Embrace of Human Love
The opening lines of the song are a fiery testament to the protagonist’s love. The comparison of his beloved’s eyes to the ‘sweetest, darkest’ abyss signifies a depth that is both enchanting and consuming. There’s an element of surrender within these lyrics; an admission that her gaze alone has the power to dismantle his defenses, as ‘iron and steel couldn’t hold me’.
This sense of awe before the object of one’s affection borders on the religious, setting the tone for the entire song. In a way, the lover here is facing his own kind of spiritual reckoning, finding a divine element in his earthly connection.
A Saintly Sacrifice or a Sinner’s Folly?
Caught in the throes of love, the narrator acknowledges his vulnerability with ‘I’m easily bruised’ and ‘often in love to her flame’. These lines do more than just confess a susceptibility; they tie his devotion to both a masochistic pleasure and a kind of holy suffering. This invocation of ‘a city of saints forgetting his name’ might suggest that love leads to self-erasure in a bid for something greater than oneself.
Alternatively, it could be interpreted as the notion that the demands of love may urge us to commit deeds that detract from our own moral compass, questioning what we are willing to forego in the name of love.
Temporal Distortion in the Name of the Heart
The recurring inquiry of ‘Where could she be?’ conveys a mounting anxiety and longing. But the lines that follow reveal a paradox. Time both expands and contracts around the beloved; minutes can feel like hours when waiting, yet her mere presence can transform hours into fleeting moments.
This temporal distortion is the hallmark of infatuation, but in the context of this song, it’s also a poetic way to demonstrate the magnitude of obsession, where the world’s clock ticks to the rhythm of a singular heart.
The Hidden Meaning: Sharpening the Focus on the Idol
The title itself begs a deeper analysis. An audience with the Pope, a figurehead of incredible power and spiritual significance, is casually dismissed by the narrator in the face of his lover’s call. It’s a hyperbolic way to assert that in love, the personal is elevated above the globally consequential.
By declaring that ‘everybody’s gonna have to wait,’ the song deftly elevates the individual’s emotional experience to the highest regard, above even the most sacred duties. It’s a powerful commentary on how love can make us myopic yet somehow more universally connected.
Memorable Lines That Stay with You
One can’t discuss this song without noting the metaphoric wordplay. ‘Kill the phone, cover the cage’ suggests an isolation, a willing blackout from the world to focus purely on the object of affection. ‘Waiting for the doorbell to ring’ is undeniably filled with anticipation, an almost faithful certainty that the wait will be rewarded.
These vivid directives together paint a picture of a life on hold for love, underlining its profound effect and the fervent expectation it births within us. Such lyrical craftsmanship from Elbow ensures that ‘An Audience with the Pope’ resonates as an anthem of desire and the lengths we go to satiate it.
