Humiliation by The National Lyrics Meaning – The Inner Wars of Existence

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for The National's Humiliation at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

I survived the dinner
Then the air went thinner
I retired to the briars by the pool, it gets so loud

If I die this instant
Taken from a distance
They would probably list it down
Among other things ’round town

Got my rings around me
I got baby to pound me
I see stars and go weak
My baby cries and lays me down

In the skies over black Venice
I see eyes of a white menace
The surprise of the week
Is that I never heard the sound

All the L.A. women
Fall asleep while swimming
I got paid to fish ’em out
And then one day I lost the job

And I cried a little
I got fried a little
Then she laid her eyes on mine
And she said, “Babe, you’re better off”

I got my rings around me
I got baby to pound me
I see stars and go weak
My baby cries and lays me down

In the skies over black Venice
I see eyes of a white menace
The surprise of the week
Is that I never heard the sound

Tunnel vision lights my way
Leave my little life today

As the free-fall advances
I’m the moron who dances
Ah
I was teething on roses
I was in guns and noses
Ah

Under the withering white skies of humiliation
Under the withering white skies of humiliation

Tunnel vision lights my way
Leave my little life today

Tunnel vision lights my way
Leave my little life today

She wore blue velvet
Said she can’t help it
She wore blue velvet
Said she can’t help it
She wore blue velvet
Said she can’t help it

Diving into The National’s rich discography, one can expect to encounter a labyrinth of emotional complexity and lyrical depth that defies surface-level interpretations. ‘Humiliation,’ a gem off their 2013 album ‘Trouble Will Find Me,’ is no exception. As the track unfolds, it beckons listeners into its nuanced narrative, layer by layer, revealing universal existential crises through a personal lens.

The song, lush with The National’s signature melancholic melodies, hints at narratives of loss, self-reflection, and the seemingly trivial events that symbolize larger emotional truths. It’s a masterful reflection on the fragility of success, the weight of failure, and the quiet moments of realignment that follow life’s tumultuous ebbs and flows.

The Weight of Silence: The Loudness of Personal Battles

There is an inherent irony in the opening lines of ‘Humiliation’ where the protagonist survives a social engagement only to retreat into the cacophony of his own thoughts, represented by the ‘briars by the pool.’ The air growing ‘thinner’ symbolizes how, despite escaping the suffocating atmosphere of social expectations, one cannot easily evade the internal struggles that follow us in solitude.

Such a retreat into the ‘loud’ confinements of the mind introduces the theme of juxtaposition within ‘Humiliation.’ The song masterfully balances the silence of isolation against the internal noise that accompanies moments of self-reflection, a motif that resonates throughout the track, inviting the listener to consider their own internal cacophony.

Eulogizing the Living: Prophetic Pondering Among Lively Tableaux

The contemplation of death and its banality amid the bustling life of a town imparts an eerie sense of detachment. When the lyricist ponders how their death may be trivialized as a minor local event, it captures a peculiar contradiction. It speaks to our universal desire to be remembered while acknowledging our singular insignificance in the broad strokes of human history.

This fixation on post-mortem perception is a trope often explored in art, but here it’s infused with the distinctive melancholy of The National. It compels a confrontation with our legacy: how do we perceive ourselves, and what is the true measure of our impact once we’ve departed from the stage of life?

Through the ‘Eyes of a White Menace’: Whispers of a Hidden Narrative

The song reveals its deeper layers when the narrator gazes at the ‘skies over black Venice’ and witnesses the ‘eyes of a white menace.’ This lyric is particularly dense, potentially alluding to the societal undercurrents of fear and prejudice. Alternatively, it may reflect personal demons, illuminating the protagonist’s internal insecurities against a grandiose backdrop.

This duality of meaning is what makes ‘Humiliation’ so compelling. The ‘white menace’ serves as a cipher for larger existential threats—a metaphoric representation of those forces that loom over us, threatening to disrupt the fragile equilibrium of our lives and challenge our perceptions of security.

Life in the Margins: Triumph and Tribulation on the Periphery

The juxtaposition of triumphs and setbacks is a central theme in ‘Humiliation.’ From the mundane loss of a job, fishing out ‘L.A. women’ from their soporific lapses in swimming pools, to moments of tender connection, the song exhibits life’s highs and lows within a few stanzas. This portrayal reflects the oscillating fortunes we all navigate, often at the mercy of unpredictability.

It is within these everyday experiences that the song cements itself as an anthem for the everyman. The lyrics provide a narrative bridge that allows the listener to traverse their own experiences of humiliation and victory, comforted by the shared nature of such ebbs and flows.

A Velvet Caress: The Memorable Lines That Embrace and Haunt

Among the song’s most striking lines, ‘She wore blue velvet / Said she can’t help it,’ echoes with a haunting significance. It’s an image that tantalizes with its mystery, pulling the listener into a realm of intimate confession. These words resonate long after the song wanes, casting a shroud of mystique on an already nebulous narrative.

The repetition of this phrase suggests an obsession or a crucial moment seared into memory. The metaphor of ‘blue velvet’ serves as both comfort and sorrow—a dual-edged sword of desire and the inevitability of human fallibility. It is an intimate tableau painted in broad strokes, inviting endless interpretations in the realm of our collective consciousness.