Mixtape - Theology

“Little Dawn”, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists from the album ​Shake the Sheets    Lyrics:  Well Little Dawn walks on,  And she thinks she don't belong under the starry heights  So take a sigh as long as the war's been going on in your heart tonight  And if you want to make that light, go on and swim across the ocean  And if you want to make it right, go on and put your plan in motion  The gap is only as wide as the hollow of the sky between you, my dear  And the truth, absolute,  Adding naught more profound to it than that you are here  And if you want to keep it bright, well you might have to burn a candle  And if you want to keep it tight, well you might have to learn to handle  But on the days and nights you try to breathe  And you can't believe you still walk the streets  Stretch out your weary hand to me - it's alright  And if you're not content to just believe  And if you don't consent to just let it be  Stretch out your legs and dance with me all night, tonight   It's alright    Interpretation  The song begins with a consideration of human finitude within an apparently uncaring cosmos.  Lyrics referencing a “war going on in your heart tonight” indicate the presence of doubt as a  component of belief. When else are our hearts so at war with themselves? We move then to a  consideration of what must be done. These tasks can appear impossible (go on and swim  across the ocean) yet have immediate beginnings (go on and put your plan in motion).  Throughout the song, it appears that the character of “Dawn” may be wrestling with belief and  finitude. This is evidenced as well by the refrain that says “if you’re not content to just believe  and you don’t consent to just let it be”, a powerful statement about belief and action/inaction  and the examination of life.    Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOGNabdWuxM