Empty Streets
Plastique Noir
Navigating the Shadows: A Journey Through 'Empty Streets'
Plastique Noir's 'Empty Streets' paints a haunting picture of desolation and survival in a dystopian urban landscape. The song opens with vivid imagery of an 'eternal night' under a 'blood red sky,' setting a tone of perpetual darkness and foreboding. The 'savagery in hallucinated eyes' suggests a world where reality and nightmare blur, and the 'wet asphalt' reflecting a 'diaphanous shine' adds a ghostly, almost surreal quality to the scene. This imagery evokes a sense of unease and highlights the stark, unforgiving nature of the environment.
The lyrics delve deeper into the lives of those who inhabit these 'empty streets.' The mention of 'prostitution' and 'phantoms from the day' suggests a marginalized existence, where people are reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. The 'home of survivors in the shade' indicates that these individuals are not truly living but merely existing, hidden away from the light. This portrayal of urban decay and human despair is both poignant and unsettling, reflecting a world where hope seems distant and survival is the only goal.
The recurring question, 'Is Life criminal when we dream awake?' challenges the listener to consider the morality of living in such a harsh reality. The 'madrigal dedicated in vain' implies that any attempt at beauty or meaning is futile in this desolate world. The chorus reinforces the theme of anonymity and invisibility, with 'we don't have name' and 'mobiles looks hang from the rainy air' suggesting a loss of identity and purpose. The comparison to 'bats, spiders, flies, and rats' further emphasizes the dehumanization and adaptation to darkness. Ultimately, 'Empty Streets' is a powerful commentary on the struggle for identity and meaning in a world that seems devoid of both.