Wide Eyes

Local Natives' song 'Wide Eyes' delves into the themes of fear, perception, and the quest for understanding. The opening lines, 'Oh some evil spirit / Oh some evil this way comes,' set a foreboding tone, suggesting an impending threat or an ominous presence. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the unknown or the unseen forces that people fear. The lyrics, 'They told me how they fear it / Now they're placing it on their tongues,' imply that this fear is not just an abstract concept but something that people are actively engaging with, perhaps even internalizing.

The repetition of the line 'Oh to see it with my own eyes' underscores a deep desire for personal experience and understanding. This longing for direct perception suggests a skepticism of second-hand knowledge and a yearning for empirical evidence. The imagery of 'No food no water for the better part of ten months / Quietly he sat between the folds of a tree trunk' evokes a sense of asceticism and meditation, hinting at a spiritual or existential quest. This could be seen as a metaphor for the lengths one might go to in order to gain true understanding or enlightenment.

The final lines, 'All the man of faith and men of science had their questions / Could it ever be on earth as it is in heaven?' bring together the realms of religion and science, both seeking answers to the same fundamental questions. This convergence suggests that despite their different approaches, both faith and science are driven by a common desire to understand the world and our place in it. The song, therefore, becomes a meditation on the human condition, exploring the tension between fear and understanding, and the quest for knowledge in a world filled with uncertainties.