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Guiding Light Lyrics

Pure hearts and stumble
In my hands they crumble
And fragile and stripped to the core
I can't hurt you anymore
Loved by numbers
You loosing, life's wonder
And touch like strangers detached
I can't feel you anymore

And sunshine, trapped in our hearts
It could rise again, but I'm lost
And crushed
I'm cold and confused with no guiding light left inside
You were my guiding, light
Woo ho whoa

Ho, ho, mhoo, ha
Comfort and warmth can be found I still reach for you
But I'm lost and I'm crushed
I'm cold and confused with no guiding light
You're my guiding, light.
You're my guiding, light.
There is no guiding, light left inside.
There's no guiding light in us.
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23 Meanings

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Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

to fans of muse: read the novel "1984" by George Orwell and research the new world order and this album will make more sense. this song is about when Winston is trapped in the prison place without his lover or "guiding light" in Julia. of cors the song can also be interpereted as losing hope in any other situation

I read that somewhere too. As in it's based off '1984'. I don't have this album, but this would be one of the songs that sells it for me, along with USofE and Resistance.

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I also see many parallels such as the orwell and brave new world references. Pink Floyd's album "The Wall" does the same and both albums seem to really have the same message.

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Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

ok so here we go...

to get what this song is about, you have to think of its context with the song before it. "United States of Eurasia" has the one world order theme of bringing east and west together into one. it ends in lament as you hear jet planes fly overhead. they're bombing you (the listener) and you can even hear the bass rumble get louder and louder (on a good system) as if the bombs are landing in front of you and headed in a path straight for you. the bomb that kills you is the beginning of the song with the bass drum intro.

"pure hearts stumble" describes that the people who were responsible for this were born good and had good in them but, for reasons we'll get into later, they were responsible for your (the listeners) death. "my hands crumble" means literally this. "fragile and stripped to the core" describes his fragile body is gone and only his spirit is left "i can't hurt you anymore" explains that the people who bombed us (the listener) probably viewed us as a threat and we can no longer stand up to them.

"loved by numbers" explains the motives for these people who are responsible for the bombing, and it's the almighty dollar. probably war profiteering since that would tie into the theme of jets and bombs. "your losing life's wonder" explains that unwavering devoted to the dollar will leave you void of all lifes little wonders. ala stop and smell the roses. "touch like strangers; detached" explains the rift between the two cultures. the culture of us (99%) and the 1%. quite a rift indeed. "i can't hurt you anymore" is the last line of the second stanza which ties into the last line of the first stanza describing physical condition and threat level.

"sunshine trapped in our hearts could rise again" explains how this way of living could be changed and the humanity could be seen for what it is.

now to all this guiding light business...

i personally believe that matt is talking about a specific drug called DMT. It's in every human brain right in the third eye area. matt references it on the first song on the album "Uprising" singing "flick a switch and open your third eye, you'd see that we should never be afraid to die" the dying theme is displayed obviously in this song too. also he says the name of this song and more in "I Belong to You" singing "your my GUIDING LIGHTning strike. both these songs are completely about DMT.

Song Meaning
Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

To me, this song is about someone losing their hopes, dreams and imagination.

In the first verse, the protagonist blaims himself for what's happened to that person (pure hearts stumble, in my hands, they crumble)

After, he talks about how the person is being guided by their mind, rather than by their emotions and how he doesn't get it.

In the third verse, he says everything could be like before again, that they might be able to turn back time, if only he wouldn't be so confused and lost.

Near the end, despite the previous, he says he'll still go back to that person when he's feeling down or neglected, but it won't help anymore, because that person lost their spirit.

I agree, and you can also see how it can be about inner breakdowns within oneself which cause you to lose the embrace and warmth of existing in the now, and cause you to numb yourself indeffinatley to true embrace and emotion of living:

"Loved by numbers You're losing life's wonders Touch like strangers: detached I can't feel you anymore" 'numbers' symbolises a big player in this persons defeat and punishment of minds state to be dull and without flare/spark.

...but i dunno what im saying really

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Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

Probably the most perfect song ever written (by Muse that is). It has such a powerful sound and really captures the listener. I can't help but feel a sense of saddness whilst listening to this song. I think it describes how all hope is lost, whether it was due to a friend failing him or a relationship falling apart..

Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

Great song. This song is to "the resistance" as Invincible was to "black holes".

That's really funny that you made that comparison - Invincible was the only song on BHAR that I couldn't get into, and Guiding Light is the only one on TR that I don't care for!

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Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

Sing the melody from "I Can't Stop Falling In Love With You" by UB40 over the lyric "Touch like strangers detached I can't feel you anymore". Same melody.

Made a mistake. The UB40 song is called "Can't Help Falling In Love".

Not Valid

maybe, but it's not UB40's it was composed by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore, and first played by Elvis Presley

anyway great song (both!)

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Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

Another great song off the album. Sounds Glasvegas-ish in parts, especially the first two verses (well, the tune/riff).

Pretty self explanatory lyrics too. This song sums up the dejected feeling and loss of hope so well.

Muse have said themselves that they are fans of Glasvegas. So there you go.

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Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

There may be a mistake in the lyrics. I believe it's "pure hearts stumble". You can check it out on Muse's website.

You are right. I have the booklet with the lyrics and it does say "pure" not "impure".

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Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

I thought "anymore" was "animal" when I listened, but it makes more sense this way.

Cover art for Guiding Light lyrics by Muse

Real lyrics:

"Pure hearts stumble In my hands, they crumble Fragile and stripped to the core I can't hurt you anymore

Loved by numbers You're losing life's wonders Touch like strangers: detached I can't feel you anymore

The sunshine trapped in our hearts It could rise again But I'm lost, crushed, cold and confused With no guiding light left inside

You were my guiding light

When comfort and warmth can't be found I still reach for you But I'm lost, crushed, cold and confused With no guiding light left inside

You're my guiding light You're my guiding light When there's no guiding light left inside When there's no guiding light in our lives"

I have the CD. These are the real lyrics.

Has anyone noticed that the tune to this song is close to "Bluebells of Scotland"? Strange.