How would you interpret this?

[Dafydd]

Hi.

I'm working on lyrics for a remix, and I'm uncertain about the meaning of the following line:

"...and now the sun sets on the world you saved today".

What I want to say is "you saved the world, and now the long day is at an end". So, are people more likely to interpret this as "you saved the world, but your hard work was futile, because the world has come to an end anyway" ? Is the meaning of it context-dependent or absolute?

What is the exact meaning of "the sun sets on..." ? Would it make a difference if I used "...and now the sun sets on the day that you have saved" instead, or would this cause the same kind of dilemma? Would it be more adequate to say "...and now the sun sets in the world you saved today" to avoid confusion?

Thanks for any help... and sorry if this in the wrong forum :)

[Old Man Time]

Hi.

I'm working on lyrics for a remix, and I'm uncertain about the meaning of the following line:

"...and now the sun sets on the world you saved today".

What I want to say is "you saved the world, and now the long day is at an end". So, are people more likely to interpret this as "you saved the world, but your hard work was futile, because the world has come to an end anyway" ? Is the meaning of it context-dependent or absolute?

What is the exact meaning of "the sun sets on..." ? Would it make a difference if I used "...and now the sun sets on the day that you have saved" instead, or would this cause the same kind of dilemma? Would it be more adequate to say "...and now the sun sets in the world you saved today" to avoid confusion?

Thanks for any help... and sorry if this in the wrong forum :)

I interpreted it the way that you did the first time I read it. Read is the key word though - people will not be reading the lyrics, and there is a good chance that they don't exactly know what is being said, or really care. How the words are sung are much more important than what they are. Hopefully that helped.

[avaris]

The meaning of the lyric is ambiguous, so whatever the feel of the harmony and melody behind it is what will shape the meaning of the lyric for the listener...IMO

[vindkast]

I got a negative feeling from it, like the second interpretation you mentioned. If you wanted to avoid confusion, I would recommend finding a way to put the positive part (about saving the world) first. People will always interpret things differently, but you can shape their perception not just through the information you give, but through the order in which you give it as well.

On the other hand, the ambiguity makes lyric much, much more interesting imo. It hints at a deeper meaning-- if that meaning (the potential futility of the hero's actions) isn't totally against what you want to express, you might consider leaving it in or even trying to expand on it.

[AarowSwift]

I agree with the comments that how it's interpreted will be more dependant on how it's sung than the words themselves. Though, if you want the words themselves to be unambiguous, here's a thought: Add some positive reinforcement, like a descriptor that this is a happy statement...

"And now you rejoice as the sun sets on the world you saved today."

Stating that "you rejoice" makes it pretty clear this event is a happy thing.

I got a negative feeling from it, like the second interpretation you mentioned. If you wanted to avoid confusion, I would recommend finding a way to put the positive part (about saving the world) first. People will always interpret things differently, but you can shape their perception not just through the information you give, but through the order in which you give it as well.

This statement I disagree with, people tend to most remember the last thing they read or see (this is why in paper ads, company logos most often adorn the bottom right corner of the advertisement, because that's where the reader's eye ends). If you end with the sun setting instead of saving the world, that will, supposedly, reinforce the negative. Plus, it would probably make for a cumbersome sentence.

[djpretzel]

Fine as written; context and delivery should disambiguate sufficiently.

[nohero]

When the sun sets "on" something, it is generally interpreted as that "something" coming to an end.
A sun setting "in" a land, however, IMO, makes it sound less permanent and dark.

[Hemophiliac]

Fine as written; context and delivery should disambiguate sufficiently.

qfe, i was about to say the same

[Liontamer]

Fine as written; context and delivery should disambiguate sufficiently.
Yep. That's what I was gonna say.

[Dafydd]

Well, thanks!