OK, go with me on this. I think I'm on to something. I'm using the stuff I learned in my Psychology of the Movies course to read into the hidden meanings. It's kinda long, so bear with me.
-- A man wearing all black, who is also driving a black car picks up a hitch-hiker. The black tells us that there is a dark side to the person.
-- The band is playing in a room, later shown to be a small hotel. They too, are wearing dark colors. Primarily grey, showing a more distant connection to what is happening.
-- Myles sings: "Fight the fight alone" and the driver of the car punches and we see a camera shake. From the positioning of the camera, we get the feeling that we are the passenger, and have just been hit. This shows us as viewers to be more intimately involved with the story, instead of just seeing a man get hit.
-- Myles continues "When the world is full of victims" and we see the hitch-hicker being put into the trunk of the car. We also get the feeling that the man has done this before.
-- The man pulls up to an old fallen down building (later shown to be the hotel spoken of earlier), and it appears to be in an abandoned area. This gives us the feeling that he is running away and/or trying to hide.
-- As he gets out of the car, he bends over and wipes his shoe with a white cloth. This is similar to a person washing their hands clean to signify they are guiltless, which also tells us that this man feels no remorse for what he has done. This is further signified by the white cloth, white representing purity.
-- He looks up and sees people watching him. These people, dressed very simply and all alike, shows us that they do not know what is going on. We also see that their eyes are clouded over and colorless, showing their seperation. They avoid making eye contact with him because they don't know (and can't "see" in a metaphoric sence) what is going on. They also seem to be the man's dark and hidden thoughts (i.e. his thoughts are watching him).
-- He opens the trunk of his car to remove his suitcase. From the angle of the camera we can see the body in his trunk. The man even acts as nothing has happened, but looks around, showing he feels watched.
-- A little girl pulls on his clothes. We are not shown why, or what she says to him, but she is wearing a white shirt, showing the innocence of a child. We also see that her eyes are not like the rest of the people. Her's are clear, which means she is seperated from them, and suspects something.
-- She leads him into the hotel. Again, showing her innocence.
-- The man goes up to the counter. We are shown a close up of their hands. The clerk slids a room key to the man. On the key tag, we see that instead of a room number there is a question mark. This tells that there is a secret somewhere, and that he is hiding, because his room is not identified.
-- As he walks down the hall to his room, people are peeking out of their doorways and closing their doors, in hopes that they won't be seen. Again, he is trying to hide his thoughts and may become victims (as noted earlier in the lyric of "when the world is full of victims").
-- Myles sings: "Mend the broken home. Care for them they are our brothers. Save the fading light in our souls." This relates back to the now unknown whereabouts of the hitch-hiker. His home has now been broken, and could have been a brother to someone. The people know they have to do something.
-- Myles shows up at the door marked with a question mark. We then know that we are inside of that room.
-- After the man gets more comfortable, he turns on the TV. As he steps back, people appear from behind the trees. As he moves forward, they go back behind them. This again shows that they only watch from a distance.
-- He feels suspecious. He puts a cup to the wall in hopes of hearing something. Instead, a drill comes through the wall. He sees it as it nearly hits him. This shows that they mystery is starting to be solved (i.e. he is beginning to be found out).
-- Myles sings: "Instead of relying on the world to make me all that I am, all I'll be..." the man has definetly strayed from the norm and is acting purely on his own will.
-- The drill keeps coming through, making more holes.
-- As the man looks through a hole, we think he has been poked in the eye by the drill. He goes to the bathroom to check his eye. He realizes he is hurt, and "opened his eyes."
-- As he moves, he sees a reflection of a person behind him in the mirror, but as he turns around, no one is there. It is possibly a past victim. We also see a person in the bathtub who is not there (another victim).
-- While that is going on Myles sings "Memories of all I am, all I'll be." The man remembers them and knows of what or who he is.
-- As he tries to escape from the room, the doorknob breaks off of the door. He knows he is trapped in his actions.
-- The shadow on the wall catches him (it is the shadow of his past).
-- The man leaves, and everyone is outside (they are free and guiltless). As he opens up the trunk of his car, and the man who we previously saw in the bathtub is alive again and comes out. This shows that the previous victims have been freed.
-- He is shown with them, wearing the same clothes and everything, and they all put a hand onto his shoulder. He is in the center of the screen so we focus on him. We believe that he has finally given into his thoughts and has come clean. He is now innocent, like the people (the bystanders).
-- The video of the song is not meant for us to relate to everything. We are being shown as the man. Just as he was what the chorus said: "On broken wings I'm falling and it won't be long, the skin on me is burning by the fires of the sun. On skinned knees I'm bleeding, and it won't be long. I've gotta find that meaning and I'll search for so long." We are all falling and sooner or later, something will put us into our place, when our past catches up with us. We have the feeling at that time that our skin is burning, we're bleeding (both metaphoric for feelings), and we have to find out why we do the things we do.
Now, watch the video with what I've said here, and let me know what you think.
H-D 