Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: power-pop
Song Meaning of “Abstract Reasoning” by The Anderson Council
This song tells a story of a person’s inner struggles and the attempt to make sense of complex thoughts and feelings. It speaks to the inner dialogue that we all have when we attempt to make sense of our lives and find a way to move forward. The chorus, “We’ve been caught in abstract reasoning, and nothing is what it seems”, speaks to the mental hoops we often jump through to try to figure things out. The song speaks of the failures of abstract reasoning and our incapacity to fully explain the things happening around us. The Anderson Council masterfully captures the feeling of confusion and inner unrest as they sing, “Too many questions to answer, so many roads turn to dead ends”.
The chorus once again asks us to question the wisdom of abstract reasoning, “Abstract reasoning, it’s tearing you in two, a river of questions, and what haven can we view”. This speaks to our human tendency to obsess over unanswered questions and overthink our own life choices. The lyrics suggest that it can ultimately be a fruitless task and that there are often no easy or straightforward answers. The outro fades away to leave these words, “A search for meaning in a world that’s not listening”. It leaves the listener with hope that, although it may be difficult, one can eventually come to terms with the complexity of life and find some sense of peace.