☝️ Key Points
- The singer has lost a loved one and feels lost in the 'normal world' he knew before the loss
- Pride could be a possible cause of losing this person, as it 'will tear us both apart'
- The singer shows determination not to dwell in the past but to survive in his new reality
- He acknowledges that his pain and loss are universal human experiences by placing his personal grief in the context of a world full of suffering and conflicts
- There is an openness to new relationships and experiences as part of his healing process and journey to self-discovery
Interpretation
The song 'Ordinary World' by
Duran Duran is about loss, coping, and self-discovery. The singer seems to have lost a loved one, which is expressed through the words 'Still I can't escape the ghost of you'. He feels lost and misses the 'normalcy' of his life that he knew before this loss - the 'ordinary world'.
He reflects on the causes of this loss. 'Pride will tear us both apart' suggests that pride may have played a role. It seems that this person suddenly left him ('Well now pride's gone out the window...Run away'), leaving a feeling of emptiness and loneliness.
The repetition of the chorus 'But I won't cry for yesterday...I will learn to survive' shows his determination not to dwell in the past and instead learn to survive in his new reality.
The lines 'Papers in the roadside...Ours is just a little sorrowed talk' place his personal pain in the context of a world full of suffering and conflicts. This could be a reminder that his problems are small compared to global issues, or it could be an acknowledgment that pain and loss are universal human experiences.
In the closing lines 'Every one Is my world, I will learn to survive' there is an openness to new relationships and experiences as part of his healing process and journey of self-discovery.