☝️ Key Points
- The song addresses indifference, compassion, and hope for change by depicting turning away from injustice and suffering.
- The metaphor of light turning into shadow symbolizes the growing indifference and heartlessness in society.
- The third verse hints at a turning point and conveys hope for change and the beginning of a new day.
- 'No more turning away / From the weak and the weary' is a call to action, empathy, and sharing the world in a state of equality and brotherhood.
- 'On the Turning Away' delivers a strong message against indifference and in favor of compassion and change.
Interpretation
'On the Turning Away' is a song that deals with themes such as indifference, compassion, and hope for change.
In the opening lines, the band sings about turning away 'from the pale and downtrodden' and the words we don't understand. This points out that passively accepting injustice, 'Don't accept that what's happening / Is just a case of others' suffering', puts us in a position of indifference and turning away.
The following lines describe how light, a symbol of truth and goodness, turns to shadow, 'It's a sin that somehow / Light is changing to shadow'. The darkness that falls upon the familiar is an image of the growing indifference and heartlessness in society.
However, the third section offers a glimmer of hope. 'On the wings of the night / As the daytime is stirring', hints at a new beginning, a time of change symbolized by the awakening of the day.
The closing lines emphasize the need for collective consciousness and the responsibility we share. 'No more turning away / From the weak and the weary' is a call to action, to empathy, and to sharing the world in a state of equality and brotherhood.
Overall, 'On the Turning Away' is a powerful message against indifference and for compassion and change.