Discover the story of the song > How Near, How Far – …and you will know us by the trail of dead

The protagonist is reflecting on the past and feeling confused about why he has been unable to feel anything when looking at paintings of his former romantic partner's eyes. He describes them as oil painted and blind yet hypnotizing. He has tried to capture their beauty in his own art but still can't understand why they don't affect him emotionally. The chorus repeats the phrase "how near, how far, how lost they are" to emphasize the protagonist's confusion and distance from his feelings.