What is the meaning of the song 'How Far We've Come' by Matchbox Twenty?

Answer 1

The song is meant to inspire us to become what we as human beings can fully become. Yes, the song talks about all the bad events in every day life and the fact that it may get worse. At the time when each one of us is faced with a tough decision that may be caused by violence or harship, when that violence and hardship will face us; now it is time for us decide -to make a defining decision. "Let's see how far we've come." Will each one of us be brave enough to answer that hardship with courage of nonviolence and peace or will we revert to the animals we have been in the past as human beings, and continue the downward spiral of hurting eachother. That decsion belongs to each one of us and now, "let's see how far we've come." It is a call for hope in our ability to be much more than we have been. To decide to be fully human. Beautiful. Take2:This song is very deep- riding as it did on the wave of global environmental awareness. Mr. Thomas's despondency stems from the current critical mass reached about global warming and how far humanity has come only to screw up the only planet we have. Lines like "cars are moving at an half an hour or so" only serves to reiterate how far we've come technologically but never really going anywhere. Lines like "I believe the world is burning to the ground" and "it was cool, cool it was just all cool, now its over for me and its over for you" emphasise the global warming meaning again. Its also a metaphor for a world awashed in terrorism, war and selfishness. But all in all its a song about hope- because we have come quite far as a species.

Take 3: (slight variation of #1)

The song starts with "hello? hello? hello?" on the beginning of the day of some terrible crisis that will obviously result in the breakdown of normal every day commerce, etc. supermarkets, technology, etc. Will the famous & adored musician (or we the listener with our highly specialized modern skills) still be important/special? Will this skill matter at all as folks escape cities for the farmlands?

The song takes place during the period when everyone is still in disbelief & figuring out what to do but is expected to shortly devolve into chaos as folks are (@1mph in their cars) trying to leave cities, but still asks - almost dares the listener- let's see how far we've come? Since we know how advanced we are. As everyone deals with their delusion and comes to the realization of what has happened and that the future can never be the same will the resulting society break down into chaos or will everyone work together. The singer doesn't seem very confident things are going to go well. :)

Basically will a society used to having everything so easy and that valued mass-media heros (and other modern skills), etc. devolve back to the law of the jungle or will the singer be proven wrong and something unexpected will happen where everyone works together. Are we really as advanced and special of a people as we like to think we are under severe circumstances?

Thoughtful lyrics and thumb-snapping pop style makes this one of several recent hits using irony to convey a message in an easy to digest style (also see Lily Allen's The Fear).