Annotations for Early Sunsets Over Monroeville

Lyric: But does anyone notice? But does anyone care?
Annotation:
This could be the narrator reflecting on whether his efforts to keep his loved one alive is noticed or cared by anyone. Zombies tend to be seen as brainless therefore lacking the capability to notice an action done out of love or the ability to care about said action so despite the narrators efforts to keep their loved one alive it could all be in vain

Lyric: And should I be shocked now, by the last thing you said?
Annotation:
The last possible shocking thing a person could say before succumbing to a zombie bite could be revealing they are infected, or in the context of this song, it could be to kill them in an act of mercy. If we were to match this line with the theme of the album, this could mean the last shocking thing the partner said to the narrator before wanting to end the relationship, it we apply this to the rest of the song it could be about thinking this person you love so much has hurt you and they’re dead to you, so you take them aside to break it off, but you’re afraid to “pull that trigger” because it’s a very final decision that could prove irreversible and you still have the memories baring hope for a brighter future with this person.

Lyric: And our memories defeat us, and I’ll end this duress
Annotation:
In both the literal and metaphorical story, the narrator is unable to end things because of the memories they share, they “defeat [him].” But he still has to pull the (again, both literal and metaphorical) trigger and do what he’s has to do.

Lyric: Running away and hiding with you
 I never thought they’d get me here
Annotation:
The duo that the song (or even the album) revolve around find themselves in a “hide-and-seek game” with some force that wants them dead. In the case of the album, it is the appropriately named Demolition Lovers who were fleeing from the police, although  we all know how that ends. In the case of the song, it is the couple running from a horde of zombies in a post-apocalyptic world. However, the man must mercifully end the life of his lover before she turns into a zombie for good.

Lyric: Counting your face among the living
Annotation:
she’s a zombie but he doesn’t want to accept that she’s dead

Lyric: Then holding hands, and life was perfect
 Just like up on the screen
Annotation:
This could detail life before the zombie plague, in which the writer and their lover felt intense emotions about each other and were living in a romance that felt storybook, or more accurately, like a typical rom-com.

Lyric: Not knowing you changed from just one bite
 I fought them all off just to hold you close and tight
Annotation:
as an improvement to my last incorrect annotation, I believe this is the protagonist talking about their lover being bitten by a zombie and transforming into a monster, and what they would do to protect them.

Lyric: Up and down escalators
 Pennies and colder fountains
 Elevators and half-price sales
 Trapped in by all these mountains
Annotation:
These lines juxtapose the stale, somewhat depressing setting of a mall to the beauty of mountains. “Trapped in by all these mountains” could also be a metaphor for capitalism – trapped in a mall, you’re faced with massive corporations and chain stores at every turn.

Lyric: And in saying you loved me made things harder, at best
 And these words changing nothing as your body remains
Annotation:
With the song’s major plot, this likely is about the narrator preparing to shoot his loved one who has become a zombie. Knowing they love the narrator makes ending their life, though they’re a threat, harder to do since the thought of destroying a loved one is insanely painful. The next part, “And these words changing nothing as your body remains” probably suggests that their human love didn’t stop this person from becoming a zombie. They aren’t who they were anymore, and now their love is irrelevant since this shell of a person is all that’s left.

Lyric: And if I had the guts to put this to your head
 But would anything matter if you’re already dead?
Annotation:
In line with the themes of zombie movies and specifically  Dawn of the Dead, the narrator contemplates shooting their loved one in the head, either to prevent them from turning into a zombie and putting the group in danger, or after they have already turned. The narrator worries whether they have the guts to carry out the act, since killing a loved one is one of the hardest thoughts to fathom. However, they also view the act as a kind of mercy. Living in constant fear is no way to live, and they will most likely all die soon anyway. If the narrator is envisioning killing them after they have turned, then technically they would literally already be dead, or undead, as a zombie.

Lyric: But does anyone notice there’s a corpse in this bed?
Annotation:
In terms of the song’s concept, this could be again linked to the fact that the woman has been bitten and is now a zombie (“living corpse”). Alternatively, it could be referring to the fact that their relationship is dead and has run its course. Beds are viewed as a safe place for lovers to spend time alone together, but since the couple’s love has ended, there is no life there. Finding a corpse in a bed would be quite startling, and wouldn’t be easy to miss. The band’s choice to make this line a question is almost a cry out to those around them — they seem to be questioning whether anyone cares enough to notice the relationship has gone sour.

Lyric: Before I pull this trigger, your eyes vacant and stained
Annotation:
In terms of the album’s concept, the narrator is preparing to kill his lover who is now a zombie. Depictions of zombies often include clouded, far-away eyes and blotches of color on their skin. This line could also be interpreted metaphorically on a global level. He’s about to shoot her with his metaphorical gun, which means that they are possibly ending their relationship. The woman is in a state of vacancy because she’s shocked that it has to end this way. “Stained” likely mean she’s been crying and her tears have left trails on her face.

Lyric: And there’s no room in this Hell, there’s no room in the next
Annotation:
These lines quote the tagline of the original movie, which goes “When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth”.  He considers the world he lives in to be a hell where he is unwanted. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be room in the afterlife either. This could be interpreted as a reference to overpopulation as well. The earth is too crowded, too populated. But there’s no room in hell either, as too many people deserve to have gone there.

Lyric: Late dawns and early sunsets
 Just like my favorite scenes
Annotation:
Late dawns and early sunsets are questionably two of the most beautiful natural occurrences. Almost all of the scenes in  Dawn of the Dead were filmed in dawn or dusk due to using an actual mall as a film set. The movie had to be filmed at night after the mall had closed, and filming would often go on until dawn.

