I'm planning on leaving Reddit and deleting my account. Presumably forever, unless age verification thing disappears in EU. My account settings were reset and locked, and I am unable to access MY OWN 18+ posts I left on here. In roundabout way I am able to see 18+ content, but still can't change seetings and find my own posts.

So save favourite posts of mine right now before they disappear.

I'm currently looking for an alternative. I will update this post once I find (probably on next Saturday).

I'm migrating away from Reddit, unless age verification thing stops in my country

I'm fine with some data sharing

but I am NEVER sharing government ID or allow analysis of my face (THIS IS SOCIAL MEDIA, NOT A GOVERNMENT SERVICE!!!)

Reddit alternative suggestions will be greatly appreciated

Thread 1 "Crime story":
Oberkorn (it's a small town) — typical mysterious intro
My secret garden — escape from exposed crimescene
Monument — getting rid of enemies but at a cost
Leave in silence — sad ending for our criminal protagonist

Thread 2 "Romantic story":
The meaning of love — curiosity about love
See you — experiencing love and trying to see someone again
Nothing to fear — reassuring their love interest
A photograph of you — sad ending for our romantic protagonist

Thread 3 "Social story":
Shouldn't have done that — upbringing
Satellite — breaking point
Now this is fun — hate and doom
The sun and the rainfall — finding hope in change

Verse 1: description of relationship

Light switch, man switch — a biting parallel to how the relationship dynamic of narrator was. It's a fling, a casual relationship where partners' affection fluctuates with regularity of a light switch.
Film was broken only then — this line is a reference to the chorus. The experience, the memory, the emotions of relationship was disjointed, incoherent when it happened, but now narrator has a full clear picture of it after it ended.
All the night, fused tomorrow — I feel narrator describes characteristics of their sex life. They did sex "all the night" to the point of exhaustion and often woke up the next day "fused".
Dancing with a distant friend — this connects to previous line. During night, the passion was reeling and overflowing, but during day they acted casual/regular friends (not close friends, but "distant" friends). This dynamic is comparable to "dancing", where you get all in with dedication for a period of performance but once you finished you both separate and go about your days.

Verse 2: breakup

So we left, understanding — both narattor and their partner undestood why they have to end their relationship
Clean cut so we're sounding fast — "clean cut" means here that they had no fights, emotional baggage or some other shit typical breakups have. Therefore, their talking "sounds fast": no hesitation or doubt, reconciliation attempts and so on.
Talked of sad, I talked of war — this line is not about partned being sad and narrator being angry, because of previous two lines. Instead, I suggest this. Partner talked about missing potential of relationship and how they wanted to see where this goes, while narrator argued about why relationship is bad and has no future and glad that the relationship is finally ending.
I laughed and climbed the rising cast — cast being an object here does not make sense, because of metaphor redundancy. Instead, I think cast means here "a set of characters or persons". Narrator was happy after relationship and was taking on new relationships confidently like someone climbing a mountain/hill.

Verse 3: delayed introspective response

Quickly I remembered — suddenly, out of nowhere, a memory hits them.
Fused and saw a face before — narrator remembers the sex from relationship described in first verse.
Timing reason, understanding — They reason their logic and understanding, measuring how it transpires in their head and deconstructing it (“timing"). They try to reassert the conclusion of that relationship being doomed.
Like association hall — this deconstruction is failing and leads to free association.

Chorus: nostalgia

Filming and screening — here, making a film scene inside the head
I picture the scene — they picture the sex scene
Filming and dreaming — here "filming" changes meaning to something akin to 'playing' or 'recording'. This scene is so powerful that the memory (or exagerated fantasy) self-reinforces.
Dreaming of me — narrator imagines their own sensations, how they move, what they sense, what they feel, as if they transported back to this moment of sexual bliss.

Outro: signs of bad times coming

Dreaming of me / Just dreaming of me / It's only me / Just me — in the context of outro, "dreaming of me" completely changes meaning. Instead of imagining them with the person during sex, now they imagine only themselves alone. That is singer’s creeping loneliness.

Before I continue, I want to tell about one structural detail. The song is about two persons ('I' and 'you'). Since there is no 'we' (with one exception I'm gonna talk about later), I assume these two persons are in opposition with each other. Also, the point of view is always told from perspective of only one person, not the other (at least I think so). Let’s call 'I' person A, and 'you' person B.

1. A white house, a white room

Underrated line. Firstly, we cannot say "white room" means just a brightly lit room, because the chorus juxtaposes bright and dark. So white is a color. This line does not just tell the location (in a white room inside a white house), but much more. I deduce that the white house has differently colored rooms. Also, I see an allegory on external presentation. The external persona (white house) tries to depict only a small part of inner self (white room) as a whole personality (room=house), but in reality many other parts of identity are suppressed (non-white rooms). Also, since I know that action is happening in a white room (corresponding to white exterior presentability), the interaction is public, formal, with strangers. Plus, color white has its own innate meaning that perfectly layers on these themes. By the way, I want to clarify this action is not literally happening in that place: it’s a metaphor of interaction instead. The "white room" is perhaps the persona of a law-abiding, rational citizen. The "non-white rooms" are the hidden chambers of obsession, desire and deviance. The fact that the action (the monitoring, the taking of pictures) happens in the "white room" suggests the stalker operates in plain sight, their true nature hidden behind a mask of normalcy.

2. The program of today

This line not only reinforces meaning from previous line, but also introduces a new meaning. "The program of today" can be rephraced as "modernity's model", which in turn can be intuitively concluded to mean "society" or "code of conduct/law". But "the program of today" phrasing is used to give specific subtext: authoritativeness, oppressiveness. This is the view of the protagonist/narrator of the song. Alternatively, I could argue that "the program of today" is a pun on the synthesizer/sequencer. In 1981, the idea of programming music might have been still revolutionary. If Person A is "programming" the day, they are attempting to sequence human interaction like they sequence a Moog.

3. Lights on, switch on

Here are no commands. "Switch on" can be interpreted as phrasal verb, but "lights on" forces noun understanding. So I think "switch on" is simplified "the switch is on", similar to "lights on" being simplified "the lights are on". This line could be telling about physical reality (the light is turned on), but also can be social/psychological reality (attention is now active on someone).

4. Your eyes are far away

Referencing previous line, that someone does not react on the stimulant. 3 and 4 together can also be a reference to a medical or police test on mind alteration where person’s reactions are interpreted based on how pupils contract from light (in this case, "far away" means pupils stay uncontracted). This is a metaphor that is only understood once we listen further.

5+6. The map represents you / And the tape is your voice

Tape is specifically an audio tape because of "voice" word. In the context of audio tape, "map" refers to representation of audio data or the organization of sound recordings on a tape, which can include the arrangement of tracks and the identification of specific audio segments. Therefore, person B is dehumanized to data.

7. Follow all along you

Notice it is not "follow along with". Following along someone means to accompany or keep pace with that person throughtout a journey or activity. "All" implies totality and non-exclusiveness (no privacy). Person A is stalking or monitoring Person B.

8. Till you recognize the choice

Interesting line. Person B is not concerned with Person A's presence. They are concerned when noticing they are actively following them (making a choice). This is typical for strangers in public spaces: we don't pay attenting to strangers and what they're doing unless we see them do an action specific to us.

9+10. I said I'd write a letter / But I never got the time

Since the song is about strangers, "saying" is likely non-literal and adressed to self. Then "got the time" means "dedicate". Person A swore to themselves they would write a letter to person B, but they failed on this commitment. It also tracks with stalker's typical traits: those who become stalkers often are struggling with commitment.

11+12. And I'm looking to the day / I mesmerize the light

"Look to the day" here means expecting something to happen. "Mesmerize" means to spellbind, enthrall, hypnotize (that means Person A wants not attention, but control). Since article 'the' is used for "light", Person A is referring to concrete, not literal light, so likely Person B is their "light". Since Person A is seeing Person B like that, they are likely having feelings for them, which means the "letter" they wanted to write was a romantic confession. Overall, 11 and 12 together say that Person A is trying to achieve control over their love interest.

13+14. The years I spend just thinking / Of a moment we both knew

The notable use of "we", further enhanced with "both". This moment is very special to Person A, which is confirmed by their statement of how much they reminisce about it (“years" here is a hyperbole).

15+16a. A second boss looking into / It seems it can't be true

I interpret second as an adjective and not a noun because of an articte "a". If we were talking about "the moment the boss", then it would have been "the second boss". First part of sentence can be rephrased as "second boss is paying attention". This "second boss" could be an allegory to societal authority or Person A's Super-Ego. But since the song is about stalking/monitoring, interaction of strangers and partly society, I pick societal interpretation. 15 and 16 together say that Person A is perceiving the moment of connection they want is impossible to have in public and under watchful eyes. Ironically, person A does not notice they are watchful eyes from perspective of person B and of much stronger strutiny/danger than society.

15+16b. A second passed like an empty room / It seems it can't be true

"A second passed like an empty room" shifts the focus from external authority to internal vacuum, depicting a moment where a single second becomes as hollow and fleeting as a physical void. Here, "it seems it can't be true" is the impression that the moment Person A shared with Person B was not as deep as it could have been. Person A wants to fill their void so much and experience the same feelings more. This shows they don't care about Person B, but their own satisfaction, like an egoist.

15+16c. What a change in this lyric tells about meaning

Likely 15+16a is a mistake. But if both versions are intended, then both are motives. One external, one internal. Person A is motivated by avoidance of societal interaction and craving for a deep relationship.

17. I take pictures

Since pre-chorus is identical after verse 1 and verse 2, this line is adding to both "Till you recognise the choice" and "It seems it can't be true". For Verse 1, Person A taking pictures is the "choice" Person B unsettled about, and as soon as Person B notices — Person A hides/gets away. Taking pictures is a way for Person A to get to experience that moment again. Maybe they keep photo collection in their home of Person B for more sexual reasons. This adds on to lines 5 and 6: we now know Person A is making both audio and visual recordings of person B. Since they keep both audios and photos (likely for 'immersion'), we can extrapolate. This may be a wild finger point, but maybe Person A has also made a doll of Person B, either for worship or recreation of their presence. For Verse 2, since Person A feels that they either cannot approach the person they are in love with or won't get the deepness they want, they resort to pictures and fantasizing.

18. Photographic pictures

Don't know if this is intentional semantic or just stylistic choice. "Taking pictures" already means making photographs (unless authors think audience is stupid enough to misunderstand as grabbing/collecting pictures, which is unlikely). So "photographic" means something more abstract, allegorical. This word is also the title of the song, despite being just one word and from pre-chorus, and that means this carries special significance. "Photographic" emphasizes the coldness of the act. Instead of "photogenic", "photographic" is used. Photogenic = the person has a quality that translates well to images; Photographic = the images have captured something true about the person. The image takes precedence over the person. Pictures are not just mementos or trophies for Person A, but substitutions of Person B.

19+20. Bright light / Dark room

The most repeated line in the song in the end. Like a compulsion or a mantra. Since the song is sung from POV of Person A, we can conclude this is their intrusive thought. Since "bright light" and "dark room" are separate and alternating, we can be sure this isn't description of one scene (not "a bright light in a dark room". What is interesting also are word combinations. Why "bright light" but not "bright room"? Why "dark room" but not "dim light" or "no light"? I think this is intentional in the context of story being told from Person A POV and these two phrases being on separate lines. To person A, "bright light" is a phenomena. Likely, "bright light" is not a camera flash (this will hinder Person A's goal), but object of desire (as established in 12). To person A, "dark room" is a place. It is where their collections at. Again, I think "dark room" is not a photography darkroom (“dark room" is even written as seperate words in lyrics), but a place of Person A's personal darkness or twistedness. What also is observable is comparison between "bright" and "dark". Since we established "dark" is moral/psychological here, then "bright" refers to innocence/goodness/normalcy of Person B. Therefore, this comparison creates a message: "bright" Person B is 'used' by Person A for "dark" things through indirect representations of them (photos, audios, dolls).

Conclusion

The lyrics are the internal monologue of stalker who: compartmentalizes (white room, dark room, white house, boss etc.), dehumanizes, fantasizes about control, obsesses over a moment, operates in secrecy, feels both guilty and justified.

Before I continue, I want to tell about one structural detail. The song is about two persons ('I' and 'you'). Since there is no 'we' (with one exception I'm gonna talk about later), I assume these two persons are in opposition with each other. Also, the point of view is always told from perspective of only one person, not the other (at least I think so). Let’s call 'I' person A, and 'you' person B.

1. A white house, a white room

Underrated line. Firstly, we cannot say "white room" means just a brightly lit room, because the chorus juxtaposes bright and dark. So white is a color. This line does not just tell the location (in a white room inside a white house), but much more. I deduce that the white house has differently colored rooms. Also, I see an allegory on external presentation. The external persona (white house) tries to depict only a small part of inner self (white room) as a whole personality (room=house), but in reality many other parts of identity are suppressed (non-white rooms). Also, since I know that action is happening in a white room (corresponding to white exterior presentability), the interaction is public, formal, with strangers. Plus, color white has its own innate meaning that perfectly layers on these themes. By the way, I want to clarify this action is not literally happening in that place: it’s a metaphor of interaction instead. The "white room" is perhaps the persona of a law-abiding, rational citizen. The "non-white rooms" are the hidden chambers of obsession, desire and deviance. The fact that the action (the monitoring, the taking of pictures) happens in the "white room" suggests the stalker operates in plain sight, their true nature hidden behind a mask of normalcy.

2. The program of today

This line not only reinforces meaning from previous line, but also introduces a new meaning. "The program of today" can be rephraced as "modernity's model", which in turn can be intuitively concluded to mean "society" or "code of conduct/law". But "the program of today" phrasing is used to give specific subtext: authoritativeness, oppressiveness. This is the view of the protagonist/narrator of the song. Alternatively, I could argue that "the program of today" is a pun on the synthesizer/sequencer. In 1981, the idea of programming music might have been still revolutionary. If Person A is "programming" the day, they are attempting to sequence human interaction like they sequence a Moog.

3. Lights on, switch on

Here are no commands. "Switch on" can be interpreted as phrasal verb, but "lights on" forces noun understanding. So I think "switch on" is simplified "the switch is on", similar to "lights on" being simplified "the lights are on". This line could be telling about physical reality (the light is turned on), but also can be social/psychological reality (attention is now active on someone).

4. Your eyes are far away

Referencing previous line, that someone does not react on the stimulant. 3 and 4 together can also be a reference to a medical or police test on mind alteration where person’s reactions are interpreted based on how pupils contract from light (in this case, "far away" means pupils stay uncontracted). This is a metaphor that is only understood once we listen further.

5+6. The map represents you / And the tape is your voice

Tape is specifically an audio tape because of "voice" word. In the context of audio tape, "map" refers to representation of audio data or the organization of sound recordings on a tape, which can include the arrangement of tracks and the identification of specific audio segments. Therefore, person B is dehumanized to data.

7. Follow all along you

Notice it is not "follow along with". Following along someone means to accompany or keep pace with that person throughtout a journey or activity. "All" implies totality and non-exclusiveness (no privacy). Person A is stalking or monitoring Person B.

8. Till you recognize the choice

Interesting line. Person B is not concerned with Person A's presence. They are concerned when noticing they are actively following them (making a choice). This is typical for strangers in public spaces: we don't pay attenting to strangers and what they're doing unless we see them do an action specific to us.

9+10. I said I'd write a letter / But I never got the time

Since the song is about strangers, "saying" is likely non-literal and adressed to self. Then "got the time" means "dedicate". Person A swore to themselves they would write a letter to person B, but they failed on this commitment. It also tracks with stalker's typical traits: those who become stalkers often are struggling with commitment.

11+12. And I'm looking to the day / I mesmerize the light

"Look to the day" here means expecting something to happen. "Mesmerize" means to spellbind, enthrall, hypnotize (that means Person A wants not attention, but control). Since article 'the' is used for "light", Person A is referring to concrete, not literal light, so likely Person B is their "light". Since Person A is seeing Person B like that, they are likely having feelings for them, which means the "letter" they wanted to write was a romantic confession. Overall, 11 and 12 together say that Person A is trying to achieve control over their love interest.

13+14. The years I spend just thinking / Of a moment we both knew

The notable use of "we", further enhanced with "both". This moment is very special to Person A, which is confirmed by their statement of how much they reminisce about it (“years" here is a hyperbole).

15+16a. A second boss looking into / It seems it can't be true

I interpret second as an adjective and not a noun because of an articte "a". If we were talking about "the moment the boss", then it would have been "the second boss". First part of sentence can be rephrased as "second boss is paying attention". This "second boss" could be an allegory to societal authority or Person A's Super-Ego. But since the song is about stalking/monitoring, interaction of strangers and partly society, I pick societal interpretation. 15 and 16 together say that Person A is perceiving the moment of connection they want is impossible to have in public and under watchful eyes. Ironically, person A does not notice they are watchful eyes from perspective of person B and of much stronger strutiny/danger than society.

15+16b. A second passed like an empty room / It seems it can't be true

"A second passed like an empty room" shifts the focus from external authority to internal vacuum, depicting a moment where a single second becomes as hollow and fleeting as a physical void. Here, "it seems it can't be true" is the impression that the moment Person A shared with Person B was not as deep as it could have been. Person A wants to fill their void so much and experience the same feelings more. This shows they don't care about Person B, but their own satisfaction, like an egoist.

15+16c. What a change in this lyric tells about meaning

Likely 15+16a is a mistake. But if both versions are intended, then both are motives. One external, one internal. Person A is motivated by avoidance of societal interaction and craving for a deep relationship.

17. I take pictures

Since pre-chorus is identical after verse 1 and verse 2, this line is adding to both "Till you recognise the choice" and "It seems it can't be true". For Verse 1, Person A taking pictures is the "choice" Person B unsettled about, and as soon as Person B notices — Person A hides/gets away. Taking pictures is a way for Person A to get to experience that moment again. Maybe they keep photo collection in their home of Person B for more sexual reasons. This adds on to lines 5 and 6: we now know Person A is making both audio and visual recordings of person B. Since they keep both audios and photos (likely for 'immersion'), we can extrapolate. This may be a wild finger point, but maybe Person A has also made a doll of Person B, either for worship or recreation of their presence. For Verse 2, since Person A feels that they either cannot approach the person they are in love with or won't get the deepness they want, they resort to pictures and fantasizing.

18. Photographic pictures

Don't know if this is intentional semantic or just stylistic choice. "Taking pictures" already means making photographs (unless authors think audience is stupid enough to misunderstand as grabbing/collecting pictures, which is unlikely). So "photographic" means something more abstract, allegorical. This word is also the title of the song, despite being just one word and from pre-chorus, and that means this carries special significance. "Photographic" emphasizes the coldness of the act. Instead of "photogenic", "photographic" is used. Photogenic = the person has a quality that translates well to images; Photographic = the images have captured something true about the person. The image takes precedence over the person. Pictures are not just mementos or trophies for Person A, but substitutions of Person B.

19+20. Bright light / Dark room

The most repeated line in the song in the end. Like a compulsion or a mantra. Since the song is sung from POV of Person A, we can conclude this is their intrusive thought. Since "bright light" and "dark room" are separate and alternating, we can be sure this isn't description of one scene (not "a bright light in a dark room". What is interesting also are word combinations. Why "bright light" but not "bright room"? Why "dark room" but not "dim light" or "no light"? I think this is intentional in the context of story being told from Person A POV and these two phrases being on separate lines. To person A, "bright light" is a phenomena. Likely, "bright light" is not a camera flash (this will hinder Person A's goal), but object of desire (as established in 12). To person A, "dark room" is a place. It is where their collections at. Again, I think "dark room" is not a photography darkroom (“dark room" is even written as seperate words in lyrics), but a place of Person A's personal darkness or twistedness. What also is observable is comparison between "bright" and "dark". Since we established "dark" is moral/psychological here, then "bright" refers to innocence/goodness/normalcy of Person B. Therefore, this comparison creates a message: "bright" Person B is 'used' by Person A for "dark" things through indirect representations of them (photos, audios, dolls).

Conclusion

The lyrics are the internal monologue of stalker who: compartmentalizes (white room, dark room, white house, boss etc.), dehumanizes, fantasizes about control, obsesses over a moment, operates in secrecy, feels both guilty and justified.

Alphaville just wrote more good songs. Tears for Fears has few standout tracks (mostly singles) and the rest is boring and bleak. In addition, Alphaville sounds more timeless than TFF.

Also, while Tears for Fears formed earlier than Alphaville, I think Tears for Fears copied at least some songs from Forever Young, Afternoons in Utopia and The Breathtaking Blue.