Meaning of "When I Came Home from the Party" by The Clientele

The lyrics in "When I Came Home from the Party" by The Clientele evoke a sense of disorientation and unease, capturing the feeling of returning to a familiar place only to find it altered beyond recognition. The imagery of the city being "beside itself" and "in rapture" suggests a sense of chaos and displacement. The references to dead friends walking into the streets and mingling with the living symbolize a merging of the past and present, blurring the boundaries between reality and memory. This could represent a deeper exploration of themes such as nostalgia, loss, and the passage of time. The repetition of not being able to "shake it off" hints at the lingering impact of these experiences, suggesting that certain moments can haunt us long after they occur.