"Incommunicado" is a song by Harvey Danger, a rock band from Seattle, Washington. The song talks about the difficulty of expressing emotions and communicating with others. The lyrics suggest that the protagonist of the song wishes that he could keep silent, as speaking out often causes problems, confusion, and miscommunication. He also longs to be more present in the moment, to understand the present tense and come to his senses. The song reflects on a past encounter with someone, which happened five years ago. Despite only talking for twenty minutes, the protagonist has been unable to forget the other person. The conversation was so forgettable that the other person couldn't remember his name, yet the protagonist has been haunted by the memory. The protagonist and the other person clearly didn't have a strong connection, as they spoke different languages and struggled to agree on anything. Despite this, the protagonist finds himself still thinking about the other person and dreaming about being with them. "Incommunicado" is therefore a song about the difficulty we all face when trying to connect with others, even when we desperately want to. It highlights the ways in which people can talk past each other, misunderstand one another, and fail to form meaningful connections.
