The National: Fake Empire
One of the bands I've only recently discovered but flat out fucking adore is called The National. Brooding and dark, but with a completely melodic bent, their first two CDs (Alligator and Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers) were great, but their latest - The Boxer -- is amazing.
Their lead song, Fake Empire is not too hard to determine the subject material. A sampling of the lyrics, which are good enough on their own, but even better with the band's music:
Stay out super late tonight
Picking apples, making pie
Put a little something in our lemonade and take it with us
We're half-awake in a fake empire
We're half-awake in a fake empire
...
Turn the light out
Say goodnight
No thinking for a little while
Let's not try to figure out everything at once
It's hard to keep track of you falling through the sky
The song was released and is available in a multitude of places, such as here.
Go get it.
Updated with a better link, as Stereogum has taken their link down...