[13] The video transitions from black and white to color once people stop marching, put down their phones, and start interacting with one another.

[15][8] The first half of the song is as a piano ballad with contemplative vocals by Keenan, with a slow and steady beat, while the latter half was described as evolving into something grander without losing its sense of melancholy, giving the song a sombre sounding intro, and a more hopeful sounding ending.

[20] Lyrically, the song was described by Rolling Stone magazine as being about "societal failures" and how long-term planning has been replaced by "futile attempts at instant gratification".

[18] The website noted that while earlier lyrics expressed a sense of defeat, such as "We have been overrun by our animal desire/ Addicts of the immediate keep us obedient and unaware", latter lyrics showed some hope, such as "Time to put the silicon obsession down/ Take a look around, find a way in the silence", though more as passing thoughts than as a rallying cry.

[19] Journalists noted that allusions to the "silicon obsession" seemed to allude the band speaking out against smart phones and social media in favor of personal interactions as well.