The song's lyrics detail the desire humans have for control and power. In 2017, Tal Rosenberg of "Pitchfork" stated that its lyrics could be applied in different scenarios such as the environment ("Turn your back on mother nature"), short-lived financial success ("Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure/Nothing ever lasts forever"), dictatorial rule ("Even while we sleep/We will find you"), and the Cold War ("Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down"). "The Economist" writer K.Y.W. called the track a Cold War anthem and noted its timeless message, stating that "the song's lyrics speak to the anxieties of every age."