Jimmy Fallon continued his world-takeover of late night TV last night (due respect to our long-time fave Dave Letterman) on The Tonight Show.  Fallon brought Arcade Fire into his Tonight Show-revival tent for a performance of Afterlife, one of the highlights from their recent album Reflektor.  Check it out below.  We give the songwriters aplomb for asking:  where do we go?  Disco ball and all.   A wake for marital love in the wake of child-birth, or a quest for the air? Who knows?  Gratuitous audience-visit by Win Butler included.

The song’s worthy lyrics and inquiry are at bottom.

Afterlife:

“Afterlife, oh my God, what an awful word
After all the breath and the dirt
And the fires that burn
And after all this time
And after all the ambulances go
And after all the hangers-on are done
Hanging on to the dead lights
Of the afterglow

I’ve gotta know
Can we work it out?
We scream and shout ’till we work it out
Can we just work it out?
Scream and shout ’till we work it out?
‘Till we work it out, ’till we work it out
‘Till we work it out, ’till we work it out

Afterlife, I think I saw what happens next
It was just a glimpse of you
Like looking through a window
Or a shallow sea
Could you see me?
And after all this time
It’s like nothing else we used to know
After all the hangers-on are done
Hanging on to the dead lights
Of the afterglow

I’ve gotta know

Can we work it out?
Let’s scream and shout ’till we work it out
Can we just work it out?
If you scream and shout ’till we work it out?

But you say
Oh, when love is gone
Where does it go?
And you say
Oh, when love is gone
Where does it go?
And where do we go?
Where do we go?
Where do we go?
Where do we go?
Where do we go?
Where do we go?
Where do we go?
Where do we go?

And after this
Can it last another night?
After all the bad advice
Had nothing at all to do with life

I’ve gotta know

Can we work it out?
Scream and shout ’till we work it out?
Can we just work it out?
Scream and shout ’till we work it out?

But you say
Oh, when love is gone
Where does it go?
And you say
Oh, when love is gone
Where does it go?
Oh, when love is gone
Where did it go?
Oh, when love is gone
Where did it go?
And where do we go?

Is this the afterlife?
It’s just an afterlife, with you
It’s just an afterlife
It’s just an afterlife, with you
It’s just an afterlife.”