How is there no discussion of this epic, epic, epic, EPIC song??

no idea what it's about, personally lol

I kind of think of it as being about the evolution of a relationship, and the different ways its reacted to by others. The couple if first looked to as a model: "They made a statue of us, and they put it on a mountaintop." They find no privacy: "Now tourists come and stare at us..." and then, the inevitable backlash: "And later say its all our fault."

The couple is young, relatively clueless, and in a less-than-favorable economic state: "We're living in a den of thieves, rummaging for answers in the pages." Despite this precarious situation, they're happy, and it shows: "And its contagious." (For some reason, in this song I've always thought about contagious as a good thing.)

I don't have time to write any more but when I get a chance I'll give my take on Verse 2.

For me, "Us" is very much about being in love, and how there are many facets to love, and how you can have all kinds of different experiences in a relationship, and sometimes you feel like you're living in a den of theives, or that's your searching for answers, and yet you like the feeling and go back for more, "and it's contagious."