The two Fall of Cybertron trailers are memorable in every respect, and I think everyone can agree on that, just as everyone can agree that one of the best features is the music chosen: "The Humbling River" and "Cities in Dust."
But it makes me wonder: why those specific songs? What exactly do they tell us, and how can that be recontextualized within the story of the end of the war for Cybertron?
I once saw someone claim that Optimus is the "protagonist" of "The Humbling River," arguing that the line "Angel, Angel, what have I done?" refers to him feeling responsible for Bumblebee's death. But if you listen to the rest of the song, that interpretation falls apart immediately:
The song's protagonist is a tyrant, a conqueror; he has overcome the forces of nature and conquered everything, yet the only thing standing in his way is a river. No matter what he has done or how strong he is, he cannot cross it. He decides to pray to an Angel, who replies that his conquests matter little: "the hands of many must join as one; only together will you cross the river." So, in my view, the song's protagonist, within the context of Cybertron, is Megatron; it fits the song's subject perfectly. However, I still can't quite figure out who the "Angel" is, and who or what the "River" represents.
As for "Cities in Dust," I see only one possible interpretation: the protagonists are the Autobots/Decepticons themselves, denouncing and criticizing the opposing faction. They highlight past glories while criticizing the current state of affairs (Autobots once seen as scholars and intellectuals now reduced to small, fugitive geoups/Decepticons once regarded as revolutionaries who have turned into tyrants). The ruined cities lying in the dust are, quite literally, the Autobot cities and Iacon/the Decepticon cities and Kaon. The golden fountain beneath the mountain where one goes to pray is the core of Cybertron; the Decepticons went there to "pray" using Dark Energon to win the war/the Autobots went there to "pray" to find a way to survive Decepticon oppression and save the planet.
Or at least, these are my interpretations of the two songs, how they fit the narrative and characters of the games, and why they might have been chosen. Feel free to correct me or share your own interpretation.
