My Rights Versus Yours

In response to wrat: I actually kind of wondered if there was an RIAA meaning to it. Here's an interesting twist - Matador (and I think Mint) refuse to join the RIAA (Matador actually dropped out of the RIAA because it was hurting their business). There's also the fact that a year or so ago, a list was going around of Canadian artists who don't really care if you download their music because it means they're being listened too. TNP was on this list.

So given those two facts, it might very well be about the actions of the RIAA.

I agree with who ever said this song is about DRM. The phrase "Complex notes inside the chords On every wall inflections carved Deep as lakes and dark as stars Remember we were the volunteers" Says that they once worked equally as hard on their music as they used to, but they did it for free, or very little then. While their songs are as equally hard to write now as they were then.

Then the phrase "My rights vs yours" Say that it is their right to be paid for the music they make vs your right to listen to it.

the phrase "Under your wheels, the hope of spring Mirage of loss, a few more things You left your sorrow dangling It hangs in air like a school cheer"

Spring can symbolize rebirth, new, hope, life and so on. So the hope of spring, may mean the hope of the law suites over downloading music and other things being over has been destroyed under the wheels of the industry, and the court rooms.

"The truth in one free afternoon" Can mean that the afternoon you downloaded something, you are having the 'truth' forced on you in the court rooms of how they find it is wrong.

The medicen still won't work (or sign) means the medicen is the artists them selves, and the dangerous levels of it here is their opposition (some times refusal to play) and how if this continues to long it could cripple the industry.

the paints symbolize creativity. And the "new empire in rags" is the music industry, falling apart because of downloading, but stick to their ideals about it.

Divorce, definitely. This song is much too personal to be about something as sterile as DRM.

Here's some info about this lovely new tune that I found on the "Buy Early Get Now" page.

A.C. says:

"This is a stream of consciousness story-of-my-life type of song. 1st appearance of french horn on a New Ps album, and only 30 seconds into the album! Ends with a nod to Jeff Lynne with the vocoded vocals."

Could this song be about DRM ("complex notes inside the chords","dangerous levels" of medicine) and the RIAA (the "packs of dogs in charge") trying to pit the artists against the consumers in the courts?

This is a great song and fuses the harmony and melody well. I was just getting into the NP's when this song came my way and it definitely cemented my respect for them.

However, the line should be "But kid it's all wasted on me." Which, oddly enough, is my favorite line in the song.

I always thought it was about divorce, like what ohhchristian said. The music industry though, I had no idea it was such a big deal with downloading...

great opener.

I think it is about DRM, and RIAA "under your wheels the hope of spring" Spring represents new, hope, life and so on while it is under the wheel. Or these can represent repression of the idea.

'Mirage of loss' is the idea of the amount of money that is lost from the albums, or even in some cases bands thinking of losing respect for themselves if their music is downloaded.

"You left your sorrow dangling It hangs in air like a school cheer"

The artists constantly complain (for lack of a better term) about people downloading to the point where it has come to be just like a school cheer, a rallying call to others to join them, to increase their moral and lower the oppositions.

"Complex notes inside the chords On every wall inflections carved Deep as lakes and dark as stars Remember we were the volunteers"

Complex notes, along with the inflections and lakes are the complexity of the work of the music, along with the thought that goes into every note, and the amount of time that is put into it. The 'Remember we were the volunteers" says that you once did this for free, because you enjoyed it, and wanted others to hear you not for the money. So why now is it only about the money?

"Under your wheels, your hopeless reign You fall too hard—we're up too late We hang suspended from the heights Until it's safer to walk here"

Once again the under the wheels idea, meaning that the freedom of the people to listen to the music is oppressed by the reign or being stuck under their wheels.

"you fall to hard, we're up to late" The bands lose fans as they continue to fight against downloads, 'we're up to late' can also be seen as to little to late. Downloading started a long time ago, though only now are artists beginning to realize that it is better in the long run for people to listen to their music, and by their merch/go to their concerts, then fight the massive swamp of people downloading.

'we hang suspended from the heights' could be also seen as the statement, we will not sink to the level of suing our fans, and suspended could also be seen as they are unsure of it, though are giving it a chance. and 'Until it is safer to walk here' they will keep that stance until a definite has been decided.

(Ooooh) Courts knew this and nothing more (Ooooh) Now it's my rights versus yours

These two lines simply suggest as they look. The courts only know of the dead laws, or the letter of the law, and it comes down the artists right to be paid for their work versus the fans right to listen to it.

"Under your wheels, your chance is with The easy call, the called-off search The medicine, it still won't work But there's dangerous levels of it here"

So once again the wheel idea, though now rather then the fans listening to the music it is the chances for the bands to redeem them selves in the fans eyes for the whole jumping and screaming act they did before. 'The easy call, the called-off search, The medicine, it still won't work, But there's dangerous levels of it here" The artists apologizing, or trying to make them selves look like they don't care any more. Now it just looks fake, and so many are doing it that it is causing the fans to not trust the motives behind it. or the dangerous levels of it here.

The truth in one free afternoon, is looking at the situation for even a short time without your own opinions on the matter, seeing how something truly is.

"Under my wheels the chance is held Gave me to save me from myself Spectacles painted with my shaking hand"

This is from the artists point of view the spectacles are their new songs afterwards, the shaking hand is the worry that they will be downloaded, along with that being the chance, the wheels are once again holding down the artist in this belief as they try to increase the security of their CD's (not as bad with music as it is with games) 'Gave me to save me from myself" them once again trying to undo the damage they have done to their fan base. And still being about the money and less about the music.

"Fingers in paints, in paints we brought Thinking we'd leave them when we're not Flying the flags of new empires in rags"

This is now from the artists against these opinions, 'Fingers in paints, in paints we brought' This is finger painting, innocence, freedom, and doing it not for the money, but for the art and for the joy of doing it. 'Thinking we'd leave then when we're not flying the flags of new empires in rags' To think that they would abandon these just so that they would support the RIAA over the download rates, compared to the rates of buying the CDs. And them saying that we will not abandon our beliefs because you think we should.

The new empire in rags, is the eventual music industry falling apart over the battle of downloading, and becoming a shadow of its former glory.

"Under your wheels, the fits and starts The time to dabble in the arts To tease the packs of dogs in charge But kid it's all wasted on me"

Once again the wheels show the artists putting to much attention on the cases of them versus the downloaders, to the point where they lack the time to dabble in the arts or write music still. The packs of dogs in charge are the big record company executives. And the fans teasing them by downloading the music. The final line there just is the band saying we really don't care.

"Under your wheels, the hope of spring Mirage of loss, a few more things The medicine it still won't sing But there's dangerous levels of it here"

same idea as before the hope for the music industry to use the downloaders to their advantage has been crushed. the Mirage of loss is the idea of loosing all their money to it. The medicine of acting like they don't care still isn't working, and they are laying it on to thick.

good song. wuts it about? someone about to die?