| TV on the Radio – Blues From Down Here Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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and_how brings out some really good points. I am definantly questioning my previous interpretation of the song and think that it may be much more complex than a non believer stating their views as and how says. i also enjoy the elaboration by liberum animus on class struggle and struggle against the government in general. my view of this song has been greatly expanded |
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| Neil Young – Like A Hurricane Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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On the unplugged version Young says "I want to love you but I get so blown away" I am not sure if he says this on different versions though |
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| TV on the Radio – Blues From Down Here Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I like the meaning espanys draws from the song and think it a viable alternative to the meaning I found. However, I do not think that there is only a singular reference to religion in the song. For example, I do think that 'Quiet now, quiet now, hear that supplication echo into the void been recieved by no one' seems to be more about religion than big business since suplication is generally(at least in what I have read) defined as a humble prayer but I am interested to see how you relate this to class struggle. I feel that a religous theme can be drawn from the song just as much as an anti big business/class struggle message. If you, espanys, have the time, I would enjoy to see a line by line break down of how this song relates to class struggle. I would enjoy it just as much, if not more, if it were about class struggle. |
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| TV on the Radio – Blues From Down Here Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I like the meaning espanys draws from the song and think it a viable alternative to the meaning I found. However, I do not think that there is only a singular reference to religion in the song. For example, I do think that 'Quiet now, quiet now, hear that supplication echo into the void been recieved by no one' seems to be more about religion than big business since suplication is generally(at least in what I have read) defined as a humble prayer but I am interested to see how you relate this to class struggle. I feel that a religous theme can be drawn from the song just as much as an anti big business/class struggle message. If you, espanys, have the time, I would enjoy to see a line by line break down of how this song relates to class struggle. I would enjoy it just as much, if not more, if it were about class struggle. |
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| TV on the Radio – Blues From Down Here Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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"From the depths I called you, ma" I think 'from the depths' is the narrators mothers perception of her son and not the sons perception of himself. The mother is religious and the son is trying to call to her and tell him there is a different way to live. Although, I think it is possible that because of the effects of religion the narrator actually feels like he is calling from the depths or like he is in the depths. "for your breath and breast so warm and fabled Your hands reached inside grabbed my heart, enlarged, disabled" I think this shows what a parent can do to a child's heart by forcing religion, enlarge a heart with fables and tall tales and then disable it once they lose their innocence and see the reality of the world, or disable it from the eventual strangling effects of religion. "Hailed for your mercy" the narrator is begging for mercy from his mother for being an unbeliever "An ear that cares" the narrator wants to speak about his problems with organized religion but the mother doesn't seem to give an ear that cares. "How the blues sound from up there?" I think this is, again, the narrator feeling that his mother (religious people) puts herself (themselves) above her son (nonbelievers) and looks down on him (nonbelievers). So, he is wondering how the blues (one's everyday sorrows) sound (feel) from up there(life with religion). "With my wet hair, I wipe the blood off of your feet Carry me through these shark infested waters" I think the sharks are the masses/religious believers and the narrator is young and being carried through maybe a church (shark infested waters). "Well you spared me from slaughter for sure, but these sharks are equally in need of a martyr" I think the narrators mother spared him by letting him know(possibly forcefully) that people do not tolerate nonbelief. I am not sure what the martyr part is about. "Oh kindess shared Undeserved purest gift, this life you spared" I am having trouble with this verse and will leave it alone for now. How the blues sound from up there? "Teeth gnashing, masticating this dumb tongue" narrator chewing on his tongue to keep from saying what he thinks he shouldn't say "Quiet now, quiet now, hear that supplication echo into the void been recieved by no one" this sounds like the narrator never felt god and after many times of sending heartfelt prayers into a void he realized they are never receiving any response. "Oh my sweet dear Cold alone poisoning ourselves engulfed in our own tears" The poison of religion is engulfing the narrator and his mother in suffering. Signed, blues from down here. "Pull the pin, drop it in, let it wash away your" I agree with tommy doll, that if the last word was included it would be sin. With this added in, I think of the line as talking about soldiers throwing grenades, fighting for god and feeling like they will be rewarded for killing. "Time for your favorite story of how to achieve golden glory" The churchgoers favorite story of salvation. "Wash yourself all squeaky clean" Repent for your sins. "all in white all Hallow's Eve" in all white on devil's night "Lessen your desire" Thou shall not covet "hold your breath so patiently" Hold your breath patiently on Earth until Heaven and eternal bliss. "never inquire how to be free" never even see the option of being free from religion or just free in general. "Just stay on your knees" Just stay on your knees praying literally and metaphorically don't rise up. "You might doubt it" doubt what the nonbelieving narrator believes "think there's nothing left for me to do but stomp my feet and shout about it" those that doubt what the narrator is expressing think there's nothing one can do to stop organized religion except to stomp their feet and shout about it. "From the depths I called you. Now I'm waiting for an answer patiently Stuck here at the bottom of this well It's not the last you've heard from me" The narrator is telling his mother that he will wait patiently for her answer to the religious questions he presented to her. He also says he is not going to give up on her: "it's not the last you've heard from me. I think I used I think quite a bit, mostly to keep from sounding too matter of fact because I do believe that this is only an interpretation of the song. I think at face value this song is about a non believing narrator and his religious mother but metaphorically I think it is about the experiences of non believers with religious people. To clarify, I do not think all religous people are crazy or malicious. I certainly believe they have good intentions and I think some are quite rational but it sure is hard to see them with all the nuts out there. |
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| Woody Guthrie – Hard Travelin' Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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alternate version Hard Travelin I been havin some hard travelin, I thought you knowed. I been havin some hard travelin, way down the road. I been havin some hard travelin, hard ramblin, hard gamblin, I been havin some hard travelin, lord. I been riding them fast rattlers, I thought you knowed. I been riding them flat wheelers, way down the road. I been riding them blind passengers, dead injurous, kicking up cinders, I been havin some hard travelin, lord. I been hittin' some hard rock minin, I thought you knowed. I been leanin on a pressure drill, way down the road. Hammer flyin, air hose suckin, 6 foot of mud, and i sure been a muckin, and I been hittin some hard travelin, lord I've been hittin some hard harvestin, I thought you knowed. North dakota to Kansas City, way down the road. Cuttin that wheet, stackin that hay, and I'm tryin to make about a dollar a day and I been havin some hard travelin, lord. I been workin at Pittsburg Steel, I thought you knowed. I been dumpin that red hot slag, way down the road. I been a blastin, I been a firing, I been pouring the red hot iron, and I been hittin some hard travelin, lord. I been layin in a hard rock jail I thought you knowd, I been layin out 90 days way down the road, Damned old judge said to me "90 days for vagrancy" I been hittin some hard travelin, lord. |
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| TV on the Radio – Wear You Out Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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It is interesting that people consider this "an open invation for sex" or "hot". I do agree with 'man on tv' that the song is about fucking, a man fucking a woman, something different than sex and far different from making love is being talked about. I think it is aggressive male dominant fucking. the author says "but the sight of you has me instantly remember my needs", the needs of a man, sexual pleasure. "should I spend the next six hours tryin to get you off your off your feet?" wondering if he should spend his evening attempting to get to bed with the girl. followed by "Oh no girl, just pretend", or I don't want to deal with all of that, let us just go at it. The song focuses on males and females perceptions of and behaviors surrounding sex in western culture "Watch a room full of roosters Turned to cocks runnin' wild Scramblin' like hungry dogs Towards you, child" Men turning from calm roosters to their aggressive sexual side, cocks runnin' wild and hungry dogs scramblin" at the sight of a woman. "See those boys tryin' to sweat you Watchin' grown men cry.. Put somethin in their eyes" 'see... cry' is getting into the perspective of a girl dealing with men going wild over her. and "put something in their eyes" addresses the responsibility of the woman for the men behaving like hungry dogs. "Well here I am just a man" is a man trying to justify this behavior to himself by saying he is only a man. "oh puff chest out and play strong, grab you by the hair and pull you along" Gender roles, the male - puffing out his chest and Play strong while being the dominant sexual partner, 'grab you by the hair pull you along.' all ideas about what it is to be a man in western culture. "Couldn't stop it girl If you knew where this was going You don't know the half You seem so so smart Ooh, but you're so wrong" these show the male domination and the womans lack of power and what the male considers a lack of intelligence. "Let's pursue this argument in darkness" makes this sound like the girl does not want to go to bed. This is followed by "let me wear you out" which sounds quite aggressive. It could be interpreted as sex lasting a long time but then it seems like the man would be worn out too:) and lastly "let me make you mine, mine, mine" |
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| TV on the Radio – Province Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I think this "Push under the ?(whizing lights) of buzzing stars" might be "push under this/the expanse of buzzing stars" |
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