| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
The idea about cocaine didn't even pop into my mind before I read this. I guess if you want something to be about cocaine it's about cocaine. For me it symbolised the cold war and life in the Soviet Union and it's satellite Communist states. If I may: " Where is Michael? Where is Mark? Where is Matthew? Now it's getting dark... Where is John? They're all out back Under fifteen feet of pure white snow " throughout the USSR an extensive 'cleansing, assimilation and persecution' programme was taking place. People and families would disappear over night and (the ones who wouldn't be killed on the spot) would get exiled to gulags in the north-eastern part in russia (Syberia). These regions are known for it's atrocious cold weather (down to -50 Celcius) and extensive snowfall. "I waved to my neighbour My neighbour waved to me But my neighbour Is my enemy" In my belief in a way this could be about cold war, but mainly about the atrocities, distrust and alienation of people to one another throughout communist times. "I can't even find Anything worth stealing Under fifteen feet of pure white snow" Completely unfair distribution of resources due to which most people would have to queue for long hours and still couldn't get such products as meat and bread in any market. His constant questions throughought the song like: "Is there anybody Out there please?" "Is there anyone here who doesn't know? We're under fifteen feet of pure white snow" Reflect upon the iron curtain and that little information would leave the Union, and an expensive propaganda campaign was always in place. But most people knew that everything was falling apart and that they were forsaken (under 15 feet of pure white snow) The video, the abandoned rooms, the soviet paraphernalia seem to support this argument as does the way that they are all dancing similarly to a certain tune and then everything "falls apart". I guess I see what I want to see, but I just think that Nick Cave would not simply limit himself to the simple topic of "cocaine" even though that might be one of the themes of the piece. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.