| Riverside – Escalator Shrine Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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The more I listen to Riverside lyrics the more I fucking love them. It really is rare to find reflexive lyrics nowadays that aren't psychobabble. In tune with the rest of the album's lyrics, the whole song speaks about massive consummerism, the cult of buying, the decay of identity brought by the spread of digital communication, and the isolation of the individual caused by all of this. The "escalator shrine" is of course talking about massive amounts of people going to pray to the god of "BUY". Inevitably in these crowds identities are lost and the feeling is "that no one here is real". (This tied with the digital era) Not only that, but there is no stillness or tranquility at all. "We are moving standees in the shrine of choices Incarcerated between floors of hope and disappointment" The choices were are given are, of course, fake, or in any case, all the same. It's almost tragicomic: moving by standing still. "Melting into another lonely crowd" This part is just spot on: even if we are in a crowd of many, because of the way we communicate, we are isolated. Fucking brilliant. "Used to have our love And now - Disposable needs Used to have our souls And now - Refined new skins Take - Use - Throw away - Forget" Its just plain depressing. It keeps on going about how with this "discardable" mentality nothing has any lasting value. Not even love. The ending is pretty grim too. We can't stop, so we gotta keep on moving on. |
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| Riverside – Celebrity Touch Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Amazing lyrics, like the rest of the album. Continues with the pattern of criticizing contemporary life and the consumerist mindset. Basically there are two voices speaking: One, obsessed with captivating the public eye; being a "celebrity" at all costs, showing its life to everyone. But on top of that, with a hint of "controlling their minds". "To be hard-wired to all brains and control their minds". Then, a second voice appears: It reflects upon stopping with all this needless media exposure, and to go back to a reclusive, isolated, deep-in-thought state. It's interesting that this voice suggests that "the battle" (I read madness of life and the media) must be separated from the things that really count in life. Even further, it wants to hide away from the stupefaction and stupidization caused by the desires of the first voice. "You and I - Thousand eyes (In need of love in the middle of the night, in the middle of the day)" This last part confirms the feeling of being watched constantly, even within a man - woman relationship. Basically, nothing is sacred to this "celebrity" mentality. |
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| Riverside – We Got Used to Us Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I personally feel that not only are the lyrics about a failed relationship, but also a veiled criticism to the banality and superficiality of many of the human interactions labeled as "love" nowadays. "When I scroll back through our recent days" Choosing the word SCROLL is not random here: i feel like the writer is almost scrolling through pages of some shit like facebook or something recalling the promises of perfect love. "We pretend we're OK, surrounding ourselves with one-way friendships and so-called friends" "We pretend we're OK by filling up our inner space with little hates and so-called love" Here he also critices the tendency of filling the void with false relationships. The point is that he and her no longer comunicate, and they are slowly getting used to it. But the writer really does not want to feel like that; perhaps deep down he does not want to feel like it was "just one more" relationship, and that he can just keep on living life like nothing happened and forget everything. Sadly, he still holds the illusion that she might run back to him again. |
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| Riverside – The Depth of Self-Delusion Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Pretty awesome lyrics for this album all around. The general vibe is of non-conformism; a certain cynicism towards contemporary life: fleeting relationships, consumerism, among others. In this case, I get the feeling that the writer is talking about the realization that he no longer desires to pursue a life that is sold or presented to him as a "promised land". "One little brick, then another, and I will build that wall anyway" (Reference to Roger Waters? Perhaps too farfetched) In any case he prefers peaceful isolation to living something that he considers a lie. I think two parts are key to the general feeling of looking contemporary life with a critical eye: "Look around where we are, who we are What we always want Twenty-four, seven, three sixty-five Sometimes little more I was chasing your shadow, not knowing I'd become your slave" To me, this is clearly a reference to the "frantic day by day" lives we live. What the hell do we want? Chasing a shadow (see mainstream - conformist fed ideal) to only become a "new generation slave". And this one: "I've said a farewell to never-ending smiles I did not look good in red From my place I can finally see how much of this shade I called myself was me, and what was left behind" For me, saying farewell to never-ending smiles, is seeing how much of a lie is the whole "feel good, be happy and keep on living life like nothing happens" belief we are so made to believe. Now he sees what a lie, a shadow he himself was for believing that. Just saying. |
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| Riverside – New Generation Slave Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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The overall theme is obviously the ambiguous feeling of slavery and lack of purpose derived from contemporary life and work. Here's my take on it: "I guess my birth left a great scar on my heart and mind" The voice is pretty much saying that he was born "different"; he feels like he's permanently hurt emotionally and thus he will see the world in a different manner. "Now I hand-pick cotton and struggle to sing "I am happy and I do what I like" But my voice breaks, and I start to hate my singing and simply everyone" At some point he lies to himself saying that he is happy performing some purposeless and menial job-task, but then he sees reality and with it he hates his previous self-delusion; and everything and everyone that surrounds him. "Mama told me be good, work hard, and love Mr. God Every Sunday, I lie, trying to realize why" This pretty much confirms the previous: he discovers that the things he made himself believe are simply lies. Religious faith seems to be a common theme in the path to self-discovery: when one realizes that there is no such faith but only forced belief, and doubt hidden behind, despise and hatred commonly follow. "I came to a standstill with lies and hopes inside my head Always seemed too late to turn and too soon to understand" Then comes the point in life when not knowing what to believe, he feels stuck or lost, without a purpose or aim: lies surround him still, and delusional hopes are in his mind. "I got used to spewing bile I wonder whether all those years hadn't been a waste of time" Spewing disdain and hatred, despising everything: tormented by the thought of wasted time. I guess that in the end, even if he says he can't complain, the voice seems restless: he knows that he is a free man, but somehow, the creeping feeling of being a slave overwhelms him, and thus he cannot enjoy life. |
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