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Particle Man Lyrics
Particle man, particle man
Doing the things a particle can What's he like? It's not important Particle man Is he a dot, or is he a speck? When he's underwater does he get wet? or does the water get him instead? Nobody knows Particle man Triangle man, Triangle man Triangle man hates particle man They have a fight Triangle wins Triangle man Universe man, Universe man Size of the entire universe man usually kind to smaller man Universe man He's got a watch with a minute hand millennium hand and an eon hand when they meet it's a happy land Powerful man, universe man Person man, person man hit on the head with a frying pan lives his life in a garbage can Person man is he depressed or is he a mess? does he feel totally worthless? who came up with person man? degraded man, person man Triangle man, triangle man triangle man hates person man they have a fight triangle wins triangle man
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12-10-2008
My favorite part of this song has always been the part about the particle getting wet. If you drop a particle of salt into water does it get wet, or does the water get salty? How can a “particle” get wet? The idea is absurdly funny. “Wet” is only a condition that makes sense on a macroscopic level. Something has been covered with water molecules. You can surround a salt particle with all the water you want and it won’t be “wet”. However, a salt block can certainly get wet.
Somehow I had never thought of “Flatland” when listening to this song. I loved reading all the other interpretations, and laughing at the “oh noes! people are analyzing things!” comments. Of course, that happens with any song on songmeanings moronically simple. It always helps when the artist (like Bob Dylan) likes to give silly meanings to his songs, or pulls a “this means nothing” move like Mark Twain.
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07-18-2008
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04-18-2008
I always thought this was about the small, the big, and the person-sized, only triangle man throws me off. Why does he pick fights with everybody? Okay, so maybe he's a personification of mathematics, but that still doesn't give him the right.
"who came up with person man?" - definitely a dig at the "Creator". On the other hand, /they/ made him up.
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05-24-2007
This next bit I'm not completely sure of:
When he's dipped into the Common Consciousness (the water) it's unknown if he's affected by it at all.
When an ('evil') triangle man attacks him (as opposed to a square and circle men) he's defeated easily. So he evolves into a universe man - thinking he can be every type of person that exists. He's powerful in this state.
He steals from the rich and gives to the poor, usually, just by his design. He also has some precognition abilities, and like a clock tries to time everything to perfection.
However he'll get stressed out at some stage and will have a mental breakdown and turn into a regular person man. i.e. he's lost any power he had and has become a worthless person, totally depressed. He now knows he was a particle man, mainly 'cos he'll remember this song. And he'll lose any fight to any triangle man in the vicinity. Game over dude.
BTW this is something that happens to Giants (English people IIRC) - thus 'they might be giants'
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02-14-2007
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02-09-2007
Dr. Manhattan seems to fit aspects of both Universe Man and Particle Man. He has no personality ("What's he like? It's not important"), his symbol is the hydrogen atom, etc. He's also a godlike figure, and, even better, is constantly connected with watch imagery. Also, the line "when they meet, it's a happy land" is a horrifying description of the ending, where the "doomsday clock" running through the series strikes midnight, and the villain's scheme to cause world peace, through killing a massive amount of people (it makes sense in the story, I just don't want to spoil it), goes off, creating a "happy land" through fear of a greater enemy. Universe Man could also be that "threat," as it is enormously powerful and more directly tied to the "watch hands" motifs, and unspeakably large.
Triangle Man is Ozymandius. OK, screw the spoiler thing, he's the villain. First, he is paired consistently with the pyramid, which is what, everybody? A TRIANGLE! Good, children! He also kills our apparent Person Man (Rorschach, I'll get to him) and causes Particle(/Universe?) Man to go away forever. He "wins" in the end, i.e. beating everybody.
Person Man, as noted, is Rorschach. He lives most of his life as a bum, i.e. "in a garbage can," and is depressed, a mess, and generally feels totally worth-less. (Yes, you have to type it that way, captures the inflection). Hell, he's downright insane in a lot of ways. And, of course, they have a fight, and Triangle wins.
It sounds weird, but it fits nearly every word of the song in some way, so it does make you think.
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12-09-2006
"Spiderman, Spiderman,
Does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size,
Catches thieves just like flies..."
And so on.
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11-04-2006
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10-14-2006
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08-28-2006
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08-11-2006
Ozymandius rocks.
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01-20-2006
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10-01-2005
Just another way of interpreting it.
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09-09-2005
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06-17-2005
It interesting to hear the opinions of those that actually have them. I always thought of this song as a social criticism, how triangle man beats down on those 'inferior' to him, yet keeps away from universe man who could obviously kick his ass. And how person man is unhappy because he recognises the sitution he is in. Of course, nothing bothers particle man.
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05-27-2005
Dunno if that helps or not...
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05-05-2005
it doesn't matter what it's about though. art is subject to interpretation so you can think of this song any way you want.
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04-10-2005
PEACE TO YOU ALL!!
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03-18-2005
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03-12-2005
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11-24-2004
http://www.milkandcookies.com/keywords/tmbg
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11-06-2004
Particle Man = Plucky duck...
Probably one of the best moments of that cartoon...
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10-18-2004
Particle Man = The Comedian
Triangle Man = Ozymandius
Universe Man = Dr. Manhatten
Person Man = Rorshach
The Comedian gets his ass kicked by Ozy at the beginning, Rorshach gets his ass kicked be Ozy at the end. Ozy has the whole Egyptian theme going on, what with a lot of pyramids and triangles and stuff. And Dr. Manhatten repaired watches as a hobby before he became a superhero.
It's probably a coincidence, but the parallels are interesting.
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10-09-2004
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05-07-2004
The question, "who came up with person man?" is made not by the narrator, but by the person itself. This is why it is hated. Just like the particle asking about its relevance to other things. The question is inherently juvenile. These things are what they are. Universe man knows his place. Traingle man knows what he is. The better question for person man is how do I be?
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