Take a bow
Pack on powder
Wash em out with buzzing lights
Pay an au-
Dience to care
Impress me personality
Still intransfixed

The electric sheep are dreaming of your face
Enjoy you from
The chemical
Comfort of america
Come one come all
Into 1984
Ya 3 2 1
Lights! camera! transaction!

Quick your time
Is almost up
Make all forget that they're the moth
Edging in
Toward the flame burn into obscurity
Still intransfixed
The electric sheep are dreamin up your fate

We judge you fom
The card castle
Comfort of america
Come one come all
Into 1984
Ya 3 2 1
Lights! camera! yeah!

Come one come all
Into 1984
Ya 3 2 1
Lights! camera! transaction!
Lights! camera! transaction!
Oh

Come one come all
Into 1984
Ya 3 2 1
Lights! camera! transaction!
Ho

Your foundation
Is canyoning
Fault lines should be worn with pride
I hate to say it
Your so much more
Your so much more
Endearing with
The sound turned off



Lyrics submitted by SoccrFwd13

Track duration: 03:48

"Talk Shows On Mute" as written by Brandon Charles/pasillas Boyd, Michael Aaron/kilmore Einziger

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Talk Shows on Mute song meanings
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134 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:The REAL meaning of this song is as follows, Incubus refers to George Orwell's 1984 and Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? To support an idea that in the near future, talk shows may be watching over us as we watch them. It's all just a literal, "Big-Brother" reference.
    Flag Danj4j8on April 10, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I doubt it is more about cocaine than a charismatic facade fed by the media machine to the American populace. While "pack on powder" does sound a lot like powder cocaine, it more likely refers to the powder applied to an actor or actress before taking the stage. This is is further reinforced later with "Your foundation is canyoning. Fault lines should be worn with pride."- foundation referring to the makeup applied to before going on stage, and fault lines is a metonymy for facial wrinkles. They should be worn with pride, because we tend to associate age with sagacity and worldly experience.
    Card castle, I'm almost positive, refers to something that is elegant on the outside, but is structurally unstable and hollow. It's essentially a front put on by the media executives. They are numerous other references to a media facade, such as "1984" Orwellian fantasy and "Electric Sheep."\

    Once again, It probably isn't about blow. Like most conspiracy theories, it uses circumstantial evidence and leaves out anything that does not fit its perspective; a preferred reality if you will.
    Flag zkguitaron April 09, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:The song is like a Glyph which actually have a deeper meaning.

    C-ome
    O-ne
    C-ome
    A-ll
    I-nto
    N-ineteen
    E-ighty four

    - First two lines of the song:
    "Take A Bow" (what do people do when they blow cocaine, they bow)
    "Pack On Powder" (cocaine is in powder form)

    - Last three lines before the first chorus:
    "Enjoy you from" (So, they enjoy)
    "The chemical" (the blow)
    "Comfort of America" (that's what it is)

    -COCAINE is the hidden message inside the lines of the songs chorus.

    -The last lines in the chorus is
    "Lights! Camera!" ( I think actors and actresses do this blow thing actually)
    "Transaction!" (of course you transact with people who sells blow)
    Flag Duke_Maxon October 09, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:well, what if it doesn't necessarily have a deeper meaning? upon first reading the lyrics, it seems to me it's just his commentary on what he's seeing on tv without sound, all the bullshit, just what the entertainment industry really is. as for the electric sheep part, what if it's not about people being herded like sheep, maybe its about how people watch tv and fall asleep, like counting sheep, but electric. the song as a whole, to me, screams literalism. i may be wrong, but thats just my take on it.
    Flag PoopOnaStickon September 05, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I belive Im on fire was shortest and to the point when he said i believe that this song is about being unoriginal and following into a media trap. Though there are more references within the song. From the obvious 1984 to the novel Do androids dream of electric sheep.
    I remember when this song came out and I am surprised some of my ideas have not been stated maybe they are a little much. I also must state that they are my ideas Im not one to say THIS IS WHAT THE SONG IS ABOUT! Because I didn’t write it. Here is goes almost line for line or stanza

    Take a bow ( it is as it says take a bow congragulate yourself)
    Pack on powder ( pack on powder is a reference to wearing makeup and not being yourself)
    Wash 'em out with buzzing lights (Wash ‘em out everyone who is not strong enough to withstand the scrutiny the light will shine on those left standing)
    Pay an audience to care ( Surprise I didn’t see this from anyone but I belive it is clearly a saying that You must “pay and audience 2 care” give them what they want in order for them to listen. Play what they want you to play conform sellout in order to get the attention. Such as a soul singer in a session band :D
    Impress me personality (How the biggest personalites not the realest are the most known and get the attention)

    Still and transfixed ( transfixed on the situation or world not seeing it for the unrealaity of it all)
    The electric sheep, (reference to a novel that makes the previous line more stronger. How the ideas of counting sheep are hard wired in our head and even to the extent that it is not really sheep it is is a electric nurons or whatever fireing over and over)
    Are dreaming of your face ( these same things are dreaming of faces be it a loved one or a famous person or even being famous)
    Enjoy you from the chemical ( enjoyment is an emotion that are caused by chemicals, we let emotions get the best of us)
    Comfort of America ( media and the irrelevant way of life is the comfort of America)

    Come one
    Come all
    Into 1984 (it is a mockery of the way we live and we invite it to continue and never question its validity of actually living)
    Yeah, three, two, one
    Lights, camera, transaction (after the lights come on there is a transaction the same idea of paying an audience to care we are sold what we want to hear or what we think we want to hear)

    Quick, your time is almost up ( this is talking to the media and those who aspire to be part of it including actors, stating that your 5 mins of fame is almost up and that we are realizing how wrong it is)
    Make all forget that they're the moth
    Edging in, towards the flame
    Burn into obscurity ( we all know that moths are attracted to light and flames are a natural light that would burn and killthem if they got too close. The flame is a the light of camras and the idea of being famous and then a forgotten no one, I belive he would rather us be known for something more than just a tv personality or whatnot)

    Still and transfixed
    the electric sheep (same as above just reinforced)
    are dreaming up your fate ( transixed on the unrealizim of the world we have built our own prisions and will sucomb to being another mindless member of the masses)
    We judge you from
    the card castle ( I am also supprised that no one took a card castle for an actual “card castle” something so big and amazing built up carefully but with the softest breeze or wrong touch can fall apart. We are judged by how much it takes to make us even though it takes so little to break us.
    comfort of America( this again the ideals are sadly the comfort of America)

    Come one
    Come all
    Into 1984
    Yeah, three, two, one
    Lights, camera... ( you know the deal)

    Come one
    Come all
    To 1984
    Yeah, three, two, one
    Lights, camera, transaction

    The foundation is canyoning ( foundation as in makeup is no longer holding up and the foundation of what we build ourselves on is no longer working either)
    Fault lines should be worn with pride (wrinkles (older and wiser) should not be covered up. Be happy for who you are and what you have learned. Lines of understading over the whole fake world should be worn with pride instead of thought of as a bad thing.)
    I hate to say it
    You're so much more
    You're so much more
    Endearing with the sound turned off.. (im too lazy but if you cant figure it out read a few prior posts.)
    I know I misspelled im too lazy to correct and yes I know there is such thing as autocorrect.
    These are my ideas and if you like them HOOAH if not, to each his own.
    Flag whenyourmindsmadeup1983on August 21, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ALRIGHT PEOPLE YOU ARE ALL WRONG
    check it out.
    C.ome
    O.ne
    C.ome
    A.ll
    I.nto
    N.ineteen
    E.ighty-four.

    COCAINE. "comforts of america." cocaine, and it's paranoia
    *bows*
    Flag dnw5032on June 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Take a bow
    Pack on powder
    Wash 'em out with buzzing lights
    Pay an audience to care
    "Impress me" personality
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This is about fakeness. Lights, makeup, an audience that's paid.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Still and transfixed
    The electric sheep are dreaming of your face
    Enjoy you from the chemical
    Comfort of America
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Commentary on American society. We're so influenced by the media. We don't think for ourselves often. Give me some lexapro.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Come one, come all
    Into 1984
    Yeah, three, two, one
    Lights, camera, transaction
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    he refrences 1984. The last line sounds like Brave New World - maximize consumption
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Quick, your time is almost up
    Make all forget that they're the moth
    Edging in towards the flame
    Burn into obscurity
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    these talk shows, or media in general are used by people to forget their own immortality. we're all gonna die, our time is short. moths to flame is a methaphor for our approaching death.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Still and transfixed
    The electric sheep are dreaming up your face
    And judge you from the card castle
    Comfort of America
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    card castle - credit cards. he might be saying that people are judged by their wealth.

    but money = comfort in america
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------




    Your foundation is canyoning
    Fault lines should be worn with pride
    I hate to say so much more
    You're so much more
    Endearing with the sound turned off
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    the foundation is fake - remember the make up reference earlier.

    he's saying we should embrace our imperfections rather than hold ourselves up to a standard that is impossible to be held up to.

    or even worse present an image of ourselves thats not accurate.

    how many of you assholes reading this are on facebook? you are what he's talking about. delete your account and find out who you are.

    finally he's saying that the talk shows are more interesting when he's deciding what they're saying for himself, rather than them telling him the way it is.

    the media tells us how it is.
    Flag bkabbotton March 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is kind of odd. I've loved this song for quite about a year, but never really thought about what the line, "Come one, come all, into 1984," meant. I started reading Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell a little while ago, and listening to this song, I thought, "Hey, maybe that's related." I scanned the comments on the way down to write this, and saw many things saying that the line was a nod to Big Brother and the book and everything.

    It totally fits now that I think about it. The lyrics and sound kind of have a numbing, drawling feeling, like the society in the book.
    Flag Fallen Leaveson January 06, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song is about cocaine... look at the 1st letters to every word for the course

    Come
    One
    Come
    All
    Into
    Nineteen
    Eighty-four

    stick that in your pipe and smoke it!!!
    Flag jaymosphereon October 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song. When I had the CD, I'd listen to it during opening night of every play I was in. In a way, it's kind of romantic to me, but I don't really understand why. Maybe the beat?
    Flag Boatsykinson September 11, 2009   Link

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