This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
I feel your racing heart
My liquid silver arms extended
These waves aren't far apart
Black gold in claw foot tubs unchanging
I am fire, where's my form?
Whisper crimson I intrude
There's light beneath your eyes
New overtones in view
Endless form, endless time
If what they say is true
You are a shadow in the fourth dimension
To float away with you
We see the corners where nothing happens
While we drifted we were one
Ceilings lifted walls were gone
You speak the language of the breeze
All your leaves were meant for me
The love that every person wants to be
Stuck together, I don't like revealing secrets
I'll live inside your lips if you won't laugh
My heaving hands on rotten fruit at last
Fallow fingers, there's a surface I can count on
She'd fit inside my heart and take it over
Till her cape got blown into my red lungs
Either there's a purpose
Or I'm heading out at breakfast
Take a drink, take a drag
One more coffee, ugly hat
No more mirrors, woolen bag
And I am gone
My liquid silver arms extended
These waves aren't far apart
Black gold in claw foot tubs unchanging
I am fire, where's my form?
Whisper crimson I intrude
There's light beneath your eyes
New overtones in view
Endless form, endless time
If what they say is true
You are a shadow in the fourth dimension
To float away with you
We see the corners where nothing happens
While we drifted we were one
Ceilings lifted walls were gone
You speak the language of the breeze
All your leaves were meant for me
The love that every person wants to be
Stuck together, I don't like revealing secrets
I'll live inside your lips if you won't laugh
My heaving hands on rotten fruit at last
Fallow fingers, there's a surface I can count on
She'd fit inside my heart and take it over
Till her cape got blown into my red lungs
Either there's a purpose
Or I'm heading out at breakfast
Take a drink, take a drag
One more coffee, ugly hat
No more mirrors, woolen bag
And I am gone
Lyrics submitted by jjjonatron
4th Dimensional Transition Lyrics as written by Benjamin Nicholas Huner Goldwasser Andrew Wells Vanwyngarden
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Ok, I love this band just as much as anyone else here they're seriously one of my favorite bands. Not to downplay their genius but isn't this song just about the beauty of sex? "I feel your racing heart, my liquid silver arms extended"? "These waves aren't far apart ( an orgasm on its way?)" Just reread it think of a lot of it with sexual undertones and you might get it. I hope I don't get too many angry replies for this but it still makes it a great song. I think they're talking about how it can carry you so far away like to another dimension."While we drifted we were one" like one flesh. "Ceilings lifted walls were gone" Restrictions, confinements, inhibitions forgotten. "Stuck together, I don't like revealing secrets I'll live inside your lips if you won't laugh" This reminds of the cliche post coital time were couples tend to talk or want to talk. The man is saying as he's holding her or vise versa they're not willing to open up just yet but they are willing to listen intently if that's ok. and of course some of the more obvious lines, "Either there's a purpose Or I'm heading out at breakfast Take a drink, take a drag One more coffee, ugly hat No more mirrors, woolen bag And I am gone". That part strikes me as an ultimatum after good sex. Either that meant something to you or I should probably get going. It's timid, it's confusing, unsure but absolutely beautiful. It's unlike anything else we can experience alone or with another person and they chose to write a song and represent something so human as making love into something superhuman about us. But that's just my guess.
I like this idea actually. I think also we could add to this. I have heard that one might have an Outer Body Experience when they have sex, this is when the soul leaves the body and enters different plains of existence if you will. And if this song is about the beauty of sex, than this would be very fitting. "If what they say is true<br /> You are a shadow in fourth dimension, To float away with you ,We see the corners where nothing happens, While we drifted we were one, Ceilings lifted walls were gone," The idea of the body transcending the material world and leaving the "Walls". And the shadow being the soul part in a different existence. To float away also refers to the soul body floating around becaues it has no grounding material form! Great song!
ha, sounds like you don't understand it either. their lyrics are very esoteric and new age. this song is about the transition to the 4th dimension supposed to start 2012. Timewave Zero. is it true that we are formless divine beings of the spirit burning eternally but hidden from view underneath a cage of flesh? in the world of forms? the 4th dimension is where we will ascend to from the 3rd and transcend time and space. Or is it all a lie and we are just these meaningless forms leading meaningless lives? that's the gist of it. it of course has alot more too it and there are too many details to write about. If you don't get this stuff don't worry about it, just enjoy how catchy it is and continue on with the life of ignorance, that is why they don't like you listening to their music, because you can't quite appreciate it. this stuff reminds me of the klaxons. very similar look them up. And to the guy above, if they didn't want so many fans then they should not have appeared on MTV. this stuff is deep; and i am gone.
I agree with your meaning of the song very much I dont know if I totally agree with the whole 2012 thiing. But I also dont believe your wrong becuase I think what your forgetting is every song is open for interpretation. As long as you connect and get something from a song then how are you wrong? Its art ment to send a message to its listeners as long as you get something outta of it and you think about what your listening to your never wrong. Like for me i believe the song could be about liberating your soul finding or discovering yourself in your 4d state (non-physical state).
@Aloysius1979 <br /> I came here to see if someone got the same opinion of the meaning of the song as I do and your comment nailed it. I think a lot of MGMT's songs are about the meaning of life and what will happen after death. In future reflections a lot of the lyrics are connected to this. "if it's good or if it's fortune i can't tell but pieces come together for some reason just aswell". In metanoia they sing about this sort of god they call "mystic referee" and "sachidananda". I can not belive how Andrew make the lyrics so well as he do (Ben Said in an interview that Andrew writes pretty much all the lyrics)
Can we stop discussing the private lifes of MGMT, please? If they take drugs, that's up too them, but in NO way are they influencing there listeners to do the same. Can't you see that they write songs as it's a way too escape for them? Not because they're creating cults to follow them in drug use. -.-
While that is true I'm sure they have taken psychedelics. I'm not sure if you have but I have had beautiful trips on psilocybin mushrooms with my best friends. It doesn't seem right to call psychedelics drugs, although they are. They feel so much more natural and organic, especially when eating mushrooms, the dried shrooms are still living and you feel there presence when you eat them and they force you to look into youself to see who you really are. A lot of times people don't like what they find and they try to avoid dealing with the flaws they see but this causes bad trips. It also causes you to really think about what is happening in the world. <br /> <br /> My first time doing shrooms in nature broke my heart in a way.I realized how much better life would be if we didn't make it so complicated and if we just lived in nature living off of plants and everybody living peacefully doing whatever they want.<br /> <br /> MGMT obviously produces psychedelic music which could influence some people to try psychedelic drugs. But for the good of the planet and other animals other than the seemingly more important human animal this could be a good thing.
This song feels like sex and an orgasm.
I thought the same ! I can't see another interpretation.. drugs, maybe not, but that's too easy
I'm not saying it's an acid trip... but it's an acid trip.
marc-bolan, similar to several t.rex songs, 2012 reference? seems so. i dig.
I don't know where the comment went, but I'm sure someone mentioned that this song is about a one night stand. That makes alot of sense to me. They're having an intense moment in a bathtub(where all good intense, tripped-out moments belong), and he's showing his depth of love is a 'Bigger Picture' way of seeing everything. Its gets physical, but than he needs to be alone, so its over. Probably on some wicked shit while this happened, but to write about it in such a poetic way, is the beauty of emotions understood by psychoactives, usually the next day. Yay Beautiful song, and I love it. One more coffee, anyone?
When i wrote my original comment in 2008 i was much more arrogant. i have recently ventured into the wilds on 5 hits of LSD.
"When man recognizes his divinity, he is divine."
that's what this song is about. the process of tearing your ego and illusions asunder. it is about the transcendental experience. some would call it "seeing the truth" or "enlightenment"
it's not about this "adam kadmon" bullshit, romanowski. it's about you. and your mundane existence as a slave. which does not suit the gods that we are. it is time we recognize our divinity. or continue about our meaningless existences. LSD helps, but do not come to rely on it. it is a door to the truth. but it is not the truth.
I think this song describes the transcendent experience of sex with a being perceived to be so divine that they cannot possiby be 3D (human). The being exists in 5D and their shadow is 4D. With her he is transcending time, space, reality, all the angles that limit him in his 3D existance (corners, walls, roofs).
He experiences her like one would feel the wind-just feeling the sensation. I think he wants to experience her (this state of divinity) all the time if she would let him. He doesn't want to separate from her and bases his reaction (post separation) upon her reaction. Either the experience is romanticized/feelings reciprocated or shrugged off as something mundane.
This song may also be just about having a life changing, mind-blowing, transcending experience in the mind (not necessarily sex related) then "coming down" from that experience and wondering if this is going to change your life or if you will just continue with mundane life seemingly unaffected afterwards.
"4th Dimensional Transition"<br /> The whole song meaning is just that!<br /> This song sticks true to its title.<br /> rare thing these days... :-P<br /> <br /> enjoy blissful reasoning!<br /> even with its fickle love<br /> thats hand in glove.<br /> <br /> ps i blissfully love this track! <br /> Thank you MGMT and Goodnight!
I was about to post my interpretation, but now I don't need to. Great job at wording this, I have almost the exact same interpretation on this song
an Interpretation:
3 characters (Person,Third person, The Drug) - all characters speak
I feel your racing heart (The Drug- Feels the persons heart through some medium)
My liquid silver arms extended (The Drug- Characterizes itself as having "liquid silver arms" Liquid silver is a code for A Natural Medicine. The arms part describes perhaps this is a "joint" extended towards the person
These waves arent far apart, black gold in claw foot tubs unchanging (The person- The person is describing his heartbeat that is racing, and compares it to "black gold" which is a code for oil in a claw foot tub unchanging. I have not seen this before, but maybe there is something to that image that amplifies how excited the person is about this drug that his heart which could be literal as in his hearts beat or his heart as in his desires are intense.
I am fire, wheres my form? (The drug- the drug is asking for its true form. The person can hear the drug asking for a light or a flame to start the next process.)
Whisper crimson I intrude (The person- answering intimately with the color of a flame of fire or the metaphoric sense of fire, the person is conveying that he intimately and immediately lit the drug.)
There is light beneath your eyes, new overtones in view, endless form endless time (The third person, mind- The third person or perhaps the mind is describing from a outer perspective to the person the experience. Perhaps the third person is the persons mind, which is what I am assuming. So through the third person we find out that the person lit the drug and now their are more forms of fire, and the last verse could be the feeling the person gets when using the drug. Or it could be the way the person feels about the drug. This brings me to the fourth dimension. The fourth dimension, in a totally kindergarten understanding is time and space combining.
If what they say is true You are a shadow in the fourth dimension (The person- The person refers to the drug as the legend of the shadow of the fourth dimension, which would make the drug a 3 dimensional object.) I am uncertain the significance only to suggest that the 4th dimension is falling into the 3rd dimensional world. So traveling to another world. Escapism maybe?
To float away with you (The drug- reiterates its purpose, to be with the person, floating in the 3rd dimension)
We see the corners where nothing happens (The person- Describes them near corners and nothing is happening, but the person is still elated) (But what is important here is the the person and the drug are one being, and this part just emphasizes what is seen is not as important, perhaps as what is felt)
While we drifted we were one Ceilings lifted walls were gone (The mind, or the narrator- Describes the feeling, and affirms the feeling or literal drifting, which exposes this experience as above reality and or a really great experience, weightless. The passage mentions ceilings and walls being removed. This could be weight of emotion lifted, stress gone, or literally the person being able to see into buildings. Either way this experience is liberating to the person, noting how the person feels about his experience.
You speak the language of the breeze All your leaves were meant for me The love that every person wants to be (The person, speaks, poetically and beautifully about the drug, saying that it speaks a different language. The person understands the language perhaps. All of the "leaves" give hint to what this drug might be, and also points out that the person feels that the faculty of the drug is meant for him, expressing a special bond is felt between the two. The person feels the love, or desire to exist that everyone wants to be. So the person thinks that everyone whats to be existence. But an existence that is acknowledged. There is clearly a special bond between the drug and the person.
Stuck together, I don't like revealing secrets I'll live inside your lips if you won't laugh (The drug- So the drug shows signs of more human like qualities, and shows there are limitations. Something the drug is holding back. Also there are limitations for the person, as the person can't laugh while the drug is "living inside the persons lips' This is a bad sign for the person and a turn in the story unfolding.
My heaving hands on rotten fruit at last Fallow fingers, there's a surface I can count on (The person- SO here the person describes, most likely, the drug as rotten fruit, and shows signs of admitting that the drug is not bearing fruit or bearing the outcome that the person hoped for. The person then speaks of his "fallow fingers". This is a very unique way to describe fingers. Fallow means basically to render inactive, but it also refers to a farmland being left unsown or left alone to restore for a season. This is significant, because it shows how the person is showing more value in a faculty of themselves over this drug and his trying to repair it, perhaps because of damage done by the drug.
She'd fit inside my heart and take it over Till her cape got blown into my red lungs (The narrator or mind- This part is my favorite part, because it is so vivid to me and I can relate to my interpretation of it. The first part talks about how the drug, which is revealed to be a she, probably to connect the drug not only to a substance but to what some women do in relationships. "She fit inside my heart" means that the person had room for desire of the drug and let it in, which means he still used the drug or interacted with the girl. The drug then would command the persons desires. Then "her cape" is the line next that is intriguing and important because this drug or girl was a HERO. Being a comic book fan from a young age, I feel this part. Having had heros in real life I also feel and know what it means to be saved. However the HERO's cape "got blown into his red lungs." I interpret this as a bad experience. The cape getting caught into lungs brings thoughts and feelings of suffocation and bleeding. This person, has been damaged by this drug and or girl on the inside. Not to mention the fact that smoking, as this passage suggest to me can cause this feeling of which I have personally experienced. So perhaps this person is close to death. So far, this transition started off great and has turned out deadly and damaging.
Either there's a purpose Or I'm heading out at breakfast Take a drink, take a drag One more coffee, ugly hat No more mirrors, woolen bag And I am gone (The person, and the mind or either- This part is a declaration to the drug and or the girl that if there is no better reason to continue using or interacting in this relationship, then he is going to leave quickly. Perhaps he is searching for the transition to improve. )
In conclusion, this song is about transitioning through an experience with a bad drug and the threat of transitioning out, with a demand for a reason to keep transitioning through this experience.
Hope this is enjoyed :) -Don