Lyrics for Lenders in the Temple as interpreted by jethrothekid

Lenders in the Temple Lyrics
A short delay, the parrot blues
Little voices mimic you
It's not so hard to make that sound
So watch your back, the Ides of March
Cut your hair like Joan of Arc
Disguise your will, they'll find you out
And when they do, look out

There's money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break your heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If I loved you, well that's my fault

A bitch in heat, the alpha male
Not something she'd ever tell
Except when she got deathly high
And out it came like summer rain
It washed the cars and everything
Felt clean for just a little while
A telethon we drunk dialed

Those starving children, they ain't got no mother
There's pink flamingos living in the mall
I'd give a fortune to your infomercial
If somebody would just take my call
Take my call

Hello, patterns in my mind now moving slow
Sorrow all across the surface rolls
Smoothing out the edges of the stone
The lights are out, where'd everybody go?
Alone

Erase yourself and you'll be free
Mandala destroyed by the sea
All we are is colored sand
So pay to ride the ferris wheel
Smile, all that you can feel
Is gratitude for what has been
Because it did not happen

There's money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break my heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If you love me, then that's your fault

There's money lenders inside the temple
This crystal city's going to fall apart
When all their power turns into vapor
If I miss you, well that's my fault

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Scifi Saint
01-03-2008

Rated 0 
On the boot I have this song was labeled "That's My Fault." Do you know that it's called Money Lenders? Just curious.

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1 Reply
Scifi Saint
01-04-2008

Rated 0 
One more thing. = )

I'm quite sure he says "The bitch in heat, the alpha male." Not "pitchin heat." In addition, I think he says "telethon" not telephone and "vapor" not paper.

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jeff_cassadaga
01-04-2008

Rated 0 
the title of the song is officially money lenders, atleast that's what he said at the concert, and i think you're write about the lyrics

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sidelines
04-24-2008

Rated 0 
the pink flamingos in the mall reference is directed at west edmonton mall in edmonton, alberta. conor has played a few times at a venue inside the mall and always talks about the flamingos.

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williambleak
06-02-2008

Rated 0 
this is my favorite of the new set. it has a really haunting melody and the song seems timeless. quite refreshing after the prada suits and cassadaga...

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chlorophyllblood
06-19-2008

Rated 0 
I think it may be "Mandela destroyed by the sea."

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chlorophyllblood
06-19-2008

Rated 0 
And I think it's "power turns into vapor," not paper.

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lxyt
06-24-2008

Rated 0 
first verse: "look out" not "look at her"

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lxyt
06-24-2008

Rated 0 
and i agree with william. this song is beautiful. actually sort of catchy for a conor song. but moreover, the song's message... how people have the bad habit of corrupting something holy - the temple, the tiger, oneself.

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splitintwo
06-25-2008

Rated 0 
A short delay
The parrot blues
Little voices mimic you
It’s not so hard to make that sound
So watch your back
The ides of March
Cut your hair like Joan of Arc
Disguise your will
They’ll find you out
And when they do
Look out
There’s money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break your heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If I loved you, well, that’s my fault
A bitch in heat
The alpha male
Not something she’d ever tell
Except when she got deafly high
Then out it came like summer rain
Washed the cars and everything
Felt clean for just a little while
A telethon we drunk dialed
Those starving children
They ain’t got no mother
Theres pink flamingos living in the mall
I’d give a fortune to your infomercial
If somebody would just take my call
Take my call
Hello?
Patterns in my mind now moving slow
Sorrow all across the surface roads
Smoothing out the edges of the stone
The lights are out where’d everybody go alone
Erase yourself and you’ll be free
Men dull are destroyed by the sea
All we are is colored sand
So pay to ride the Ferris wheel
Smile
All that you can feel is gratitude for what has been
Because it did not happen
There’s money lenders inside the temple
That circus tiger's going to break my heart
Something so wild turned into paper
If you love me, well, that’s your fault
There’s money lenders inside the temple
This crystal city’s going to fall apart
When all their power turns into vapor
If I miss you, well, that’s my fault
That’s my fault

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williambleak
06-27-2008

Rated 0 
could it be "mandala destroyed by the sea"? it's definitely "look out" and not 'look at her'... speaking of which, the Joan of Arc imagery really gets to me, anyone else? I love that part of the song, and I have no idea what it means!

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chlorophyllblood
06-30-2008

Rated 0 
This song is officially called "Lenders in the Temple."

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ParkerEloise
07-06-2008

Rated 0 
i like this song
i dont like the name though
fav part->>

Those starving children, they aint got no mother
there's pink flamingos living in the mall
I'd give a fortune to your infomercial
if somebody would just take my call
take my call

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ParkerEloise
07-06-2008

Rated 0 
oh and the joan of arc line

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ParkerEloise
07-06-2008

Rated 0 
eh i hate the lenders in the temple titleee
but whateverrrrrrrrr
yeah the joan of arc imagray gets to mee
welll she cuts her hair to pretend to be a guy
to join the army beecause whatever
hmm.. im stumped

ides of march- march 15 ceaser stabbed
e tu brute or whatever they were bros.
watch your back
gah i like the historical refrences

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williambleak
07-08-2008

Rated 0 
I guess this song is about betrayals and things going badly... and it's definitely on the obscurantist side. Money lenders obviously refers to that famous scene in the Bible when JC overturns the money lenders' tables because it's so immoral and corrupt and has no place in a space of worship, but CO is also drawing a parallel to our time, saying that all that we hold sacred is being corrupted and destroyed by money/power/empire.

I think there are also underlying themes of revolution and the need for rapid change. (the starving children, flamingos in mall=decadence?, and obviously Jeanne d'Arc - but watch out if you're openly critical because they will burn you at the stake if they find out)

I think that () word is mandala because it's a sacred image that is often drawn with colored sand. Tibetan Buddhists spend months drawing elaborate mandalas and at the end, they just blow it away because the mandala represents the universe and the erasure of it demonstrates impermanence. (And that's a theme we've seen before in CO's writing)

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1 Reply
williambleak
07-12-2008

Rated 0 
[img]http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/funny-pictures-hamster-is-slain-by-brutus.jpg[/img]

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sterlingsilver36
07-22-2008

Rated 0 
Okay so I'm listening to the album in order and WOW, I was definitely a little nervous, I don't know why seeing as how Bright Eyes is mainly Conor [although Mike Mogis does have a big hand to play, and Nate Walcott, so Bright Eyes isnt really solo like most people think, its like a trio]. But yeah, I was very apprehensive about the album, I was just nervous that it would let me down, but so far I was so WRONG.

The first song was okay, the second was good, then Get-Well Cards came on and I was like "wow..this is amazing" but then this song came on, and I just fell in love. So far this is my favorite song, It's so beautifully sung, and the music accompanying it is beautiful. I know i've used that word like 8 times but thats truly the only word for this song. Pure beauty.

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juggernaut.heart
07-30-2008

Rated 0 
i think the beginning is "parrot blues." it makes more sense when he's talking about mimicking voices.

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ABookOnAShelf
08-01-2008

Rated 0 
Hmm. When you love somebody wild and dangerous they're going to leave you alone eventually, it's a certainty, but you do it anyway for the experience. It's your fault, you knew it would turn out this way, but it still shocks you when it happens. It's still lonely.

Okay...maybe it's just that new-album awe, but I've grown up with Conor and I think this is the most perfect song he's made yet. He's hit the perfect mix of raw, untempered emotion and reservation...the sweet, subtle guitar is almost like a back-up voice. Beautiful, every word.

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deinem
08-01-2008

Rated 0 
To me, this song is about death and religion. It's about believing in something so strong that gives you faith... but it's just a contradiction because you are believing in something that has been tainted and exploited. "Lenders in the Temple" is a allusion to the biblical story where something so holy and beautiful is destroyed by humans using it for their own selfish purposes. "Something so wild turned into paper"...

It's like, religion is a great thing but we just use it for bad reasons. I love this song.

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supernuke
08-05-2008

Rated +1 
I think it's about trusting only oneself and being alone

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LizzieBear
08-05-2008

Rated +1 
i think this is my favorite song ever.

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mytwohands
08-06-2008

Rated 0 
Wow, I'm really trying to figure out the third to last stanza and I am having a lot of trouble with it.

Anyway, even despite the songs numerous religious references, I think this song has a lot more to do with not trusting one's self and feeling really empty and alone -- certainly isolated in one's choices and in one's mind.

I'm just trying to figure out how that relates to the whole "money lenders" line automatically reminds me of pharisees and people trusting the church and being taken advantage of ... so I can sort of see how it relates. Maybe Conor is relating letting down your boundaries in love and trusting someone in a relationship (and then being taken advantage of) to the money lenders in the temple, a sacred place ... ? As though, both institutions are equally sacred. I mean, he says, "If you loved me then that's your fault" as though it was silly for the female counterpart to trust the narrator (and vice versa).

But what still really bothers me is the third to last stanza. the whole "Mandela" line is just baffling. like is referring to Nelson Mandela? What else is he referring to? I thought maybe mandalas but I looked it up and those are spelled differently (I didn't know that until I looked it up) ... I feel like one of the really good song interpretators here could figure that out and sort of break the code of that stanza and the whole "cause it did not happennnn" line. which is just so powerful in its subtly.

This song just feels better than anything Connors ever done.

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mytwohands
08-06-2008

Rated 0 
OHHH and I have to brag! I saw him do this live yesterday at amoeba and it was just brilliant!

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