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A backwards march, my back against
Meadows of fear, where it all began
And there's a hunt for the saviour whom
And the purest of hearts, let their spirits be consumed
There's a new world laid at your feet
We build an army from nothing
We raise our children to the beat of its comforting pounding love
A forward talk solely against our ways and means
Without a glance
I'm on a hunt to find the cure
And before I depart into the deepest hole
Behind all insecurity, there is a wall of assurance
She is her own worst enemy, she fights her battles for no one
There's a new world laid at your feet
We build an army from nothing
We raise our children to the beat of its comforting pounding love
Let it sink in for a new beginning, you know better now
Water fills her lungs and she's inhaling, you feel better now
Underneath the stars her body's sinking, you do better now
A heavy sigh then not a sound
We have no lives to sacrifice
She makes a sin, dampens the cries
If there's a want for something new
You might find me at the start or where it ends for you
Let it sink in for a new beginning, you know better now
Water fills her lungs and she's inhaling, you feel better now
Underneath the stars her body's sinking, you do better now
A heavy sigh then not a sound
Meadows of fear, where it all began
And there's a hunt for the saviour whom
And the purest of hearts, let their spirits be consumed
There's a new world laid at your feet
We build an army from nothing
We raise our children to the beat of its comforting pounding love
A forward talk solely against our ways and means
Without a glance
I'm on a hunt to find the cure
And before I depart into the deepest hole
Behind all insecurity, there is a wall of assurance
She is her own worst enemy, she fights her battles for no one
There's a new world laid at your feet
We build an army from nothing
We raise our children to the beat of its comforting pounding love
Let it sink in for a new beginning, you know better now
Water fills her lungs and she's inhaling, you feel better now
Underneath the stars her body's sinking, you do better now
A heavy sigh then not a sound
We have no lives to sacrifice
She makes a sin, dampens the cries
If there's a want for something new
You might find me at the start or where it ends for you
Let it sink in for a new beginning, you know better now
Water fills her lungs and she's inhaling, you feel better now
Underneath the stars her body's sinking, you do better now
A heavy sigh then not a sound
Lyrics submitted by imagesofme, edited by Stockholm
Track duration: 05:03
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Something we should start with is looking more in depth at the continuous imagery of the white substance on Jonna Lee (the singer and woman in all of the iamamiwhoami videos), on the plants, the mud on Jonna Lee, and the constant plant references throughout all of the videos.
So, first thing's first, what do the numbers in the first six introduction videos mean? Let's decipher them, shall we?
699130082.451322-5.4.21.3.1.20.9.15.14.1.12:
FIIAC**HB.DEACBB-E.D.U.C.A.T.I.O.N.A.L
9.1.13.669321018:
I.A.M.FFICBA*AH
9.20.19.13.5.723378:
I.T.S.M.E.GBCCGH
13.1.14.4.18.1.7.15.18.1.1110:
M.A.N.D.R.A.G.O.R.A.AAA*
15.6.6.9.3.9.14.1.18.21.13.56155:
O.F.F.I.C.I.N.I.R.U.M.EFAEE
23.5.12.3.15.13.5-8.15.13.5.3383:
W.E.L.C.O.M.E-H.O.M.E.CCHC
Mhm. It says: "Welcome home. I am educational. It's me, Mandragora Officinirum."
It's significant to note that one of the numbered videos spell out "mandragora" and "officinarum," otherwise known as the mandragora, or, the mandrake plant. The mandrake root, according to ancient folklore, is believed to have grown where a hanging man's semen spilled onto the ground, hence the white substance throughout the videos.
Philip de Thaun was an Anglo-Norman who wrote a book in the first half of the 20th century. In this book "Bestiary," de Thaun, says the following about the mandrake: "It has two roots, the make of a man and a woman."
(HA! Jonna and the mystery man!! But waittt, it gets better...) "The man who is to gather it must fly around about it; must take great care that he does not touch it - then let a dog be bound - let it be tied to it." Following these guidelines are instructions to starve the dog, then after three dogs, offer the dog some bread. Naturally, the dog will come running to the food in your hand. Then... "the dog will draw it to him; the root will break; it will send forth a cry; the dog will fall down dead." This explains the six dogs, then the following six graves/crosses in two of the introduction videos!
(I AM AM I WHO AM I = I AM MANDRAKE. Let's continue...)
"...if the man heard it, he would directly die - therefore, he must stop his ears and take care that he does not hear the cry. When one has the root, it is of great value for medicine, for it cures every infirmity - except only death."
The six dogs turn up dead in the introduction videos, this is obvious at seen by the six crosses used as tombstones. I believe Jonna's character in these videos is actually one half of the root (the man being the other; in U-1, it almost seems like they are connected and unified as one) and her voice is symbolic of the mandrake's cry. The cry, as stated above, is believed to be deadly, but also a miracle plant to cure all illness (just like love and faith can be the cure for all despair and sorrow, as well as the perfect weapon to diagnose pain and agony). This is why the tags for the Youtube videos relate so much to life and death. Such examples include the following tags on the introduction videos: fetus, umbilical cord, habitat, moisture, disciple, amniotic fluid, nest, lay, mount, etc.
Here is another paragraph I found interesting, and this imagery is in several of the iamamiwhoami videos: "A cut of the female mandrake root" ... "cases the figure of a naked woman with the plant shooting into leaf and flower from her head." (Which was blatantly seen in "N")
Also note that mandrake superstition has been rampant through human ages. As I've said, it's associated with providing life and causing death (more often, death). Some common synonyms for the mandrake are: Satan's Apple, Mandragora, Devil's Testicles, etc. Here is another paragraph I found informative:
"The officinarum variety is yellow-greenish; the autumnalis variety is purple. The flowers are born on separate stalks, which emerge from the centre of the leaf-rosette. They later give rise to the golden yellowish fruits, that are often referred to as 'apples', which they resemble, though their size approximates more that of a crab-apple or mirabelle. The fruit has a pleasant scent. The root can grow to over half a meter (2 feet) in length and is often strangely forked, which has given rise to anthropomorphic associations, likening their appearance to a human male or female body shape. The root has a tough brown rind but is white inside. The leaves emerge directly from the crown of the root." (Hence the crown she wears in "T") So, why is Jonna covered in black-brown while maintaining her long, blonde locks? Because her body symbolizes the root in the ground, covered in dirt, and (as stated) it has a "brown rind but is white inside."
The white is shown in "Y" as Jonna sings in the paper house, covered in mud, and her paper dress represents the inner white inside the root. Her hair symbolizes the yellow leaves. Plain and simple. Also, in "T," Jonna is seen covered in the white substance while wearing a crown ("the leaves emerge directly from the crown of the root").
Here is another paragraph: "Mandrake originates in the eastern Mediterranean region and is distributed throughout southern Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa, where it grows in waste places and abandoned fields in sandy and rocky, well draining soil. There is also a species that is endemic to the Himalaya. Nowadays it is cultivated in gardens north of the Alps, but doesn't naturalize there, as it needs a warm and protected setting." This is why Jonna is standing in a flower pot, surrounded by other leaves, in a greenhouse in "O." She IS the mandrake root. She needs that warm and protect setting. Get it?
Let's address the constant use of six: six was the quantity of dogs, berries, and cats throughout the videos. Six dogs, six cats, six berries. 666, right? Well, it isn't Satanic symbolism; it's just an allusion to the devil and the end, simply because the mandrake has been called The Devil's Apple and The Devil's Testicles. The use of 666 simply signifies the end of a bond. Once you understand the mythology behind the mandrake, iamamiwhoami's videos make MUCH more sense.
So, here's the big question: Why even use the mandrake symbolism and allusions?
Well, the mandrake was believed to have a male and female root, right? The root belonged to one plant, one organism, one creation, one being, one idea. This can be symbolic of a love or bond that held significant meaning. However, the root was ripped from the ground and split in two. The female root shrieked, giving birth to Jonna's voice and lyrics.
In case you haven't noticed, the lyrics are about a love / significant connection to someone or something gone horribly wrong.
"B" is the initial love / connection.
"O" is the sudden halt this love / connection takes.
"U-1" is total remorse for this ending.
"U-2" is the continued remorse.
"N" is the insecurities brought on by this newly found independence.
"T" is learning that one has potential by oneself, with or without this person / idea.
"Y" is merely IAM personifying her / their hope and moving on.
:)
I seriously just looked at the project and thought, wow, this is such awesome visual and musical art, i've never seem something like it i'm totally diggin it. hahah
Congratulations to you sir.
In the T video, we see Jonna Lee again, she begins in the ocean, but then once she acquires her characteristic ball, scepter, and crown (made of tin foil, which has become the new wrapping material of these videos since the N video) she then marches through the forest, does some posing on top of a car, and then returns to the ocean, submerging herself completely.
Sadly, the themes of religion and childbirth aren't very apparent in this video. Jonna Lee's crown could be a parallel to the fact that Jesus is considered a "king" of sorts. And the car wrapped completely in tin foil could be a continuation of the theme of excess from the N video (that's a lot of tin foil, after all...) combined with the car, a common symbol of a generic family/household. In this video, Jonna is portrayed as queen of the world, if you will, and she stands magestically on top of the car, stating her powerful role as mother and ruler of the family. The mother does, after all, make the babies! Some credit has to go to the mamas of the world.
The meaning of this video, however, lies mostly in the song and its lyrics. Religion, Childbirth/raising, and Drowning all appear in these lyrics.
Religion is the least apparent theme, but it can be seen in the lyrics "For the seeker who found the purest of hearts" "Millions of years, where it all began" (Jesus' story was long ago) "Above this world, now back again" (Jesus' resurrection brought him to heaven and back) "We raise our children to the beat of this comforting, bonding love" (The love of jesus/christianity?) "We build an army from nothing" (Religion does just that -- using simple stories to make an entire following of people) and "Throw my body at the stars where the angels look"
Childbirth/raising is apparent as well, especially in the second stanza: "Theree's a new world laid at your feet / We build an army from nothing / We raise our children to the beat..." This is a great parallel to being born: Just as you are born, a "new world is laid at your feet" as you are entered into life. At the same time. "We build an army from nothing" just as the human race regenerates itself with new generations of children, and from what? From nothing, essentially! A tiny sperm and egg (and a womb) are the only nessecary componenets to make an entire new human being.
Finally, however, the theme of DROWNING is most apparent in this song. Starting form the third stanza on, mentions of entering "the deepest hole," "she is her own worst enemy" "Water fills her lungs and she's inhaling" "Underneath the stars her body's sinking" "A heavy sigh and not a sound" and "Throw my body at the stars where the angels look" -- It all seems to string together the paint a picture of a woman committing suicide by drowning. What that all has to do with the rest of the themes (Childbirth, Jesus's birth, etc) I'm not sure.
One thing is for sure though -- Jesus couldn't drown! He walked on water. ;)
I think it's
"We raise our children to the beat / Of its comforting pounding [or bounding?] love"
The lyrics I feel are closest to correct:
- - -
A backwards march
My back against
Meadows of fear
Where it all began
And there's a hunt
For the sake of whom [For the seeker whom?]
And the purest of hearts
Let their spirits be consumed
There's a new world laid at your feet
We build an army from nothing
We raise our children to the beat
Of its comforting pounding [bounding?] love
A forward talk
Solely against
Old ways and means
We're not like them
I'm on a hunt
To find the cure
And before I depart
Into the deepest blue
Behind all insecurity
There is a wall of assurance
She is her own worst enemy
She fights her battles for no one
There's a new world laid at your feet
We build an army from nothing
We raise our children to the beat
Of its comforting pounding love
Let us sing here for a new beginning
You know better now
Water fills her lungs as she's inhaling
You feel better now
Underneath the stars her body's sinking
You do better now
A heavy sigh then not a sound
We have no lives
To sacrifice
She amazes.. [unintelligible]
If there's a want
for something new
You might find me at the start
Or where the.. [unintelligible]
Let us sing here for a new beginning
You know better now
Water fills her lungs as she's inhaling
You feel better now
Underneath the stars her body's sinking
You do better now
A heavy sigh then not a sound
- - -
There are a few words/lines in there I'd really love to have figured out. I wish they'd release the official lyrics.
now back against
meadows of fear
where it all began.
And there's a hunt
for the sake of whom
and the purest of hearts,
let their spirits be consumed.
There's a new world laid at your feet
we build an army from nothing
we raise our children to the bee
oh, there's comfort in pollen.
A forward talk
solely against old ways and means,
we're not like them
I'm on a hunt to find the cure
and before I depart
and all will be deepest blue.
Behind all insecurities there is a wall of assurance,
she is her own worst enemy
she fights her battles for no one
there's a whole new world laid at your feet
we build an army from nothing
we raise our children to the bee
oh there's comfort in pollen.
Let us sing here for a new beginning
oh you know, better now
water fills her lungs as she's inhaling
you feel better now
underneath the stars her body's sinking
you do better now
a heavy sigh then not a sound.
we have no lives
to sacrifice
she amazes sin....
___________________
if there's a want for something new
you might find me at the start
or where the ending is you.
Let us sing here for a new beginning
you know better now
water fills her lungs as she's inhaling
you feel better now
underneath the stars her body sinking
you do better now
a heavy sigh then not a sound
We already know "water fills her lungs and she's inhaling" is foreshadowing 20101104, I think the key to understanding that video is in these lyrics
A backwords march
my back against
meadows of fear
where it all began
and there's a hunt
for they seek the whom
and the purest of hearts
let their spirits be consumed
there's a new world laid at your feet
we build an army from nothing
we raise our children to the beat
of it's comforting pounding love
a forward talk
solely against
old ways and means
we're not like them, as you
I'm on a hunt to find the cure
and before I depart into the deepest blue
behind all insecurity
there is a wall of assurance
she is her own worst enemy
she fights her battles for no one
There's a new world.....
Let us sing here for a new beginning
you know better now
water fills her lungs as she's inhaling
you feel better now
underneath the stars her body sinking
you do better now
a heavy sigh then not a sound
we have no lives to sacrify
the nature sings
dampens the cries
if there's a want for something new
you might find me at the start
or where it ends for you
a backwords march my back against meadows of fear where it all began
and there's a hunt for they seek the whom and the purest of hearts let their spirits be consumed
:>S
A backwords march, now back again
........? fear, where it all began
And there's a hunt for they seek the whom
And the purest of hearts
.........?
There's a new world laid at your feet
we build an army from nothing
we raise our children to the beat
of it's comforting pounding love (or bounding)