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Bent at the knee, a last resort
Backfired and made things worse
Once on the bus, it was quite possible
You'd be the jailhouse queen
Jury and judge were screaming to hang
You spat the sweat from brow
He shrugged his shoulders, nothing would work
It had to end right now
I can't drive straight counting your fake frowns
Focusing in, details a must
Trying to make each one count
All on your fingers stopping at ten
Magistrate's keyed in how
The jury and judge were screaming to hang
You spat the sweat from brow
He shrugged his shoulders, nothing would work
It had to end right now
We can't keep your interest now
Increasing pixels and sound
Backfired and made things worse
Once on the bus, it was quite possible
You'd be the jailhouse queen
Jury and judge were screaming to hang
You spat the sweat from brow
He shrugged his shoulders, nothing would work
It had to end right now
I can't drive straight counting your fake frowns
Focusing in, details a must
Trying to make each one count
All on your fingers stopping at ten
Magistrate's keyed in how
The jury and judge were screaming to hang
You spat the sweat from brow
He shrugged his shoulders, nothing would work
It had to end right now
We can't keep your interest now
Increasing pixels and sound
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
Track duration: 04:31
"Fake Frowns" as written by Christopher Walla, Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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How are they not real frowns?
WHY are they not real frowns?
Amazing song though.
At the song's beginning, he's begging for clemency... "bent at the knees," although probably not literally. His pleas only agitate the court, worsening his situation.
He thinks to himself that, once he's convicted (once he's "on the bus") he'll surely be turned out, as it were. That is, he'll be sodomized by the inmates.
There is a seeming implication that he not only thought about this, but also mentioned it while begging. It's not just possible but fairly likely a remark like that would incense the judge and/or jurors.
Sometimes people don't like to be reminded of what they're REALLY doing to another human being. It's easy to be morally superior to a criminal when you've never stood before the bench.
Even second degree murder doesn't earn capital punishment, so the "judge and jury" are not actually "screaming to hang." We can assume he means that his case is obviously not a favorable one.
Despairing and exhausted, he slaps his forehead, knocking away beads of sweat gathered there. His defense has collapsed; his attorney "shrugs his shoulders," for Christ's sake.
As the trial winds it's way to the finish, the walls are definitely closing in on him. The court focuses in on every last detail of the prosecutor's statement; the state does a good job apparently, trying to make "each, one count" of the inditement.
The judge is "keyed in" at this point, preparing to pronounce guilt (A magistrate is quite nearly the same thing as a judge. The use of the term could easily be a reference to the Salem witch trials mentioned by iknowmyonion).
There are at least ten counts. All of them are bound to stick, and he knows it. He knows on account of all those stern, disapproving expressions in the jury box.
They're all good, god-fearing people, right? That's the impression they give, frowning like that. But it's not who they really are, and he knows it as well as they do.
However, he's not just talking about the jury. He's talking about everybody... acquaintances, friends, family. Everybody is sententious toward him and his drinking problem. Everbody is wearing a "fake frown," pretending they never drove drunk... they never committed a crime... they never wound up in court... they never did anything wrong.
There are so many frowning, lying expressions in his life, he can't keep count. He "can't drive straight." That's why he never got over his drinking problem. That's why he's been charged. That's why they're about to put him in prison.
It like a scene straight out of Camus' "The Stranger," or "A Happy Death." The defendant is dehumanized in the presence of his peers, transmogrified into an image of callousness and cruelty.
By the story's end, the jury has no "interest" in the either the person himself or the criminal act, but only the idea and attached evil of the crime, the implied guilt.
As modern day defendants are amplified in appearance, blown up to inhuman size and sound on our television sets, we cease to care about their innocence or guilt, human rights, and bodily safety and proceed to concern ourselves with their severe punishment.
As always Ben is speaking metaphorically, comparing how similar ending a relationship is to judging a guilty person.
The fact that "Fake Frowns" is even mention in this should have guided you to that.
Sureee a lot of songs are about it, but some aren't, like WHy You'd Want to Live Here, and such.
I'm thinking it's just abuot a guy wrongly accused of a crime, by some unfair system of judgement. Like Witch trial type, notice he uses "Magistrate" which no longer exist, but were used during Witch Trials.
you figure out.
jury and judge were screaming to hang"
I think it means that she won't change her mind, and she wants the relationship to end.
p.s. eifel, this is one of my favorite songs!