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I was taught a month ago
To bide my time and take it slow
But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day
Well I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong
and things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I was taught a month ago
To bide my time and take it slow
But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day
Now I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong
And things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey (8x)
To bide my time and take it slow
But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day
Well I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong
and things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I was taught a month ago
To bide my time and take it slow
But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day
Now I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong
And things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey (8x)
Lyrics submitted by namdam42
Track duration: 04:00
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Also, people's imaginative projections of the Man Mulcahey are interesting. Could be a Jamaican DJ, could be the head shrinkin priest in MASH...who ever it is, they either wanna have a laugh or go to the holy man on the mountain and gain ultimate Truth and Wisdom.
Thanks for your thoughts folks!
P.S. Zappa and Phish have in common that their lyrics can be downright silly, bordering on meaningless, or filled with hidden meaning. One thing is for sure, comin from this old musichead who's seen them ALL, TREY ROCKS! He's a F-ing rockstar, and don't let anyone make you think otherwise! These new age jammers make the punk movement look like the dummy boozin smackin meth-heads they all were. Well, almost all of them.
I was taught a month ago
To bide my time and take it slow
But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day
Well I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong
and things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet
To me, this explains that two things may be proven true, but may contradict each other, and so it seems that just when one figures something out, he just as well could disprove this theory. This leaves the character feeling like every thing he learns is wrong, but everyone else seems to have things figured out.
The other lyric is just Phish nonsense.
This is my personal interpretation of the song, and what I will be thinking of every time i listen to it.
I believe this song is about Trey, or maybe another member of the group, growing up and reaching a self-realization that life is what you make it and to live with no regrets. Therefore, going to Father Mulcahey for advice would be rather fitting in this case.
I would have to say its arguable that, not only does the build-up for CZ make it one of their most awesome songs to see live, but it represents the point where the group really began to take off, using the message of this tune as it's backbone. Those boys haven't wasted a day of life in the nearly half century they've been around and their ability to never hold back and live without regret is the reason they are who they are today.
"Mike Here. I don't know who he is; never really thought to wonder, but now I'll try to help anyway. Let's see...melech in Hebrew "means" king, clearly the etymology here. So I ought to see the King. Well, I guess I must be trying to see that majestic royal guy. Taking a gander at the old throned one...I might perhaps steal a peak at the crowned one."
"I was taught a month ago
To bide my time and take it slow"
He first he learns something that means he should live his life one way in order that he live the best life
"But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day"
But then he learns something that completely changes what the correct 'answer' is for his life, and his whole basis of knowledge has shifted
or he finds contradiction in his religion and doesn't know what to believe
"Now I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong"
now he realizes that knowledge is such a tangible subject and is really problematic because our truths in the universe are only our guesses. He would rather have the outlook that we don't and can't gain the true knowledge about something, then learn something that ends up being wrong.
or he is confused about his religion and doesn't really believe anything that they teach him because its so contradicted
"And things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet"
And now he comments on how difficult it is to gain truth, and raises the question how do we even know what is true when we have it? And then comments on how dumb we are to attempt at ascertaining truth while we still only listen to the things that have been pre-established as 'knowledge'. when often we have found the truth on our own but forgotten it because we are taught that it is not correct with our current 'knowledge' of the universe.
or he has all these ideas running through his head (that contradict the current knowledge/religion) and some are true, but he can't know if they're right because he came up with them on his own instead of taught to him them so they just float on in his mind.
"I ought to see the Man Mulcahey"
I like the priest connection. So this person who has lost hope on knowledge and realizes the problems with our mentality regarding knowledge, ought to go see a priest because he can't deal with the reality of our knowledge constantly changing and adapting. He can't deal with the thoughts in his mind which disturb his reality. Instead he needs something firm that he can hold on to ease his mind and live in a safe, known, and tried way; so he should go to religion to get this protected version of life and the universe.
or he ought to see the priest because all these ideas lead him away from his religion, and he should go talk to the priest so he can 'teach' him by giving him something that doesn't really convince him that the contradictions are not there, but reinstalls his faith and is comforting because it has 2000 years of being knowledge, even if he can see the problems with it.
And all of this gives him zero character (because he never explores his own mind) and makes him a boring, normal person.
Or maybe it makes him character zero as in he is the first and most basic type of people and is just a metaphoric "shell", which many people are. They hide in their religion or 'knowledge of the world' and follow the guidelines given to them, never to explore their own thoughts and values for life.