Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians – What I Am

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  My Interpretation:I agree 100% with "Turboshear" (and also agree with GreenDay and Solipsizzl)
  
  Edie is commenting on how "deep" philosophy and religion SEEM to be, but it's all BS and a waste of time.
  
  Philosophy is about as meaningful as what's printed on a cereal box - and the basis of philosophy is slippery at best (because there is no solid basis for most philosophies - it's all just human beings rambling about what they think they know is true)
  
  Religion is an illusion - what you think you see/know isn't REALLY theer at all (like a smile you THINK you see on a dog - but dogs don't smile)
  
  I have always thought that the next lyric about religion was: "Religion is a LIE in the fog"
  But even if the correct word is "light", I think Edie is obviously being sarcastic (based on the rest of the song)
  
  As others have noted, Edie is saying that she prefers to keep things light and not get "too deep" ("choke me in the shallow waters before I get too deep" -- ie, "let me stay shallow in my ideas/thoughts/beliefs because it's nicer, it's easier and the 'deep waters' of philosophy and religion don't have anything more meaningful to offer over the shallow waters")
  
  She says that she only knows what she knows - which isn't too much, but it's enough - so why bother pondering too deeply?
  
  I think if you were to reasearch Edie (and her personal life) you'd get a better idea of whether she uses this song as support or criticism for philosophy and religion. I think it is clear which direction she intended to go with this song.
  
  

  Flag anawilsonon May 15, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:

  Flag anawilsonon May 15, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:Religion and philosophy are not the same. She's comparing the two. She describes religion in positive ways and philosophy in negative ways.
  "Religion is a light in the fog" is a line (among the others) that clearly describes religion positively.
  She's saying philosophy leads one astray while religion saves.

  Flag DeanQOTSAon March 29, 2013   Link

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  Memory:Huh, I always thought it was "show me" not "choke me."
  
  That's probably referring to baptisms. "Kill me now! bleh!"

  Flag fietronicon March 21, 2013   Link

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    Actually, the lyrics are "shove me in the shallow water."
    

    Flag bigwillieon May 13, 2013  
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  General Comment:Dogs don't smile. "Smile on a dog" refers to the universal human tendencies to pareidolia and anthropomorphism which engendered and continue to sustain religion.

  Flag solipsizzlon December 02, 2012   Link

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    My dog smiles! He really does. I know you think I'm lying but I promise, he does smile.

    Flag TurboGhoston February 03, 2013  
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  General Comment:It's just about how life should be simple and we shouldn't have to figure it all out to have a good time with it.

  Flag GreenDay123on May 17, 2012   Link

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• -3
  General Comment:Seems like a simple song...he is what (who) he is and that's just the way it is. Yet ANOTHER "new" (for me) band to check out. Geesh....

  Flag BornToFightBackon May 10, 2012   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:She's making light of philosophy and religion in this song. She thinks they demonstrate a pretense of depth, but in reality offer nothing of value to her. Thus, she expresses her contempt for them by trivializing them with metaphors of silly nonsense (philosophy is as insignificant as cereal box text; religion is as meaningless as a smile on a dog). She'd rather be choked than wade into the so-called deep waters of philosophy and religion.
  
  She continues to poke at philosophy, which is deeply concerned with the question of being, by utilizing two tautologies ("I know what I know" and "Are you what you are?"). She also plays on the philosophical theme of being with her title "What I am."
  
  In essence, she's saying "I am what I am" and that's as far as I want to go with all of this philisophical nonsense. She is taking an anti-philosophy and anti-religious stand in this song, poking fun at both, being content with her comparative shallowness.

  Flag Turboshearon May 10, 2012   Link

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• -1
  General Comment:I think this song describes the true, positive value of religion, as opposed to philosophy, which is described as 'a talk on a cereal box' (pointless intellectualising) and 'a walk on slippery rocks' (you might fall and hurt yourself).
  Religion is described as 'a smile on a dog' (simple creature that knows the simple truth) and 'a light in the fog' (guidance through the confusion).
  Perhaps she says 'choke me in the shallow water, before I get too deep' to say that philosophy leads you up the garden path and makes you confused if you go too far into it. So she says stop me now before I get too deeply into it.
  Jesus said, love God and love your neighbour, which is the simple truth.

  Flagged DeanQOTSAon February 27, 2012   Link

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• -1
  General Comment:Seriosuly? Really?

  Flag redshiftdazzleron December 10, 2011   Link

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    Yes,but I'm sure it helps if I spell "seriously" correctly. ;) lol

    Flag redshiftdazzleron December 10, 2011  

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    Phew. :)lol

    Flag redshiftdazzleron December 10, 2011  

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