This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Imagine if you were Herr Barockter
Alias and nobleman
Son of son of sky, and of scion
Part of his rich inheritance
Parceled and generous divorce
Sentence forthwith, being
Certain blocks of land
And living quarters deemed
By all gentlemen
And wives thereof
To be grossly humane
And frankly, quite un-dirty
Herr Barockter
In his enviable good taste
Tries quick escape gambit
Via local periodicals
But no takers, land an enviable station
In the conduit between two selves
A veritable no-man's land
Array of the flophouse, cardboard materials
And carbon-monoxide wallpaper
All his brig-deck Torino boys ask
Is irrelevant
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Unable to bear the scandal, Ray, philanthropist
Rents low-down scab house in conduit
Herr Barockter offers said land for a song
But no one wants to sing
In an attempt to retain social privileges
Yet mask it as goodwill,
He says to the conduit members:
"Take this rotten old tree and make it bear fruit"
Cheers erupted throughout the thin settlement
An Italian male was heard to say
"Between here and there
Is better than either here or there!"
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Imagine if you were Herr Barockter
Alias and nobleman
Son of son of sky, and of scion
Part of his rich inheritance
Parceled and generous divorce
Sentence forthwith, being
Certain blocks of land
And living quarters deemed
By all gentlemen
And wives thereof
To be grossly humane
And frankly, quite un-dirty
Herr Barockter
In his enviable good taste
Tries quick escape gambit
Via local periodicals
But no takers, land an enviable station
In the conduit between two selves
A veritable no-man's land
Array of the flophouse, cardboard materials
And carbon-monoxide wallpaper
All his brig-deck Torino boys ask
Is irrelevant
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Unable to bear the scandal, Ray, philanthropist
Rents low-down scab house in conduit
Herr Barockter offers said land for a song
But no one wants to sing
In an attempt to retain social privileges
Yet mask it as goodwill,
He says to the conduit members:
"Take this rotten old tree and make it bear fruit"
Cheers erupted throughout the thin settlement
An Italian male was heard to say
"Between here and there
Is better than either here or there!"
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Lyrics submitted by summerbabe, edited by cutlunch
Conduit for Sale! Lyrics as written by Stephen Joseph Malkmus Scott Kannberg
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Malkmus is writing about the end of rule in Turin, Italy under the house of Savoy. Hier Proctor (not Herr Barockter) was the viceroy in the region, of Swiss/German lineage. I'm not sure of the context in which this is written, but apparently "Ray" was a local Italian nobelman who lived in Turin under the Savoy Rule and was fairly wealthy. However, and if my facts are correct, both he and Proctor were having daliances with many of the same women, and in particular, had been cockhold by the same woman. In a cheap attempt to elevate his name from the muck of public scandal, thereby saving public face, he wrote several articles in the local print media. However this thin attempt was a translucent veil to the general population. In order to keep the peace, and show his continued benevolence to the native Turins under his despotism, as well as to help his rival save face and maintain the love of the people, Proctor liberates a portion of the township under Savoy Rule. It becomes an Italian Run area in the lowliest portion of the city. The locals rush to inhabit the free land, because in their eyes living inside the Savoy ruled areas, or on the fringes of the city in their own homes, is not as satisfying as living free in a hovel. "Between here and there is better that either here or there."
Yeah, I pretty much thought it was leaning towards some kinda social scandal in 17th-18th century Europe. Sometimes I think I can read SM's mind...hyulk! Others, I have no fucking idea what he's on about. That's the fun of it, I guess. I made said changes; let me know if you have anymore. :-)
Malkmus is exactly the kind of person who would come on here and explain his lyrics like this in a overly serious way - more serious and thought-out than they were when actually written.
I think you mean cuckold, not cockhold...
I think Malkmus was just throwing words at the wall to see what sticks. This song is like homemade pasta.
You shouldn't so vastly underestimate genius
the end is positively screech-tastic. just wanted to say that
This song really shows how much Pavement was influenced by the Fall on Slanted Enchanted
Mark E Smith says that Pavement stole all their ideas from him (The Fall)
Mark E Smith says that Pavement stole all their ideas from him (The Fall)
@birthcontrolblues It\'s now 2022 and as I listened to my (massive) Spotify Playlist via my earbuds, Conduit For Sale came on for the first time. \r\nAfter about 60 seconds, I decided to get my phone out of my pocket to take a look at my Spotify because I didn\'t remember downloading a Fall song that begins like that.\r\nI was totally shocked to see that it wasn\'t the Fall but instead Pavement.\r\nSo yes, it is clear that, at least at this stage, Pavement were definitely influenced, one might even say were totally ripping-off, The Fall.
@birthcontrolblues It\'s now 2022 and as I listened to my (massive) Spotify Playlist via my earbuds, Conduit For Sale came on for the first time. \r\nAfter about 60 seconds, I decided to get my phone out of my pocket to take a look at my Spotify because I didn\'t remember downloading a Fall song that begins like that.\r\nI was totally shocked to see that it wasn\'t the Fall but instead Pavement.\r\nSo yes, it is clear that, at least at this stage, Pavement were definitely influenced, one might even say were totally ripping-off, The Fall.
True... although this and Fame Throwa (and maybe Two States and Nothing Ever Happens) are the only songs on S&E that sound like the fall
the Turin theory may sound far-fetched, but it does make sense - kind of - Malkmus, after all, was a history major.
The Fall song in question, which SM pretty much admits to ripping off, is New Face In Hell, it's a good one, check it out, but I actually like Conduit better.
This song made me laugh out loud. At the end, he sounds exactly like a dying animal. Usually, people just say that to describe a bad voice, but in this case, that's really what he sounds like. Wild!
I don't think the Turin theory is farfetched! huntmstr laid it out quite nicely, it sounds like that is exactly what this song is about.
huntmstr = Malkmus