I'm in love with this song. I don't about the Charles Manson interpretation, but when I first heard it I thought it dealt with lack of control over one's life, both because of individual people standing in the way (parents, abusive relationships, cops...whatever you relate to) and because of the roles society forces upon us. The song is about the depression/anger that comes from not quite fitting into the mold and not having the ability to change the mold.
Here's what I thought:
"Hey you, see me, pictures crazy" - Is "pictures" a verb here, or a noun?? The first time I heard it, it sounded like "Hey you see me pictured crazy." That is, you ("you" throughout this song can be a specific person, or society in general) see me as crazy; I'm different than you are, and so I'm pictured as crazy.
"All the world I've seen before me passing by" - Great line. Suggests that the world is just moving by, and there's nothing I can do to stop it or interact with it; I don't have any control over it, it is the way it is and I can just watch it happen. Also sounds like it could indicate unwillingness to ineract with the world, not caring any more, being too tired or depressed to want to be a part of what's going on.
"I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose" - There's nothing here for me. Not only do I have nothing to live for or be happy about ("I've got, nothing" and "I've got, nothing..., to lose"), life won't get better...there's nothing in the entire world to live for or be happy about ("I've got, nothing, to gain").
"You don't care about how I feel" - Nobody cares what I say or feel about what's going on (I have no control), and nobody cares about me.
"I don't feel it anymore" - Because nobody cares about me and what I say (previous line), I become depressed and stop caring/feeling. This line and the previous one support "All the world I've seen before me passing by." "You don't care about how I feel" has the same meaning as my first interpretation: I can't control the world. "I don't feel it any more" has the same meaning as my second: I don't WANT to control the world. It's interesting to note: "You don't care about how I feel" is the CAUSE of the line "I don't feel it any more," and since "All the world I've seen before my passing by" is synonymous with both, that line is the cause of itself; a vicious circle of depression.
"Hey you, are me, not so pretty" - "You" in this line could be either the person or people who is controlling my life, or it could be the person or people who "fit in," who don't mind the way their lives are controlled by society: in either case, "you are me" means we all feel this a little, EVERYONE is frustrated to some degree with their lack of control, and "not so pretty" means you aren't really as comfortable with the role that's been forced upon you as you'd like us to believe, you aren't this pretty goody-goody wonderful person. You've got problems too.
"Silent my voice, I've got no choice" - Again, I have no say in what's happening.
"I don't ___ anymore" - These are all descriptions of depression...the overall shutting down of the brain, withdrawal from life. Individual more specific meanings follow.
see/hear: I don't want to observe/deal with your bullshit
eat: Maybe (this is probably a bit of stretch) a reference to anorexia, which can be related to a lot of points in the song--anorexia is, after all, supposed to be related in most cases to a girl feeling she has to be skinny because that is the role society expects of her. Or, if not that, depression does tend to steal your appetite or make food less enjoyable.
speak: Once more, I can't or don't want to give any input to the world around me.
feel: See "I don't feel it anymore"
Also notice the way the song swings between quiet music that is fragile/melancholy/sad/gentle/restrained/resigned/tired, and louder music that is angry/defiant/exasperated. That's pretty much a complete list of the feelings I (as someone who can relate to this song) ever have: pissed or sad, and not much else.
...anyway, whether I'm right or wrong about the above (not that you can really be wrong about song interpretation), it's a reallyreallyreallysupergreat song.
I'm in love with this song. I don't about the Charles Manson interpretation, but when I first heard it I thought it dealt with lack of control over one's life, both because of individual people standing in the way (parents, abusive relationships, cops...whatever you relate to) and because of the roles society forces upon us. The song is about the depression/anger that comes from not quite fitting into the mold and not having the ability to change the mold.
Here's what I thought:
"Hey you, see me, pictures crazy" - Is "pictures" a verb here, or a noun?? The first time I heard it, it sounded like "Hey you see me pictured crazy." That is, you ("you" throughout this song can be a specific person, or society in general) see me as crazy; I'm different than you are, and so I'm pictured as crazy.
"All the world I've seen before me passing by" - Great line. Suggests that the world is just moving by, and there's nothing I can do to stop it or interact with it; I don't have any control over it, it is the way it is and I can just watch it happen. Also sounds like it could indicate unwillingness to ineract with the world, not caring any more, being too tired or depressed to want to be a part of what's going on.
"I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose" - There's nothing here for me. Not only do I have nothing to live for or be happy about ("I've got, nothing" and "I've got, nothing..., to lose"), life won't get better...there's nothing in the entire world to live for or be happy about ("I've got, nothing, to gain").
"You don't care about how I feel" - Nobody cares what I say or feel about what's going on (I have no control), and nobody cares about me.
"I don't feel it anymore" - Because nobody cares about me and what I say (previous line), I become depressed and stop caring/feeling. This line and the previous one support "All the world I've seen before me passing by." "You don't care about how I feel" has the same meaning as my first interpretation: I can't control the world. "I don't feel it any more" has the same meaning as my second: I don't WANT to control the world. It's interesting to note: "You don't care about how I feel" is the CAUSE of the line "I don't feel it any more," and since "All the world I've seen before my passing by" is synonymous with both, that line is the cause of itself; a vicious circle of depression.
"Hey you, are me, not so pretty" - "You" in this line could be either the person or people who is controlling my life, or it could be the person or people who "fit in," who don't mind the way their lives are controlled by society: in either case, "you are me" means we all feel this a little, EVERYONE is frustrated to some degree with their lack of control, and "not so pretty" means you aren't really as comfortable with the role that's been forced upon you as you'd like us to believe, you aren't this pretty goody-goody wonderful person. You've got problems too.
"Silent my voice, I've got no choice" - Again, I have no say in what's happening.
"I don't ___ anymore" - These are all descriptions of depression...the overall shutting down of the brain, withdrawal from life. Individual more specific meanings follow. see/hear: I don't want to observe/deal with your bullshit eat: Maybe (this is probably a bit of stretch) a reference to anorexia, which can be related to a lot of points in the song--anorexia is, after all, supposed to be related in most cases to a girl feeling she has to be skinny because that is the role society expects of her. Or, if not that, depression does tend to steal your appetite or make food less enjoyable. speak: Once more, I can't or don't want to give any input to the world around me. feel: See "I don't feel it anymore"
Also notice the way the song swings between quiet music that is fragile/melancholy/sad/gentle/restrained/resigned/tired, and louder music that is angry/defiant/exasperated. That's pretty much a complete list of the feelings I (as someone who can relate to this song) ever have: pissed or sad, and not much else.
...anyway, whether I'm right or wrong about the above (not that you can really be wrong about song interpretation), it's a reallyreallyreallysupergreat song.
Thank you for the wonderful interpretation <3
Thank you for the wonderful interpretation <3