After reading other comments and picking up on the themes of the album, I think its about a someone's point of view whose on the outside looking in on the life of this character who could possibly be living her life indoors like a monk/nun. My idea is that the friend/lover is telling the other get out of this monastic, celibate lifestyle as purported by the religious (old guards) & get out now!!
First, the title "Sleeping Lessons," and the hypnotic, dreamy, repetitive sounds, makes me think that when the character/celibate girl is sleeping her repressed desires come out in dreams.
Go without
'Til the need seeps in (go w/out an intimate relationship which is innate for everyone)
You low animal (animal nature, need for sex, pleasures of life, wine, alcohol, etc.)
Collect your novel petals for the stem (this symbolically represents picking up the pieces from a rift in a friendship)
And glow
Glow (enlightened by something)
Melt and flow (warming up to the ascetic/religious lifestyle)
Eviscerate your fragile frame (depriving herself of bodily pleasures)
And spill it out in the ragged floor (metaphor: an outcry for her needs)
A thousand different versions of yourself (narrator POV is she's losing herself)
And if the old guard still offend (old guard: establishment, men in power offends her freedom)
They got nothing left on which you depend (narrator denies that she really needs them)
So enlist every ounce (with what will power or strength she has left)
Of your bright blood (her own sanctified life (turns religion on its head)
And off with their heads (again turning the history of religion on its head- figuratively- meaning it should be off with the guards head, throughout history heretics, infidels, non-believers, etc. were punished for not believing, i.e. crusades)
Jump from the hook (narrator pov, they're tying her down, and got her where they want her)
You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise (bait for fish, here its dogmas/doctrines)
See, those unrepenting buzzards want your life (turning religion on its head again,
"unrepenting" usually characterizes sinners, he's turning it on the establishment. the guards of establishing are like prey (buzzards) for her life)
And they got no right (anarchistic view, religious authority is not justified)
As sure as you have eyes (she has eyes like every man, woman, and child has eyes, all equal)
They got no right
Just put yourself in my new hooves (narrator embraces an animalistic nature)
And see that I do what I do (follows after his desires)
Because the old guard still offend (he sees it the other way, religious buzzards offend our very human selves)
Their pudgy hearts and slimy hands (fat hearts (hypocrisy), and slimy hands (immoral, dishonest)
They've got nothing left on which we depend (humans depend on loving relationships, "old guards" are dry, void of familiar relationships)
So enlist every ounce (enlist (pun intended))
Of your bright blood (bright blood could also mean she's not like them, she has life that others lack)
And off with their heads (narrator pov: leave their hold on you)
Jump from the hook
You're not obliged to swallow anything that you despise (narrator pov: you don't have to take in what they're feeding you, could be rituals, dogma, aceticism, etc.)
If the above is close, then mercer may have expressed anti-religion sentiments in this song. its possible. personally speaking, in general, religion, like almost everything in life has its good & bad. there's always another side to every coin.
Interesting take. It would be interesting to see if Mercer was anti-religious in any way. Although, perhaps anti-Catholic is a more accurate statement. You seem to have interpreted it as an anti-religious-institution song rather than a generally anti-religious song. This is not how I would interpret it, but I think your take is certainly valid. Religion in general, as you said, has its good side as well. The entirety of Christianity is not wholly bound up in the dogmas of the institution as is the Catholic Church. Nor, for that matter are many religions.
Interesting take. It would be interesting to see if Mercer was anti-religious in any way. Although, perhaps anti-Catholic is a more accurate statement. You seem to have interpreted it as an anti-religious-institution song rather than a generally anti-religious song. This is not how I would interpret it, but I think your take is certainly valid. Religion in general, as you said, has its good side as well. The entirety of Christianity is not wholly bound up in the dogmas of the institution as is the Catholic Church. Nor, for that matter are many religions.
After reading other comments and picking up on the themes of the album, I think its about a someone's point of view whose on the outside looking in on the life of this character who could possibly be living her life indoors like a monk/nun. My idea is that the friend/lover is telling the other get out of this monastic, celibate lifestyle as purported by the religious (old guards) & get out now!!
First, the title "Sleeping Lessons," and the hypnotic, dreamy, repetitive sounds, makes me think that when the character/celibate girl is sleeping her repressed desires come out in dreams.
Go without 'Til the need seeps in (go w/out an intimate relationship which is innate for everyone) You low animal (animal nature, need for sex, pleasures of life, wine, alcohol, etc.) Collect your novel petals for the stem (this symbolically represents picking up the pieces from a rift in a friendship)
And glow Glow (enlightened by something) Melt and flow (warming up to the ascetic/religious lifestyle) Eviscerate your fragile frame (depriving herself of bodily pleasures) And spill it out in the ragged floor (metaphor: an outcry for her needs) A thousand different versions of yourself (narrator POV is she's losing herself)
And if the old guard still offend (old guard: establishment, men in power offends her freedom) They got nothing left on which you depend (narrator denies that she really needs them) So enlist every ounce (with what will power or strength she has left) Of your bright blood (her own sanctified life (turns religion on its head) And off with their heads (again turning the history of religion on its head- figuratively- meaning it should be off with the guards head, throughout history heretics, infidels, non-believers, etc. were punished for not believing, i.e. crusades)
Jump from the hook (narrator pov, they're tying her down, and got her where they want her) You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise (bait for fish, here its dogmas/doctrines) See, those unrepenting buzzards want your life (turning religion on its head again, "unrepenting" usually characterizes sinners, he's turning it on the establishment. the guards of establishing are like prey (buzzards) for her life) And they got no right (anarchistic view, religious authority is not justified) As sure as you have eyes (she has eyes like every man, woman, and child has eyes, all equal) They got no right
Just put yourself in my new hooves (narrator embraces an animalistic nature) And see that I do what I do (follows after his desires) Because the old guard still offend (he sees it the other way, religious buzzards offend our very human selves) Their pudgy hearts and slimy hands (fat hearts (hypocrisy), and slimy hands (immoral, dishonest) They've got nothing left on which we depend (humans depend on loving relationships, "old guards" are dry, void of familiar relationships) So enlist every ounce (enlist (pun intended)) Of your bright blood (bright blood could also mean she's not like them, she has life that others lack) And off with their heads (narrator pov: leave their hold on you)
Jump from the hook You're not obliged to swallow anything that you despise (narrator pov: you don't have to take in what they're feeding you, could be rituals, dogma, aceticism, etc.)
If the above is close, then mercer may have expressed anti-religion sentiments in this song. its possible. personally speaking, in general, religion, like almost everything in life has its good & bad. there's always another side to every coin.
that it pretty much exactly how i understand this song too
that it pretty much exactly how i understand this song too
Interesting take. It would be interesting to see if Mercer was anti-religious in any way. Although, perhaps anti-Catholic is a more accurate statement. You seem to have interpreted it as an anti-religious-institution song rather than a generally anti-religious song. This is not how I would interpret it, but I think your take is certainly valid. Religion in general, as you said, has its good side as well. The entirety of Christianity is not wholly bound up in the dogmas of the institution as is the Catholic Church. Nor, for that matter are many religions.
Interesting take. It would be interesting to see if Mercer was anti-religious in any way. Although, perhaps anti-Catholic is a more accurate statement. You seem to have interpreted it as an anti-religious-institution song rather than a generally anti-religious song. This is not how I would interpret it, but I think your take is certainly valid. Religion in general, as you said, has its good side as well. The entirety of Christianity is not wholly bound up in the dogmas of the institution as is the Catholic Church. Nor, for that matter are many religions.