Wow, all this deep analysis and apparently nobody has hit on the obvious meaning of this song. The title says it all: "Selling the Drama". Here's another big hint. Right beside the written lyrics in the Throwing Copper CD insert there is a little stick figure cartoon. The cartoon depicts a person standing at a pulpit above a crowd. The person is screaming through a megaphone. Get it? The Bible is the drama and Christian leaders are the sellers. This song is about how religious leaders capitalize and cash in on the beliefs of the faithful.
The songwriter takes three voices in this song: 1. The preacher selling the myth. 2. The songwriter himself and his own religious views 3. The parishioners who are being exploited. In the first verse the preacher explains the how religion is sold, with a carrot and a stick. The love of a benevolent father figure is the carrot. The fear of eternal flames is the stick. Good or bad, meek or strong, the book is written and just about everyone knows and believes the story. There is no need to reinvent the wheel in order to cash in. All one needs to do is "just scream it from the wall(s)" to use an old expression.
Then the songwriter uses his own voice to tell us about his own beliefs. "I've willed, I've walked.... I've been here before" refers to his apparent belief in reincarnation. The beautiful song "Lighting Crashes" makes strong reference to reincarnation as well. "Oh now feel it comin' back again... forces pullin' from the center of the earth again... presents the circle..."
In the line "we wont be raped... we won't be scared like that" he speaks for the parishioners who, when snapped out of their spell, reject the exploitation. Then in the last two verses he reverts back to the voice of the preacher. The sun burns, the wheel turns, we sing, we dance, whatever it takes to keep them under our spell. Armed with the story, symbol and authority of Christ on the cross, the preacher sits back at the pulpit collecting his ransom for the souls of his parishioners.
The irony of this song, that I imagine the songwriter doesn't even realize, is that he rejects one brand of superstition while he exposes is own brand of superstition. It's astonishing how many people can have the good sense to rid themselves of such deeply ingrained nonsense, yet they easily fall right into a new flavor of nonsense. It's a flawed song. But the flaws make me like it all the more!
it's flawed because you aren't a believe in reincarnation? maybe he should sing about Darwin and how eugenics led to Hitler's atrocities, and then you could approve of it? be more narrow minded, seriously.
it's flawed because you aren't a believe in reincarnation? maybe he should sing about Darwin and how eugenics led to Hitler's atrocities, and then you could approve of it? be more narrow minded, seriously.
@turantual
You seem to take the idea that someone has "been here before" and feeling forces pulling from the centre of the Earth "again" (ie gravity) as evidence of the author's belief in reincarnation. Do you get that same belief yourself when you find yourself in a difficult situation again or even when you find yourself at the same intersection on your way home again and again? Does that mean you have been reincarnated? I doubt it.
As for the ransom, it is not the preachers who get the ransom from the parishioners it's a literal word-for-word reference to how Christians believe...
@turantual
You seem to take the idea that someone has "been here before" and feeling forces pulling from the centre of the Earth "again" (ie gravity) as evidence of the author's belief in reincarnation. Do you get that same belief yourself when you find yourself in a difficult situation again or even when you find yourself at the same intersection on your way home again and again? Does that mean you have been reincarnated? I doubt it.
As for the ransom, it is not the preachers who get the ransom from the parishioners it's a literal word-for-word reference to how Christians believe Jesus was ransomed to pay for our sins. Google search "ransomed for our sins" to see what I mean or see Matthew 20:28 as one example.
@turantual What do you believe in? So everyone who believes in something that has not been "proven" by science is stupidity? I mean , I know assholes use religion to control people, but that doesnt mean that believing in a deity is nonsense, something you dont fully understand is not "nonsense".I love science and at the same time I know there are millions of things out there that it cant be explained, think about it. Good explanation for the song by the way, I agree 100% with you.
@turantual What do you believe in? So everyone who believes in something that has not been "proven" by science is stupidity? I mean , I know assholes use religion to control people, but that doesnt mean that believing in a deity is nonsense, something you dont fully understand is not "nonsense".I love science and at the same time I know there are millions of things out there that it cant be explained, think about it. Good explanation for the song by the way, I agree 100% with you.
Wow, all this deep analysis and apparently nobody has hit on the obvious meaning of this song. The title says it all: "Selling the Drama". Here's another big hint. Right beside the written lyrics in the Throwing Copper CD insert there is a little stick figure cartoon. The cartoon depicts a person standing at a pulpit above a crowd. The person is screaming through a megaphone. Get it? The Bible is the drama and Christian leaders are the sellers. This song is about how religious leaders capitalize and cash in on the beliefs of the faithful.
The songwriter takes three voices in this song: 1. The preacher selling the myth. 2. The songwriter himself and his own religious views 3. The parishioners who are being exploited. In the first verse the preacher explains the how religion is sold, with a carrot and a stick. The love of a benevolent father figure is the carrot. The fear of eternal flames is the stick. Good or bad, meek or strong, the book is written and just about everyone knows and believes the story. There is no need to reinvent the wheel in order to cash in. All one needs to do is "just scream it from the wall(s)" to use an old expression.
Then the songwriter uses his own voice to tell us about his own beliefs. "I've willed, I've walked.... I've been here before" refers to his apparent belief in reincarnation. The beautiful song "Lighting Crashes" makes strong reference to reincarnation as well. "Oh now feel it comin' back again... forces pullin' from the center of the earth again... presents the circle..."
In the line "we wont be raped... we won't be scared like that" he speaks for the parishioners who, when snapped out of their spell, reject the exploitation. Then in the last two verses he reverts back to the voice of the preacher. The sun burns, the wheel turns, we sing, we dance, whatever it takes to keep them under our spell. Armed with the story, symbol and authority of Christ on the cross, the preacher sits back at the pulpit collecting his ransom for the souls of his parishioners.
The irony of this song, that I imagine the songwriter doesn't even realize, is that he rejects one brand of superstition while he exposes is own brand of superstition. It's astonishing how many people can have the good sense to rid themselves of such deeply ingrained nonsense, yet they easily fall right into a new flavor of nonsense. It's a flawed song. But the flaws make me like it all the more!
it's flawed because you aren't a believe in reincarnation? maybe he should sing about Darwin and how eugenics led to Hitler's atrocities, and then you could approve of it? be more narrow minded, seriously.
it's flawed because you aren't a believe in reincarnation? maybe he should sing about Darwin and how eugenics led to Hitler's atrocities, and then you could approve of it? be more narrow minded, seriously.
@turantual
@turantual
@turantual You seem to take the idea that someone has "been here before" and feeling forces pulling from the centre of the Earth "again" (ie gravity) as evidence of the author's belief in reincarnation. Do you get that same belief yourself when you find yourself in a difficult situation again or even when you find yourself at the same intersection on your way home again and again? Does that mean you have been reincarnated? I doubt it. As for the ransom, it is not the preachers who get the ransom from the parishioners it's a literal word-for-word reference to how Christians believe...
@turantual You seem to take the idea that someone has "been here before" and feeling forces pulling from the centre of the Earth "again" (ie gravity) as evidence of the author's belief in reincarnation. Do you get that same belief yourself when you find yourself in a difficult situation again or even when you find yourself at the same intersection on your way home again and again? Does that mean you have been reincarnated? I doubt it. As for the ransom, it is not the preachers who get the ransom from the parishioners it's a literal word-for-word reference to how Christians believe Jesus was ransomed to pay for our sins. Google search "ransomed for our sins" to see what I mean or see Matthew 20:28 as one example.
@turantual What do you believe in? So everyone who believes in something that has not been "proven" by science is stupidity? I mean , I know assholes use religion to control people, but that doesnt mean that believing in a deity is nonsense, something you dont fully understand is not "nonsense".I love science and at the same time I know there are millions of things out there that it cant be explained, think about it. Good explanation for the song by the way, I agree 100% with you.
@turantual What do you believe in? So everyone who believes in something that has not been "proven" by science is stupidity? I mean , I know assholes use religion to control people, but that doesnt mean that believing in a deity is nonsense, something you dont fully understand is not "nonsense".I love science and at the same time I know there are millions of things out there that it cant be explained, think about it. Good explanation for the song by the way, I agree 100% with you.
@turantual 10-year time-traveling response! Will you see this? Are you still alive, maybe? Well-written comment! Hell is punishment for sin, not an attempt at control. Salvation is free by grace, received in a moment of faith in Jesus, not adding your good works. Church workers are worth a salary, but not millions. Blessings. graceinsightandart.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/are-heaven-and-hell-made-up-ideas-devised-in-order-to-control-us/
@turantual 10-year time-traveling response! Will you see this? Are you still alive, maybe? Well-written comment! Hell is punishment for sin, not an attempt at control. Salvation is free by grace, received in a moment of faith in Jesus, not adding your good works. Church workers are worth a salary, but not millions. Blessings. graceinsightandart.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/are-heaven-and-hell-made-up-ideas-devised-in-order-to-control-us/
@turantual 10-year time-traveling response! Will you see this? Are you still alive, maybe? Well-written comment! Graceinsightandart.wordpress.com
@turantual 10-year time-traveling response! Will you see this? Are you still alive, maybe? Well-written comment! Graceinsightandart.wordpress.com
graceinsightandart.wordpress.com/
graceinsightandart.wordpress.com/
@turantual well done.
@turantual well done.