Not that these interpretations haven't been fun to read, but when it comes to the bands actual interpretation & motivation for this song - you're all wrong.
A lot of people think that 'Shout' is just another song about primal scream theory, continuing the themes of the first album. It is actually more concerned with political protest. It came out in 1984 when a lot of people were still worried about the aftermath of The Cold War and it was basically an encouragement to protest.
–Roland Orzabal
It concerns protest inasmuch as it encourages people not to do things without actually questioning them. People act without thinking because that's just the way things go in society. So it's a general song, about the way the public accepts any old grief which is thrown at them.
–Curt Smith
I agree, this is pretty much a general song. Orzabal did say he wrote this as a protest song and for him he found it therapeutic to sing "these are the things I could do without". It could be a lot of things but it's a general song basically to protest of things that seem to pose a danger to quality of life and it just so happen that at that time "nuclear weapons" definitely were one of the things people could do without. In the present time, the list of things people could do without would probably be longer...
I agree, this is pretty much a general song. Orzabal did say he wrote this as a protest song and for him he found it therapeutic to sing "these are the things I could do without". It could be a lot of things but it's a general song basically to protest of things that seem to pose a danger to quality of life and it just so happen that at that time "nuclear weapons" definitely were one of the things people could do without. In the present time, the list of things people could do without would probably be longer as ironically there are more b.s. today.
@quietwar I would like to add that the meaning of a SONG (!!!) could AND SHOULD be helped to be interpreted BY THE MUSIC; it eases to avoid to be misguided by the often shortness of the lyrics.
And here, the protest, the rebellion against stereotypes ('We are the good ones, the red-skinned then bad ones!" "Anyone disagrees is a communist, communists are devils, devils exist like god does [!!!], we have to eliminate devils and not believers!".... doesn't ISIS guys state the same? ;-) ) and 'proper, polite, respectful behaviour' towards elders, authorities, angry pastors, puritans, believers, inhuman judges and...
@quietwar I would like to add that the meaning of a SONG (!!!) could AND SHOULD be helped to be interpreted BY THE MUSIC; it eases to avoid to be misguided by the often shortness of the lyrics.
And here, the protest, the rebellion against stereotypes ('We are the good ones, the red-skinned then bad ones!" "Anyone disagrees is a communist, communists are devils, devils exist like god does [!!!], we have to eliminate devils and not believers!".... doesn't ISIS guys state the same? ;-) ) and 'proper, polite, respectful behaviour' towards elders, authorities, angry pastors, puritans, believers, inhuman judges and laws made to impose the control.
A 'self control' that resamble a 'self castration!
Not that these interpretations haven't been fun to read, but when it comes to the bands actual interpretation & motivation for this song - you're all wrong.
I agree, this is pretty much a general song. Orzabal did say he wrote this as a protest song and for him he found it therapeutic to sing "these are the things I could do without". It could be a lot of things but it's a general song basically to protest of things that seem to pose a danger to quality of life and it just so happen that at that time "nuclear weapons" definitely were one of the things people could do without. In the present time, the list of things people could do without would probably be longer...
I agree, this is pretty much a general song. Orzabal did say he wrote this as a protest song and for him he found it therapeutic to sing "these are the things I could do without". It could be a lot of things but it's a general song basically to protest of things that seem to pose a danger to quality of life and it just so happen that at that time "nuclear weapons" definitely were one of the things people could do without. In the present time, the list of things people could do without would probably be longer as ironically there are more b.s. today.
@quietwar Definitely.
@quietwar Definitely.
@quietwar I would like to add that the meaning of a SONG (!!!) could AND SHOULD be helped to be interpreted BY THE MUSIC; it eases to avoid to be misguided by the often shortness of the lyrics. And here, the protest, the rebellion against stereotypes ('We are the good ones, the red-skinned then bad ones!" "Anyone disagrees is a communist, communists are devils, devils exist like god does [!!!], we have to eliminate devils and not believers!".... doesn't ISIS guys state the same? ;-) ) and 'proper, polite, respectful behaviour' towards elders, authorities, angry pastors, puritans, believers, inhuman judges and...
@quietwar I would like to add that the meaning of a SONG (!!!) could AND SHOULD be helped to be interpreted BY THE MUSIC; it eases to avoid to be misguided by the often shortness of the lyrics. And here, the protest, the rebellion against stereotypes ('We are the good ones, the red-skinned then bad ones!" "Anyone disagrees is a communist, communists are devils, devils exist like god does [!!!], we have to eliminate devils and not believers!".... doesn't ISIS guys state the same? ;-) ) and 'proper, polite, respectful behaviour' towards elders, authorities, angry pastors, puritans, believers, inhuman judges and laws made to impose the control. A 'self control' that resamble a 'self castration!