Layer one speaks of the corruption of the music industry and how he and his fans are sellouts who give in to dumbed-down, manufactured music as long as it's catchy rather than listening to ballads with true meaning and substance.
Layer two I feel is the more interesting of the two. It uses layer one's particular example of corruption to refer to selling out ones ideals and values in general, using the music industry only as an example.
"It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel that I'll convey
Some inner truth of vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks"
This is pretty strait forward. Note the description of this formulated music could almost be applied to propaganda. It leaves the listener with a dirty feeling (if he actually listens to the lyrics carefully) because it almost sounds like the words a propaganda peddler. Also, note the melody. The singer perfectly points out how much the listeners are attracted to the pretty sounds even though what he's saying is pretty awful--that everyone sells out in the end.
chorus
"There is something amiss
I am being insincere
In fact I don't mean any of this
Still my confession draws you near
To confuse the issue I refer
To familiar heroes from long ago
No matter how much Peter loved her
What made the Pan refuse to grow"
chorus
I think it's interesting that the singer states that the song itself is empty. He's almost making fun of the listeners here. The false confession draws the audience near. Now, to confuse the listeners and steer away from the real issues that are implied by the context, he will now refer to familiar heroes from long ago. Then he arbitrarily sings some catchy nonsense about Peter Pan (the familiar hero from long ago he JUST talked about) and refers to Captain "HOOK." (Because it's catchy!)
On layer one, this is just nonsense being sold to the listener, perhaps for money or fame.
On layer two, this is very cleverly shows to anyone paying attention, that nonsense sells, and most people don't really pay attention.
It AMAZES me how many people don't get this even though he clearly states what he's doing as he does it! I see people talk about the "deep" meaning of the Peter Pan reference... Ha ha ha... There is no deep meaning to the Peter Pan reference. That's the point. Even though the singer just told the listener there is no meaning, the singer knows no one really listens. Joke's on you.
Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in
If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn
[Suck it in Heroic Figures who stood for something]
Make a desperate move or else you'll win
[Hurry up and sell out!]
And then begin to see
What you're doing to me
[You sellouts are hurting me]
This MTV is not for free
It's so PC it's killing me
[MTV is costing me my true values]
[It's so formulated and manufactured it's killing me!]
So desperately I sing to thee of love
Sure but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self
[So I sing to you about real issues I feel that matter]
And I can't keep these feelings on the shelf
[I'll sing about these deep emotions. I can't stop myself]
I've tried, well, no, in fact I lied
[Wait... Yes I can...]
Could be financial suicide
But I've got too much pride inside
To hide or slide
[But I won't!]
I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride until I've died
And only then shall I abide this tide
Of catchy little tunes
Of hip three minute ditties
[I'll DIE before before I sell out and betray my values!]
I want to bust all your balloons
I want to burn all of your cities
[I'll start a revolution!!!]
To the ground, I've found
I will not mess around
[I'm not kidding!]
Unless I play then hey
[Oh... Yes I am... It's time to play]
I will go on all day, hear what I say
[I'd better play something catchy everyone wants to hear. But listen...]
I have a prayer to pray
That's really all this was
[I'll just make a wish and say a little prayer]
[This isn't a revolution. I won't really take a stand]
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck
I don't rely on luck because
[If I'm desperate and need money]
[I'll just sell my values. I'll sellout.]
chorus
[Everybody sells their values in the end]
[The hook brings u back. You won't escape.]
@dirtyd12
When he’s stuck and needs a buck he uses the hook on You. So he can pick Your pocket.
The entire song is about how easy it is to manipulate You the fan. Right out of your hard earned money.
Or am I being insincere. He says it just as plain as he can say it. There is no inner truth of vast reflection. He tells you there isn’t. He tells you he’s conjuring up hero’s and love and hate to hook you out of a bucks.
He literally confessed to it.
@dirtyd12
When he’s stuck and needs a buck he uses the hook on You. So he can pick Your pocket.
The entire song is about how easy it is to manipulate You the fan. Right out of your hard earned money.
Or am I being insincere. He says it just as plain as he can say it. There is no inner truth of vast reflection. He tells you there isn’t. He tells you he’s conjuring up hero’s and love and hate to hook you out of a bucks.
He literally confessed to it.
@dirtyd12 probably the best take . John is genius level in this song and he’s definitely trolling the industry including many music fans who don’t listen to lyrics
@dirtyd12 probably the best take . John is genius level in this song and he’s definitely trolling the industry including many music fans who don’t listen to lyrics
I feel this song has two layers of meaning.
Layer one speaks of the corruption of the music industry and how he and his fans are sellouts who give in to dumbed-down, manufactured music as long as it's catchy rather than listening to ballads with true meaning and substance.
Layer two I feel is the more interesting of the two. It uses layer one's particular example of corruption to refer to selling out ones ideals and values in general, using the music industry only as an example.
"It doesn't matter what I say So long as I sing with inflection That makes you feel that I'll convey Some inner truth of vast reflection But I've said nothing so far And I can keep it up for as long as it takes And it don't matter who you are If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks"
This is pretty strait forward. Note the description of this formulated music could almost be applied to propaganda. It leaves the listener with a dirty feeling (if he actually listens to the lyrics carefully) because it almost sounds like the words a propaganda peddler. Also, note the melody. The singer perfectly points out how much the listeners are attracted to the pretty sounds even though what he's saying is pretty awful--that everyone sells out in the end.
chorus
"There is something amiss I am being insincere In fact I don't mean any of this Still my confession draws you near To confuse the issue I refer To familiar heroes from long ago No matter how much Peter loved her What made the Pan refuse to grow"
chorus
I think it's interesting that the singer states that the song itself is empty. He's almost making fun of the listeners here. The false confession draws the audience near. Now, to confuse the listeners and steer away from the real issues that are implied by the context, he will now refer to familiar heroes from long ago. Then he arbitrarily sings some catchy nonsense about Peter Pan (the familiar hero from long ago he JUST talked about) and refers to Captain "HOOK." (Because it's catchy!)
On layer one, this is just nonsense being sold to the listener, perhaps for money or fame.
On layer two, this is very cleverly shows to anyone paying attention, that nonsense sells, and most people don't really pay attention.
It AMAZES me how many people don't get this even though he clearly states what he's doing as he does it! I see people talk about the "deep" meaning of the Peter Pan reference... Ha ha ha... There is no deep meaning to the Peter Pan reference. That's the point. Even though the singer just told the listener there is no meaning, the singer knows no one really listens. Joke's on you.
Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn [Suck it in Heroic Figures who stood for something]
Make a desperate move or else you'll win [Hurry up and sell out!]
And then begin to see What you're doing to me [You sellouts are hurting me]
This MTV is not for free It's so PC it's killing me [MTV is costing me my true values] [It's so formulated and manufactured it's killing me!]
So desperately I sing to thee of love Sure but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self [So I sing to you about real issues I feel that matter]
And I can't keep these feelings on the shelf [I'll sing about these deep emotions. I can't stop myself]
I've tried, well, no, in fact I lied [Wait... Yes I can...]
Could be financial suicide But I've got too much pride inside To hide or slide [But I won't!]
I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride until I've died And only then shall I abide this tide Of catchy little tunes Of hip three minute ditties [I'll DIE before before I sell out and betray my values!]
I want to bust all your balloons I want to burn all of your cities [I'll start a revolution!!!]
To the ground, I've found I will not mess around [I'm not kidding!]
Unless I play then hey [Oh... Yes I am... It's time to play]
I will go on all day, hear what I say [I'd better play something catchy everyone wants to hear. But listen...]
I have a prayer to pray That's really all this was [I'll just make a wish and say a little prayer] [This isn't a revolution. I won't really take a stand]
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck I don't rely on luck because [If I'm desperate and need money] [I'll just sell my values. I'll sellout.]
chorus [Everybody sells their values in the end] [The hook brings u back. You won't escape.]
@dirtyd12 When he’s stuck and needs a buck he uses the hook on You. So he can pick Your pocket. The entire song is about how easy it is to manipulate You the fan. Right out of your hard earned money. Or am I being insincere. He says it just as plain as he can say it. There is no inner truth of vast reflection. He tells you there isn’t. He tells you he’s conjuring up hero’s and love and hate to hook you out of a bucks. He literally confessed to it.
@dirtyd12 When he’s stuck and needs a buck he uses the hook on You. So he can pick Your pocket. The entire song is about how easy it is to manipulate You the fan. Right out of your hard earned money. Or am I being insincere. He says it just as plain as he can say it. There is no inner truth of vast reflection. He tells you there isn’t. He tells you he’s conjuring up hero’s and love and hate to hook you out of a bucks. He literally confessed to it.
@dirtyd12 probably the best take . John is genius level in this song and he’s definitely trolling the industry including many music fans who don’t listen to lyrics
@dirtyd12 probably the best take . John is genius level in this song and he’s definitely trolling the industry including many music fans who don’t listen to lyrics