I finally got it! My father told me it was based on Albert Camus' novel, The Stranger and suddenly it all made sense! (Great song AND book).
The book is an existentialist novel. This relates to the first lines and can especially be seen in the line "Nothing really matters to me"
In the first part of the novel, the main character, Meursault, isn't fully conscious of the life around him. He doesn't even cry at his mother's funeral. He just goes through life living day by day. Until he murders a man. Just as he truly began to live, he was imprisoned.
"Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun (This line especially emphasizes this)
But now I've gone and thrown it all away"
The second part of the novel covers Mersault's time in prison and in court. Which is the second part of the song,
", we will not let you go
(Let him go!)
Bismillah!
We will not let you go
(Let hime go!)
Bismillah!
We will not let you go
(Let me go!)
Will not let you go
(Let me go!)
No, no, no, no, no, no, no"
At the end of the novel, he is sentenced to death. And again, he goes back to his old way of thinking. NOTHING MATTERS.
It has NOTHING to do with Freddy's battle with AIDS. They didn't know what AIDS was until the 1980s.
That's exactly right, people should get more educated....AIDS....really? song came out in the mid 70's... The song actually exactly follows the mood of the Stranger...and if I recall correctly, it's been awhile since I read it, isn't the jury of his peers more upset he was neglectful of his mother, than killing this guy (?). The end of the book Mersualt has deviant speech (like the heavy part of the song)...but in the end, in typical existentialist form...nothing really matters...
That's exactly right, people should get more educated....AIDS....really? song came out in the mid 70's... The song actually exactly follows the mood of the Stranger...and if I recall correctly, it's been awhile since I read it, isn't the jury of his peers more upset he was neglectful of his mother, than killing this guy (?). The end of the book Mersualt has deviant speech (like the heavy part of the song)...but in the end, in typical existentialist form...nothing really matters...
@idkdontask Panic at the Disco does a great cover of this at their live shows.
@idkdontask Panic at the Disco does a great cover of this at their live shows.
Got to thinking this song was about Albert Camus' "The Stranger?" Seeing the silhoutt-eh of a man sounds a lot like the Arab on the Beach, the sun glistening from his knife as Mersault proceeded to kill him - and then suffer the consequences of his action as he prepares for the guillotine? Only his mother to write to, and acceptance of his fate.
Got to thinking this song was about Albert Camus' "The Stranger?" Seeing the silhoutt-eh of a man sounds a lot like the Arab on the Beach, the sun glistening from his knife as Mersault proceeded to kill him - and then suffer the consequences of his action as he prepares for the guillotine? Only his mother to write to, and acceptance of his fate.
Would love to hear some thoughts on this... On the drive to the Staples Center, I was explaining to my daughter the distinctions between the Nietschian Super-Mensch and the isolated characters in Sartres' "No Exit." Both aligned on some level, and yet both very distant at the same time.
@idkdontask I've also heard that the song might be about Raskolnikov, a character from the novel Crimen and Punishment. I think it describes fairly well his torment after killing the old woman.
@idkdontask I've also heard that the song might be about Raskolnikov, a character from the novel Crimen and Punishment. I think it describes fairly well his torment after killing the old woman.
I finally got it! My father told me it was based on Albert Camus' novel, The Stranger and suddenly it all made sense! (Great song AND book). The book is an existentialist novel. This relates to the first lines and can especially be seen in the line "Nothing really matters to me" In the first part of the novel, the main character, Meursault, isn't fully conscious of the life around him. He doesn't even cry at his mother's funeral. He just goes through life living day by day. Until he murders a man. Just as he truly began to live, he was imprisoned.
"Mama, just killed a man Put a gun against his head Pulled my trigger now he's dead Mama, life had just begun (This line especially emphasizes this) But now I've gone and thrown it all away"
The second part of the novel covers Mersault's time in prison and in court. Which is the second part of the song,
", we will not let you go (Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go (Let hime go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go (Let me go!) Will not let you go (Let me go!) No, no, no, no, no, no, no"
At the end of the novel, he is sentenced to death. And again, he goes back to his old way of thinking. NOTHING MATTERS.
It has NOTHING to do with Freddy's battle with AIDS. They didn't know what AIDS was until the 1980s.
That's exactly right, people should get more educated....AIDS....really? song came out in the mid 70's... The song actually exactly follows the mood of the Stranger...and if I recall correctly, it's been awhile since I read it, isn't the jury of his peers more upset he was neglectful of his mother, than killing this guy (?). The end of the book Mersualt has deviant speech (like the heavy part of the song)...but in the end, in typical existentialist form...nothing really matters...
That's exactly right, people should get more educated....AIDS....really? song came out in the mid 70's... The song actually exactly follows the mood of the Stranger...and if I recall correctly, it's been awhile since I read it, isn't the jury of his peers more upset he was neglectful of his mother, than killing this guy (?). The end of the book Mersualt has deviant speech (like the heavy part of the song)...but in the end, in typical existentialist form...nothing really matters...
@idkdontask Hey, man, great comment, thank you very much!
@idkdontask Hey, man, great comment, thank you very much!
@idkdontask nice catch
@idkdontask nice catch
@idkdontask I hadn't thought about that! Very good find and makes a lot of sense!
@idkdontask I hadn't thought about that! Very good find and makes a lot of sense!
@idkdontask Panic at the Disco does a great cover of this at their live shows.
@idkdontask Panic at the Disco does a great cover of this at their live shows.
Got to thinking this song was about Albert Camus' "The Stranger?" Seeing the silhoutt-eh of a man sounds a lot like the Arab on the Beach, the sun glistening from his knife as Mersault proceeded to kill him - and then suffer the consequences of his action as he prepares for the guillotine? Only his mother to write to, and acceptance of his fate.
Got to thinking this song was about Albert Camus' "The Stranger?" Seeing the silhoutt-eh of a man sounds a lot like the Arab on the Beach, the sun glistening from his knife as Mersault proceeded to kill him - and then suffer the consequences of his action as he prepares for the guillotine? Only his mother to write to, and acceptance of his fate.
Would love to hear some thoughts on this... On the drive to the Staples Center, I was explaining to my daughter the distinctions between the Nietschian Super-Mensch and the isolated characters in Sartres' "No Exit." Both aligned on some level, and yet both very distant at the same time.
photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNoMUhzLlR_dA3KM62OorgqujaL1RFlH4p0mg7tvyY_km7Fo75KFRIt2W8wxN8_lw
@idkdontask No - the man he killed was his heterosexual self. The song is about he conflicts with becoming gay and liking it. See the other entry.
@idkdontask No - the man he killed was his heterosexual self. The song is about he conflicts with becoming gay and liking it. See the other entry.
@idkdontask I've also heard that the song might be about Raskolnikov, a character from the novel Crimen and Punishment. I think it describes fairly well his torment after killing the old woman.
@idkdontask I've also heard that the song might be about Raskolnikov, a character from the novel Crimen and Punishment. I think it describes fairly well his torment after killing the old woman.
@idkdontask This song is about Bohemian Grove in Northern CA.\r\n
@idkdontask This song is about Bohemian Grove in Northern CA.\r\n
@idkdontask This song is about Bohemian Grove in Northern CA.\r\n
@idkdontask This song is about Bohemian Grove in Northern CA.\r\n