| Alanis Morissette – Wake Up Lyrics | 8 months ago |
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This song is about the interaction between two archetypes of people: 1. Someone who could be described as having arrested development or "Peter Pan Syndrome." Some might recognize them as simply being very immature. This person is the focus of the song. I'll refer to this person as the AD for short. 2. The speaker in the song is in some kind of a relationship with the AD and is stuck in the role of the Enabler. I'll call her the Enabler. The AD is stuck in perpetual childhood and shies away from the tiniest bit of discomfort. Almost every action they take is to follow the path of least resistance, even if it's very bad for themselves in the long run. Only the most short term, comforting, easy, and / or familiar choices are made. They expect everyone to bring them whatever they want and do whatever they need. Although they can sometimes pass as normal, they are ultimately very child-like in an nearly innocent way to anyone that knows them well. The Enabler cares very much for the AD, yet still plays their titular role. The AD cannot function as an AD without someone enabling them, so as soon as their current Enabler stops enabling them, they will seek out a new one. The song is titled Wake Up because the Enabler has finally realized what they are doing to themselves and the AD by enabling them. They are building up the courage to cut the AD off by self-demanding that they need to Wake Up. --- On a personal note, I have two people in my life that fit the description of the AD perfectly and I am their Enablers. I also used to fit the bill of the AD in my late teens through mid 20's. I know these archetypes intimately. |
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| Portishead – The Rip Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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This is my interpretation of the music video. It's about mortality. This is sometimes expressed through the hubris with which we treat this world and our lives. Symbolism for misusing our time: -The chaos of people with overly-expressive faces (some furious, some manic), stuck in their cars and planes, totally consumed in the petty details of their lives. -The people in the hot air balloon all have doped-up expressions from the hedonistic endorphin rush of smoking, partying, gambling, drinking, and being mesmerized by their smartphones / devices. The fish-eyes and fish-noses reinforce this, which symbolizes our obsessions with overstimulating our senses. Symbolism for mortality: -The only people with reasonable expressions are soaring through the air (hang-gliding, parachuting, free-falling) towards their deaths (or losing themselves in the obsessions of the masses). -The reasonable people share beautiful moments together (kissing passionately as the music crescendos, desperately trying to cling to each other as they free fall), only to have their friends and loved ones wrenched away from them. This symbolizes that you will have to witness anyone you love that is significantly older than you die of old age (and that anyone you know that's the same age or younger could randomly be plucked away from you without warning). -The people shown on the ground start becoming skeletons (starting with the skeleton with a bug crawling through it's eye socket). -The under-water scene gradually morphs into stopwatch-fish. These symbolize the lost moments as we march towards our deaths. -The title of the song "the Rip" - Rest In Peace. Symbolism for mistreating the world (and the world's own mortality): -At the beginning of the video, the animals and humans live in harmony with nature, but the video transitions to cutting down entire forests. -As the hang-gliders near the ground (filled with crowds of people), they take on increasingly skeletal and crazed visages. One takes out a knife, and stabs someone (as blood drips down), while others swoop down and steal jewelry. I think this symbolizes people who were formerly 'awake,' but have become so disillusioned by the hordes of mindless people, they become psychopaths / narcissists and start to treat the crowd as sub-human; objects to be toyed with and exploited. -As the world is shown to be increasingly overpopulated (the people become increasingly skeletal, the crowds become absurdly dense, skyscrapers fill the world), people are still obsessed with their ostensibly worthless jewelry while being unaware of their obvious plight. The video ends with the vision morphing into the eye of one of the presumably well-adjusted observer, who focuses back toward the universe (and / or philosophy / spirituality). |
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| Sharon Van Etten – Tarifa Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| It\'s like the lyrics were written about a break up, but then someone removed random details until it resulted in this abstraction. | |
| Nine Inch Nails – Happiness in Slavery Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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You get up and take a shower. You brush your teeth. Your prepare your breakfast. You eliminate waste. You apply lotion to your face. You floss. You turn on your computer and log in. You clip your nails. You go to the grocery store on Tuesdays. You refill the water jugs on Wednesdays. You pick up your prescriptions on Thursdays. You read your emails at work on Monday. You renew your vehicle registration. You pay your rent with the second check. You pay the internet bill with your first check. You call you mom and dad once a month. Over and over and OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. A lot of the comments get close to the meaning of this song, but miss a great deal of it. Yes, the government, religion your job, etc etc form systems (machines) that you interact with on a regular basis. And you are a slave to them to some degree. But you also form your own routines to deal with life. The illusion is you have a great deal of personal freedom, but almost all of it you MUST do to continue to continue to survive comfortably. But after you start getting older (I'm 35), all of a sudden these routines begin to drive you mad. Time begins flying by faster and faster. A week feels like a couple days. It feels like you go to the grocery store every other day. You buy the same kind of things every time. Summer turns to autumn in what feels like just a few weeks. And it's all so monotonous. ????Stick my hands in the cage of this endless routine, just some flesh caught in this big broken machine???? You have no choice but to follow these routines. Just go ahead - try to stop showering or buying food or what have you. You can't. A very large chunk of your time is spent doing these things. And you try to stay sane during the incredible monotony that is life. I can't imagine how monotonous this will seem when I'm 50 or 60 if I'm finding it this way already when I'm only 35. ????I don't know what I am I don't know where I've been, Human junk just words and so much skin???? Once you start getting older, the novelty you found in other people in your early 20's has worn off. There's just people... People, more people; people everywhere. You go to the store or you meet new coworkers and they're just random people. People say things to you, and for the most part, they sound exactly like someone else. Everyone just spews superficial nonsense to avoid offending someone. The effect is you go through your life and routine in a sort of zombie state, barely paying attention to people, and paying attention to less and less mundane details. ????Slave screams he hears but doesn't want to listen Slave screams he's being beat into submission Don't open your eyes you won't like what you see The devils of truth steal the souls of the free Don't open your eyes take it from me I have found You can find Happiness is slavery???? When you start hitting your mid to late teens, on through 25ish, you form an opinion of the world and even politics to a certain degree. You notice all these things broken with the various systems in place and feel injustice. You say "I can do better; my generation will do better. The previous generation is lazy and incompetent; how could they let it get this bad?" But as time passes and you get older, you slowly lose ground on your ideals "oh, that's kinda messed up, but it makes sense why that policy works the way it does. I don't agree with it, but it's better than a lot of alternatives." You slowly lose your soul to the reasonable 'truth' you find in older people explaining why things are structured the way they are. And after many years of struggling, you begin to turn a blind eye to certain things, and try to carve out your 'happiness in slavery.' |
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| Tool – Pneuma Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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A great many comments about this song are essentially correct, but I would like put a finer point on a few things coming from someone who has nearly identical philosophical / spiritual beliefs as Maynard (et al). "We are spirit bound to this flesh We go round one foot nailed down" Pretty straightforward; we are spirits partially manifested into a 'fleshy' physical form. 'One foot nailed down' refers to the relative limitations of being in this level of reality. "But bound to reach out and beyond this flesh Become Pneuma" But there is an inherent drive to not stagnate which (eventually) manifests as 'reaching out' into spiritual seeking, or 'remembering' as Tool sometimes refers to it as. "We are will and wonder Bound to recall, remember [...] Child, wake up [..] Bound to this flesh This guise, this mask This dream Wake up remember" The speaker begs the listener to remember that we are in fact all one being experiencing Itself subjectively. 'Child' is a figurative term that is actually referring to anyone who has not remembered the nature of reality, not a literal infant. 'This guise this mask' is another metaphor for our minds and bodies manifested into this physical reality. "We are born of one breath, one word We are all one spark, sun becoming" This refers to the 'beginning' and 'end' of creation, or to translate it into scientific terms, the big bang and the big crunch. This represents the inhale and exhale of the creation. --- I know this song meaning will be hard to swallow for many atheist / agnostic Tool fans. I should know - I used to be one of them. But now that I have remembered all of this, this song becomes too hyper-specific to be a coincidence or be some abstract psychedelic trip. It's very difficult to explain this to someone who has no context for this.Plato's Allegory of the Cave is the perfect analogy for my difficulty: It's nearly impossible to describing what it's like being outside the cave to someone that only knows the shadows cast on the wall. |
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| Stone Temple Pilots – Big Bang Baby Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| @[emiala:32459] I was wondering the same thing. It's so specific, I can't imagine it not referencing that REM song. But considering that Orange Crush is about the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, I'm left extremely confused as to it's place in this song. | |
| Tool – Culling Voices Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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Haven't you ever had a fight in your head with a facsimile of your significant other, parents or friend? Maybe they did something and you're at work, so you don't have the opportunity to argue with them right now. Or maybe they're passive aggressive and gives you the silent treatment, so you never get a chance to express yourself. That's an example of what the song means by "Conversations we've never had. Imagined interplay." And that's the major theme of the song: fighting with the straw man of your own creation in your head. If you continue to do this for long enough, you start acting upon what the made up version of that person did and said in your head, not based on what the real person did or said. Hence the "guided by them all" in this verse: "Heated altercations we've never had so I'm told Yet guided by them all Every single one" The speaker in the song continues to deepen this tendency until they have facsimiles of anyone they disagree with, or possibly even entire groups of people (political parties, even races perhaps): "Judge, condemn, and banish any and everyone Without evidence Only the whispers from within" |
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| Tool – 7empest Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| Trump is certainly the inspiration regardless if this runs deeper. So is the song APC - Delicious | |
| Stone Temple Pilots – Still Remains Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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I guess if you haven't experienced this personally, you won't understand what this song means. This song is about wild, reckless sexual abandon. You give yourself without reservation to the other person, and they reciprocate of course. The relationship I had with my first real girlfriend in high school was this. There is love on a level I can't really describe. It is an innocent kind of love. Again, I'm not sure I can even describe it unless you've personally experienced it. |
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| Pink Floyd – Have a Cigar Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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Very common misconception that the line says "And I mean that most sincerely" or "sincere", but if you listen carefully, he says "tensive" (as in he "always has the deepest respect" - emphasis on present tense). I attempted to edit the lyrics to correct but it keeps failing. |
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| Tool – Intension Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| A masterful exaltation of the One Infinite Creator. Thank you for expressing your beautiful understanding of the Illusion, Tool. I really can't thank you enough. This is my gospel music. | |
| Tool – Merkaba Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| This is a description of the One Infinite Creator. I am sorry if I infringe on your free will by being truthful. | |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers – Venice Queen Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I agree with the general interpretation made by boozm, but would like to add my own comments about the general spiritual information in the song because it highly spiritually oriented: "Body free and a body less Come again just to start a fresh" This refers to leaving your physical body (body-less), then coming back just to start fresh (reincarnation). "Dropping in coming through the mesh Checking in just to get it blessed Hard to leave when it's picturesque Find a form that's free the roam" Traveling through the planes of existence back of spirit, then staying just long enough "to get it blessed". Its hard to leave that level of existence because 'it's picturesque'. You use a body which is "free to roam" around the more spiritual forms of existence. "Where you coming from Where you going" Where are you from and where are you going? From Spirit to Spirit. In between is physical incarnation in a human body. "Do it all then it all again" You have 'done it all' in different lives, then you 'do it all again' because this is all there is to experience (not necessarily this type of reality, but reality in general). "Find a place where you can see All the mamas and the papas" When planing your next life, you locate and select the mother and father you want to be born to. "I know you said you don't believe In god do you still disagree?" Pretty self explanatory. The woman this song is about had an atheistic viewpoint, but now that she is in Spirit, does she still disagree with the song writer (rhetorical)? "Your uniform returns to air" Again, pretty self explanatory. The phrasing is quite specific though. The viewpoint is you are 'returning' to spirit, not going there for the first time. ---- I want to be clear this is my interpretation of the viewpoint of the songwriter. I am not saying anyone should change their worldview if you do not agree. |
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| System of a Down – Science (feat. Arto Tunçboyacıyan) Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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Science has become as dogmatic and strict as any hardcore religion. If you don't believe whatever the most popular theory of the day in a peer-reviewed journal, you are ridiculed and marginalized, which has replaced burning someone at the stake. Peer reviewed journals are just a way to exclude any idea that is not profitable such as 'free' or cheap, clean energy. The scientific model is an extremely solid way of going about tackling a lot of issues today, but that is the straw man of what is actually going on: the religious and blind following of unproven scientific theories that will prove to be the "world is flat" theories of history. |
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| System of a Down – Science (feat. Arto Tunçboyacıyan) Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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This song is so straightforward it's not even funny. Reading the comments on this just proves to me that Science! is the new religion. People are so brainwashed by it that a lot of people don't even see that this song is simply stating that Science! is missing an extremely important element: spirit. They are being 100% literal when they repeat "spirit moves through all things" and is not in any way being metaphorical. If you look at some of their other lyrics, you will realize this isn't the only time they mention spirituality. "Life is a waterfall. We're one in the river and one again after the fall." Anyways, this song just reinforces that science and spirituality are NOT mutually exclusive and that science is missing an extremely critical element. |
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| Coldplay – Violet Hill Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Thank you for being the first person to come up with the perfect, completely true interpretation. You are like literally the first I've seen on here. Why not take a stab at interpreting Viva La Vida, I would be interested in seeing if you came up to the same solution to WHO the song is about. | |
| Coldplay – Viva la Vida Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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If this song is not about a past life, then I don't know what else it could possibly be. They give a massive clue to who this is, "For some reason I can't explain, I know Saint Peter won't call my name" This implies a time period during the life of Saint Peter, 1BC - 64AD. Who "ruled the world" and was a shady character of history "Once you go there was never, never an honest word, That was when I ruled the world" I will give a hint, the initials are "P.P." |
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| Incubus – A Certain Shade of Green Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I don't even have to explain the meaning verbatim, they say it perfectly in this verse: Are you gonna stand around 'til 2012 a.d? What are you waitin' for A certain shade of green? .... We're almost to the finish line, hang in there everyone! |
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| Foo Fighters – For All The Cows Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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"Its funny how MONEY allows all to browse and be endowed". You wake up every morning and punch the clock, go to work, make money only to have it all taken away via bills, then the rest is spent on consumerism. "The cow is YOU", the farmer milking us is corporations / corporate lobbyists(politicians) who pass laws to support the corporations. Why doesnt he just come out and say this verbatim if its true? Answer: "I'm not about to blow it all for all the cows." Enjoy chewing your cuds, everyone... |
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| Foo Fighters – For All The Cows Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I hate to ruin this song for all the cows... But this song can easily be explained by simply substituting the word cow for "sheeple". | |
| The Refreshments – Banditos Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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And this song is about the last day on Earth... What they plan to do. Hint hint, very related song lyrics: "We can live beside the ocean, Leave the Fall(fire) behind, swim out past the breakers, and watch the world die..." I guess I augh'ta come up with my own plan on where Im going to go for the best view... Since it seems to trendy =OD |
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| The Refreshments – Banditos Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| its "Captain Jean-Luc Picard" you frigging red-neck =OX its a French name... thats a country in Europe | |
| Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think you are on the right track... But I dont see it in such a negative light. Its just a dangerous secret, but not bad or negative. The reason they warn you not to "tell anyone" is to avoid the flak from people with strong beliefs (be they spiritual or scientific), who will instantly leap all over you and judge and question your beliefs as well as yourself. This can even be unwittingly done by friends and family who dont understand. But fear not, you can not be controlled unless you allow yourself to be. You have free will, nobody can ever take that from you. Many are awakening now just before the end of the long cycle. You sound like me not so long ago right before I was awakened. I felt as though something was... WRONG with everything. I do not know if you've had a similar experience. In the short term I would humbly suggest exploring "Auto Pilot" "Better Living Through Chemistry" and "In the Fade". Hopefully you will have a more positive experience than the thoughts conjured up by this song. Love and light to you... |
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| Lou Reed – Endless Cycle Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I cant believe this compelling song has zero comments on it... Its one of my recent favorites. Very sad, though the tune is upbeat | |
| Pearl Jam – Black Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Nice reply... someone pours their heart out about this song and you "SHIT" all over their point, to use your favorite word. If that isnt your favorite word... you gave us NO indication because you just trolled instead of constructively criticized him. | |
| Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth and thanks you @moon |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Foo Fighters - Pretender Flock of Seagulls - I Ran (tons of 1 hit wonders or only a few good songs type-bands... its the only song that works for a REASON) The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army Live - Lakini's Juice |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Modest Mouse - Float On Incubus - Drive (and I suspect most of the album) |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Lou Reed - Endless Cycle | |
| Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Several led zeppelin songs: Ramble On, Stairway to Heaven. Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody. Bush: Little Things(this is about the stereotypical person who figures it out: dyslexic/add symptoms such as: forgetting about "little things" in life e.g; remembering to buy food/toiletries to survive, yet up in head thinking about philosophical things[trying to save the world from itself]) The Beatles: Day in the Life (this is about the awakening process, the first part of the song ends in a cacophony, then "woke up, fell out of bed" which is how we feel, because when we start getting REALLY close to the answer, we finish the whole puzzle ALL at once, its like finishing a partial word on Wheel of Fortune.)(also, i believe the whole "i love to turn you on" thing that is repeated over and over is about the almost insatiable need to make people happy in some way; e.g: entertainers, scientists who do it for the human race, not for money, etc) |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This song is in reference to the big secret that the Masons, and many many people throughout history and many groups that are around today. I figured this out on my own, then found so many cultural references to it I have to assume many, many people before me and currently know this secret. And for some reason, nobody is all out revealing themselves. I believe this song specifically tells people like me NOT to tell anyone, because they will just think we are all crazy. But the more of us that figure out the secret, the merrier. "I think you already know How far I'd go not to say You know the art is gone And I'm taking this all to the grave" -This is trying to lament us with how much it kills us not just out and say everything. The part about "taking it to the grave" I believe may be ironic in that hes singing a song about it, or it could be literal, since he doesnt just come out and say it. There is little time. There are dozens of songs Ive heard that are referring to this in some way, figure it out for yourself, you will never believe me if I just tell you: QOTSA songs: Better Living Through Chemistry, Into the Fade, and Auto-Pilot. Semisonic - Closing Time. Lol, just watched the music video for Go With the Flow. They are hitting you over the head with it if you know what youre looking for... The sperm, the flowers... a huge nuclear like explosion in the background. Anyways, if this makes you agitated or afraid, and you dont feel curious, then dont look into it. Proof from the song Auto-Pilot: "I never seen you before. But now that I have, I don't wanna see you no more" This is how I felt... although I dont regret it now. |
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| The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Nostalgia. Thats the pure feeling from this song. I makes me think about my passing childhood. Teen-angst. I never acted like this and I may regret it for the rest of my life. | |
| Marilyn Manson – The Reflecting God Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| *Just like some kids need imaginary friends to make them not feel so alone. I think its unbelievable how butt hurt people get when people find out that you dont believe in their god. | |
| Marilyn Manson – The Reflecting God Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| Im not quite sure what I am. I just know that I believe that man evolved just like everything did. When we first became self aware, we created God. Or more accuratetly the notion of god. We just needed / need someone to hold our hands because we are still in our infant stages. | |
| Nirvana – Plateau Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I think I get this one. I had to think about it for awhile but I finally got it. I think you guys read too much into Kurt's lyrics (or in this case, the Meat Puppet's lyrics). I think it just represents trying too hard and getting nothing out of it. He says when he gets to the top of the platea, all he finds is a bucket in a mop. I think this symbolizes the same old routine, nothing better than the last plateau he was just on. Then he hears about some other plateau (greenland, mexico) that he can climb to to find something else better than this, although he seems to enjoy it (he sounds satisfied with his work mopping the plateau). What this means to me personally is about moving to different places to try to find something better. You get bored with your life and job (mopping) on top of your plateau (the city or town you live in) and you heard about a plateua that could be nicer. You go and climb the next plateua, struggling to get to the top and all you find is the same mop that was on the last plateua, nothing being all that better. The only difference with my feelings about this is the narator seems to be happy with this and mops the whole plateau (doing the same job as before). |
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