| Beastie Boys – Lighten Up Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Knowing that Yauch is involved with Buddhist practices, it occurs to me that this may be a reference to the Lojong slogan which translates loosely as "always rely only on a happy mind". Lojong is a practice centered on a series of slogans to use to train the mind. www.lojongmindtraining.com The fact that the only concept in this song is "lighten up = shine like the sun" seems to fit the simplicity of this slogan "always rely ONLY on a happy mind". Nothing else is really necessary. NAMASTE! |
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| The Animals – Sky Pilot Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"First person" means 'from the standpoint of', using pronouns like 'I', and 'me'. This is in the third person, using words like 'he' and 'him'. But then again, this site is not about grammar lessons. So thanks anyway. Also, there are indeed no bayonnets in the air force, and men don't stand in line before battle in the air force. They're soldiers, which is why he refers to them repeatedly as such. |
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| The Animals – Sky Pilot Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Actually, there's nothing about pilots in this song. "Sky Pilot" is slang for a chaplain. Also, it's not about how dangerous war is. It's about the hypocrisy of a 'holy man' actually SUPPORTING mass murder. And it's about the disillusionment of those men that had their faith in him, after they come back from a bloodbath in which they realize his self-righteousness meant nothing.... and they realize his hypocrisy by remembering the words 'thou SHALT NOT kill'. There are no qualifications or conditions to that commandment. |
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| Butthole Surfers – Sweat Loaf Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Yes, it's sweatloaf, a play on "Sweetleaf" by that other band. Onstage once, I heard him yell "SAJACK SAJACK SAJACK" in stead of satan. It was great. |
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| Butthole Surfers – Lady Sniff Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The line is : "Take me back to Detroit, Paul." This is where he hands off to Paul, the guitarist, for a short 'solo'. I've seen them perform this twice - Gibby looks at or gestures to Paul on this line. And who knows what else Gibby ever says, ever. He consistently makes up different words onstage anyway. Or at least he used to back in the day. |
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| Butthole Surfers – Lady Sniff Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The line is : "Take me back to Detroit, Paul." This is where he hands off to Paul, the guitarist, for a short 'solo'. I've seen them perform this twice - Gibby looks at or gestures to Paul on this line. And who knows what else Gibby ever says, ever. He consistently makes up different words onstage anyway. Or at least he used to back in the day. |
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| David Bowie – Lady Grinning Soul Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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It's about loving passionately, and making passionate love to, the ideally sensuous woman. But she's a woman who quite simply doesn't need you and thus can take or leave you, like it or not. Cuz that's the way it goes. |
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| Minutemen – Corona Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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supposablethumbs : take a chill pill, dude. What's white-guilt about observing the fact that your luxury comes at the expense of someone else? You've probably never looked a poor person in the eye while you paid them for a service from your fat wallet. At least you've probably never done that and actually thought about it or given a sh*t, or felt like you wished you could help them out. Don't have to be white to understand that your comfort is built on the suffering of others. So open up a history book and shut the f**k up. Better yet, get out more from your white-fear-world, loser. |
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| Procol Harum – Shine On Brightly Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song means that we are all already in the garden of eden, or of enlightenment, bathed by the light of creation. There should be no longing, or searching, for even the ascended Buddha smiles reflecting on the material life. Because this is the place that fertilizes us for the blossiming into trans-mundane, trans-temporal awareness that occurs after our karma is exhausted through incarnation. "My eunuch friend has been and gone He said that I must soldier on" gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha aum-ha |
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| Led Zeppelin – The Crunge Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song is about a swinger relationship. The man he knows is a friend next door who lets him bang his wife. If he blabs about it, he won't let him 'come' again. That's why she wants him to love her, but she loves another man. The 'good thing' he has is the arrangement. 'Where's the confounde bridge' is indeed an homage to JB, as the whole song style is. I have no idea what the line about the newspaper means. Maybe she's famous? JPJ is in fact one of the most underrated rock musicians of all time. This song clearly demonstrates the influence of JAZZ on LZ, which is what the neanderthal metalheads hate. They were all talented, trained musicians who worked the blues, jazz, and asian music into a totally new genre, which they defined and still define. |
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| David Bowie – Station to Station Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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DB is an adept of high tantric magick. Kether and Malkuth are the top and bottom of the Tree of Life, respectively, in Qabbala. This song is about enlightenment through sexual yoga. "lost in my circle" and "flashing no colour" are references to a western magickal circle, and the Hindu Tantric tattva method of 'colour flashing' for consciousness alteration... respectively. "Its not the side effects of the cocaine"... i.e. a long-lasting erection, 'it must be love' in that it is agape (pure love) that creates a tantric union. I must be only one in a million/won't let the day pass without her : when one experience sexual samadhi, one realizes one is only one of a precious few who can or have, and that it is due entirely to one's consort, and the devotion thereof. That I've been stricken/some kind of glow : he is 'pinching' himself to verify what he is experiencing. Those in tantric bliss commonly express the feeling that they feel like they are glowing, or have fire coming off them, and expect to see it when they open their eyes. It's too late : once at this stage, it is beyond the point of making any amends or correcting one's technique or practices - one has attained already and the problem is now to maintain purity and sanity after having 'seen the light'. The european cannon is a tongue-in-cheek kind of pun on the term 'the Pali Canon', which are the scriptures of Buddhism, which David was following at this time (along with Qabbalah). The Pali Canon is the doctrine of buddhist enlightenment - David's 'European Cannon' is the western magickal tradition being brought to life in the 20'th century and thus 'is here'. So, yes he was on a lot of cocaine at the time, but he could afford it, and was doing so on the path. The Left Hand Path of red tantra. |
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| Led Zeppelin – The Rain Song Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song is about finding salvation or enlightenment through a lover (a woman). It's about how in a fruitful romantic/sexual relationship, the lowest points turn out, in retrospect, to be the most important formative trials for the couple. "This is the wonder of devotion." ... as in devotional ritual, or submitting of oneself to another. This is not a relationship gone sour, it's a relationship that has gone all ways, and is still going, due to the wonder of devotion which makes all experiences (especially rainy ones) into magickal ones. Plant's lyrics are alchemy at its best. |
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| Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains the Same Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The final verses tell us about the light, which is produced by and also composes the song. Long story. Finally the city is acknowledged as the hot core of human advancement, glowing with light and potential. Not opposed to California, Calcutta, and Honolulu, but created by them. A product of the working of mankind, ready to break into the next level of consciousness. As we go sliding through .... we are being birthed into the next age, through a tunnel of warm light. The magicians are driving. We invite you to sit back and enjoy the ride. |
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| Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains the Same Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The second verse tells the rest of humanity that they [literally] don't know what they're missing. Unaware, since magick can't be spoken of. But even their little songs are a part of the work, unaware though they be. All sentient beings are magicians, aware or not, and all practicing magicians know the importance of the rest of humanity, and thus compassion. And thus the invitation to simply 'hear my song'. Their little songs will also grow, as all small things must. As above, so below. |
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| Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains the Same Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The main giveaway is the opening lines : "had a dream.... anything I wanted to know, anyplace I needed to go" The potential of mystical practice is literally infinite, depending only on the wisdom and skill of the practitioner. BUT - there is no 'black' in the magick, as roadrunner99 said. There is only magick. Magick is about working with light and potential. One cannot attain far with destrutive or selfish intent. One must be an open pipe, like the pipe that plays the song. |
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| Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains the Same Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| roadrunner99 had it right early on. Zep were all practicing adepts. Well at least 3 of them. One of the more advanced lessons is that nothing is true and that all systems (songs) are the same; and thus all systems have the same potential. I've discovered this through both western gnosticism and tantric buddhism. One reality, many faces. | |
| The Presidents of the United States of America – Peaches Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| And sex. Sex is good. Slippery sweet juicy sex, and round juicy things to suck the juice out of. Peaches, sex, ... it's all the same thing. You all gotta loosen up and suck a titty. | |
| Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown Goes Down Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| ANTI-FEMINIST? Are you retarded? It's a caricature of some jock ass that thinks about raping women. It's a FEMINIST song if anything because it's making you laugh at what a horrible loser a guy like that is. | |
| Love and Rockets – Kundalini Express Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| This is a true song. Learn about Kundalini energy and Kundalini Yoga, and free yourself. | |
| The Flaming Lips – The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Let go of your desires. The song gives examples of people having 'powers', and using them for good or ill (second verse and first verse, respctively). And you are asked what you would do given those powers. People go through life wishing for things they don't have, effectively power over their frustrations. BUT - the song points out that all things have ramifications. If you have all the burgers you want, you'll have fat guys chasing you around. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Stop wanting and work with what you have. Even if you think you'd do good things with all that power (second verse), it would still destroy you in the end. Your power is the power to be who you are. Settle down and figure out what that is. Flaming Lips are giving birth to the 21st Century. Listen up. |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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soooooo tired of people thinking every song is about drugs, with no evidence whatever. Anyway, my take is similar to michealk above, with the exception of the final verse - instead of deciding that belief is useless because no one knows, I think he's found what I've found - that the blessing of a sky overhead is enough, without needing a god or belief involved. And THIS is what 'no one knows'. Everyone seems universally ignorant of the blessing of life and love, fixating on what a fictitious sky monester expects of them. Focus on the one beside you and 'what they do for you'. No one knows, and no one needs to know, but you. |
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| Steely Dan – Deacon Blues Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Wow, some good discussion over this, one of if not the best Dan tunes ever. This tune's meaning is LARGE. Most of you I think are right, but there's more. Highly spiritual. The 'expanding man' is a man who has had a realization and has resolved to expand himself - in all ways. Many paths in life teach asceticism - depriving yourself of luxuries or indulgences to reach enlightnment. The protagonist has the insight, as many nowadays are (we're approaching global enlightenment folks, try as Bush might to thwart it) that the very fact of being alive is a luxury and an indulgence. He used to look through the glass at 'gamblers, wild ramblers' but that's all in the past. He now understands that THEY are the ones who are ALIVE. Truly alive. It's not about sin, it's about worshipping life - with wine, women, and song. God wants you to get nekkid, get loaded, and get expanded. The last verse shows us that this whole tune is the reflection of the man after the transformation. He's giving us a memoir to show us that the transformation seems painful, damaging, wrong, all that. But - the judgement of the 'court' (the rest of unenlightened humanity) means nothing to him. He cried when he wrote this song - meaning yes, there is tragedy even among those who live life to the fullest, but that is also part of the path and must be accepted. "Sue him if he plays too long" - go ahead and do what you will to people like him, it won't matter. This brother is free - he'll be what he wants to be. The causality goes both ways between those two facts. Be what you want to be, and you will be free. And when you find others who are free, you can share with them sensations which stagger the mind, but only with those of your kind - the enlightened. A whole new world opens up to those who open themselves. And it's indescribable to the rest. Listen to the Dan, get your freak on, live forever. Nuf said. |
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| Steely Dan – Chain Lightning Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Wow, yeah. At first I laughed at the first review, assuming it was another smarta$$. But upon reflection, I'm convinced without too much argument. I always assumed it was about going to a concert with a chance to meet some sort of musical great - I met Tony Williams once, shook his hand. It kind of felt like this tune. I'm a tantric, and so don't quite buy the fact that good and evil are separate poles, so to me there's maybe not so much cognitive dissonance here. That 'chain lightning' feeling comes in many forms, and always feels good, no matter if it's right or wrong. That's the dangerous part.... make sure you're on the right side before you whip out that chain lightnin'. Now that I think about it, that slow, lilting groove that this tune lays down actually does have that same feeling of standing in a place where you know something big once happened. I've been to Dealy Plaza, and felt that. Also been to the Place de la Concorde, Notre Dame cathedral, etc... similar feeling. Heavy and constant, just like this rhythm. Good tune. |
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| Led Zeppelin – Kashmir Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Sexual? Are you out of your mind? This song is about astral travel. "Pilot of the storm that leaves no trace" - astral travel takes place in a self-induced energy vortex, or a 'storm' if you will. Kashmir is where adepts of very ancient systems of yoga and meditation reside and practice to this day. Perhaps Plant learned with them, or is just singing an homage. The second and third lines talk about the 'watchers' (angels, annunaki, nephilim, etc...) who are present and watching for the return of the golden age, when astral travel will be common. We are currently leaving the kali yuga, or dark age, and entering the dvapara yuga, beginning the cyclical ascent to global enlightenment again (last time was about 35000 years ago). "All will be revealed".... I'm sick of seeing EVERY TUNE ON THIS WEBSITE talked about as being about being stoned. You are losers - go get stoned and shut up already. Even people who DO get stoned don't think about it that much. Cripes. Consider that the people who write songs might actually HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU. |
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| Tool – Sweat Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Yeah, this song involves sex. But in the context of the genetic history of the human race. It's basically a very deep meditation, which is what tantric sex is all about. And the informed people reading this will know that MJK is indeed an occult practitioner and 'fellow traveller'. Hunter, thinker, and fisherman could be thought of as the 'hermit, the lover, and the man of earth' that Crowley spoke about in the Book of the Law. The trine nature of identity, and of god. As realized in a tantric meditation - sweating, staring, breathing, almost like swimming. That's what it's always like for me anyway. |
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| Laurie Anderson – O Superman (For Massenet) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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In fact, David Bowie just standing around is far more profound than most entire musical careers. But I digress... I saw Laurie perform this in a tiny theater about 5 days after Sept. 11, in Boston. I think the theater at Harvard. When she got to 'here come the planes', I think the majority of listeners were overcome emotionally. I cried for the rest of the song. Never thought I would hear that song that way, and I can't listen to it now.... I wonder if she knows that she's a prophet? I'm sure she understands that she's at least a genius. |
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| Laurie Anderson – Gravity's Angel Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I've read GR, and I find it terribly difficult to relate this tune to that book. I knew LA and this tune long before reading it, so the tune is still a great one. But as far as GR.... ? Is the ugly guy Tyrone Slothrop? I tend to doubt it. Well, maybe there's one thing (;->) ... the last verse where the other lover walks in, made of thin air... sounds a little like what happens to Slothrop at the end of GR - he just vanishes into thin air.... |
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| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Her Eyes are a Blue Million Miles Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| IMHO, the Capn's best tune. But I don't know all of them. Sometimes it's just the simple ones. | |
| Tool – Bottom (Demo version) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Oh, forgot to mention that 'bottom' is BDSM slang for the one who's submitting, i.e. the dom is the top and the sub is the bottom. Though submitting to a loved one, or an expert in tantric sexual stimulation, one can reach states of mind far beyond any drug. True Christ consciousness. Become no one, naked and fearless, unashamed of any part of the body. | |
| Tool – Bottom (Demo version) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This is about submission. Sexual submission for the purposes of spiritual self-destruction with the intent of rebuilding oneself. Maynard has obviously been on a psycho-sexual-spiritual journey for a long time. I use sex for enlightenment as well, and an early and important step is utter submission to and humiliation by a woman. This is the equivalent of being 'broken' to rebuild oneself. Become dead inside - you are then fearless because nothing can kill you. From there, it's all uphill ;-) For all the talk of 'enemy' and all that, the person doing this is helping him - he's 'shameless, nameless, no one now' .. which is actually a valid goal to reach. We must all become 'no one' to become enlightened. "But my soul must be iron / I'm naked and fearless" : strip away all human pretension, fear, and identity ('id'), and you are left with your soul. Then you can start building from scratch. So go to a dominatrix, get hung from the ceiling and humiliated. It'll do you a ton of good. |
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| Tool – Third Eye Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Jade Dragon - NAMASTE INDEED. Thanks for explaining so well.... I'm so exasperated at times at how misunderstood, or un-understood Tool are. They really are trying to bring us all UP. Everyone - look into yoga, or vajrayana buddhism, or tantra, or thelema, or hinduism, or even luciferianism or wicca for crying out loud. Many paths, one destination. You have two selves. Most of you haven't met, or are totally unaware of the other one. That other one is God. Turn around, he'd love to shake your hand. |
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| Tool – The Gaping Lotus Experience Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Yes, this song is about the FUTILITY of WASTING your time on drugs to find enlightenment. It can help some, but if you don't already know what you're doing, you'll destroy yourself. Sit still, be quiet, stop your thoughts and just breathe. If you can do that you'll have more mind-expanding experiences than you ever will with LSD. I've done lots of both so I should know. Plenty of their lyrics are trying to tell you exactly this. Stop watching TV and mentally masturbating. Wake up to what's out there. And by 'out there' I mean 'in there'. |
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| Tool – Merkaba Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I've been practicing gnosis for over 15 years, and have recently just STARTED wrapping my mind around the Merkaba meditation, and haven't actually even tried to start doing it yet. Yes, Tool are certainly the most enlightened musical act possibly ever. I used to jsut think they were good. But now they've knocked King Crimson right out of my psychic water to take the place as the new best band ever. They're trying to bring us all in on this. Rising human energy can save humanity, period. People claiming Tool are pretensious, or worse, 'fake'... are living in the proverbial dream world, along with television and big macs. Eat clean. Exercise. Meditate. Have tantric sex. Listen to music. It will take a long time, but walking the right path pays off. You too can fly your merkaba through the astral plane. No, I haven't driven my merkaba yet but I've seen enough on the path to know exactly what Tool are about, and to know that with time I'll fire it up. Tool are about the same thing that Jesus, Aleister Crowley, the Dalai Lama, Yoga, John C. Lilly, Freemasonry and Qabbala are about. LOVE. Deal with it. They are a TOOL FOR ENLIGHTENMENT. Their enlightenment and ours. Use it or lose it. Enlightenment = self mastery = ascension from the world of suffering (dukkha). Tool is doing the Great Work (magga) No drugs required - it's LIKE a psychedelic experience. But DMT comes from your own body.... |
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| Steely Dan – Night By Night Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| The protag has led a dark late-night kind of life, maybe as a grifter or hustler, and he's thinking of changing his ways, sick of all the jealousy and mayhem. Someone tries to convince him to stay with it, but he refuses (take it down) because he knows that sooner or later it'll all catch up with him (... with a shotgun). So until he finds a way to live legit (until his ship comes in), he'll just get by, night by night. | |
| Steely Dan – Home At Last Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The protagonist has gone through the most temptation in his life, and reflects now that he's happy at home with his one true love. He's past the sirens of temptation, and still remains 'tied to the mast'... i.e. happily married. 'you think you've heard this one before'... meaning you think you're going to hear about a long oddysey.. but the protagonist never made the whole odyssey, because he knows he's happy where he is. "So long hey thanks my friend", bidding farewell to his friends who still 'play'.... |
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| Steely Dan – Josie Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| "prays like a roman" - I think this is a reference to the debauchery of Rome: having orgies to worship the gods. Perhaps Josie is the sexual 'shaman' for the neighborhood, and yes, her parents sent her away to become 'so good'.... but not long after she's back home, and the orgies pick up again, she's back to being 'so bad'.... 8-) | |
| Steely Dan – Gaucho Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Right czahk.... either the protag is embarrassed at his platonic friend parading around with a flaming homosexual, and risking making a scene in front of some 'heavy rollers'.... or he's his lover but wants to keep their gay lifestyle quiet... but the gaucho risks showing it all off in public. GREAT song though, regardless of your sexuality. Gaucho is probably THE most underrated Dan album, possibly with the exception of the first. |
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| Steely Dan – Everyone's Gone to the Movies Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Oh, and the refrain is from the point of view of the parents, who are under the impression that the kids have gone over the their friends to 'watch movies'.... but little do they know.... they're glad they finally have a chance to be alone. | |
| Steely Dan – Everyone's Gone to the Movies Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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It's about a dirty old man that would have kids over to watch dirty movies, so he could show them how to masturbate and/or have sex. 16/8 is a reference to the size of the film. At time 16mm film was new and big, and the theaters played 16mm films. But most home movies (and underground porn/snuff/kiddieporn) were on 8mm. Also, that last verse says "Take off your chinos and set right down". Chinos are pants. |
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| Steely Dan – BarryTown Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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It is about the moonies - 'tell by what you carry'...carrying pamphlets... 'what you wear/the way you cut your hair'.... "stories I have heard" - there were lots of rumors about what the Moonies were really all about. Most of them false. "for speaking out for what is mine" : moonies were against having too many posessions.... etc... etc... |
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| Steely Dan – Turn That Heartbeat Over Again Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Always thought this was about praying for someone not to die, possibly after getting involved in a violent crime. "turn that heartbeat over again" : the person's heart has stopped, and the protagonist doesn't want to lose him. The first verse leads me to believe that in a state of despair, the two people decided to rob a store in a town that has become run down. As a result, one of them was shot and killed. | |
| Steely Dan – Time Out of Mind Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Chasing the dragon is smoking heroin. But 'water changing to cherry wine' and 'silver turning to gold' are references to shooting it. After the needle goes in, it's pulled back and draws some blood into the syringe - the 'water' turns to 'wine'... then the mix is injected. Don't ask me why, I've known some junkies though who seemed to be quite sure of this. Also, it's basically about someone being turned on to junk for the first time. "Son you better get ready for love". And 'keep your eyes on the sky, put a dollar in the kitty' refer to basically "don't look while I shoot you up" and make sure you contribute some money for the junk. No one rides for free. |
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| Steely Dan – Rikki Don't Lose That Number Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Always thought this was a drug dealer talking to a customer who decided to kick. The dealer is telling the person to keep his number, becasue he knows he'll be back. But I gotta admit - the Rikki Lee Jones thing sounds like a slam dunk. Not used to Dan tunes actually being about what they sound like they're about! |
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| Steely Dan – Your Gold Teeth II Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Sounds to me like a man who was once the epitome of cool, and part of the scene; who now looks around and sees a younger generation taking over, maybe even doing it better. Could be talking about the music scene, the lifestyle scene, or even spirituality. There's a bright note though - if you're feeling lucky you best not refuse. Seieze the day - the rules are your own. Almost an homage to the law of thelema. |
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| Steely Dan – Parkers Band Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I think the reference to 'Dizzy' is a dig at Dizzy Gillespie, who I believe once called Parker's music "chinese music" - he didn't like it. Using his nickname to describe a drug trance is kind of a slap (I dont' think Diz did drugs). | |
| Steely Dan – Your Gold Teeth Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I think this song is about a 'goldbricker', a woman who tries to 'tie men down' with sex as a way to make them her sugar daddy. But she's a tease and a user. She'll throw out her own gold teeth in a gamble, just to get something better. She's got nothing to offer but her body and teasing (your mouth and legs, your gift for the runaround). Maybe she's even a grifter. But she's not THAT good. The verse about Peking and Cathy Berberian is saying that even the best know that there's some things they can't pull off. And this woman won't get this protagonist. He advises her to get real : "use your knack, take one step back". She's outclassed in a town like Chicago and should either go somewhere else or get a job. God I love this damn band. Is there anything better than Steely Dan lyrics? |
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| Steely Dan – Bodhisattva Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The protagonist is obsessed with the orient and fancies himself on the path to enlightenment. Like so many clueless Westerners, he figures the Boddhisattva can simply 'take him by the hand' and lead him to enlightenment. He's willing to sell his house and 'be there'. "I'll be there, I'll be there". Yes, he's in a big hurry to reach enlightenment, which means he's FAR FAR FAR from it. The references to shiny japanning and sparkling china are indeed puns, pointing to the superficiality of Westerner's understanding of things that actually take a lifetime to understand deeply. China dishes are not the same as Chinese culture. Ditto for japanning. It's not about a charlatan trying to rip him off. A Boddhisattva is indeed a person who has reached Buddha-consciousness (boddhicitta) but who has chosen to remain incarnate to help the rest of us find peace. I know what it's like to wish to have a chance to talk to one of these people, but it would be fruitless. The path lies within. |
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| Steely Dan – Aja Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I used to think this was about a woman. Maybe a 'professional' or casual sex acquaintance that the protagonist would occasionally see, but who become a much deeper interest for him. To the point that he dreams of one day being with her "when all his dime dancing is through" i.e. when he can retire. "Thow out the hardware, let's do it right" might have referred to actually 'making love' instead of whatever he would usually see her for (bondage? S&M?) I imagine the woman as Asian, and there are no inhibitions or taboos with her ("people never stare", "time to burn") But now that I actually LOOK at the lyrics there's very little to substantiate that LOL. Maybe I'm just a perv. I didn't know the stuff that igluau wrote, and THAT seems like a cincher if it's true. Fagan always sang about things that were close to his experiences, or at least tangentially related to his times. (this could apply to my theory too though). I also like WritingIsMyReligion's reference to 'twisted, strange craziness'. Yes, there is something Hunter Thompson-esque about all the Dan's music. Which is why it's so frickin' great, like a chinese box. |
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| Steely Dan – Babylon Sisters Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The protagonist is invited to a wild beach party with a change to get 'involved' with two young girls - 'babylon sisters'. Babylon because they will all 'sin' together. They party, have an indulgent time, but it all becomes very complicated quickly, as it always does when more than 2 people become involved romantically (for young women, sex usually leads to romance). He quickly realizes he can't keep up ("I'm not what I used to be, and love's not a game for three"). His friends warned him, that it's just like a Sunday in Tijuana - cheap but not free. The effects can have grave implications. In Tijuana you can get arrested for the drugs/girls that draw you there. Relationships with 2 women can destroy your personal life. It could be that he simply cheated with a younger woman at the party, and the guilt and shame is destroying his main relationship. i.e. when his woman asks him to 'tell him she's the only one', he can't control the guilt. I've been in both situations, and the song applies to either pretty seemlessly. |
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| Jethro Tull – One White Duck / 0^{10} = Nothing At All Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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One other thing - "your way in is my way out" : most people see sex as an implicit bond between two people, and a way to intimacy and psychic dependency (way in). But the speaker sees it as a path to get out of himself and experience selfless love (way out, the tantric way). The two views cannot live together without problems. The person being spoken to believes that love should limit intimacy to just the two involved. But the speaker in the song does not subscribe to this view: "and love's four-letter word is no compensation". Again, he will probably end up deceiving her again. |
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