| Monsters of Folk – His Master's Voice Lyrics | 11 years ago |
|
Shannon gave a nice ball-park explanation. I like it. The artist is telling the listener to follow their heart. Hear and listen to your own master's voice. Don't be influenced by what others believe or what someone told you was true when you were a child. To me the artist is putting a childish description on some prodigious religious characters (Mohammed and Christ) i.e. "rolling dice" and "they run to do their chores". I don't think he is putting them down or making fun of them or belittling them. I believe he's trying to paint them in a different light than some people would, for the benefit of the listener. When some people think of Christ and Mohammed they think I better follow and believe for he that doesn't suffers the consequences. The artist is describing them as children to more or less relax the listener. We all tend to listen better and retain more when we are relaxed. He then describes their master telling them to "Re-write the bible for a generation of non believers". I personally believe this is a very important line. I believe the bible and Christ are fictional, created to give birth to and inspire hope. I believe we as human beings "hear what we want to hear" and have forgotten the most important lesson of the bible (have hope and love one another). The artist is saying the master believes he needs to try something new and that the old bible is not working and should be re-written. The second and third verses are a case in point explanation of how not finding your own belief (master's voice) could end badly. The verses tell a story of a boy listening to a pastor and the boy hearing and being influenced by the pastor's master's voice. The boy then believes it to be his own and follows it witch eventually costs the boy his life. The artist says "You're only gonna hear what you want to hear" and asks the listener "do you hear your masters voice now?". What this verse means to me is people will interpret religions, beliefs, and creeds any way they choose. They hear what they want to hear and act accordingly. The artist just gave an example of how listening to someone else's master's voice and not there own cost them their life. If everybody hears what they want anyway, shouldn't we take the time and find out what WE really find to be important and meaningful to ourselves (our own master's voice) and listen and stick to that? It may be Christ's or Mohammed's words that we find as our master's voice, but learn that for yourself. Don't come to that conclusion because of what someone else believes or because that's what was taught when you were a child. The last verse is the artist admitting that he finds Mohammed and Christ agreeable but he still is an individual and has his own beliefs.The artist master's voice just might be Mohammed or Christ, but in the spirit of finding what's important to yourself the artist leaves the identity of his master's voice undisclosed. Great song from a great album. Maybe I'm over thinking it, I tend to do that. If I have offended any one I apologize. Cheers, Duder |
|
| Neil Young – Words (Between The Lines Of Age) Lyrics | 11 years ago |
|
I've always loved this song. I had the old white cassette tape with the ink rubbed off from overuse. When this song came on it was a instant shuffle for the volume knob to turn it all the way up. I think songs with words should not have one meaning. I think they should be heard as if they were instrumentals. And they should mean what ever the listener wants them to mean. With that said... My interpretation of this song is that the song itself is a melancholy toned symbolic and yet literal reflection of the artist's work and life. The first verse is the writer's explanation of how he feels about his work and life compared to others around him. He observes "Someone and someone" "looking for something to plant in the lawn" and others "turning the soil". When one plants something, they're setting, furnishing, establishing, introducing, depositing, and creating something. He witnesses people giving birth to things around him. Then he reflects on what he's doing and realizes what he is doing is worthless, and a lonely act "Sitting here hoping, this water will boil". He feels his work and life has no purpose, meaning or significance. But yet he is still admired and sought after. "They're bringing me presents and saying hello." I think he is puzzled by the fact that something he views as worthless is so valuable to so many. The chorus is the writers literal explanation of what he does. "Singin words between the lines of age." The second verse is a hypothetical question to those who value his pointless, unfruitful work. He's asking if I wasn't famous and a star ('if I was a junkman') but was still doing insignificant work ('selling you cars, washing your windows and shining your stars' though we rely on cars they are a burden; we lose money when we buy them new, they require gas, oil, water, maintenance, insurance, tires, they are a pain in the ass) would you still "bring me presents and say hello" "what would you wonder and how would it seem" how would you feel about me then? The last line in the second verse is the writer going somewhat crazy but staying on the path he has been on. Even though he feels uninspired by his work he "The King" is still "living in castles a bit at a time" meaning he is merely or hardly living. But yet he laughs and continues his worthless work "The king started laughing and talking in ryhme". I hope Neil was just having fun with words and my explanation is just bull. If one were to actually feel this way it would be HELL. Cheers, Duder. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.