This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
It was late at night on the open road
Speeding like a man on the run
A lifetime spent preparing for the journey
He is closer now and the search is on
Reading from a map in the mind
Yes, there's the ragged hill
And there's the boat on the river
And when the rain came down
He heard a wild dog howl
There were voices in the night (don't do it)
Voices out of sight (don't do it)
Too many men have failed before
Whatever you do
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
In the rolling mist, then he gets on board
Now there'll be no turning back
Beware that hooded old man at the rudder
And then the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared
And people calling out his name (name, name, name)
And dancing bones that jabbered and a-moaned on the water
And then the ferryman said
There is trouble ahead
So you must pay me now (don't do it)
You must pay me now (don't do it)
And still that voice came from beyond
Whatever you do
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
(We were dead asleep)
(And all clapped under hatches)
(Where, with strange and several noises)
(Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains)
(And more diversity of sounds, all horrible)
(We were awaked, straight away at liberty)
(Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld)
(Our royal, good, and gallant ship)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
Don't pay the ferryman
Speeding like a man on the run
A lifetime spent preparing for the journey
He is closer now and the search is on
Reading from a map in the mind
Yes, there's the ragged hill
And there's the boat on the river
And when the rain came down
He heard a wild dog howl
There were voices in the night (don't do it)
Voices out of sight (don't do it)
Too many men have failed before
Whatever you do
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
In the rolling mist, then he gets on board
Now there'll be no turning back
Beware that hooded old man at the rudder
And then the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared
And people calling out his name (name, name, name)
And dancing bones that jabbered and a-moaned on the water
And then the ferryman said
There is trouble ahead
So you must pay me now (don't do it)
You must pay me now (don't do it)
And still that voice came from beyond
Whatever you do
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
(We were dead asleep)
(And all clapped under hatches)
(Where, with strange and several noises)
(Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains)
(And more diversity of sounds, all horrible)
(We were awaked, straight away at liberty)
(Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld)
(Our royal, good, and gallant ship)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
Don't pay the ferryman
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think you can also take this in a more broad matter: don't pay for anything before you've fully explored it. Watch out not to be fooled and make sure you get what you want. The paying may be with money, with emotion, with .... whatever. Just make sure it isn't a one way street and you get something in return.
"-why- a soul shouldn't pay right away"
Because, if the soul paid the Ferryman before getting to the other side of the river, he would swap places with him, and would have to ferry souls for eternity, or until he tricked someone else into paying him before reaching the other side. Which isn't really what you'd want to do, so basically, pay him after you've reached the other side. According to mythology anyway.
@SweetT I have read something different. From what I read, if you pay him before you get to the other side, he throws you overboard and you are stuck in limbo which is worse than Hades. The thing about the dancing bones in the water suggest that
For me it always sounded like a general old-timey advise. Back in the days, ferryman, especially in mire secluded regions were said to extort a lot of money from unsuspecting customers. Their trick: stopping halfway and demanding a second pay for completing the journey, possibly stranding their customers on an island half-way.
In the song Chris de Burgh even warns against fixing a price (he could raise at hakfway-point). And his ferryman actually does demand the pay early, citing potential "trouble" ahead.
I never got a dead soul-vibe though...
Stick to the course...don't veer off in a direction that you'll pay for later. Continue to the other side, with integrity intact because if you give over what's dear to you ,like your soul - what I think he's referring to as "payment", you'll be sorry. All because you were tricked into doing that thing which was out of panic at the "trouble ahead"(life being hard) you may do things or sell your soul, and regret it later.
** Hence the
"Until he gets you to the other side"
The other way i'd look at this would be.. His anxiety and fear is relentless .The racing car through the night is his mind prepared with faith to confront the things he has been waiting for . Thus the ragged hill ,water the wolves and rain are road block fears of his mind. The only way to get to the other side of his fears is to not listen to them . So the ferryman is the fear don't let him take you in ,he is the one who cant be trusted . There fore back and forth he tells him self the doubts about the voice which inhibits him and could move forward without it ,.His imagination was controlling him ,and still is once again . He cant pay the ferryman or fix a price because the price is automatic failure and he knows this when he thinks that way.Until he gets him to other other side which means he wont ever get there which is why he cant fix a price.He goes back and forth .But he knows how to over come it because this is the reason for his journey when he says a map of the mind and being on the Open Road . I think he made it as he worked out how to deal with the voices
This is about an unfortuanate trip to Wallasey, in which Chris was short of change, and pretended that he was dead.
this is such a kickass song.
Well, the ferryman is an allusion to the old greek Mythology: The river styx was what divided the land of the living from the land of the dead - and only the ferryman Charon was there to bring souls from one side to the other. Also, it was common to give the dead a small coin to pay him. Beyond that, I can't even guess what Chris was trying to express here... or -why- a soul shouldn't pay right away.
I've thought this song meant many different things throughout my journey - these days, I think it's about not making any promises to God - or whoever is controlling your subjective experience of reality - until the end of your life.