its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
After all these implements and texts designed by intellects
So vexed to find evidently there's still so much that hides
And though the saints dub us divine in ancient fading lines
Their sentiment is just as hard to pluck from the vine
I'll try hard not to pretend
Allow myself no mock defense
As I step into the night
Since I don't have the time nor mind to figure out the nursery rhymes
That helped us out in making sense of our lives
The cruel, uneventful state of apathy releases me
I value them but I won't cry every time one's wiped out
I'll try hard not to give in
Batten down to fare the wind
Rid my head of this pretense
Allow myself no mock defense
As I step into the night
But Mercy's eyes are blue when she places them in front of you
Nothing holds a Roman candle to the solemn warmth you feel inside
There's no measuring of it as nothing else is love
I'll try hard not to give in
Batten down to fare the wind
Rid my head of this pretense
Allow myself no mock defense
As I step into the night
Mercy's eyes are blue when she places them in front of you
Nothing really holds a candle to the solemn warmth you feel inside you
So vexed to find evidently there's still so much that hides
And though the saints dub us divine in ancient fading lines
Their sentiment is just as hard to pluck from the vine
I'll try hard not to pretend
Allow myself no mock defense
As I step into the night
Since I don't have the time nor mind to figure out the nursery rhymes
That helped us out in making sense of our lives
The cruel, uneventful state of apathy releases me
I value them but I won't cry every time one's wiped out
I'll try hard not to give in
Batten down to fare the wind
Rid my head of this pretense
Allow myself no mock defense
As I step into the night
But Mercy's eyes are blue when she places them in front of you
Nothing holds a Roman candle to the solemn warmth you feel inside
There's no measuring of it as nothing else is love
I'll try hard not to give in
Batten down to fare the wind
Rid my head of this pretense
Allow myself no mock defense
As I step into the night
Mercy's eyes are blue when she places them in front of you
Nothing really holds a candle to the solemn warmth you feel inside you
Lyrics submitted by doobeydoobeydude, edited by smallwonderrobot, Portishead93
Saint Simon Lyrics as written by James Russell Mercer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I interpreted this song to be about political and philosophical maturity rather than about growing up in general. Of course, before I even listened to the song I assumed it would contain a political message given that that it is named after one of the "fathers" of socialism.
The first verse appears (to me) to be alluding to the enormity and complexity of past works and how authors have written whole volumes about the subtle differences between different schools of thought and that these views are much too intricate to just "pluck from the vine".
I understood "I'll try hard to not pretend / allow myself no mock defense" to be about how easy it is to drop names like Saint-Simon or Thomas More (as in So Says I) and defend your views by impressing and bewildering people. In my eyes, at least, the writer seems to be promising intellectual honesty.
Referring to these writings as "nursery rhymes" seems to be a combination of two factors. The first is irony in the way that society often dismisses the work of geniuses (such as Saint Simon) in his talking about Socialism because "communism doesn't work", without considering the amount of perception that is within a writer's wealth of ideas about the human condition and how to improve human life. The second factor in the use of the term "nursery rhyme" seems to be a confessional one - the writer is, as well as criticising society, endeavouring to belittle the works because "apathy releases" him from the responsibility to read them.
This is then followed by "I'll try hard not to give in", which appears to refer to trying hard to resist the "wind" of society's political views as a whole and thinking individually, despite not reading ancient tomes.
Finally, the part about "mercy" seems to be referring to the relief of being absolved and forgiven from neglecting to read all that one feels they should about humans and society. Interestingly, mercy is personified as a woman and the singer's relationship with her is referred to as "love". I'd like to end with the thought that what is being suggested is that true understanding of life, human nature and purpose can be understood more fully and truly than in any book when Love is found. What a hopeless romantic I am.
Anyway, all just my interpretation of course.
Yes!
@spamuell Um... can I take you to dinner?
I love your optimism that 12 years later I still obsessively refresh songmeanings.net in the hope of a response.
@spamuell This was great, helped shape my interpretation of the song. Thanks
@spamuell This is a brilliant interpretation of Saint Simon, can you please interpret more Shins songs? Maybe Red Rabbits, or So Says I, which you mention and I believe is also about human nature’s inability to live out the utopias we can imagine.