E-Pro

mikenthemaddog66 - I liked what you had to say about this song. I decided to add to your post to expand with the truths I find in this songs lyrics.

I think this song, like many beck songs, is such a complete and blatant mastery over lyrics of a song carrying weight with a multitude of meanings. and emphasis is on cool factor most of all, and that is the best part. Essence of a cool guy standing on stage and calling everything out like it's obvious. Awesomely designed lyrics on this song.

The title is short for Environmental Protection.

*(e-pro title and first few lines carries weight in the message to the person who isnt as well informed, could be energy pro., extcy pro, environ. pro. etc) But the song is about cleaning the inner projects(so open ended though, and what you said here makes the song all the more interesting.)

The whole song gives imagry of Beck walking through a dump of a house in the inner city.

See me comin to town with my soul - Beck's hometown Straight down out of the world with my fingers - he knows the area Holding onto the devil I know - memories All my troubles'll hang on your trigger - its inner city, with crime and violence

*(I was thinking this entire verse includes the imagery of him coming to any town or place with his being or soul, and maybe is all about his life and how he's approached by people where he goes(to play). It's his job to play his guitar(with my fingers) and his songs and everything he's about includes holding onto 'the devil he knows' which will 'hang on your mind' or on 'your trigger')

Take your eyes and your mind from the road - look at the house Shoot your mouth off but look where you're aiming - you complain about it Don't forget to pick up what you sow - but you don't do anyhting Talking trash to the garbage around you - I wish someone would get this town in order, but it never happens.

*(He mentions taking eyes and mind off of the road, getting cool points to beg everyone chill out, and reinforces the idea by suggesting shooting off at the mouth while also suggesting looking where you're aiming, and not forgetting to 'pick up what you sow' or in other words only do what you can handle the consequences of. He's just putting obviously good advice in the song. the reference to garbage concludes on his initial suggestion of 'shooting your mouth off' by being aware you may or do or will treat people like garbage. Or rather, he doesn't care so much but is addressing what he knows about people in a cool subtle way where you'd have to be on E or something to get his picture in a few parallel psychadelic ways that I can only imagine. haha I mean I think that is as thorough as I can say it for a meaning at surface value there.)

The chanting na nas, give a sense of repetitoin of the same problems without doing anything about it, ignoring the problem and putting your head in the sand.

See me kickin the door with my boots - So now Beck enters the house Broke down out in a ditch of old rubbish - and its filthy Snakes and bones in the back of your room - finds skeletons in your closet Handing out a confection of venom - which stings at the heart

*(I just think it's funny how he throws all this stuff out in his verses like that. It's spoken or sung so clearly plain and nonchalant, as yep he gets cool points by subtly putting people in touch with their person presence or position at his shows, and in turn, everywhere. the next lines can be a metaphor for anyone thinking of leaving, or again destroying their time spent at his show perhaps by means of his 'aformentioned warnings'. the weight is off of anyone as he talks about the person as if it is Beck himself. next line addresses the same feeling of treating people 'like garbage', adding the value of that occurring to mean being or feeling 'broke down' if it happens to anyone. that reference to the previous verse gives his lyrics more sticking value, it looks like reinforcement technique. snakes and bones in the back of the room handing out a confection of venom can mean people selling alcohol or other controlled substances or whatever, or it can mean things in your mind that make you 'hand out' 'venom' following up on what he is addressing or warning against.

Heaven's drunk from the poison you use - But you keep ignoring the probelms Charm the wolves with the eyes of a gambler - waste your life with gambling Now I see it's a comfort to you - ignorace is bliss Hammer my bones on the anvil of daylight - during the night, its dark, and badness can't be seen, but in the morning the problems are noticeable again

*(Beck moves on to say that heaven is drunk from the poison you use. This would provide the answer to the problem, by addressing heaven as the way you are without falling into the pitfalls of social gathering(like at his show). it also may suggest that such a heaven is drunk or consumed, or I like 'had', from 'using' poison instead of letting the 'snakes and bones in the back of your room(head)' 'hand out confections of venom'(shoot off at the mouth, treating people like garbage if you dont look where you're aiming and are ready to accept what happens, or pick up what you sow. I probably could have said that better). Then parting advice in the song, conclusively, is charm the wolves with the eyes of a gambler. This refers to then seeing everyone in a new 'light' or through the eyes of a person who's been advised to subdue their dangerous tendencies with people, and has the eyes of a gambler looking at wolves properly as it is their freedom and choice as a self declared gambler to make a bet.

*(the cool points are all in the metaphors, my friends. Beck is just king of them, I give up allready. I think it's pretty obvious the great values to all his songs, and to be honest it feels kinda bad dissecting this one so articulately. Articulation has no bearing on this artists open ended world of words and alternate meanings. Metaphors, if you don't love them you are a fool :P this guys music is so smooth and cunning that I want to help colonize the moon.)

I won't give up that ghost - I will start to do something about it It's sick the way these tongues are twisted - in the midst of all this conversation The good in us is all we know - theres good in the world (we can make the world cleaner and better) There's too much left to taste that's bitter - but some people like the bitter taste, so they don't do anything.

*(just think 'I wont give up that ghost' means not giving up your ghost of a tendency to 'shoot off at the mouthetc' because you dont want your defense down because of 'the sick way tongues are twisted'. Then it is all in perspective when he suggests that 'the good in us is all we know', perhaps meaning the way we think of ourselves, or all we will want or want to remember(heaven had by means of poison used not created). 'There's too much left to taste that's bitter' is the perfect way to umbrella the entire song, all of its metaphors, and close the song up. taste relates to the venom or poison drunk for having heaven, and maybe he's saying we are innocent through the eyes of a gambler, knowing only the good in us, and looking for the bitter taste to achieve getting 'our bones hammered on the anvil of daylight' by only using poison not letting your bones and skeletons in the back of your mind hand out confections of venom. You know, I think Beck said it best.)

tl;dr Beck created the universe prove me wrong