In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Sapped and stupid
I lie upon the stones and I swoon
The darling little dandelions have done their thing
And they changed from suns into moons
The dragons roam the shopping malls
I hear they're gonna eat our guts
If I had the strength, I might pick up my sword
And make some attempt to resist
Get ready to shield yourself
Grab your sap and your heater
Get ready to shield yourself
On the night of the lotus eaters
Mmmmm, don't you love my baby
Mmmmm, and don't you love my baby anymore
They gilded my scales, they fish-bowled me
And they toured me round the old aquariums
They come in their hordes to tap at the glass
The philistines and the barbarians
I like floating here, it's nice
They've hung seaweed around my hips
And I do the hula for the hungry ones
And the lames all throw me tips
Get ready to shield yourself
Grab your sap and your heater
Get ready to shield yourself
On the night of the lotus eaters
Mmmmm, don't you love my baby
Mmmmm, and don't you love me my baby anymore
Get ready to shield yourself
From our catastrophic leaders
Get ready to shield yourself
Grab your sap and your heaters
On the night of the lotus eaters
Night of the lotus eaters
Now hit the streets
Now hit the streets
I lie upon the stones and I swoon
The darling little dandelions have done their thing
And they changed from suns into moons
The dragons roam the shopping malls
I hear they're gonna eat our guts
If I had the strength, I might pick up my sword
And make some attempt to resist
Get ready to shield yourself
Grab your sap and your heater
Get ready to shield yourself
On the night of the lotus eaters
Mmmmm, don't you love my baby
Mmmmm, and don't you love my baby anymore
They gilded my scales, they fish-bowled me
And they toured me round the old aquariums
They come in their hordes to tap at the glass
The philistines and the barbarians
I like floating here, it's nice
They've hung seaweed around my hips
And I do the hula for the hungry ones
And the lames all throw me tips
Get ready to shield yourself
Grab your sap and your heater
Get ready to shield yourself
On the night of the lotus eaters
Mmmmm, don't you love my baby
Mmmmm, and don't you love me my baby anymore
Get ready to shield yourself
From our catastrophic leaders
Get ready to shield yourself
Grab your sap and your heaters
On the night of the lotus eaters
Night of the lotus eaters
Now hit the streets
Now hit the streets
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A heater is a "knightly shield", which makes sense since he's telling us to shield ourselves and, if he had the strength, he'd pick up his sword.
A sap is a "blackjack or short club".
This song is about resisting and fighting back against all the crap that's taken over the world - the "catastrophic leaders" and the money-obsessed materialistic masses "roaming the shopping malls".
And since Nick uses knighly/chivalrous symbolism for his role and ours against the "philistines and barbarians", the song is also about not letting ourselves/yourself get brain-washed and dumbed down, but fighting back to keep your chivalry and honour and integrity etc.
Excellent, amazing song.
Me again. Nick's explanation:<br /> <br /> Nick Cave (From The Sun March 7, 2008): "'Night Of The Lotus Eaters' is about apathy in the face of catastrophe. Why aren't we running through the streets in a state of hysteria? I often wonder that. It surprises me that we are able to just sit around while some esteemed scientists say the apocalypse will have arrived in half a century."
The lotus eaters were a race of people that were mentioned in the Odyssey. The lotus was a narcotic and addictive and caused people to sleep in peaceful apathy.<br /> <br /> "The Lotus-Eaters...did them no hurt, but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus-eaters without thinking further of their return"<br /> <br /> So, basically, the song is about shielding yourself from apathy and idleness, it's urging people to "hit the streets."
I get the Odyssey references & the general gist of the song, but I don't understand the bit in the middle where the narrator seems to be a merman, or maybe a fake merman, in some kind of fairground show. There's a similar image in 'Midnight Man' where he refers to his dorsal fin. Very strange...
Interesting song and excellent explanations. The Lotus Eaters (or The Lotos-Eaters) is also a poem by Tennyson, apparently based of the passage referred to above in the Odyssey, so maybe Nick got the reference from here. I think I remember reading he quite likes Tennyson.
Morag: I agree the second verse is pretty opaque. Is he possibly referring to himself, performing (to the philistines and barbarians who don't care much for the message in his lyrics)?