Cannibal Resource

i think you can interpret this in a number of ways, greens v. meat etc. I believe this song is an allegory of our current battle with our dependence on fossil fuels. It is a resource for our society but it's a cannibal resource because we are destroying ourselves with it. The non-involvement of most civilians is the terrified witness aspect and there is also a reference to greenhouse gases with "the light is fading".

I disagree with any specific interpretation of the lyrics, I think it is more abstract and philosophical.

I think this is a song about how we, as Americans take for granted, or forget, the consequences of all the things we need in life. I think the word resource in this song literally refers to ALL resources, it seems that all resources we, and all living things on this planet use, be it, food, materials, fuel, etc... requires us to destroy something in order to obtain it, be it plant life, animal life, other people (figuratively or in some cases literally), or the environment. We ignore that basic fact so much in our day to day lives that we forget that we are active participants in it, so when we are confronted by it, we fail to recognize we are part of it.

Obviously a song dealing with the enduring conflict of man's herbivore v. carnivore instincts. It seems that Longstreth sees humans as overall good ("Everyone looks alive and waiting") but when it comes down to fill their stomachs they glutton over meat, not greens. The "Cannibal resource" of a man is not the fact that he/she dines on the flesh of another human, but that the animals we choose to slaughter and process are also, according to Longstreth, man-like. "Can it ask a question? / Can it sing a a melody? / Can it be interpreted? / Or is it more than what the eye can see? / Maybe not." This is the pure example of Longstreth's view of humanity: we are merely aloof, are just "terrified witnesses" to our own demise. The "arbitrary line" is just the line of thought between PETA and KFC.

largely agree with Shoofa's interpretation of the lyrics - I believe Dave Longstreth is commenting on the human race's lack of foresight in regards to the sustainability of our lifestyles, and our propensity to use and abuse the natural world around us. I recently read something, somewhere that brought to mind the 'cannibal resource' mentioned in the lyrics - the writer put forward the assertion that once we have used up all our natural resources we will eventually be forced to consume ourselves ...

of course the line "I think you're more than a terrified witness" is an accusation that we all play a part in this destructive way of living.

cool song too huh ?

An amazing song. Candidate for album of the year, edged out by "Merriweather Post Pavilion." Really stunning, though.

For some reason I get the feeling this song is sort of about the war in Iraq, and other wars. "You're more than a witness" is like saying you could do more to stop things like the war from happening, but you don't, so you're like a participant. The cannibal resource is oil.

But that's just the feeling I got...

I'd be hesitant to say that this is "obviously" about any particular thing, though maybe you know something I don't... The vegetarian stance is an interesting idea (btw, herbivore v. carnivore - "v." = omnivore), as is the Iraq war slant. It seems to me that specifics like this are usually reflections of the opinions of those doing the interpreting. My own personal interpretation is looser than those. I hear it as being about the general thoughtlessness and fear and anxiety that pervades human behavior. Which includes inhumane treatment of animals, and war, but also more mundane things like road rage, boring jobs, gossip... Ultimately, it seems hopeful and empowering. We're all trying to get along in the world.

well the way i always viewed it was that "cannibal resource" would be humans, since the main source of energy for cannibals is human flesh. . .expanding from that i took this song as meaning more like "still counting on human kind" type deal. . . especially the "can it ask a question part" seems to be about technology and though we rely on these modern things more heavily, when it comes down to it humans are uniquely capable of performing certain tasks, at least for now

Incredible song. Very abstract. I think this song is about multiple levels of consciousness and our shared collective experience. Everyone is alive and waiting... for what? Some breakthrough that allows us to transcend to another level, to cross the arbitrary line that we're currently at. It's scary to think about that and what it means for our physical bodies, but we "are more than a terrified witness / behind the arbitrary line"!