| Bob Dylan – Gates of Eden Lyrics | 21 years ago |
|
i interpreted this song as a commentary on religious dogma. the first verse deals with the obvious physical suffering that religion itself has generated in the world, yet the negligence with which religious people approach it. that is, the truth that "twists" is the proclaimed religious method towards perfection, while in reality it creates many hardships (which is why the angel's candle is waxed in black). the second verse is difficult to understand. in the third verse, the savage soldier and deaf man, i think, are representative of those peoples for whom the religious prerequisites to enter heaven (Eden) are impossible to achieve. the fourth verse deals with the treatment of other religion/belief systems by a certain religious dogma. that is, aladdin can represent the islamic world. the golden calf, in the bible is "wrongly" worshipped by townsfolk who are subsequently punished. alternatively, it can be taken to represent hinduism/religions of the east, in which the cow is often considered sacred. utopian hermit monks are obvious in their representation of alternative belief systems. "you will not hear a laugh" outside the gates of eden - this line depicts the relationship of that particular dogma to all the aforementioned beliefs; that is, all of those other beliefs are null and void, and only that particular religious dogma offers happiness. the next verse is critical of the hierarchy that organized religion often creates. that is, churches and popes and monks, etc. all collect dues and money to support the organization; the "normal" people are to look to them for guidance. the last line in this verse illustrates the contradiction between this state of affairs and that promised by religion; in other words, all those popes and religious leaders have no advantage in the afterlife, yet they are to be revered and served in real life. the next verse is very cryptic, but i think that the "gray flannel dwarf" should represent all those white-collar businessmen who cheat others out of their money and posessions and cause trouble. however, this dwarf is forgiven after he cries for repentence, since "there are no sins inside the gates of eden." the next verse is about the inherent nullification of real life experiences that the existence of a heaven brings about. that is, real life means nothing in light of an eternal heaven, in which all those things we are "supposed" to do in earthly life - like reject material possessions, educate ourselves, etc. - mean nothing and do not have to be adhered to in Eden; nor does philosophy or intelligence or even personality mean anything in Eden. (they discuss what's real, paupers change possessions - none of it matters) this next verse i am quite sure of. the bed that the "foreign sun" sets upon is the deathbed, of resignation from life. many wish to simply not exist (for any number of reasons, eternal life may not be enticing). however, this is impossible in Eden, since there is offered only eternal life. "leaving men wholly, totally free to do anything they wish to do but die." finally the last verse, i think may be revisiting the idea that personal relationships, life, philosophical pondering and everything we do here loses meaning and significance with the existence of Eden; more particularly, however, i think it posits that free thought, and personal conclusions are impossible with the existence of an ultimate, absolute, authoritative Truth, like Eden. that is my humble interpretation of this one of Dylan's finest, most poetic songs. |
|
| Bob Marley and the Wailers – Crazy Baldheads Lyrics | 21 years ago |
|
hmm...i'd have to say that captain trips is right. but to elaborate even further, i think that marley is speaking out in particular about the christian missions to convert rastafarian people/other religions to christianity ("telling us of your god above"), and, as already stated, their political/economic/social monopoly in jamaica, despite the difference in numbers. one <3 ~ Che |
|
| Bob Marley and the Wailers – Three Little Birds Lyrics | 21 years ago |
|
yup, pretty much its been said, but i'll say it anyway. song is simply about ridding yourself of worries, and calming down, not dwelling on problems and just enjoying life/nature as it is. you could take it in the ganja sense, if thats what makes you happy, but the song is not exclusive to drugs. one <3 ~ Che |
|
| Bob Marley and the Wailers – I Shot The Sheriff Lyrics | 21 years ago |
|
goodmorningmisterben, agreed. marley's profound lyrics shouldn't be reduced to a plea for the legalization of cannabis or the likes (not that i disagree with legalization, just that i think marley had much more to express than his craving for pot). to me, this song is referring to the blatant injustice, more specifically, racism, that went/goes on in the world. "kill them before they grow" i think that is his metaphor for the surge of white supremism/racism against minorities, the attempts to keep their culture from flourishing (esp in america) and the attempts to keeping them from gaining any real power/social status, preventing them from having profound influence on the very laws that governed them. the entire shooting of sheriff brown is a representation of the corruption in the police force/government, especially against minorities. sheriff brown had been trying to kill him, so he had to defend himself, but in the end was convicted of murder - blatant injustice. then again, i could be wrong and this entire song could be about the ganja. oh well. one <3 ~ Che |
|
| Bob Marley and the Wailers – One Love Lyrics | 21 years ago |
|
god does not have a concrete definition. to marley and any others who may associate themselves with a certain belief system, god might have a "religious" significance. to any others, interpret god in a more abstract way. personally, i understand god to be moral perfection, and therefore whenever marley sings "give praise to the lord" i think of it as a metaphor for his emphasis on the importance of morality, justice, pureness of heart (and all other things associated with godliness). in any case, with that said, its fairly obvious that the meaning of the song is his plea for the people of the world to discard petty differences such as race and religious differences, and concentrate on the good in humanity. create a harmonious and unified world with no hatred. one <3 ~ Che |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.