| Cannibal Corpse – I Cum Blood Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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SlayerFreak666 wrote: "and art can be shallow" Sure, and I can be Astro Boy, or Greta Garbo, or both at once. What we have in CC's lyrics is neither profund or shallow: it's just embarassing. |
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| Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I always thought the song being about a generic friendship (be it between a parent and a son, two friends, relatives or lovers), where one of the two friends used to keep a "leader" position and this proves to be an obstacle for deepening it and making it grow. Since the song has always been one of my absolute favorites, I finally came as well to Cam-win's interpretation when I re-evaluated the teological content of many DM songs. In this case, the friendship is the one with God (or Jesus), where the singer, in his/her immature faith, fears to be "let down". As he proceeds by saying "promises me I'm as safe as houses as long as I remember who's wearing the trousers", he realizes little by little God's friendship can be absolutely trusted, and he reaches a higher degree of inner peace. The songs' can't clearly be about drugs (despite what the adjective "high" can suggest in English: I'm Italian and it never occurred to me such a stupid idea). Secondarily, I think Depeche Mode had never been drug users, and as far as I know David got actually into drugs as a consequence of his personal derangement after the Violator tour, in the early 1990s (surely not in the 1980s). In the end I think the basic interpretation offering a richer and fairer basis is the friendship one, with all its possible themes and involvements on the listener's part. |
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| Depeche Mode – John The Revelator Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I can't sincerely understand ebhiro's statements on Revelations, but it can't be far from truth to say the book "lacks any real moral teaching", or even worse that it "resorts to scare tactics and dogma". If you wish to read the bible like a bad script for an Hollywood horror movie it's fine, but do not make such statements lightly, based on what you maybe "feel" and nothing more. About the song: this is probably the only song on "Playing the Angel" with a very extravagant and ironic approach. And yes, it rocks. It takes the very basic structure of the traditional delta blues versions (like Blind Willie Johnson's 1952 recording), but instead of a biblical tale about the writing occurrence of the Apocalypse, here the figure of John the Apostle becomes a multi-layered reflection on what religious fanatism can turn serious reflection, genuine faith and religious practice into. In this sense, most of what have been said here it's true: John here can also be seen as a "victim", like the words are being sung by fanatics and opponents which wish to see him dead. Very ironic, critical, and complex: true art. As any other DM songs touching directly religious themes, its greatness lies in its capacity to incarnate many viewpoints and very different personal experiences (martyrs in "The Love Thieves", blind human judgement in "Walking in my Shoes" "Barrel of a Gun", Jesus' (or any friend or lover's) sufference in "Breathe", compassionate presence in "Freelove", ambiguous mutual possession in "I Am You", blinding nature of sin in "Sweetest Condition" or "Free", etc. Of course, almost all of these songs offer a rich coincidence of meaning, and that's what makes DM's music unique. |
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| Depeche Mode – Breathe Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I was not even remotely thinking about the "Judas gospel" or any non-Canonic texts. First, like DMBLISS noted, DM songs are exceptionally rich because their level of meaning happens on many planes at once. I never read "Breathe" in the way of a generic relationship, but now you showed me it works fine this way as well. The song is a deep human reflection. My evaluation wished simply to underline the complex struggle within Judas (as with every human being), which is treated nonetheless as a friend by Jesus, even when he betrays. Basically, Judas and Peter fall in a similar way (although Judas' betrayal is worse), but Peter manages to repent and trust in mercy and forgiveness, while Judas, furtherly discouraged by the priests, embraces desperation. Despite interpolarity's 'narrow' reading, no one can assume for certain a person's final judgement (including Judas). On this topic, which is very rich, there are many songs which probably people have never read in their religious aspects, like "It's no Good", "Barrel Of A Gun", "Surrender", "Nothing's Impossible", and above all "Never Let Me Down Again". Ultimately, DMBLISS is absolutely right, since DM songs involving a religious reflection are always applicable to a concrete situation of a human relationship. We are called to live as we believe, and live for love. |
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| Depeche Mode – Breathe Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Particularly meaningful is the accuracy used in portraying Jesus' humanity ("say it's not so") and His friendship to Judas, while not shadowing His deity ("before you say goodbye"), and His knowledge of the incoming passion and sacrifice. While everyone was starting to say (including Peter), "all hope was gone", Jesus just called Judas "friend" (Mt 26, 50) for the last time, slightly before his betrayal, and marched peacefully towards death. "He needs to hear that we love Him". What is, right now, our alibis? |
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| Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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If he would be so kind to tell me, I would like to know where Helixi took this piece of information:"The pope condemned DM for this song". I never heard about it. "Blasphemous Rumours" (from 1984) was the first DM song about religion, which has been a constant theme in ther songs since then. As with other DM songs, I think the song should be read as a "chronicle" piece, taken from different viewpoints (the mother's, the girl's, the old woman dying of cancer, the singing "pessimistic believer" and ultimately that strange laughing God). We were in 1984. The song caused a stir when DM toured in Poland, and this can be largely understood. Check all the progress DM did with the religious theme in their work, especially in the album Ultra (with almost "opposite" songs like "Barrel of a Gun" and "Insight"), or, if you are too lazy, just read the text of "Breathe", the latest DM song dealing with the theme of faith, which does not need comments (especially those biased by ignorance), but just a great deal of acknowledgement for Martin Gore's inner growth. |
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