| Shadows Fall – The Light That Blinds Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I agree with sticktoyourguns that this song is about religion, but not so much about personal pain. I think this song is about people's internal denial of they spiritual beings they really are. I think in the first verse he is describing how he was awoken to truth, the myth being religion. Store-bought conformity refers to our denial of our individuality by trying to be like everyone else through purchased acquisions. Force-fed duality refers to being required to believe in religious doctrine (duality refers to this life v afterlife). I warp reality = i believe in things that are not true. (I = everyone) The comfort you will find as you remain hidden = as long as you accept religious doctrine you may remain comfortable yet ignorant of the real truth of our spirituality. The light = religious doctrine betrays = is a lie casting your true self away = religious doctrine when believed staunchly leaves no room to learn about and understand your true spiritual self They remain blinded = they'll never see the truth of what we really are As vanity posseses me = my body/mind shell ego which thinks it is the true me but is not I am further away = my shell is not who I am, it is only the vehicle in which I travel through this world Gripped in a belief in empty words = the shell believes the myth Driven by a need to prove = the desire we naturally have to prove that indeed we ARE this shell The shell may wither but the fire burns eternal = we are not this body, we are everlasting lifeforms of spirit We will never find what burns inside = we can never understand our true nature You remain blind behind the light = as long as we continue to believe the myth of religious doctrine. Great lyrics, only problem is the inconsistency with I, We and You. I tend to think he does not include himself with everyone else, yet his use of pronouns is mixed. Perhaps he fluctuates between believing and not believing the doctrines. |
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| Oingo Boingo – Fill The Void Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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This song is about tyranny in general viewed from the POV of the oppressed. First Danny rebels against organized religion (the man who knew everything and the book), then against society (the girl who thought she was a queen). The oppressed in every tyranny are the ones who do the work, thus "they all come to me with their demands". In religion, the oppressed have to pay, have to pray, have to serve. Every little thing (individuals) is a piece of a larger thing (church, religion, state, etc). Every little fish (preacher, teacher, governor, etc.) is a tyrant of the sea (church, school, state, etc). Every single piece calls my name = demands for compliance, adherence, assimilation. What do they want from me? Funny, I think he knows what they want. |
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| Oingo Boingo – Just Another Day Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Another song about Danny on meth. "Life Underground" refers to the anti-society of meth users. This song is about some of the negative effects of doing meth, specifically nightmares and hallucinations ("with voices in their ears that will not go away"). Also see my post under "Mary" for more. |
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| Oingo Boingo – Mary Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I believe based upon specific clues in the song that it, like many of OBs songs, are about what happens to people on methamphetamine (speed). When I first heard Mary, and other OB tunes, I pondered their meaning, but after my own bout with the dangerous drug I came to realize EXACTLY what it was talking about. Mary left home, for whatever reason, and found that "Mountain that she had been told her whole life that she must avoid" - meth. Wholesome families typically dont preach against prostitution, they preach against drugs. Yes, she wandered, and yes she was alone. The same thing happened to me. "At first it hurt" probably refers to taking speed via injection. "And no one could comfort her" probably means that she started hallucinating and nothing anyone could rationally say to her would make a difference to her perception distortions. Speed also has a tendency to make one irrational, paranoid and hostile, all of which can be summed up by "no one could comfort her." "She finally came to appreciate it" probablky refers to what happens to a person who becomes a functional addict of speed. They don't need much in the way of outside things such as food, sleep, friends, or material possessions. Long term use has many effects, some of them bad and some are intriguing, such as increased extrasensory perception and psychic abilities. It also sends one into the spiritual realm where philosophy and material existence cross, a seldom discovered area where meaning and understanding transcend experience and permeate ones consciousness. I think this is what "she came to appreciate it" is referring to. "And though still alone she grew so much inside" probably refers to the hours of introspection she spent trying to understand what was happening to her. And she did, though not many do. "And she liked it, she liked it, oh wasnt she surprised" probably refers to the euphoric feeling one gets while getting high. The drug does have an incredible stimulation effect, makes one sexual, musical, creative and very talkative. The drug is so addictive because it is, until negative consequences set in, very enjoyable. "After a time she became so sublime, she could look in people's eyes and read their minds." This is not a metaphor, it refers to hightened psychic ability that comes with longterm meth use. It happened to me. Of course, it does wear off when one gets sober, but some elements of psychic development remain. Yes, you can actually read people's minds. This is highly problematic for most users because they do not understand that this is what is happening to them. Many believe they are hearing "voices" and that they are only hallucinatory in nature. (See OBs other song "Just Another Day" for more on hallucinations). Indeed, this can drive people totally insane. It is the exceptional user that understands their new ability and can discern true "hearing" from hallucinations, which also arise from use of the drug. Telling the difference is a real challenge, and not many survive long enough to develop the ability to discern. "Though her hands would sometimes bleed" refers to the physical effects of doing meth. Crystal meth is called "crystal" because it has a crystaline structure to its chemical makeup. When injected or smoked it transforms temporarily into liquid or smoke long enough to be injected or smoked, but once in the body it quickly re-crystalizes. One side effect of longterm use is that these crystals build up inside the body and the body attempts to purge them through the pores and other bodily exits. Typical among these is the fingernail (and toenails) where large crystals build up and then break the skin in painful and bloody attempts to release the toxin. This happened to me regularly. "She would occassionally long for her past and the memories they bring" refers to her realization that she was no longer the person she was. Reading people's minds and developing deep understanding of existence is like losing one's virginity and innocence. Sometimes we want to go back and be innocent again. "She decided to go back..." this is self explanatory. "Her heart was burning with all the things she found" refers to her desire to share her new found knowledge and abilities with the people she knew. I went through the same thing. Problem is, no one believed me and few cared. Most just thought I was nuts , but I and some other users of meth know better. Imagine if you discovered aliens or Atlantis - wouldnt you want to share the discovery? I bet you would. The chorus of course refers to her family wanting her to come home but having no idea what is going on with her. Same thing happened to me. Getting into meth isn't something you just drop on someone over the phone. If you are ever going to tell them, you really need to do it in person. "So Mary came back and at first no one recognized her face" refers to all the weight she had lost from meth use. Same thing happened to me. AFter about a year many people didnt recognize my face at all. I had lost about 25 lbs (I was only 155 to start with) and got very gaunt. Plus lines developed that had never been there, and my skin was a different color and texture due to all the meth in my system. "And all her friends we all a little bit afraid" - man, this was my case too. "when they heard what she had to say, they all slowly backed away." Well, who wants to be associated with a felonious drug addict who claims to be able to read minds and understand the meaning of existence? What a whacko, right? Of course, Mary's family tries to get her to come home and give up the drug, but "Mary started to cry when she realized that she'd never go home again in her life." I believe this refers to Mary's understanding that as long as she is on the drug she will never be welcome at home and no one will ever understand her. What is not clear to me is whether the decision to stay on meth is because she wants to or because she cannot quit. I think its likely that because it is sooooo addictive she probably thought that she could not quit - indeed, I couldn't quit on my own either. I had to go through rehab to get off it. And, I didn't want to quit either - I was forced to by the court system after getting arrested. However, now that I am clean, I can say that I am very glad to be off it. But I did learn some things, and among them, what Danny Elfman was writing about in this song. NOTE: I do NOT endorse or recommend using meth. It destroys lives, families and futures. Even if it could make you psychic, its not worth it. The price you will pay will be way too high - please DON'T try it. I am in recovery now and I wish I had never used it at all. Yes, it was fun for a time, right up until the time it ruined my life. Now I am rebuilding my life from scratch, and at age 37, that is a real bitch. Please, please don't try it. |
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