| Meshuggah – Rational Gaze Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| When I commented on this song back in 2008, I had an outlook similar to yours, but now I'm lead to believe that Meshuggah is NOT saying we can't trust our senses but that we should not trust the RATIONAL GAZE, a kind of lens placed on our senses which accepts only certain kinds of data as fact and rejects information that does not fit within the paradigm. The bare sense organs cannot be the rational gaze of the song because it was the bare sense organs that the philosophers and modern science so disparaged, declaring the supremacy of rationality over the sense organs. Therefore, we now trust experts and elites to peer under the layer of everyday experience with their instruments of technological rationality to tell us what the truth "really" is. I now believe Meshuggah is warning us against this kind of paradigm rather than equating the rational gaze with our sense organs. What do you think? | |
| Meshuggah – Rational Gaze Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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*I first commented on this song in 2008, four years ago. I'm commenting again because in those four years I've changed and so my interpretation of the song has changed.* I no longer believe that the "rational gaze" of the song title refers to the world as experienced by the bare sense organs precisely because the sense organs often deceive us, prompting the philosophers to declare that we need rationality to know what's truly real. In an ironic reversal of my original interpretation, I now think that what is being criticized is precisely this rational outlook of the philosophers and of our current empirical scientific paradigm. Indeed, Meshuggah implores us to let go of this rational gaze, this lens which we place over the naked eye to break the world into small pieces so that we may know all of it. My earlier interpretation equated the rational gaze with the workings of the naked eye, but it seems clear to me now that the rationalistic outlook is just a tool, one that has been overused to devastating consequences on the human spirit and the biosphere. I used to be threatened and befuddled by the message of this song, being a strict materialist at the time. It seemed to me to be a gateway to all sorts of unverifiable nonsense, and perhaps it still is. But I have come to appreciate the meaning of the saying, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." And so perhaps we should learn to live with the truth of uncertainty, embracing that we cannot know everything under the sun by reduction or representation--that something just as real (though not amenable to measurement) is lost when "everything is examined, separated one thing at a time." |
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| Frank Ocean – There Will Be Tears Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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my friend said it wasn't so bad you can't miss what you ain't had well i can i'm sad.... |
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| Frank Ocean – Swim Good Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Don't think the lyrics need much explaining. All I care to say is that this song plays in my head all day, every day. |
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| Frank Ocean – Strawberry Swing Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I feel that. For real. | |
| Gojira – Esoteric Surgery Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I think this track just cured my illness | |
| Gojira – To Sirius Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| YES | |
| The Frames – Finally Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This song is so damn powerful. When I'm alone in my car, I get such a charge from screaming along to: You found something so good It's drawing trouble on your liiiiiiiife And when you want something so good It's hard to focus on what's riiiiiiight!!!!!! Because it's TRUE |
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| Radiohead – The Gloaming. (Softly Open Our Mouths in the Cold.) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| The scratchy noise is the sound of the needle of the record player from which Johnny Greenwood took his sample. | |
| Wu-Tang Clan – Duck Season Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I gotta second both ya'll statements. Duck Seazon been my favorite since '97, especially RZA: "You want to pound crab, nah let his hand swing I ought to punch a hole in his palm with these pointy ass rings" Yeeeeeah |
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| Wu-Tang Clan – Second Coming Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Damn. I was really hoping someone else had commented on this track. I had the Wu-Tang double cd for a long time before I payed attention to the lyrics on Second Coming, but now that I have I must say: How hilariously awesome |
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| Ryan Adams – Down in a Hole Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I completely agree, Moose Man. RA's music is fairly new to me, so I've been devouring everything I can possibly find. Funny thing about this particular cover, though, is that just last week I found myself wondering if RA was fond of Alice In Chains and Down In A Hole in particular, given similarities in lyrical theme and style. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Ryan had covered it! | |
| Ryan Adams – The End Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This song stirs my heart so deeply. | |
| Ryan Adams – A Kiss Before I Go Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I'm fairly new to RA's music, and I love the feel of the entire Jacksonville City Nights album. I grew up in a state where honky-tonk country music was widely loved, and now that I'm older I find myself nostalgic for those days and times. From the moment I heard RA sing, "The engine turns on a dime..." coupled with the plaintive moan of the steel guitar, I knew I had found my way back home. | |
| Queens of the Stone Age – Tension Head Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"GOTTA GET OUT AND GET RIGHT" Every time I hear Nick sing that part I'm thinking, "No no no, you should stay right where you are, buddy!" And of course, what does he do when he leaves? Hustles little girls and cheats little boys. Meth is a helluva drug, kids |
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| Hank Williams – Tennessee Border Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Jack White does an entertaining live cover of this song, first I'd heard of it. | |
| Sufjan Stevens – Jason Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I hope you've grown up a bit in the years since making this narrow minded comment. | |
| Sufjan Stevens – We Are What You Say Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I hope that I can one day defiantly proclaim, "We are what you say." | |
| Sufjan Stevens – Adlai Stevenson Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I've come across another version of Adlai Stevenson in which it's only Sufjan and a guitar. Beautiful chords and amazing dexterity. | |
| Ryan Adams – Goodnight Rose Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| How is it that one man can be so ridiculously awesome? | |
| Dr. Dre – Fuck You Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This song is very deep | |
| Gojira – Vacuity Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| You call yourself sodomized wombat anus. | |
| 3 Inches of Blood – Deadly Sinners Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| The first time I listened to Deadly Sinners, I just sat there laughing with maniacal joy | |
| Gojira – Wolf Down The Earth Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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not all humans live as if the world belongs to them, but our culture (the one that began with the onset of full time agriculture) certainly does. gojira are at pains to see this, the waste and destruction that occurs at the hands of our culture. a people that act as if the world belongs to them instead of a people that belongs to the world. |
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| Gojira – Global Warming Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I feel like glaciers are my eyes And mountains are my head |
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| Gojira – The Way Of All Flesh Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song is brilliantly executed in all facets. The lyrics in particular, are of great interest to me, so much that this song makes me want to die. Not a suicidal desire, but a desire to truly let all go. |
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| Gojira – The Way Of All Flesh Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song is brilliantly executed in all facets. The lyrics in particular, are of great interest to me, so much that this song makes me want to die. Not a suicidal desire, but a desire to truly let all go. |
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| Gojira – Backbone Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I can relate to your mixed emotions about Gojira. I am drawn to Joe's spirituality, but I cannot just decide to believe what he believes about the afterlife, however comforting or empowering it may be to conceive it. | |
| Gojira – From the Sky Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I am truly afraid to hear this one live for the very same reason... | |
| Gojira – Oroborus Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I think it's excellent that Gojira can handle these ancient matters with such ferocity and grace. | |
| Gojira – Esoteric Surgery Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I appreciate your thorough interpretation of this excellent track. It, too, is one of my favorites on The Way of All Flesh. In many ways, Gojira has expanded my conception of what "heavy" and "metal" could be. Their lyrics in particular have made a deep impression on me, although some of it can be...esoteric. My favorite section of this track begins with: Suspended floating in empty spaces... I know I'll get a chance to see them live one of these days, but I'm afraid that I'll have such a "religious" experience that I'll embrace death on the spot. |
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| Gojira – Flying Whales Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I find it hard to believe that this picture on the wall is everything.... What does it mean to be dying? What if you take the guts and brain away? |
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| Syd Matters – Obstacles Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I learned about Syd Matters upon the release of his US record. If I understand correctly, the eponymous American debut was a collection of songs from his two European releases. I've since tracked down those releases as well as his most recent record, "Ghost Days." Syd Matters is now one of my most cherished artists. This song, along with "Lost Bird" and "Middle Class Men" are among my favorites. Definitely an under-appreciated talent! |
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| OutKast – Ova Da Wudz Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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POWER POWER I COME GIMME SOME! I dig this track. |
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| Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire – Ides Of Swing Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This song, the entire album, is a musical treasure, and anyone who comments on it is automatically a friend of mine. | |
| Ozma – Baseball Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Right there with you, Daniel. This song is loaded with memories from younger days. I tear up just thinking about this song. I've seen Ozma live once, and I should've gave them all a huge bear hug for giving me such good times. | |
| Sunshine Anderson – Heard It All Before Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Man, this track is straight outta the vault for me. Love the attitude, though. "but yo lies ain't workin' now..." | |
| Bobby Caldwell – What You Won't Do For Love Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Quite possibly a perfect cut. The groove is infectious and Bobby's voice is irresistibly smooth. I highly recommend checking out "What You Won't Do For Love Live in Japan '92" on Youtube. He's even better live. | |
| ZZ Top – Just Got Paid Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This song F'in rips. Would love to have a drink with both you guys come pay day | |
| Rage Against the Machine – Down Rodeo Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Just a quiet peaceful dance | |
| OutKast – Gangsta Shit (feat. Slimm Calhoun, BlackOwned C-Bone & T-Mo) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Off da chain danglin | |
| Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire – Dora Goes to Town Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I completely agree. I dance with my daughter to this track (amongst others) and we have a ball. | |
| MGMT – Pieces of What Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Oh shit! You're right! I like this song even better in its proper context, especially the stanza containing: Moonlight on my floor Shining through the roof They got the city surrounded As if I needed proof Thank you. |
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| Meshuggah – Rational Gaze Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I agree with the others that what Rational Gaze is getting at is a denial of the world taken for granted by our sense organs. The lyrics repeatedly refer to the eyes as being incapable of actually seeing what's "real." The lyrics imply that the "real reality" is something other than the material world. It reminds me of matter/spirit dualism, with the spirit realm being "Reality untouchable, transparent, invisible to our fixed, restricted fields of vision." As a rationalist, naturalist, materialist, etc., I remain a fan of the song and the band, but I don't assume that there is anything beyond the material world. When I first found the lyrics to Rational Gaze, I had hopes that it would be kind to the rationalist outlook, but it turned out to be completely ANTI-rational! :-) |
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| Gojira – From the Sky Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The climax of this song brings tears of joy to my eyes, especially when coupled with the passion of the lyrics when Joe sings: "I know the words. But now I feel it inside..." |
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| The Flaming Lips – Vein of Stars Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Much has been said about this song already, but I thought it would be interesting to point out that Vein of Stars seems to be the counter-point to My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion, which precedes it. In MCAR, Wayne is struggling with accepting the possiblity that this life is "all there is," that there isn't a grand plan or path for humans to follow, that there isn't some big SOMETHING on the "other side". Hence, his rebellion against the idea and anyone who would "destory us with their lies" by proclaiming it. However, in VOS, he says, "Who knows? Maybe there isn't...." I love this guy. |
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| The Flaming Lips – My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (The Inner Life as Blazing Shield of Defiance and Optimism as Celestial Spear of Action) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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In this track, I believe Wayne is struggling with accepting the possibility that this life is "all there is", that we do not survive death in some way, aka "the afterlife." He is rebelling against the notion that the death of our physical bodies spells the End. Autumn is used to signify the period of dying--"Yes, it's true someday everything dies"--that we all experience. He characterizes those who claim that "death is the end" as pessimistic liars and interprets their claim as defeatist. It seems that Wayne feels such a proposition devalues human life in some way. Wayne says, "They see the sun go down, but they dont' see it rise" to communicate his deep feeling that there is something on the "other side" of this life. While I understand his sentiment, I don't share it. I see nothing inherently pessimistic about the possibility that this life is all we have. It makes it that much more precious to me. Interestingly, in the very next track, "Vein of Stars", Wayne comes to terms with the fact that his Cosmic Autumn Rebellion may be mere wishful thinking, that it's possible that this life is all we truly have.... Beautiful song! |
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| Opeth – To Rid the Disease Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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In keeping with jonas87: It really does seem that Akerfeldt is looking at the evil done by people in this world and shouting, "Isn't the Creator responsible for what he has created?" But I also see Akerfeldt's indictment of God more as a poetic device than an actual complaint against a deity he believes to exist: "This failure (man himself with all this shortcomings) has made the Creator rather than the Creator making Man. An excellent musical composition. |
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| Pink Floyd – Your Possible Pasts Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| This is one of the most emotionally raw songs I've ever heard in my life. I feel like my heart just got ripped from my chest and spotlighted without warning. Absolutely gut-wrenchingly moving. I'm wondering if I will let myself weep, if Roger weeped as he wrote these words or after or ever. | |
| Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I - V) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Much of what I have been moved to say has already been said over the first six pages. Therefore, all I wish to add is this: What I hear in this song is the complete and utter celebration of a troubled, complicated man. There is no justification of his faults, no need for them. The author of the lyrics jubilantly celebrates the whole of this man--his joys and pains, triumphs and failures--in the sight of the entire universe. My heart overflows with admiration and my eyes with tears whenever I hear this song. |
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