submissions
| Manic Street Preachers – Valley Boy Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I really like this song.
Anyway I think it's just about the Wire being rather xenophobic (a sheltered boy from the valleys) and ignoring European culture while on tour for the comforts of British cultural imperialism (M&S and the BBC). I'm not sure why the song gets so depressing towards the end- I think it may just be his lament for the fact that although he has become a famous rock star, in global demand, those very things he takes comfort in are evidence that the messages of MSP are falling on deaf ears. |
submissions
| Hole – Be a Man Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Yeah, there's an element to this song that kind of suggests that women have earned the right to call themselves "men" or even have a penis more than men. The way she talks about being "jealous" at the beginning, I don't think it's her true feelings but just that it's commonly used by people who want to reject women who stand against sexism, saying they're "man-haters" or just jealous that they're not men. Then by the time she screams "I'm big enough to be a man" it seems she's made the point that while many men abuse their status "raping the world", etc., women have earned it more. Either that or it doesn't take much effort to be what society defines as a man, so anyone can do it. And Courtney suggests that some men's fear of castation is to do with the idea losing their power- they can't "be a man", i.e.: be the embodiment of brave, tough, and courteous, unless they live without a penis. It's quite the paradox. |
submissions
| Devo – Triumph Of The Will Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I assume by "breaks a taboo" you mean rape? That's what I think. And obviously Devo are mocking him by comparing his "it's just nature" excuse to fascism. |
submissions
| PJ Harvey – Man-Size Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Well, it could be about transsexuality, or just a woman wishing she was male so that her voice would be heard in sexist society. "Calculate my birthrite" could either be working hard to prove you're as good as a man, or going into math/science related fields which are normally associated with men (while academic women tend to be associated with languages and social sciences) to "prove" the masculine nature of your brain.
The "Good lord I'm big" and "leather boots" sound like fantasies of either domination or masculinity (they are seen as connected so it's unclear), while the bit about "casting iron knickers down" refers to finally beng comfortable having sexual relations in that role.
Also "skinned alive" does remind of serial killer Ed Gein, who would create "woman suits" out of his victims and dress up in them (it's unclear whether or not he was transgendered). It could be Polly subverting that idea and turing it arond into a biologically female person doing it to a dude. It would make sense given the fact that other songs on ROM like Legs and Rid of Me are about women carrying out violent, possessive crimes which are associated with men and have parallels in the stories of real life male stalkers/serial killers.
I think that's the point of a lot of the songs on ROM, whether they're violent or not, Polly uses a sexual role reversal on many tracks (50ft Queenie being another example). |
submissions
| Marilyn Manson – Organ Grinder Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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smp2099, I had the same thought. Even though Jackson had faced some allegations before Portrait was released, I still doubt we're right, but you never know. You could also say that the references to someone's "daddy" are about Jackson's issues with his father and how he tried to achieve his own wishes for success through the young Michael. |
submissions
| Marilyn Manson – President Dead Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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A lot of MM's lyrics mention the theme of people gaining celebrity after they die. Someone above got it right when they said the president is a controlled, useless figurehead rather than a true leader- a celebrity, if you like. IMO this song is about JFK in particular (see Lamb of God) and how after he died, he was idolised by the American people, as he had been assassinated at the height of his fame- kind of in the same way Jesus Christ became a celebrated figure because of his death rather than what he did in life. "Give the bills time to work" and the idea that "martyrs" don't know why they are considered so great might be a reference to the fact that JFK didn't have much time to carry out real change during his presidency, despite his aspirations- who knows, he could have turned out to be a terrible president, but he died before he cold become unpopular in the mainstream. I see the reference to a "stained glass skull" as more evidence of this.
People buying tickets in order to find God sounds like a criticism of the commercialised form of religion that is promoted in some countries, as well as noting that people tend to worship pop culture figures, politicians and embodiments of patriotism as gods. I would argue that JFK himself was all three of these things- a martyr for American values, an idealist politician and a popular figure all at the same time. It's drawing parallels between religion, celebrity and death like so many of MM's lyrics do, in order to further criticise religion and the seedy underbelly/hypocrisy of American society.
I know this is long, sorry :P I just wanted to share my thoughts. |
submissions
| Tribe 8 – Neanderthal Dyke Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It's clearly about a contingent within the lesbian community that doesn't strongly identify with feminism or even have any unity with other women. Instead they just want to date and fuck women who they see as "sexy eyeliner babes". I think the song's criticising them and suggesting they're no better than heterosexual women who objectify women and show little concern for them besides. |
submissions
| Tori Amos – Yo George Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I've just discovered something else interesting. There is a play/film about George III called "The Madness of King George" that is supposed to deal primarily with "the relative powerlessness of the British monarch in a time when Parliament is supreme". Again this can be compared to Bush, as some have criticised him as little more than a puppet used by others in the administration. There is also a satirical book about Bush called "The Madness of King George". |
submissions
| Tori Amos – Big Wheel Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I get the feeling this song has more than one concrete meanings. There could be allusions to Magdalene (heck knows she's used them before) and oppressive relationships.
What I got from this song was a response to critics of Tori. Since it's one of "Tori"'s songs, it fits that the song would be a little bit of a parody of her earlier music and about what people think of Tori Amos as an artist. I don't think that's the complete picture, though. |
submissions
| Tori Amos – Yo George Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It's obviously a criticism of the Bush Administration, but I thought it could also be comparing Dubya to King George III- both named George, both unpopular among America for their policies. And of course, it refers to "the madness of King George", and later in life George III developed mental illnesses. Though I could just be reading too much into the song, the message is pretty simple. |
submissions
| Manic Street Preachers – Revol Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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Personally, "Trotsky-honeymoon-serenade the naked" is the hardest analogy to figure out. I suppose it might make more sense to someone who knows enough about Trotsky. All the others can be figured out by looking at a brief rundown of their political actions on Wikipedia or somewhere similar.
This is a great song to confuse people with, they hardly ever know what in the heck it's talking about. |
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