| Bob Dylan – Only a Pawn in Their Game Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The phrase "only a pawn in their game" is not saying that the poor white man is only a pawn in the government's larger scheme, as is often reflected in the above posts. It's a sarcastic comment on a documentary that the John Birch society put out in the 60's, saying that the civil rights movement and black justice were only a covert attempt to promote Communism in America. The documentary portrays the black movement as a socialist mentality to use 'equal rights' to implant communism as a substitute for the 'democratic freedom' of consumerist 'me-first' america. Thus, in the first verse for example, Dylan is NOT saying that the assassin is not to blame, rather, he is saying it in a sarcastic tone: "oh no, the assisin is not to blame, he is only a pawn in the larger game using the blacks to get a communist goverment." Dylan even says in the last line that Evers himself was a pawn in the game of the movement - to bring pity to the civil rights movement, and in doing so, the communist movement underneath it. Dylan's lyrics do not point to who is behind the movement to communism, whether the blacks themselves, or the government itself (although in verse two he says that the Negro's name is used it is plain For the politician's gain). He only points out, sarcastically, that the "poor white man" is suffering the blows of this movement to take away his rights. All the white, poor or not, benefited from the powerful hand of politics during that time. Dylan never thought that the white man was 'poor' or unfortunate, as is also noted in his song Oxford Town. His line "But the poor white man's used in the hands of them all like a tool" is sarcastic comment on how the politicians are trying to instill a larger movement under which even the 'poor' white man becomes a pawn. He becomes more forthcoming in his lines: "the laws are with him To protect his white skin To keep up his hate..." Even the poor white man becomes rich in hatred. Dylan spoke on several occasions about the John Birch Society, sarcastically, as is examplified in "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues". |
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| Bob Dylan – Only a Pawn in Their Game Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This is an inaccurate interpretation of what Dylan is saying. See sp12342 post below. | |
| Bob Dylan – Blind Willie McTell Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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One of his best, Dylan's haunting voice harks this ballad as a true blues song (without the standard musical blues structure of course), beckoning the author to lament the spirit of something true that can't be named... I'm posting to correct an error in the lyrics. It should be: Well, I heard that hoe-down singing As they were taking down the tents The stars above the barren trees Was his only audience A hoedown is an outdoor musical dance, that the narrator was commenting on, and had finished, and so McTell sat alone under the stars after the party was done and gone, and played his blues and true music perhaps at the site of the stage where the performers sang. No one there, but the stars and trees. Beautiful image. One of his best lines ever: Well, God is in heaven And we all want what's his But power and greed and corruptible seed Seem to be all that there is |
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| Wintersleep – Dead Letter & The Infinite Yes Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The title is "Dead Letter & the Infite Yes." A dead letter is 1. An unclaimed or undelivered letter that after a period of time is destroyed or returned to the sender by the postal service. 2. A law, directive, or factor still formally in effect but no longer valid or enforced. Clearly the song refers to the destructive nature of the human mind: Restless sense of detachment, nausea and or violence, IN CONTRAST with the body: There's been talk of chemical imbalances, and the body is dead. The reference to the therapist also suggests that the narrator is caught in this juxtoposition as reinforced by the therapist. The 'directives' of our world, humanities mind-generated ideas on how to further humanity (ie possibly technology) aren't working: they're just accidents. The infinite yes, however, ie, the way out, or the anciently perpetuated desire for salvation (as seen in all the worlds religions), is an unconditional acceptance to the plight of our condition. Even in the face of feeding on viruses, there is a very smll chance of hope (ie whispers of it), that will take us out of our current situation. The therapist in the story, clearly is not helping the narrator, almost taunting the narrator to keep the fatalistic point of view. But the narrator can't help hear it coming: an infinite yes, and it's coming, fast. |
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| Bob Dylan – Love Minus Zero/No Limit Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Yes, quite possibly the Henry James novel, as well. Thus, Dylan's doing both. The bridge at midnight trembles, The country doctor rambles, Bankers' nieces seek perfection, Expecting all the gifts that wise men bring. The wise men is clearly biblical (I'm not religious, but christian symbology constantly reflects in Dylan's lyrics; often critically). To add the James' novel idea into this suggests that banker's neices (which may be a literary reference to Portrait of a Lady, but also a metaphorical reference to us in our modern age (in the 60's when this was written, Dylan was very critical of modern western ideology)), expect everything to come to them, as do many western countries (stererotypically the States, and therefore us the reader as well), when they want it. Beautiful. |
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| Anna Nalick – Breathe (2 A.M.) Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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okay, I don't know why I'm responding, because there are several hundred others with their opinion, but I can't help it. Here goes... The first verse is about a good friend who calls because she got pregnant, obviously. She's asking anna to help her unravel the mistake, ie the pregnancy, so, they go to the abortion clinic. Winter just wasn't my season refers to probably SAD, a seasonal affective disorder... or, simply, winter kinda sucks so the friend ended up sleeping with someone she necessarily didn't want to, because it was a crummy time of year, ie winter, and he somehow woo'd her when she was a bit down. At the abortion clinic, all the others shoot the both of them critical eyes because she is so young (ie under 20yrs)... but, they are also there for an abortion. It's probably not that their eyes are really so hypocritical, but when you feel ashamed of going someplace (in this case the aboriton clinic)everyone's eyes feel like their are "on you" as it were... the rest is more obvious. btw, algorri on this site claims he is THAT boy on ft. bliss, which is an army base in new mexico. |
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| Bob Dylan – Love Minus Zero/No Limit Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Probably one of the most brilliant songs written. He's trying to speak to perfect love, the idealized love, but all that is possible and that we often see elements of in our own lovers and those we love. dylan here shows his true understanding of people. I won't do the whole song, as many have done much above, but just quickly, my favourite line: "In the dime stores and bus stations, People talk of situations, Read books, repeat quotations, Draw conclusions on the wall." Here he talks about the trite/common aspects of the commercial and sellable (dime stations etc), the very things people talk about and how they sell their own ideas when really they are just repetiting other people's thoughts/ideas. He also brings in religious elements as he does later in the "wise men" line of bearing gifts for a saviour (the trite banker's neices {ie us} who want to be treated as a saviour in our own egoic pride handed to us through lineage and class) - drawing conclusions on the wall refers to the 'writing on the wall' in the old testement, which tells of forboding doom to those who keep practicing as such, ie in this case, practicing repeating quotations of others - in other words, not being original will only bring you consequences. wow, so much, in only a few words... I once heard a brilliant version of this song done live by a small-time folk singer who added the following verse at the very end: Princes and their kingdoms And the socialites who wonder Could it be their one and only blunder is to seek what they already have. Clowns entertain their fortunes History buffs relive their own ruins My love, amidst ridecule and praises Walks away not affected at all. any ideas of its origins? Dylan's or the singer's? |
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