| Atmosphere – The Wind Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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And it's: "a distinct, somewhat discreet, approach to the MAIZE" |
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| Atmosphere – Modern Man's Hustle Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Yes I completely agree with elemenop now. I totally got it wrong with my interpretation. | |
| Cage – Subtle Art Of The Breakup Song Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song is mostly fictional: Cage: I had a long time girlfriend of like seven years just bounce on me like two weeks after taking her to Costa Rica for like two weeks. So you come back from paradise, just trying to settle back into things, and this girl just bounces and breaks up with me the day before her birthday. So the "Subtle Art of the Breakup" on Hell's Winter is about her. |
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| Atmosphere – Free Or Dead Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"I've got this itch to prove my soul, and test my fate doing hunny(hundred) in a sixty five, got stopped by a copper caught, spotted, and radared by a chopper" I remember Slug saying in an interview that he has only ever gotten one driving ticket and that he was tracked down by a helicopter which took his speed or something like that. So those lines aren't actually metaphorical. But yeah, as MidNightSky47 said, this song is not about his car. He does indeed lace a lot of his songs with references to engines, brakes or whatever. "And if I did have a car I would speed down the road Until I reached my goal or my engine explodes" - The Wind "When it breaks, it'll all come together" - When it breaks "I'd rather live than die of dying to live" - When it breaks "Chosen my steps Prepare to pour an ear fill Trying to drive her soul Keep your hands on the steering wheel! One at nine, the other at three won’t ever find another like she I call her thief because she took it Put the key in the hole and started upsetting cruise control BAM! Hit a tree, my fault I wasn't looking" - The Ocean There are many car references in Slug's writings and they most definitely all refer to women, with some being obvious and some not. |
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| Atmosphere – Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| And "Body Pillow" of course. | |
| Atmosphere – The Wind Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| In my opinion, the most puzzling Atmosphere song. | |
| Atmosphere – A Song About A Friend Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Yes I agree, after a few months I've come to realise that this song is definitely about a woman. What I don't appreciate is your condescending attitude. I never said that I was correct, I was merely suggesting, as was everyone else. So basically, fuck you, you arrogant, know-it-all, douchebag. |
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| Atmosphere – Always Coming Back Home To You Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song really intrigues me, here's a long, messy interpretation: If you're ever trying to understand something that Slug is saying, you really have to look deep into every lyric. For instance: "Bangles in my head, shake the song off Another Manic Monday night, it's gonna be a long walk" In the song "Manic Monday", the protagonist (who is a woman...well, I suppose a man when you think about the fact that Prince wrote the song) wants to spend time with his/her loved one but can't because they must go to work, a possible reflection of how Slug is constantly touring, trying to make ends meat, but never spending time with the mother of his son nor his son himself (just listen to "Little Man" for confirmation on that). ------- I don't know why but I think he's talking about his mother in the final verse, or possibly God, or the mother of his son. This song has a hidden message to it, especially when one looks at these lines: They can leave me for dead, they can take away my true Through the lies and the sins that ride the wind that blew As sure as the life in the garden that you grew If only I had known what you already knew (Slug switches "As sure as the life in the garden that you grew" to "As sure as the life in the stomach that she grew" on the Sad Clown Bad Dub 13 performance) ----- I'm reminded very much of "The River" when I hear this song, because they both deal with growing up. On top of that, the references to "the wind" and then almost immediately after it "the garden" reminds me of the lines: "We could sit in the shade and discuss the meaning of sacred 'cause I can't see the garden no more, just the aphids but the wind still blows, and the plants still grow" There's a very strong religious sentiment in both songs. Look at the syntax here: "Swear to God hip hop and comic books was my genesis." God and Genesis (the first book of the Bible) are both mentioned and notice how he says "was" as opposed to "were", possibly a nod to the fact that he is actually only referring to Hip-Hop, or possibly comic books. -------- I believe that "The River" is ultimately about the fact that he has failed both his mother and the mother to his son, so I suppose that should be applied here. ------ Took a ride on Lyndale, I'm gettin' near But then the road became empty, and the people disappeared The clouds ran away, opened up the sky And one by one, I watched every constellation die And there I was frozen, standin' in my backyard Face to face, eye to eye, starin' at the last star I should have known, walked all the way home To find that she wasn't here, I was still all alone Take good note of the reference to constellations here, because they feature fairly prominently in Atmosphere songs (Slug enjoys mentioning that he is a Virgo quite often, along with him mentioning the fact that his father is Aquarius and his mother is Pisces in "Don't Ever Fucking Question That"). One thing I've noticed here is how he mentions that he is "in his back yard" but then says that he "walked all the way home", was he not home already if he was in his backyard?. Finally, throughout the song we get a sense of completion, "I did this" or "I used to be this" or "I was this". Even the constellations and clouds seem to have dispersed in a tight and neat way, "one by one I watched every constellation die". However, in the last two lines, we see an incompletion with "she" not being there, with she, in my opinion, being either his girl or a metaphor for the wife that he has always wanted but never had. Then he begins to say "No matter where I am, no matter what I do, I'm always come back home to you" despite the fact that "she" isn't home. In conclusion, Slug has gone through so many trials and tribulations but the one thing that is always on his mind, the one thing (or person) that he always returns to is that he still is without a wife. I back this up through lyrics on the song "The Arrival": "C'mon, I'm just a cat searching for a clean lap to crash, In a world hurting, waiting for their turn to take a nap. Sorting through the bills, fan mail, and life threats. Wondering why the postman ain't delivered my wife yet?" Not just in "The Arrival" but also songs like "The Ocean" and "Body Pillow" he speaks about a similar type of topic. That's simply an interpretation, there are loads of other things that could be said about this song. By "she" he could be referring to Minneapolis, who knows. There are a few things that I haven't touched so I encourage you all to keep thinking away!. |
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| Atmosphere – Always Coming Back Home To You Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| well what do you think it's about then? | |
| Atmosphere – If I Was Santa Claus Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song and "The River" are my favourite two Atmosphere songs. I think that this song is one that can apply to anyone, it's the classic example of when someone feels as though they could really be a saviour for someone else but they're powerless to do so (much like the way jabberwockysuperfly feels right now), whether it be down to social groups, race, class etc. Santa Claus is a metaphor for being at the top of the food chain, for having influence, for being famous, for having the ability to do things that normal people can't do. In terms of Slug, I think that he is directing this towards women, society and Hip-Hop, or basically, the whole world. This line here: "And if I was a better cook" reminds me of a line in the song "The Ocean": "If I could cook half as good as you look, I'd trade my headphones and my notebook for all the time you took up to shine". The "if" clause (no pun intended) appears many times throughout Atmosphere songs, notably in "The River". This is probably my favourite verse out of all of the music, let alone Atmosphere, I have ever heard: "And if I did have a choice I'd never want to live forever Just let me have a voice so I can make my points I can't imagine running a race with no finish line Just let me keep my pace and make to most of my time I love giving but I'm bad at receiving The truth is, I'd prefer to be the one bleeding But I'm a paranoid that stays between play and work Cautious and aware, 'cause I'm afraid of being hurt Which brings me to the issue And that would be this: How often must I ask myself why I exist? I feel like a freak, this world is a circus Just trying to find myself as well as my purpose" It speaks for itself, but for want of a definition, he's basically explaining why he is unable to carry out all of the actions that he spoke of before, which is why the beat slows down. Slug uses "if" to signify that he is lacking in these qualities that he speaks of and this verse, or to be specific, the middle part of the verse, explains why he lacks in those qualities: "I love giving but I'm bad at receiving The truth is, I'd prefer to be the one bleeding But I'm a paranoid that stays between play and work Cautious and aware, 'cause I'm afraid of being hurt" He then explains why he wants to be Santa Claus: "Which brings me to the issue And that would be this: How often must I ask myself why I exist? I feel like a freak, this world is a circus Just trying to find myself as well as my purpose". I can't explain the final stanza since I don't really know what Slug is talking about. |
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| Atmosphere – Modern Man's Hustle Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Thanks man. | |
| Atmosphere – The Woman with the Tattooed Hands Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"On a plane, I wrote a song called "Woman with the tattooed hands" about the woman sitting next to me. I didn't know her, but she kept staring at me like she hated me. So I started to write the song next to her, hoping that she would look down and notice. She didn't." - Slug Whole interview here: http://railroadhiphop.blogspot.com/2008/08/as-i-sat-down-in-front-of-my-computer.html |
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| Atmosphere – Don't Ever Fucking Question That Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Well I had a sort of long interpretation written out but I've lost it so I'm not fucked doing it again lol. I think that this song is beyond comprehension. First, you need to have listened to SDBD II and also the other Lucy EPs to even be able to begin understanding what Slug is saying, and even then, it's still completely impossible. This song is so ambiguous that it isn't funny. It could be about women, it could be about Hip-Hop, I have no idea. It's certainly not as cut and dry as a lot of people think it is. |
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| Atmosphere – Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Slug explains the song in the beginning of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTaWpU6k9_Y He makes no mention of George Bush, though heyy101's interpretation of the Bush meaning does make sense. I think that this song is completely subjective, that is, it is up to the listener to decide what it is about. For me, this is about the frustration, anger and confusion over feeling inferior to someone, the disgust at how arrogant and cocky some people can be. Don't you all feel angry when you get snubbed by someone whose opinion you care about?. When you care so much about someone that when they ignore you or whatever, don't you just despise them for it?. Then afterwards, you feel completely confused because it's as if you love something or someone so much that you hate it, which doesn't make sense. That's what this song is about for me. The bird singing represents the utmost symbol of innocence, yet it is what instigates the hatred, which adds to the confusion. Note that Slug has written about feeling inferior before, e.g. "Song About a Friend". |
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| Atmosphere – The River Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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OK, I've had some time to think. To completely understand this song, you have to listen to the whole Sad Clown Bad Dub II record, because each song on it seems to be connected. This song makes loads of references to nature, as does the whole record. "Wind", "Ocean" and "River" pop up (either together or on their own or in twos) a lot throughout (and each of them have their own songs of course) every song on the album. I'm still working this whole thing out but make note of the beginning of the song: "This one gave her one of those funny feelings, almost had to stop, every time I hear a river I think the mother is crying." All I can say is that the whole record could be one big metaphor for women, or even for hip-hop and writing. |
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| Goldfinger – Free Me Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Wow, first comment for over 2 years lol. I don't like how fascist the two other uses above me were being. Yes this is obviously about animal cruelty but I think it can be applied to a lot of situations. How dare you just crush what someone has said and act like a complete priggish douchebag in the process. If someone thinks of a song in a certain way then you have absolutely no right to tell them that they're wrong and that they can't think that way. I say that because I agree with Berkowitz412's interpretation of the song and Yersinia is just making a fucking tard out of her/himself because Berkowitz412 clearly stated the meaning of the song before going on to state his interpretation. |
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| Atmosphere – The Woman with the Tattooed Hands Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Everyone has made very good interpretations (especially spazberry). Though I think this song may be pointing out a few things, such as women in general. The lines: "I didn't get turned on I just got turned I wasn't as aroused as I was concerned For each one of 'em I've hurt And every time I've been burned I've got a lot to teach but even more to learn" and "So now I keep my eyes open, hoping to take in all I can About woman taking in all she can" The line "about woman taking in all she can" really speaks to me. It seems as though Slug feels sorry for the woman because she "takes in" the forces of both Heaven and Hell. However I'm not sure if he is referring to simply the woman with the tattooed hands or possibly women in general. Yes this song has a clear religious message, however I believe that there is also a possible feminist message embedded in the song as well. |
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| Atmosphere – Wooden Ships Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Why has no one commented on this? Classic song. | |
| Atmosphere – Pour Me Another Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| I agree with Viperzshadow. This song does sound like a continuation of "Fuck You Lucy". Apart from the allusion to alcohol, I'm still a little unsure about this song, especially because of the similarity to "Fuck You Lucy" which is about Hip-Hop. Anyone care to give a deep interpretation?. | |
| Atmosphere – The River Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Yeah I get ya pourmeanother. I've been looking at the break ("When I see lightning, feels like my buzz is heightening...) but I don't know what he's on about. It seems as though this song is metaphorical, but I can't see it. It seems as though this guy Brian was like his mentor who was far more knowledgeable than a lot of the people Slug knew and he used to enlighten Slug with his words. However, he passed away and now Slug is confused about life (as we can see from many of his songs) and seeks advice from his old friend Brian because he believes that Brian would be the only person who could tell him what he needs to do. And that's the reasoning behind the chorus; he would do anything to discover the secrets that Brian knew about because he thinks that they could help him achieve elusive happiness. That's all I can say, but I'm pretty sure there must be a metaphor behind all of this. This song should have more comments, easily one of their best works. |
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| Atmosphere – Reflections Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song references a few past songs, the most prominent being Hair. There could be an underlying meaning to this I think, but I'm not too sure. I'm concentrating on the chorus: "Look at your face when all I could see was myself looking back at me" Looking at the lyrics, it's like he thought he was finding another dumb girl to have sex with but instead found a girl who was exactly like him, trying to find another dumb guy to have sex with. The Modern Man's Hustle interlude in this song REFLECTS his own interlude at the beginning of Modern Man's Hustle. So he ended up finding himself inside of this girl; they both desire the exact same thing. I agree with BattleBean that this song deals with "Hair" in depth. And what happened in Hair? They both died. This song explains why: they were the exact same and ended up cancelling each other out. |
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| Atmosphere – The Abusing of the Rib Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| This song is definitely equivocal. It can be applied to both a woman and to Hip-Hop. Take into account that this is an early song, and Lucy in her early days used to just represent all of Slug's past girlfriends that fucked him over, it could be that this song is just about a woman. However, as seen here, it can be easily applied to Hip-Hop (maybe that's what Slug noticed too back in the day and that's why he started shifting Lucy towards Hip-Hop). Such a great song. Have to say a big up to Ant for the melody for this too, it seems as though whenever Slug has something really great written, Ant has the perfect melody to back it up. | |
| Atmosphere – Fuck You Lucy Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Also, note that "Pour me Another" has the same chord progression and in the last line of this song he says "So instead, I'mma finish my drink and have another while you think about how you used to be my lover" Just thought I'd throw that into the fray. |
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| Atmosphere – Fuck You Lucy Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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"A friend in Chicago said that I should stay persistent If I stay around I'm bound to break resistance Fuck you Lucy for defining my existence Fuck you and your differences " I'd concentrate on these lines if this song is supposed to be referring to Hip-Hop. I don't know who this friend in Chicago is but what I get from these lines is that he was told to persist with his style because he would eventually find a niche, but now he's just saying fuck you to Hip-hop for defining what he's about and not accepting his style. |
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| Atmosphere – Bleed Slow Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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fyisabrina is on to something I think, though I think a bit differently. This is another metaphorical song. I think that the "power of speak" is him referring to his raps and how they makes many women fall for him. Just look at "Hair" and even "Modern Man's Hustle" (if you consider him to be talking about a woman and not Hip-Hop). In fact, just note the opening lines of Modern Man's Hustle: "The first time I met the devil was at a motel 6 She left hell to spend her weekends on earth just for kicks Sexy little bitch, shorter than expected About 5 foot 5, gettin thick in the breast and thighs Beautiful dark eyes, a strong stare Large lips, soft hands and long hair I said I'll make you smile for the simple fact I'm good at it I'll make you smile just so I can sit and look at it" It's the exact same idea (also note the distortion of the beginning which makes it sound a bit more like Bleed Slow). This song really goes hand in hand with Modern Man's Hustle (on which I gave a big interpretation as to why it's about rap, which I'm starting to regret haha). So basically, these women are "fitting into his palm" (some of whom, according to this song, not being in a good emotional state) and they think that he's different because of the power of speak which he obtains, however; Slug thinks of himself as being a scumbag (or in this case the Devil) and feels guilty that these vulnerable women are falling for him whilst he's letting them do so and in his mind "killing" them, though I think this represents the pain that they receive (because they expected him to be the saviour to their horrible life) when he leaves them if once again you look at Modern Man's Hustle. "I will love you, through simple and the struggle but girl you gotta understand the modern man must hustle" |
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| Atmosphere – Modern Man's Hustle Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Ok, I'm going to make a long ass interpretation. This is another allegorical song I think. Taking Lucy as meaning Hip-Hop, here's what I can make of the song: "Who cares what Jane says? She always spits the same spit I'd rather kill the radio and listen to the rain hit" It sounds like he's talking about all mainstream rappers but in the she form and calling them "Jane". Possibly a tongue in cheek insult as he sees them as all being one person, especially as "Jane" is a very common name. It's like he is saying that he doesn't care about what all of these rappers on the radio are saying because it's all the same, redundant crap to him. He'd rather listen to the sound of rain than listen to them. "Little sister needs seclusion somehow she'll discover it through the pop music Got used to the feeling of falling, but you'll never see her following Bouncing back and forth between the heeling and the hollering Riding the outer ring of your own private Saturn Thoughts scatter all across the grey matter" Probably referencing how rap is starting to sound so poppy, therefore becoming shitty and getting used to being shitty ("got used to the feeling of falling"). Nonetheless, "she" will always be different than the norm (pop music) and will always provoke thoughts from people and will "ride the outer ring" (the abstract side I suppose) of their brains (the "private Saturns"). "Little baby doll she doesn't know what to say to ya'll The patience is short and of course the pride is way to tall Break it all smash the past like it was made of glass Ain't no other way to make it last It hurts to watch Lucy lose the dream I've had the pleasure of seeing our hero her kick and scream And when she calms down I'll turn the sound down And put my arms around the little lost and found and I'll tell her that.." I think this part could make the biggest argument that Slug is referring to Hip-hop. The young rappers don't know what to say to people in their lyrics but because they're so capricious and arrogant that they just forget about Hip Hop's basics. It's a shame to see Hip-Hop fall so badly but Slug has found pleasure in "her" distress because it means that he can step in, drown out the other rappers ("turn the sound down") and be "her" saviour. The chorus re-enforces that sentiment, though I'm still puzzled, when taking Lucy as Hip-hop, as to what he means by "but girl you gotta understand the modern man must hustle". He could be saying that even though he'll help Hip-Hop through the bad times, he won't be around forever, i.e. he could die or retire or something. The second verse is a bit more complicated I think. "Hush little lady don't say a word Or the rest of the village gonna know you're disturbed And if you let them know that you're vulnerable Then there ain't no stopping how far they open you slow (yo yo yo)" Here he is referring to himself and how personal his raps are. He seems to be quoting what people have probably said to him regarding his raps. Though I think this is looking too deeply into it, note the "yo yo yo" at the end, which could be acting as both a hint that he's talking about rap and also a nod towards the song "Tears for Sheep" which deals with a similar type of topic (it ends with "yo yo yo yo stop the sound now!") "I'm a chapter in your text book read me like a chequebook Mistook love at first sight for a sex look Enough of the blind man's bluff, I want the good stuff Trying to hookup a full belly and a foot rub" Once again referring to how open his raps are (also making an allusion to money with "chequebook") and then talking about how he tried to embrace rap immediately (definitely referencing a line in "Don't Ever Fucking Question That": "but when I faced her - I attempted to embrace her, she looked so fine..."). He moves on to scorn the other rappers again ("blind man's bluff") with the "full belly and a foot rub" possibly referencing the high life of being a superstar. The modern man's hustle I dig it, I shuffle Feed me your troubles and need me to cuddle (come on) Bundle up in my mitten and coat As cold as it gets I keep your winter afloat So let the snow fall, (it's coming down) She doesn't want to understand why I still come around She look at the mirror she don't see what I see She holds no history of how precious she be Lay your head on my chest, speak of the stress Kick your feet up and rest, before we clean up the nest I hate to see you upset it cramps the position And if you didn't know you better listen (you better listen) Cause... Basically once again re-enforcing what he said earlier. No matter how harsh the winter is (i.e. the decline of rap) he'll still be around. "She" doesn't understand why he's so devoted because she doesn't realise how important she is and has been to him throughout his life due to how distorted "she" has become nowadays from when he was a kid. He then says he'll "clean up the nest" (again referring to being the saviour of Hip-Hop) and re-enforces his sentiment again. I've gone far too in depth but this song is so good that I think it deserves a really long explanation. Slug could just be referring to a woman, but I think that saying he's talking about Hip-Hop is a very valid argument, especially with the mentioning of Lucy's name. |
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| Atmosphere – Painting Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Great great song, I can also really relate to it. I actually really liked the album, I think a lot of people hated it just because it was different than the other stuff, but songs like "Painting", "The Waitress", "Me" and "In Her Music Box" really make the album good. Sure, not their best, but it was good for what it was. | |
| Atmosphere – A Song About A Friend Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I'm unsure about this song. On the one hand, it does obviously sound like he's talking about a relationship, but knowing how metaphorical Slug is, I've started to think that he's actually talking about rap music and that the woman whom he refers to is actually the success that he craves (or craved) in the rap industry and/or life. It's the chorus that has had me going with this theory, just the whole idea of him being at the bottom of the ladder, with success being at the top, and he's so far down that he can see up "her" dress. I'm quite sure that there's something more to it. |
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| Atmosphere – The Waitress Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I think everyone has misinterpreted the end of the song. I think that when he says "I should have been a better father to my daughter" he is referring to how he got into his situation (living on the streets). That leads me to think that there is a link between "The Waitress" and "In Her Music Box" (the two songs follow each other on the album) The father of the girl is a pimp and his lawyer is mentioned. He gets thrown in jail, loses custody of his daughter and ends up living on the streets maybe. That's just my interpretation of it. |
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