| Vampire Weekend – Holiday Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| My guess as to the meaning: someone who hates the war in Iraq, and wants to escape it, so heads out on vacation/holiday. But upon getting to their beach-bound destination, the local t-shirt shops have shirts with some sort of war/bomb slogans on them (in jest or not) and she realizes that she can't escape war just by escaping home. | |
| Derek Webb – Zeros & Ones Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
I think that money is only a very small idea of this song. Zeros and Ones reference binary states, which apply to many things beyond computers. Black and white is another binary state; nothing is in grays or colors, it's either black or white. Much of the song seems to be about the irony of his fame (and money) for certain types of music, but desiring to break out of those molds and follow his heart into those colors and shades of gray. But he knows that, in the end, if he doesn't write certain sorts of songs, he will face rejection and criticism for it. Much of this album (like most of his solo work) is critical of the conservative/protestant/Republican/American circles that he came out of, and much of it has been criticized as "un-Christian" because of that. That goes back to the binary state referred to in this song: the belief (among some) that one must be a hyper conservative version of all of those things, or else a pagan. He's dying to break out of that mold, to live among the outcast subcultures, to bleed red instead of the blood-thinning black and white that he has to live in to sell. And, as a side note, it appears that with Stockholm Syndrome, he's decided to forgo the old way and try to live in color... and it doesn't seem to be hurting him monetarily. |
|
| Derek Webb – Jena & Jimmy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Like pretty much the whole album, this song is just a metaphor. I think this one, unlike some others, is specifically about American Evangelical Protestants and the Republican Party. Jimmy is the Republican party, Jena is the Church. Jena wants good, she wants to save the world. Even though they have some vague common interests, all Jimmy really wants is her body. He entices her, intoxicates her, and pretends to care about what she cares about long enough to take her home, and keeps smiling and nodding so she'll keep believing it's her interests he cares about. But in the end, he's only really trying to shut her up about what she cares about so that he can get what he wants. The Republican party has been keeping the Church intoxicated with lines about being pro-life for how many years now? Yet when they had a majority in both houses, and the presidency, and 5 seats on SCOTUS, they passed 0 bills outlawing, restricting, or otherwise preventing abortion. And that's just one of a dozen issues where the Church is playing the whore to the State. But if the church starts to complain, it's all "just lighten up... baby we got all night" or "Gonna kiss your lips to shut you up". |
|
| Derek Webb – The Proverbial Gun Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
First of all, this song is a continuation of "The State", both musically and lyrically. After The State spoke of selling one's morality to the state, this song explains what can follow. That song ended with: >>Right and wrong were written on my heart and not just in the laws that condemned me >>But now with Caesar satisfied I can even do the things that should offend me From this point, he can take actions that should offend the conscience. (Perform abortions? Kill abortion doctors? Bomb villages with suspected terrorists? Why not all of the above!) And best of all, his Uncle (Sam) tells him he's supporting freedom while he does it! And once the sin is committed, it is judged not by God, but in the mind of the public. And since the public is inherently made of sinful people, they are 1) more likely to feel guilt in condemning him for things they would do and 2) easy to bribe. And so he's let off for his sins, even though still covered in proverbial blood, and considers it absolution, because he's married his conscience to the state. |
|
| Derek Webb – The State Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Like most of the songs on this album, this is a metaphor for problems with the modern American church and her marriage to political systems. It's a story of how the Church, as well as individual Christians, is supposed to separate itself from the State (to varying degrees, anyway) so as to follow the teachings of Jesus over and above the laws of the land. >>That laws unjust were only good for breaking A common teaching since the earliest days of the church is that a Christian should follow those laws of the land that do not contradict the teachings of Christ, and when they do, break the laws (and suffer the consequences.) This teaching was used by the civil rights movement in the US; they broke the laws nonviolently, and then took the punishment, to shame their oppressors into changing the laws. This song notes, however, that a large swath of the modern Church has married itself to the state, metaphorically, and is willing to violate the teachings of Christ when told to by the State. Exactly WHICH teachings you think we are violating will depend on which political platform you stand. Those toward the right wing might point to mainstream Christian churches' pro-choice stance (among other things.) Those on the left wing may point to fundamentalist churches' support of war or torture (among other things.) Both would, of course, be right. But if you want to get the real meaning, you need to look at your OWN side and see what evils it is willing to perpetuate at the order of the State (or at the order of the party or movement or...) |
|
| Derek Webb – Cobra Con Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
In a nutshell, the meaning is that it's harder (but better) to turn the other cheek than fight back, as explained in the choruses. In the verses he lists some ways to NOT turn the other cheek (police, backroom politics, Molotov cocktails) and says there has to be a better way. Then he lists ways to help the needy (dream of a better world, advertise it, protest on behalf of the sick & poor) as a better way. In the bridge he tells how the politicized church is failing in this, by pushing our agenda to "do good", but using very evil means to do it (bombings/war, executions, etc.) and asking God to bless our sins because of _why_ we do them. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.