| Aesop Rock – Water Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Ok first, this is awesome, thanks! I agreed with just about all of it except one part. I am not sure that he is saying that our water isn't safe. Modern society has replaced the role of water and filled it with things like coffee and cigarettes. So we're taught to believe in this 'consumer' idea. Now we find out, actually the world is f#cked and its partially in part BECAUSE of our consumption. So all we really want is coffee and smokes and now it is destructive. I'm actually not saying this is any more valid than your idea, its also really similar just wanted to see what you thought |
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| Aesop Rock – Big Bang Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| also Aesop Rock is just a fucking champ. period. | |
| Aesop Rock – Big Bang Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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alright idk if anyone has read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn but I'm pretty sure Aes has. Or at least he's read quite a bit of Marx. Obviously this is just my interpretation but it makes a lot of sense. The big bang he is referring to is the agricultural revolution and civilization based society "Fertile circle turn fertile crescent via bad investment Despised every second, but I GUESS I LEARNED MY LESSON!" and the lines that follow. It's a pretty complicated theory to explain but look it up if you feel like it. I can't understand all of it but there are enough lines to make this a compelling argument for sure. First, " the dawning of the book of bitter aspects" is an intro to the song to come in the sense that the song focuses on the negative aspects of our society, thus acknowledging that progress, technology, freedoms etc. are still valid benefits (a major tenet of Marx). The whole first verse describes the transition in mentality towards wage labor and lifestyles dominated by production. The chorus (i think,) is a sort of a stream of consciousness of our society in regards to our purpose. We think we have to participate in this lifestyle gotta gotta gotta yes sir yes sir. "armed with a tome, cross, sore to the bone warn the other brothers...." the mentality of a soldier, crusader, martyr, terrorist. It is really a sort of general criticism of cultural arrogance and ethnocentrism and our lack of focus on what the ultimate purpose of all our constructs is. Next and this one is really just a guess is the "woolly mammoth population bottle neck effect" refers to our inability to recognize that our environment is changing and we risk extinction if we don't react. But then idk why he would be a survivor.. "alien of shallow alchemy" and the lines to follow are referring to our conceptions of value and our propensity for inventing value (currency) systems and then using them to "steal from the rich"- either meaning robbing those wealthy in happiness or robbing whoever is in power at the time "bewitch the peasants" meaning use this new system to subordinate the many. There are a few more I could touch on but I'm done for now. I think it is easy to see what you want in lyrics as dense and metaphorical as these, so don't hate. I could also see someone using the same points as an argument for why this is a mainly libertarian song. Either way, keep commenting! This shit confuses the hell out of me but I love pulling it apart! |
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| Aesop Rock – Big Bang Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| wrong. read my post :) | |
| Aesop Rock – Commencement (At the Obedience Academy) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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In a sense you're right that it is about shitty 9-5's. But I think the larger point Aesop tries to make in a number of songs (9-5er's anthem, big bang, labor days, tugboat complex pt. 1,2,3 etc. ) is similar to Marx's "Alienation of Labor" (its a short essay with a lot of great points.. check it out) which is that the modern and post-modern societies are brainwashed into thinking that 9-5 and wage labor are ideal for most people which is in fact quite questionable. Also, check out Ishmael by Daniel Quinn which is literally a book version of Big Bang (on Float). The point being that since the agricultural revolution ("fertile circle turned fertile crescent, via bad investment") civilizations have been building without considering their ultimate direction and similarly workers produce and produce for capital which is ultimately valueless. Sorry if this sounds like my philosophy, seriously if you listen it's in tons of Aesop songs though. this is my favorite Aesop song. He's the only rapper i've found who lays it down with such depth, insight, purpose and meaning. Keep the discussion up! I want to hear what more people have to say because i can't figure out all the lines, especially in this song. |
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