| Tom Waits – Come on Up to the House Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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@[Slightly_Shinobi:9318] Waits doesn't have to be a Christian to write a Christian song. I don't see where anyone with a Christian interpretation of the song has tried to claim Waits is a Christian himself. But I do see you trying to say that since he's not a professed Chrostian his songs can't be Christian. And in that case, is say you're the one foisting a flawed logic. Waits has clearly done some study of Christian religion and has apparently found some things about beautiful. Just because he hasnt made a public confession of faith doesn't mean such a talented artist couldn't draw from such a wealth of material and be inspired to write. This song is not vague. It is downright Orgodoxy. |
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| Tom Waits – Come on Up to the House Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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@[steveryan1:9317] I think the last line is pretty simple. Surrendering to God is the same as "dying to self". "You know you should surrender but you can't let go" means you know God is where you'll find rest, but you don't want to let go of your own control of your life, or let go of the things that are causing the stress and pain. I don't think it's a stand alone statement separate from the rest of the song. I think it's the fullness of what the whole rest of the song is about. |
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| Mumford & Sons – The Cave Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I was going to post that it was referencing Chesterton's work, but I was delighted to see Mcdude and Jonzim caught it too. Although I've never read his book on St. Francis, he makes the same point in other works like Everlasting Man and The Poet and the Lunatics. In the latter, he says he fancies that when St. Paul was crucified upside down, "he saw the world as it really was. The stars as flowers and the clouds as hills, and man hanging on by the mercy of God." Thus the line in the song, "you can understand dependence when you know the Maker's land." | |
| Bruce Springsteen – Gave It A Name Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This song has mystified me for years. Still does. I suppose Cassack's interpretation is as good as anyone's. But I'll submit a thought, though I admittedly don't really know. There might be a clue to the first two verses in the third verse (again, maybe). "Poison snake bites you, you're poisoned too." Given that the first verse is the first story in the Bible after "The Fall", and records the first sins of man after "the fall", it might be that "The Fall", or "sin", is the name. Bruce was fascinated with this idea and the theme shows up in several of his songs. The most direct is obviously "Adam Raised a Cain". He gives his own summary of Genesis 3 with... "we're born into this life paying for the sins of somebody else's past." Perhaps in "Gave it a Name", Bruce is submitting that we still have choices, and can make the right ones. That's why the guy in the last verse can feel the poison the running in his veins, but he hasn't yet done anything like kill his brother or beat up his wife. Again, this song is one of, if not the, most mystifying of all Bruce songs. I'm just guessing. |
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| Son Volt – The Picture Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Wow no comments at all?? Seems to me to be a commentary on the current global, social climate. Farrar wonders if "mercy" awaits. He apparently thinks something exists after this life, but can't readily accept the possibility that it's good, considering what we've made of this world and done to each other in our brief history. For those who understand Christian philosophy, perhaps a better question to ask, instead of whether or not we "will" find mercy, is to ask whether or not grace even exists. |
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| Son Volt – Circadian Rhythm Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Surprised there is so little about this song. While the first two verses seem random in a certain sense but still possibly meaningful, the third verse makes plain sense to me and may tie the whole song together. We carried on for 2000 years with Christianity. We finally gave it up, but had to come up with something to replace, otherwise we have no meaning or hope. He throws in the word 'manifesto'. referencing (probably) the the most famous manifesto, the communist (and atheistic) manifesto. About 100 years after the atheists took charge of half the globe, we're still lost. Now no one is sure about anything. Silent answers, silent blame. Maybe I'm reaching. |
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| Tom Waits – Chocolate Jesus Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I don't see a man laughing at Christianity as much as I see a man lashing out at Christians. Waits has lots of songs with heavy spiritual and even Christian-like undertones, but one can also see a total disillusionment with what he obviously sees from the masses who call themselves Christians, but are so obviously using the religion as a self-help tactic instead of a mode of worshipful commitment to the God they claim to love. | |
| Blind Melon – No Rain Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Are we certain all the lyrics are correct? I always thought it was "all I can do is read a book to stay awake, and ENRICH my life away" I've always thought it was the most clever line in the song, I'll be very disappointed if that's not what it really says. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Long Time Comin' Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I don't see the protagonist as having been a bad father. I simply see a man who's finally happy. He understands that his dad was a bad one, and hopes he doesn't have the same negative impact on his kids. "If I had one wish in this God-forsaken world kids, it's that your mistakes will be your own", an obvious reference to the idea presented in "Adam Raised a Cain" 30 years earlier, which itself was an excellent representation of the Biblical story of "the Fall", and what came with it for mankind. And instead of being a sequel to "Straight Time", I see this as a sequel to "Beautiful Reward". It's been a long time coming, but he's found his reward. In that song he says he didn't find his reward in romantic love, but in this song it seems he has. However he's obviously made a big change, and that's presented in the first verse. He's buried his old soul, his self-centered soul that was looking at love selfishly, as something that would make himself fulfilled., and he finally found his reward in "Long Time Coming" when he realized it's found in sacrifice, devotion to others (wife and family) ahead of devotion to his own wants and needs. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – My Beautiful Reward Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| cubfever i think is on the right track. The man knows, through experience in verse 1, that fulfillment can't be found in material things. He seems to have come up empty with religion in verse 2. In verse 3 he finds that romantic love is not the ultimate fulfillment either. Verse 4 simply shows a guy who hasn't given up on the search. Possibly riding a motorcycle. "Long Time Coming" could be the sequel to this song. | |
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