| Gotye – Night Drive Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Great sounds in this song (love the harmonics), and the general coolness of the track. This song especially (and many of his songs to some degree) really show a Massive Attack influence, and it comes out in the pairing of the vocals over the worldly rhythm samples. Definitely can hear/see the Gabriel influences too... my new favorite artist! As for the meaning, yeah I was thrown off for half a second by the "boy" reference, but with lyrics it's always important to remember that the context is flexible, and often undefined. Empathy suggests this could be written from the girl's perspective, or it could be a platonic (or more) relationship between men, or it could be a kid and his dog (written from either perspective)... None of these relationships is any more valid than another. Focus on the sentiment, not the detriment! |
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| Tool – Eulogy Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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As with many songs, especially Tool songs, to attempt to apply a literal meaning to the subject of the song falls short of the point; the importance is the theme of the song, the way it's ambiguous yet still powerful in its message. As far as Eulogy goes, clearly the theme is martyrdom, and though Jesus is an obvious reference (describing the crucifixion, etc...), he isn't the subject of the song (at least that's not what's important). Jesus is the quintessential martyr (depending on your religion, but clearly the most recognized by the western world), thus he is often the standard to which other martyrs are compared, and that is the essence of this song... the writer is ranting, directly at a would be martyr, and challenging his motives and choices. One can picture a variety of figures, though other aspects of the lyrics characterize a "martyr"more concerned with influence and authority than righteous sacrifice (Hitler, L. Ron Hubbard, etc...). If one examines the lyrics, they are from two perspectives; one is an audience member, a willing sheep looking on and soaking in the promises from the martyr on the soapbox ("He had a lot to say... we're gonna miss him, etc...). The more important and powerful perspective however, is the dialogue that the writer engages in directly with the would be martyr... thus we find that the real message behind the song is accountability. He directly challenges the martyr, (don't you fucking lie, don't you step out of line) in the same way that an audience member would expect their leader to deliver on their promises. Also (presumably posthumously), and says, "was it worth it?" which is specifically and eloquently brutal in the line "Why then are you so surprised when you hear your own eulogy?" The meaning here is that he's suggesting the leader was insincere in his desire to be a martyr, and that he never expected to actually die and be eulogized (and that the eulogy would be so vehemently pessimistic and critical). In a nutshell, the song is about holding your leaders/martyrs accountable, and the lyrics challenge the choice of the martyr in doing so if their message or motive was vanity. *Also, I believe the lyric is "swallowed his DESIGN" not "facade," though the latter works as well. |
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