| The Dillinger Escape Plan – Sunshine The Werewolf Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I hope this doesn't ruin it for anyone (it's possibly my favourite song and I was a bit shell-shocked when I read what it was actually about!) but here's something Greg Puciato said recently about the meaning of Sunshine The Werewolf: http://www.gregpuciato.com/post/12969994606 "Greg, looking back on writing "Sunshine The Warewolf" did you imagine it would ever turn into your most passionate fans' favourite lyric to scream back "DESTROYERRRRRR!!!!" at you? What context/form has that lyric now taken on in your mind, if any?" "When writing the song? No. I had no idea. Shortly after we mixed the album though, and were listening back to it, I think we all realized that the “Destroyer” part was a “moment” so to speak…it definitely felt like it had an air about it. When the song was written, the lyrics were originally actually inspired by an article that Brian Montuori, the artist responsible for the “Miss Machine” artwork, had sent me. It was a perverse and disgusting article about a strange and extreme subculture of people who would deliberately “give” and “receive” HIV in order to romantically share an eventually fatal disease(queen sized coffin built for two). The lyrics were fiction, and written from the perspective of the “giver”, who then turned out to have tricked the smitten “receiver” into thinking their love was forever before instead moving on to someone else(there’ll be another just like you…you’re not the only one, etc), sadistically leaving the receiver feeling tricked and scorned…the receiver eventually repeating the cycle as a giver. HIV vampires basically. A metaphor for people passing abuse forward in relationships. Obviously the “Destroyer” moment in a live setting has become so much more than that, and now, to me at least, exists outside of the song as a whole, as a standalone moment. The word has taken on a different energy, a symbol of a feeling of triumph over adversity, of overcoming obstacles, of exerting power and relentless individuality and drive to succeed even in the midst of seemingly overwhelming indifference and disapproval. It’s a sentiment that we as a band relate to, having overcome countless opposition and setbacks as we’ve clawed our way to get to where we are, and continue to do so. When that part exists as a “singalong” at our shows, it feels to me like a coming together of people who all can relate to that feeling. It’s a group expression or rallying cry of “fuck you” to all of the opposition that we can all relate to in life, as individuals trying to succeed, but as a collective expression of power and defiance in that moment. I can’t imagine it ever not being a highlight to me of every single set we play." |
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| Warpaint – Undertow Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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In my eyes, it's an extremely bitter song about a game between a woman and a man that they're both hurting from. She wanted him but he didn't want her. Maybe they're friends and she wanted more, or they're already involved but not on a deep enough level for her. Either way, despite how she felt he was just keeping her in the sidelines. Suddenly she has someone new on the scene and he's realising her importance, he's finally admitting how much he needs her but she doesn't care anymore. He crossed a line by hurting her too much and although she really wants to give in and go to him, she can't trust him. It definitely feels like a "F*** you" song to me, with dilemma at the end over what she should do. "Your brown eyes are my blue skies. They light up the rivers that the birds fly over." This is the only time she directly admits her feelings about this person. They brighten up her life. "Better not to quench your thirst. Better not to be the first one diving in, though you caught me and you know why." She's holding back, being cautious. She doesn't want to give too much of herself away to him. She's waiting for him to open up first. The "and you know why" suggests that he knows how she feels, or she thinks he may suspect. "You breathe in the deepest part of the water." Something personal about him that only the lyricist would understand. "What's the matter? You hurt yourself? Open your eyes and there was someone else Now i've got you in the undertow. Now i've got you in the undertow." This seems VERY bitter to me. She's saying 'Oh, what, NOW you care? You took me for granted and now that I have someone else, you want me. You should have cared before. Now I've finally got your attention'. The "now" in the "Now I've got you in the undertow" heavily suggests that catching him up in her web is something she's been trying to do for a while but has only just achieved, and she's done it through finding someone else. "Why you wanna blame me for your troubles? Ah ah ah you better learn your lesson yourself." Again, very bitter. 'It's not my fault, if you had cared earlier you wouldn't be feeling like this. This is what you get for hurting me.' "Nobody ever has to find out what's in my mind tonight." She knows these thoughts are bitter, hurtful and possibly shameful, but she indulges in them because no one else will be able to witness them. "Let tonight pass us by. Do you really want to be the one to fight? And i said "You're better not to light that fire. It will take you to the darkest part of the weather." " She doesn't want to open up the wounds and fight about it now. If he REALLY wants to have that discussion, it is going to get very dark/ugly. He probably doesn't know what he's letting himself in for and she's warning him with a metaphor. "Nobody in my mind. Nobody in my mind. I feel it in my heart tonight." As above, even though she shouldn't she's going to let herself feel the pain and bitterness because no one else can witness it. She's feeling it more than usual tonight. "I lay on the floor, pressing in my eyes. Seeing little lights." Either she's literally doing this OR... laying on the floor is a metaphorically weak position and the lights she's seeing are the emotions/possibilities/options she has. "Please light these decisions that only one could make I wanted to stay home but i went running running running running from the troubles... etc" The "I wanted to stay home but I went running" refers to her desperately wanting to give in to her feelings and go to him now he wants her too, but she is terrified of what may happen if she does so she "runs" instead. The "decisions" part is her wondering whether to stay with the new person on the scene or whether to go back to him. That's just how I see it. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. ;) |
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