submissions
| Living Colour – Cult of Personality Lyrics
| 14 years ago
|
The intensity of performance by the lead singer in the music video is awesome, not only does this song sound badass before its time, but the video has just as much meaning as the lyrics. id be interested to know what others think about the quotes that start and end the song.
As the song ends the little girl in the video shakes her head and turns off the t.v. as “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself” is said by Franklin D. Roosevelt. This statement seems encouraging and benevolent but it is a focus on the negative and it is a self-reinforcing statement. Therefore; if you feel fear, then that is something you should fear. Which is not a comforting thought as it first seems to imply. And of course, fear often what is used by the ‘cult of personality’ e.g. the government, religion etc. to achieve the power it has over the masses. If we had realized the songs’ message that ‘only you can set you free’ then we will realize that this means we are able to free ourselves from our fears to. i think the girl is a metaphor for the people, and the world today, still in a young stage of development. But she gets the message and decides not to sit there anymore quietly accepting the lies of propaganda. if the world wants to advance, and if we want to survive, we need to get beyond the naiveté of blind acceptance and blind dependency. we need to save ourselves. |
submissions
| Living Colour – Cult of Personality Lyrics
| 14 years ago
|
|
It says "Only You Can Set Me Free" the first time, then " only you can set YOU free" the second time. I interpreted this to be firstly from the point of veiw of someone who looks outside themselves (i.e. to an idol or a priviledged authority) for freedom thereby 'succombing to someone else's beliefs (like a cult)' as stated by NonGoogleGuy above. Then secondly by someone who has become enlightened that they must look within to achieve true freedom. It is an evolution within the song shown by a revolutionary change of perspective. the singer is encouraging us to make the realization to ourselves that we are in charge of ourselves and it up to us to set ourselves free. the sad thing is that, if people don't listen to this message and others like it, and humankind as a whole doesn't make this shift then we are ultimately doomed. |
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