| Globus – Orchard of Mines Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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This song really spoke to me about 10 years ago when I was in a relationship with a clingy girlfriend who was borderline manipulative in her overreactions to innocuous statements or gestures I'd make. Basically if I said something and it could be interpreted to mean something negative, then that's how she would interpret it and a fight would break out about my intentions. Until this song, I would say I was walking on eggshells, but stepping through an orchard of mines is also an appropriate metaphor. She always played the victim ("so fragile on the inside") Advancing in the relationship was difficult ("like weights strapped upon my feet") The protagonist of the song comes to the realization that the fights are not worth it if it is truly malicious manipulation ("I see you play the game") and refuses to play anymore ("won't have my life turned upside down"). As far as I'm concerned it is a breakup song. And it inspired me to do just that. And now I'm married to a fantastic wife and I'm as happy as a clam. |
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| David Bowie – Cygnet Committee Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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@[hairyliberal:21053] Agreed. The "protagonist" in the song started a movement with intentions to change the world for the better, by spreading messages of love and peace... only to find that movement usurped by extremists who will use violent means to achieve their goal, making them no better than the society they were fighting against. I think "we can force you to be free / we can force you to believe" is the most powerful line in the song... took to mean if you don't agree with any part of the movement's message, including the more extreme parts, then they'll force it. I see it today, among both conservatives and liberals. The authoritarians of each group are all about forcing their views upon other people. It's noble and right to vouch for women to pursue whatever career goals they have. It's extremist and authoritarian to shame women who choose traditional roles. It's noble and right to seek religious freedom. It's extremist and authoritarian to require science teachers to teach creationism in the classroom. David Bowie's message is clear to me: Be wary of those who agree with your message, but vow to kill or maim anyone who disagrees with it. |
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| David Bowie – Life on Mars? Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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A lot of people mention entertainment and depraved culture, and I think the song touches on that a lot. But I think a lot of it also has to do with sensationalized media. When he talks about "sailors fighting in the dance hall" he's referring to mindless trash TV shows, as viewers laugh saying "look at those cavemen go." With "the lawman beating up the wrong guy" he's not referring to a movie, but a news story on TV, which has been hyped up for advertising dollars. A lot of the viewers, even those who sympathize with the victim, still feel entertained by the news. He'll be talked about for the whole week on cable news, hence unknowingly being "in the best selling show." Sensationalized news is considered a new millennium phenomenon, but a lot of it started in the 1970s when this song was released. "Is there life on Mars" is a lament about wanting to get off the wretched planet that has fostered this low level of humanity. When he switches to the first person in the last verse, he is admitting that he himself is part of this world. One may think he seems to consider himself a hypocrite of sorts by even mentioning it in this song, indirectly profiting from the hype he's condemning. However, I see it more as him asking us to focus on the infotainment bits with a more cynical eye, not to feel better about ourselves or be entertained by what's going on, but to see it for what it is: there's disorder, chaos, and injustice in the world, and the media just loves to highlight it, not to inform us, but to entertain us. The more people continue to fight, the more business the media has to promote it. |
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