| Echo and the Bunnymen – Clay Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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This song I think is another AMAZING one. I've always looked at the Cain and Abel line as the biggest clue. Taking a point from the Cain and Abel story, they were the first brothers to exist on this planet (according to the Bible- I'm not taking the Bible literally here, just talking about what the reference represents). Cain was the "bad-half" and Abel was the "good-half." They both had opportunities to do well and make the most out of their lives, and Cain gave into the sins of jealousy, sloth, anxiety, and this eventually led to the murder of his "better half," Abel. So Cain and Abel can be seen as a representation of the duality of man, of the constant battle we have within ourselves to be "whole." And the clay reference, well that can be a religious reference too. That we are made in God's image, in the way that someone makes something out of clay, but like clay, we can be molded, but still the molder can never have complete control over the object, the way it dries, etc. So, while God has some control, he doesn't have complete control over how we turn out- ultimately have the free will to make the decisions that affect our behaviour. Another analogy could be that he's imagining a statue of himself, a physical representation of him being able to have control of himself, but even that cannot be controlled entirely. He could also be saying that he doesn't believe in God at all, that he is the moral-less. And the "isn't it nice, when your heart is made out of ice" represents his wish that he didn't have a conscience, but that his religious upbringing forces him to deal with all of this imagery. I was raised Catholic, and while I'm a recovering Catholic, and an agnostic, I still get these residual pangs of guilt that seem to be common to other people I talk to in with similar backgrounds. It seems that Ian's young life was steeped in these religious symbols and images as well. The fact that he says he wasn't made of sand also points to the fact that he doesn't feel like he's the same as everyone else, that he's not just a speck of sand in a universe of infinite specks of sand. It could also mean that he doesn’t believe in God. But he’s constantly going back and forth between “I” and the “you,” as if he were having a conversation with himself and asking himself these moral questions, trying to resolve an internal conflict, not only with himself, but with the things perceived as man-made vs. the things that could be considered “God made,” i.e., “statues” vs. “halos.” I guess the final thing he says is that when he came apart, clay crumbled in his hands, possibly meaning that when he lost his “wholeness,” he did it himself, he was responsible for it. What “came apart” means is entirely up for interpretation of course. Could mean that he isn’t “whole” anymore, that he’s been somehow separated from the ideal person that he wants to be or was when he was younger. Of course it could also be the everpresent masturbation, sex reference. “Came apart” meaning that when he ejaculated into his hand, the clay (which could represent semen, the building block, or “clay” of life, which is man-made), or the potential for creating life crumbled in his hands. That brings into question the whole God notion again: Does God make people? Or do people make people? I’ll stop ranting now, it’s just that I’ve been a huge Echo fan since forever and wanted to share my ideas on the brilliance of this band. Thanks for reading this if you do! |
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| Echo and the Bunnymen – The Cutter Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Just one more point I wanted to make is that they could be the ones one the 7th floor, brewing alternatives. Meaning they are recording their alternative music, and they hope that their art is not cut up by the producers to badly, that when their music is "cut up" so to speak, it will still be good and maintain it's integrity. Porcupine was really the first album that Echo made that was more accessible, with powerful melodies and choruses ala U2. Whether or not this was conscious is not known by me, but it seems a perfect opening track. They are cleaning up or changing their sound, and in this light, "brewing alternatives" could also mean they are going in a different direction with their music. There's lots of ways to take this. I just see it as a metaphor for the possibility that while they are approaching their newer sound with a more objective methodology, they want to make sure they don't lose the edge that makes them great. | |
| Echo and the Bunnymen – The Cutter Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Ok, the 7th floor is referencing this Broadcasting building in London, where BBC recordings take place (or used to anyway). Cello tape I believe was used in recording to create a certain sound with a microphone, or maybe just taping mics together, and for other various purposes. So, the way I look at it, they were a struggling band, putting together instruments or setting up their stuff in a studio as best they could, trying to make an impression, and hoping they would be spared from the "cutter" or the critical minds of the music industry who have little patience for experimental, creative music. They're hoping that the industry people on the 7th floor who control their destiny are "brewing alternatives" which would allow their music (the stuff the music industry might put in the bottom drawer initially) to actually see the light of day. "Say we can, say we will, not just another drop in the ocean." He's saying they are not just another flash in the pan, that they have something to give. A parallel to all of this (my own interpretation of course) is the idea of the cutting itself. Cutting- as in the way a person with psychological issues might cut into their own skin. This is done for many reasons, and in some cultures the cutting is done as purification rituals (others call it bleeding, and this practice used to go on all the time). In this case, I think he might be referring to the fact that the industry sort of takes chunks out of you when you become part of it, and he is wondering if he will still have the raw emotion that he had before he got into all of this, that the industry doesn't numb him to all of this manipulation. "Will I still be soiled when the dirt is off" to me is another reference to trying to wash away guilt, and that ties in with the cross/religious reference as well as the sacrifice in "figurative" blood he is making to become an artist. He has to make some artistic sacrifices if he want to "escape our lives" of starving artists, or he could just be referencing the art itself as an escape. Also, there is always figurative blood spilled when an artist produces something. I also really love the line about "happy loss" this really meant to me the true nature of being an artist. There is some bit of a masochistic tendency I think in really good artists. They sort of enjoy suffering for their art (or cutting for that matter), as it can be a wealthy source for creative ideas. It's a necessary evil, so to speak. The pain (the cutting) creates the art (the release, or rush...but also the loss of blood...hence, the "happy loss".... sorry, I just love the metaphor) Lots of great artists have always been somewhat self-destructive, so I think there's something to that in here as well. Also, along those lines, "will I still be soiled" means that if he is accepted as an artist in the industry, he will have some means, so he won't be as much of a "soiled," starving artist, but will that mean that he will be worthy still of making great art? Will his art be viable if he's not struggling, since that what spawned his desire to become an artist in the first place (by spawned I don't necessarily mean he was driven by money, but rather that he really developed his artistic eye as a struggling outsider)? Additionally, this could also have to do with his worries about failure. When the blinders are off, when everything is tripped away and he is exposed, will he still be shite? And when he says "watch the fingers close, when the hands are cold," I see this as meaning that he needs to remind himself to keep it together. He needs to stay away from getting caught up in the release, and focus on the art. The release that the actual cutter receives can be too much of a good thing if too much blood leaves the body. Just as the release of emotion in art must be tamed as well, because ultimately an artist wants to harness the emotion and articulate the experience with an objective, critical eye. The risk is dropping into a self-destructive vortex. So all of the good stuff: self-doubt, stuggle, anxiety, fear of success, fear of failure, overcoming personal hurdles, maintaining integrity- it’s all in here, a great great song as far as I'm concerned. And I didn't even get into the power of the cutting, ripping guitar chords and the sounds of the climactic chorus! Oh well, there's always next time!!! |
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| The Smiths – Pretty Girls Make Graves Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| In reference to the "asexual" comments- Morissey was/is extremely savvy, and he knew that making a blanket statement about his sexuality would negatively affect some of his listener base, to the extent that they might interpret his lyrics differently, or in a way that might taint an openminded approach to his music. It's obvious that Morissey is at least "bi" as far as his attraction is concerned (his songs indicate that). If the man was truly asexual, his music would not be injected with so much passion. His music is more about struggle than it is about being disinterested. More than likely he is like a lot of artists, who don't place societal boundaries/constructs on attitudes or behaviours. Morissey was way ahead of his time, forcing people to address his music, not his private life. Bottom line: Morrissey struggles with sex, sexuality, relationships, etc., and all of these struggles come out in his music. To define him would be to limit him. | |
| The Smiths – This Charming Man Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Been a Smiths fan for years. Here's a slightly different take: This to me is about not only an obviously homosexual older man/younger man affair, but also a young man's proclivity to rely on others to support him. The line "will Nature make a man of me yet?" refers to the fact that he is used to the sheltered world of modern society, and he's quite unable to handle it alone, hence the "leather runs smooth..." line. The juxtaposition of him using his own legs to get through life versus riding shotgun on someone else's ticket is great. And his own method (symbolized by the bike) is useless, since his bicycle is broken (he has no career skills, etc)...the desolate hillside imagery is perfect too, symbolizing his ineptitude if left to make it alone. In a scenario where the young man might be inclined to fend for himself , he is lured by the "free ride" the man has to offer, and takes the easy way out, where he doesn't have to ponder how he's going to survive- he can just hustle/pimp himself out to maintain his comfort level. However, this lifestyle has a price (and here's the twist that I offer)- "Return the ring" means that he is calling the man, but the man is not taking or answering his calls. In other words, the man possibly used him for sex, but while the "charming man" can offer the young man things like an nice car seat, or other material amenities, it is only temporary, and he will discard the young man and his "services" when he tires of him. But the young man needs the sugar daddy figure to maintain his lifestyle. The other possibility is that the man picked him up in the car, asked him to go out, and told him that he was handsome, etc. But the boy is struggling with his place in life, sexuality, etc.. and battling his tendencies to go for the easy way out, or just unsire in general. The "jumped-up pantry boy" could be one of his friends, or a flatmate, telling him to take the man's calls (the man who picked him up and asked him out), "he knows so much about these things" means that the friend is a hustler, and knows a good "mark" when he sees one. The other possiblity is that his friend/hustler is telling him to return the jewelry the man gave him, a warning to avoid the path that he took as a houseboy/prostitute. It's also interesting to think that the young man was staging the whole thing from the beginning, working his first "John." Oh, and I always kind of imagined the punctured bicycle as a representation of his youth, the point where the innocence of youth is "punctured" by some event or series of events, which goes in line with the obvious sexual references. But I think that's the beauty of any great piece of art, there can be several valid interpretations of the same thing, and I think this song reflects that. There is an interpretation that identifies with everyone, and that is the gift that Morrissey possesses in spades, theft or no theft, haha. Just a few thoughts, hope it triggers more. |
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