| Type O Negative – These Three Things Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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@akpb-jlj You guys are insane and looking into this a little too esoterically. The self-proclaimed state that he's referring to is ISRAEL. He's driving home the fact that he sees the state of ISRAEL as a triumph of zionism, and the end result of Nazi Germany's attempt to "convert" the Jews (mostly through death - the final solution). He calls Israel a self-proclaimed state, because, that's exactly how it all went down. They declared themselves a nation - only later in 1948 was it ratified. Pete further shows his contempt for Israel by evoking Jesus Christ in the year of that nation's creation as happening in "the Year of OUR LORD" 1-9-4-8. UFOS, states of mind, presidential elections, the Great Depression - seriously, are you guys insane? |
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| Syd Barrett – No Good Trying Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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For those who are in the mood to speculate and read long entries, it's time for some "Andy Witmyer Song Analysis"! In regards to the theme of "It's No Good Trying" (one of my favorite Syd songs!), I think the most obvious general interpretation is that he's singing about being honest to a girl that he would like to be committed to, even if she's been evasive and that she is almost certainly a little bit "different" from him. Subject matter that, on at least one level, the song is almost assuredly referring to. But, that having been said, I feel their are other meanings hidden between each line. THIS WILL BE LONG, BUT HOPEFULLY WORTH READING! Let us continue... See, I also strongly suspect that this song is (yet again!) something of a dig at his former Floydian bandmates as well. The word "hand" could be symbolic of "control" - thus, Syd is stating that they've been placing the control of the band "where he can't see". The Floyd without him is also decidedly "different" from him. And, in his view, without him, they can't exactly be "what they pretend". Syd is therefore seen to be cynical in regards to the integrity of the Floyd's artistic vision without him. The bits about the "sequin fan" are alluding to fame and fortune, which he both admired and hated - but once again, the band was achieving a bit of both, and doing so without Syd's vision (where he "can't see"). Syd is also stating that he feels that the band was holding their "love" away from him, as well. By love, he means the respect and admiration that he felt his mates once felt for him - and that he hopes that perhaps on some level, maybe they still feel that way, even if they are keeping those aspects actively hidden from him. The other lines are, on the surface, about rides that one may come across at an amusement park. I think collectively, they represent a metaphor about the whole song and dance that he had experienced with PF as being something of a joke. An ongoing assortment of amusement rides - fun for a little while, perhaps - but, ultimately quite shallow. The "red and yellow stallion horse" is about a specific creature on what appears to be a merry-go-round. Horses are often symbolic of action and of journeys. This could be seen as a metaphor of Syd's earlier success with the Floyd - an event which resulted in a flurry of creative activity and, while on tour, of journeys both far and wide. Red can associated with passion, and yellow of the sun - elements that could be seen as belonging to Syd before things went sour. He was passionate in regards to his songwriting, and his fame shone bright, like that of the sun. He began to "ride" both at the start of his career, but ultimately in a circle for the horse in this song, although a stallion (indicating power), was ultimately rather weak and constricted; both Syd and the horse were forced to go around and around to the sound of strange music - while perhaps fun at first, I feel that this ultimately portended (what Syd eventually saw as) the futility of his aspirations, due to the manipulations of those who "design merry-go-rounds", so to speak (or, in other words, the big wigs within the music industry who only wanted Syd to go in only the directions they desired and of those who only wanted successful singles and the like from that point onward). "The caterpillar hood" represents another ride - this time, analogous to the middle of Syd's musical journey. He's too big for the ride now - it won't even "cover [his] head"! This is obviously symbolic of not only outgrowing one's original zone of comfort and of ideas and philosophies in general, but also of actual discomfort. Syd was no doubt feeling cramped and stifled by such a "ride" at this point. The "caterpillar" itself is often synonymous with the idea of transformation, and more specifically, of the very beginning of such a change. If this part of the song is in regards to the middle of Syd's artistic journey, it seems to indicate that he was, perhaps, feeling stuck. He should have been in a cocoon, or even a butterfly, by now. Instead he was still feeling pressured to be "who he was at the start", which was no longer possible. In the end of the verse, we find him questioning the entirety of what he had accomplished at this point and he openly wonders if he should have simply "stayed in bed", or in other words, not even have maybe bothered with his career in music at all! The "bed" is a symbol for the comfort that one finds at home - something he would never find in a studio or on a stage. And finally, the most darkly cryptic verse of the song. "Yes, you're spinning around and around in a car with electric lights flashing very fast" - I feel that these lines in particular contain SEVERAL different meanings! On the surface, one may assume that he's speaking of bumper cars, or something of that sort. Spinning around, aimlessly, wrecking into others constantly. The electric lights of the amusement park glimmer, disorientingly, just beyond (lights you would only see, by the way, just before or sometime after sunset, indicating that it must have been "night time" outside...). I feel that, in regards to his tenure with the Floyd, this really captures Syd's state of mind at the twilight of his musical career. He was, by now, in a position where he felt he was the one who could be in control of things - a feeling that is represented by a "car", which one would assume that Syd was the driver of. But, even now, in such a car, he was still feeling constrained - as it was merely yet another "ride", with very real boundaries (as well as other cars, each with their own drivers) at all sides of him, and into both, he would find himself endlessly colliding. This serves as a metaphor for Syd's strong desire to push the very boundaries of music, but coming up against heavy resistance at nearly every turn. I also suspect that the lines have a secondary meaning, which is to represent Syd's major abuse of psychedelic drugs at this time. "Spinning around and around" in a haze of "electric lights flashing very fast" sounds, to me, like someone describing a "bad trip". And just one of many that Syd may have experienced at the time. Lastly, and this is just some very far out speculation, but I wonder if these lines might also be strongly hinting at his first major nervous breakdown, which happened after Syd had broken up with Lyndsey, and while driving around England in his Mini (an event for which he had been briefly institutionalized). And for those that buy into the possibility of Syd having been a possible victim of MK-ULTRA mind control experiments, "flashing lights" were extensively used by the CIA to (along with drugs and other methods), induce states of extreme hypnosis, mainly for for the purpose of 'programming or brainwashing' an individual. Again, that last point was, at best, something of a *very* far flung idea, but I'll include as a possible interpretation anyway...because this is Syd Barrett we're talking about, and so you never know...! And that's all I have. I hope this wasn't too long and that someone read it. Cheers! - Andy |
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| Syd Barrett – No Good Trying Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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For those who are in the mood to speculate and read long entries, it's time for some "Andy Witmyer Song Analysis"! In regards to the theme of "It's No Good Trying" (one of my favorite Syd songs!), I think the most obvious general interpretation is that he's singing about being honest to a girl that he would like to be committed to, even if she's been evasive and that she is almost certainly a little bit "different" from him. Subject matter that, on at least one level, the song is almost assuredly referring to. But, that having been said, I feel their are other meanings hidden between each line. THIS WILL BE LONG, BUT HOPEFULLY WORTH READING! Let us continue... See, I also strongly suspect that this song is (yet again!) something of a dig at his former Floydian bandmates as well. The word "hand" could be symbolic of "control" - thus, Syd is stating that they've been placing the control of the band "where he can't see". The Floyd without him is also decidedly "different" from him. And, in his view, without him, they can't exactly be "what they pretend". Syd is therefore seen to be cynical in regards to the integrity of the Floyd's artistic vision without him. The bits about the "sequin fan" are alluding to fame and fortune, which he both admired and hated - but once again, the band was achieving a bit of both, and doing so without Syd's vision (where he "can't see"). Syd is also stating that he feels that the band was holding their "love" away from him, as well. By love, he means the respect and admiration that he felt his mates once felt for him - and that he hopes that perhaps on some level, maybe they still feel that way, even if they are keeping those aspects actively hidden from him. The other lines are, on the surface, about rides that one may come across at an amusement park. I think collectively, they represent a metaphor about the whole song and dance that he had experienced with PF as being something of a joke. An ongoing assortment of amusement rides - fun for a little while, perhaps - but, ultimately quite shallow. The "red and yellow stallion horse" is about a specific creature on what appears to be a merry-go-round. Horses are often symbolic of action and of journeys. This could be seen as a metaphor of Syd's earlier success with the Floyd - an event which resulted in a flurry of creative activity and, while on tour, of journeys both far and wide. Red can associated with passion, and yellow of the sun - elements that could be seen as belonging to Syd before things went sour. He was passionate in regards to his songwriting, and his fame shone bright, like that of the sun. He began to "ride" both at the start of his career, but ultimately in a circle for the horse in this song, although a stallion (indicating power), was ultimately rather weak and constricted; both Syd and the horse were forced to go around and around to the sound of strange music - while perhaps fun at first, I feel that this ultimately portended (what Syd eventually saw as) the futility of his aspirations, due to the manipulations of those who "design merry-go-rounds", so to speak (or, in other words, the big wigs within the music industry who only wanted Syd to go in only the directions they desired and of those who only wanted successful singles and the like from that point onward). "The caterpillar hood" represents another ride - this time, analogous to the middle of Syd's musical journey. He's too big for the ride now - it won't even "cover [his] head"! This is obviously symbolic of not only outgrowing one's original zone of comfort and of ideas and philosophies in general, but also of actual discomfort. Syd was no doubt feeling cramped and stifled by such a "ride" at this point. The "caterpillar" itself is often synonymous with the idea of transformation, and more specifically, of the very beginning of such a change. If this part of the song is in regards to the middle of Syd's artistic journey, it seems to indicate that he was, perhaps, feeling stuck. He should have been in a cocoon, or even a butterfly, by now. Instead he was still feeling pressured to be "who he was at the start", which was no longer possible. In the end of the verse, we find him questioning the entirety of what he had accomplished at this point and he openly wonders if he should have simply "stayed in bed", or in other words, not even have maybe bothered with his career in music at all! The "bed" is a symbol for the comfort that one finds at home - something he would never find in a studio or on a stage. And finally, the most darkly cryptic verse of the song. "Yes, you're spinning around and around in a car with electric lights flashing very fast" - I feel that these lines in particular contain SEVERAL different meanings! On the surface, one may assume that he's speaking of bumper cars, or something of that sort. Spinning around, aimlessly, wrecking into others constantly. The electric lights of the amusement park glimmer, disorientingly, just beyond (lights you would only see, by the way, just before or sometime after sunset, indicating that it must have been "night time" outside...). I feel that, in regards to his tenure with the Floyd, this really captures Syd's state of mind at the twilight of his musical career. He was, by now, in a position where he felt he was the one who could be in control of things - a feeling that is represented by a "car", which one would assume that Syd was the driver of. But, even now, in such a car, he was still feeling constrained - as it was merely yet another "ride", with very real boundaries (as well as other cars, each with their own drivers) at all sides of him, and into both, he would find himself endlessly colliding. This serves as a metaphor for Syd's strong desire to push the very boundaries of music, but coming up against heavy resistance at nearly every turn. I also suspect that the lines have a secondary meaning, which is to represent Syd's major abuse of psychedelic drugs at this time. "Spinning around and around" in a haze of "electric lights flashing very fast" sounds, to me, like someone describing a "bad trip". And just one of many that Syd may have experienced at the time. Lastly, and this is just some very far out speculation, but I wonder if these lines might also be strongly hinting at his first major nervous breakdown, which happened after Syd had broken up with Lyndsey, and while driving around England in his Mini (an event for which he had been briefly institutionalized). And for those that buy into the possibility of Syd having been a possible victim of MK-ULTRA mind control experiments, "flashing lights" were extensively used by the CIA to (along with drugs and other methods), induce states of extreme hypnosis, mainly for for the purpose of 'programming or brainwashing' an individual. Again, that last point was, at best, something of a *very* far flung idea, but I'll include as a possible interpretation anyway...because this is Syd Barrett we're talking about, and so you never know...! And that's all I have. I hope this wasn't too long and that someone read it. Cheers! - Andy |
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| Syd Barrett – Octopus Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| And while I agree with THEOTHR1 that the actual lyric was probably meant to be "Madcat", it still sounds like "Madcap" to me, and it was the that misheard lyric that earned the album its title. If Syd had any problems with that, he probably would have put his foot down - so I think "Madcap" it is. | |
| Syd Barrett – Octopus Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Before I even comment on the song, I submitted this change to the lyrics that will probably never happen, but they should probably read a little closer to this: OCTOPUS Trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro' You have no word! Trip, trip to a dream dragon Hide your wings in a ghost tower Sails crackling at every plate we break! Was cracked by scattered needles Little minute gong Coughs and clears his throat: Madam, you see, before you stand Hey-ho, never be still The old original favoritism grand Grasshopper's Green Herbarian Band And the tune they play is, "In Us Confide!" So trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro' You have no word! Please leave us here Close our eyes to the octopus ride! Isn't it good to be lost in the wood? Isn't it bad so quiet there - in the wood? It meant even less to me than I'd thought With a honey plough and yellow, prickly seeds Clover, honey pots of mystic shining feed! Well, the Madcap laughed at the man on the border Hey-ho, huffed the Talbot "Cheat!" he cried, shouted Kangaroo So true in their tree they cried. Please leave us here Close our eyes to the octopus ride! The Madcap laughed at the man on the border Hey ho, huffed the Talbot The winds they blew and the leaves did wag They'll never put me in their bag The seas will reach and always seep So high you go, so low you creep The winds it blows in tropical heat The drones they throng on mossy seats The squeaking door will always creak Two up, two down we'll never be meet So merrily trip, forgo my side... Please leave us here Close our eyes to the octopus ride! |
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