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Moral Kiosk Lyrics
Scratch the scandals in the twilight
Trying to shock but instead idle hands all orient to her
Pass a magic pillow under head
It's so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
They scratch the scandals in the twilight
She was laughing like a Horae
Put that knee in dour landslide
Take this step to dash a roving eye
It's so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Scratch the scandals in the twilight
Trying to shock but instead idle hands all orient to her
Pass a magic pillow under head
It's so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Trying to shock but instead idle hands all orient to her
Pass a magic pillow under head
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
She was laughing like a Horae
Put that knee in dour landslide
Take this step to dash a roving eye
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Trying to shock but instead idle hands all orient to her
Pass a magic pillow under head
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Writer
Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Submitted by
xpankfrisst On Jun 14, 2002
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
The band members were interviewed some time ago, and Michael directly admitted that the songs, lyrically speaking, on the first two albums, (I think he meant Chronic Town - EP, and Murmur), were complete nonsense. He was then asked directly, by the interviewer, you mean... there is no moral kiosk???, and Michael laughs and says, no, at least not that I know of...
JP
I don't believe him :P He was only ashamed of his earlier lyrics :)
I don't believe him :P He was only ashamed of his earlier lyrics :)
I like that the kiosk is somewhere found among Elsysian Fields beyond the roads that can't be gotten to from here
I think its a jibe to Society because it's become so organized with drive throughs and accessibility of goods that people have to go to a Moral Kiosk to get their religion. They find this more comfortable and attractive because they can no longer think for themselves and establish their own beliefs.
People would rather focus on scandals and cutting each other down rather then working on their own faith.
Religion has been sold to the public like everything else as a commodity like food, drugs, music and the arts.
I believe this song is about sexuality that is not accepted by society. “Scratch the scandals in the twilight,” “inside, cold, dark, fire, twilight,” keeping it hidden. “It’s so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk,” it’s attractive to stay within the accepted morals of society, the moral kiosk, because it’s acceptable sexuality according to society.
Maybe the moral kiosk Stipe is talking about is some girl's heart. Think about a heart in the sense that it decides morals and how one feels.
'It's so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk' literally translates to 'It's easier to criticise something when you've never tried it'
I always heard this as the teaching in Christianity that a woman is more desirable and attractive if she is a virgin (inside the moral kiosk). This inevitably leads to scandal and ostracism when a woman turns out not to be, hence "scratch the scandals in the twilight."
Along the same lines, possibly about accusations of witchcraft w/ "magic pillow under head" (esp. since witches were considered to be the embodiment of promiscuity).