ATWA

uh... spiders wasnt on toxicity.... and well i thot it was a great cd... but newayz... "...and the tune "ATWA" is a rally against pollution on what's possibly the most controversial song on the album. "ATWA" examines the life of serial killer Charles Manson and is named for Charles Manson's "revolution agaisnt pollution" organization, Air, Trees, Water, Animals, the song was written to shed light on a more positive side to the infamous cult leader."--- Circus Magazine Jan issue... the mini intro article to the interview with the band.... Uh Great song, great cd, great band! :)

Oh sheesh. This song is defintly related to Charles Manson. If you knew ANYTHING about Manson, you'd know this verse:

Hey you, are me, not so pretty, All the world I've seen before me passing by, Silent my voice, I've got no choice All the world I've seen before me passing by,

It's a cut up quote from Manson: "I am not myself. I'm merely a reflection of you- you are me". This song is all about Manson.

This song is about the state of the world and people's view's on the scenario.

"I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose" This means that pollution and other negative environmental factors are not going to effect us in our lifes. Compaigning against it is giving us nothing to gain, or lose, physically.

"All the world I've seen before me passing by" Things happen the way they do. The world passes by. It is impossible for one man or one voice to change things.

"You don't care about how I feel, I don't feel it anymore" This means that people no longer care about some people's feelings on the environment, and the effect of this is wearing away other people's hopes and dreams of a clean, healthy world.

"Silent my voice, I've got no choice" This is pretty self-explanitory. My voice is not heard amongst those who dont care, so my choice isn't important.

"I don't sleep, anymore, I don't eat, anymore, I don't live anymore, I don't feel." This is a basic sign that all hope is given up because of other people's selfish viewpoints.

I'm in love with this song. I don't about the Charles Manson interpretation, but when I first heard it I thought it dealt with lack of control over one's life, both because of individual people standing in the way (parents, abusive relationships, cops...whatever you relate to) and because of the roles society forces upon us. The song is about the depression/anger that comes from not quite fitting into the mold and not having the ability to change the mold.

Here's what I thought:

"Hey you, see me, pictures crazy" - Is "pictures" a verb here, or a noun?? The first time I heard it, it sounded like "Hey you see me pictured crazy." That is, you ("you" throughout this song can be a specific person, or society in general) see me as crazy; I'm different than you are, and so I'm pictured as crazy.

"All the world I've seen before me passing by" - Great line. Suggests that the world is just moving by, and there's nothing I can do to stop it or interact with it; I don't have any control over it, it is the way it is and I can just watch it happen. Also sounds like it could indicate unwillingness to ineract with the world, not caring any more, being too tired or depressed to want to be a part of what's going on.

"I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose" - There's nothing here for me. Not only do I have nothing to live for or be happy about ("I've got, nothing" and "I've got, nothing..., to lose"), life won't get better...there's nothing in the entire world to live for or be happy about ("I've got, nothing, to gain").

"You don't care about how I feel" - Nobody cares what I say or feel about what's going on (I have no control), and nobody cares about me.

"I don't feel it anymore" - Because nobody cares about me and what I say (previous line), I become depressed and stop caring/feeling. This line and the previous one support "All the world I've seen before me passing by." "You don't care about how I feel" has the same meaning as my first interpretation: I can't control the world. "I don't feel it any more" has the same meaning as my second: I don't WANT to control the world. It's interesting to note: "You don't care about how I feel" is the CAUSE of the line "I don't feel it any more," and since "All the world I've seen before my passing by" is synonymous with both, that line is the cause of itself; a vicious circle of depression.

"Hey you, are me, not so pretty" - "You" in this line could be either the person or people who is controlling my life, or it could be the person or people who "fit in," who don't mind the way their lives are controlled by society: in either case, "you are me" means we all feel this a little, EVERYONE is frustrated to some degree with their lack of control, and "not so pretty" means you aren't really as comfortable with the role that's been forced upon you as you'd like us to believe, you aren't this pretty goody-goody wonderful person. You've got problems too.

"Silent my voice, I've got no choice" - Again, I have no say in what's happening.

"I don't ___ anymore" - These are all descriptions of depression...the overall shutting down of the brain, withdrawal from life. Individual more specific meanings follow. see/hear: I don't want to observe/deal with your bullshit eat: Maybe (this is probably a bit of stretch) a reference to anorexia, which can be related to a lot of points in the song--anorexia is, after all, supposed to be related in most cases to a girl feeling she has to be skinny because that is the role society expects of her. Or, if not that, depression does tend to steal your appetite or make food less enjoyable. speak: Once more, I can't or don't want to give any input to the world around me. feel: See "I don't feel it anymore"

Also notice the way the song swings between quiet music that is fragile/melancholy/sad/gentle/restrained/resigned/tired, and louder music that is angry/defiant/exasperated. That's pretty much a complete list of the feelings I (as someone who can relate to this song) ever have: pissed or sad, and not much else.

...anyway, whether I'm right or wrong about the above (not that you can really be wrong about song interpretation), it's a reallyreallyreallysupergreat song.

this is about charle's manson's air, trees, water, animals environental group, and how people think manson was a killer but he didnt actually DO it, its in a guitar world interview with him

all the world i see before me passing by references to Manson's time in prison and how he really didnt deserve it so hes watching his life go before him for nothing

I was just watching an interview with Charles Manson and he said "I'm gonna rule this whole world through ATWA." The reporter said it was one of his theories or something, I'll look more into later but these comments are already giving me some insight into what it is. I don't know how the song relates necessarily though. Here's the interview is anyone wants to see it: youtube.com/watch

I believe this song's about 'nature singing' to humans

"Hey you, see me, pictures crazy, (you devasted me, made me rare, and now you want picutres) All the world I've seen before me passing by, (I'm here for plenty time before you, I saw this whole thing happening) I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose, All the world I've seen before me passing by," ("Ive got nothing to gain to lose" because I'm here and always will be)

You don't care about how I feel, I don't feel it anymore, (you dont take care of me, I won't 'live' anymore, wont provide what you need to live)

"I don't sleep, anymore, I don't eat, anymore, I don't live anymore, I don't feel"

This part comes just after a scream, and now, men is singing the consequences of their actions, and feeling just like nature felt,

I think this song is completely about Charles Manson.

"Hey you, see me, pictures crazy" People see Charles Manson only through these crazy pictures of him.

"All the world I've seen before me passing by" He's seen the world pass by while he is locked up.

"I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose, All the world I've seen before me passing by," He has nothing to gain or loose, he's going to be in prison for the rest of his life.

"You don't care about how I feel, I don't feel it anymore, You don't care about how I feel, I don't feel it anymore You don't care about how I feel, I don't feel it anymore, You don't care about how I feel, I don't feel it anymore." No one cares about Manson. No one cares how he feels.

"Silent my voice, I've got no choice" There's nothing he can say to get him out of there.

Well, that's my opinion of it anyways. Manson's life after prison.

I think the song title, the acronym ATWA stands not for Air, Trees, Water, Animals, but rather the other meaning... All the Way Alive.

It is my belief that in this song the title (All the way alive) is ironic in a way. The song, I feel, it is simply a song about suicide.

Its simply someone's lament of being lonely and down on themselves. The chorus is not to say they are numb from pain or sadness or what have you, but it is meant in a literal sense. Since the person they are directing the song to, a person they care about, does not seem to reciprocate their affection or care about their pain, they take the easy way out...and no longer feel that pain.

the 'pain' mentioned again appears to be loneliness, and low self esteem, judging by the lines "not so pretty," and "all the world I've seen before me..." which seem to capture the feeling of being apart and separate from the world, an observer.

"you are me" perhaps hints at the speaker feels the person they care for is much like them -- "not so pretty" perhaps physically or perhaps emotionally or both.

"pictures crazy" could perhaps reinforce the notion of a dissatisfaction with physical appearance, or perhaps the verb pictures, meaning the person the speaker is speaking to believe them to be crazy.

hence, again, the title is ironic in the same way as that Pearl Jam's "Immortality." in that "some die just to live"