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Red Lenses Lyrics
I see red
It hurts my head
Guess it must be something
That I read
It's the colour of your heartbeat
A rising summer sun
The battle lost -- or won
The flash to fashion
And the pulse to passion --
Feels red
Inside my head
And truth is often bitter --
Left unsaid
Said red red
Thinking about the overhead --
The underfed
Couldn't we talk about something else instead?
We've got mars on the horizon
Says the national midnight star
(It's true)
What you believe is what you are
A pair of dancing shoes --
The soviets are the blues --
The reds
Under your bed
lying in the darkness
Dead ahead
And the mercury is rising
Barometer starts to fall
You know it gets to us all
The pain that is learning
And the rain that is burning --
Feel red
Still -- go ahead
You see black and white --
And I see red
Red
(not blue)
It hurts my head
Guess it must be something
That I read
A rising summer sun
The battle lost -- or won
The flash to fashion
And the pulse to passion --
Feels red
Inside my head
And truth is often bitter --
Left unsaid
Said red red
Thinking about the overhead --
The underfed
Says the national midnight star
(It's true)
What you believe is what you are
A pair of dancing shoes --
The soviets are the blues --
The reds
Under your bed
lying in the darkness
Dead ahead
Barometer starts to fall
You know it gets to us all
The pain that is learning
And the rain that is burning --
Feel red
Still -- go ahead
You see black and white --
And I see red
Red
(not blue)
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This song is about how paranoia can distort judgment.
This is about Neil reading the newspaper "national midnight star", and getting pissed off about it's content.
i see red it hurts my head guess it must be something that i read
it's the colour of your heartbeat (opinion or letters to the editor)
a rising summer sun (New day) the battle lost -- or won (war news or stock market) the flash to fashion (style or fashion page)
and the pulse to passion --
feels red inside my head and truth is often bitter -- (reading between the lines) left unsaid said red red thinking about the overhead -- (business section) the underfed
we've got mars on the horizon (astronomy) says the national midnight star (it's true) what you believe is what you are a pair of dancing shoes -- the soviets are the blues --
the reds (fear of the Russians) under your bed lying -- in the darkness dead ahead
and the mercury is rising (weather)
barometer starts to fall you know it gets to us all the pain that is learning and the rain that is burning -- (acid rain) feel red still -- go ahead you see black and white -- (newspaper) and i see red (not blue) ?
The National Midnight Star was an entirely fictional 'tabloid' magazine - dreamed up for a skit by the comedy geniuses of a Canadian television show from the early 80's called: SCTV (Second City Television). In the sketch, the sort of 'slogan' for the magazine was that the National Midnight Star would only report something if "It's True!" :)
The National Midnight Star was an entirely fictional 'tabloid' magazine - dreamed up for a skit by the comedy geniuses of a Canadian television show from the early 80's called: SCTV (Second City Television). In the sketch, the sort of 'slogan' for the magazine was that the National Midnight Star would only report something if "It's True!" :)
So - imo, no, these lyrics are not about Neil getting 'ticked off' while reading a particular newspaper; nor do I think it is some sort of cometary on newspapers/magazines in general.
So - imo, no, these lyrics are not about Neil getting 'ticked off' while reading a particular newspaper; nor do I think it is some sort of cometary on newspapers/magazines in general.
What these lyrics are 'all about', imho, is...
What these lyrics are 'all about', imho, is simply social/political "anger" in a very general sense (which would, of course, include the inflammatory cometary of pundits and so forth); ie: "seeing red" (as it were).
Although I realize that Neil is a "left-leaning Libertarian" (at least, he's been quoted as being such), for me (you get your own damn 'eye of the beholder' out of it!) - in the past few years (as there was no such 'definitions' at the time he wrote this) - I have come to identify this song with American Red State / Blue State 'politics', and that it is specifically (vehemently) espousing a "pro Red State" point of view. Myself? I guess you 'could' label me a 'conservative-leaning' Libertarian - but I reject such 'labels', personally. ;)
Written in the perspective of someone who likes red.
I can just imagine Sammy Hagar covering this. :)
Yes, but what does it mean? I still can't figure out the meaning.
Aha. It's about the Soviet (Russian) government, and how it is communism. Or just communist government in general. The Russians are under a communist government. It's not democratic, or dictator ship, really, it invloves people getting paid the same amount for jobs. For example, a doctor would get paid the same as an executive of a large company. Atleast, that's what I see in it. Seeing red can mean very angry -- red symbolizes anger.
I suspect The National Midnight Star is a propaganda publication. That seems to be the theme of this song as I see it. To be more specific, I think the theme of this song is the influence of propaganda on public opinion and the resulting adverse effects on society. "truth is often bitter left unsaid" is a great play on words that I have always loved.
I've already commented on this - it was quite some time back...like, years ago. Where'd that comment go???
The National Midnight Star was a fictional newspaper from a Second City Television skit. You young whippersnappers will have to look up just what SCTV was on your own. Anyway, in the skit - the National Midnight Star was a tabloid paper (sort of like the Enquirer) and when they mention some bizarre, outlandish crazy story - a chorus of people in the office would chime in saying: "And it's true!". ...I dunno, maybe they have an old clip of the skit on yous-tubes er som'en.
Anyway, the song is obviously about 'information overload' - which was actually not all that easy to achieve back when it was released; at least, not when compared to today.