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The Anointed One Lyrics
The annointed one - fathers favorite son
Now we see, long before the race, you'd already won
Oh beautified, with the softest eyes
These days I can't escape your face, do you remember mind?
Oh, it haunts me
Ooh, what a fool I must have been
We saw red, not green, when we were nineteen
Now something's different
Something happened, somewhere therebetween
By the river's bend
Did I misapprehend your intentions
Or is it that you have changed, friend?
Oh, it haunts me
Ooh, how could I not have seen what you'd become?
But you fooled everyone
Lace curtains in our slum
You were the annointed one
Watching you grow with the pride of a friend
Kissing off school - there were rules to be bent
Knelt by your side through our crises of faith
Mine was on time, but for you it was already too late
In the capitol, with your freezer full
Do you represent your district, or your daddy's will?
Oh, it haunts me
Ooh, how could I not have seen what you'd become?
But you fooled everyone
Lace curtains in our slum
You were the annointed one
Now we see, long before the race, you'd already won
Oh beautified, with the softest eyes
These days I can't escape your face, do you remember mind?
Oh, it haunts me
Ooh, what a fool I must have been
We saw red, not green, when we were nineteen
Now something's different
Something happened, somewhere therebetween
By the river's bend
Did I misapprehend your intentions
Or is it that you have changed, friend?
Oh, it haunts me
Ooh, how could I not have seen what you'd become?
But you fooled everyone
Lace curtains in our slum
You were the annointed one
Watching you grow with the pride of a friend
Kissing off school - there were rules to be bent
Knelt by your side through our crises of faith
Mine was on time, but for you it was already too late
In the capitol, with your freezer full
Do you represent your district, or your daddy's will?
Oh, it haunts me
Ooh, how could I not have seen what you'd become?
But you fooled everyone
Lace curtains in our slum
You were the annointed one
Song Info
Submitted by
knifefight On Apr 10, 2004
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Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Anyone else see this song as a semi-reference to G.W. Bush? I'm not saying the whole song is about hime, but certain lines do lend themselves to him.
ya, my girlfriend is convinced it's all about him. I'd believe it. but it's probably a double-meaning one. There's a song , I can't remember, but it feels like there are parallels being drawn between two different things so as to not have to go either way.
The song does have some references that seem to George Bush, but that is just by coincidence. The song is actually about Ted Leo's roomate in college, now New Jersey congressman, Mike Ferguson.
I don't get the line: "Ooh, what a fool I must have been We saw red, not green, when we were nineteen Now something's different" What does that mean? Ted leo rocks, and so does this song
I don't get the line: "Ooh, what a fool I must have been We saw red, not green, when we were nineteen Now something's different" What does that mean? Ted leo rocks, and so does this song
Any thoughts on the possibility of this song being about Jesus and Christianity??? "Father's Favorite Son..."???
I think that this song is about God and the problems that people have with God... (i.e. all the poor and hungry in the world) ("In the capitol, with your freezer full...")
Or George Bush... I can see that... George Bush would like to think he is the Christ! What an asshole!
I agree with the whole Bush, Jesus, Ferguson meanings and I also agree with the fact that it probably has loads of double meanings because Ted does that. But, er, does anyone else get the impression from his repetoire that Ted might be bi, or am I on crack?
As stated above, this is about Mike Ferguson, the current Congressman (R) from New Jersey. While double-meanings are possible, it fits the profile of Ferguson very well. Leo's anger is understandable considering his political alignment, and his apparent feeling of betrayal by Ferguson, as evidenced here:
"Did I misapprehend your intentions Or is it that you have changed, friend?"
It's clear from following lines that he and Ferguson (roommates at Notre Dame, as mentioned above) were close:
"Watching you grow with the pride of a friend Kissing off school - there were rules to be bent Knelt by your side through our crises of faith..."
The critical line of this song, the crux of Leo's issue with Ferguson, isn't that Ferguson has forgotten him, but Ferguson's political motives:
"In the capitol, with your freezer full Do you represent your district, or your daddy's will?"
As stated on NJVoterInfo.com from promotional material for Ferguson:
" Congressman Ferguson's father founded a prominent advertising agency focusing on the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, and was a leading contributor to Republican campaigns, particularly for pro-life candidates."
Leo is obviously accusing Ferguson of executing political maneuvers based on his father's instruction, and as far as his voting record goes, there is no evidence to the contrary: for example, Ferguson has voted for nearly all pro-life articles, yet none of the pro-choice legislation; source: ProjectVote, which goes a long way to prove Mr. Leo's point.
This is a bemoaning of betrayal, a funeral dirge for lost friendship, and one of Ted's trademark political songs, a la Shake the Sheets.
On a personal note, I'm seeing him 3 times this summer; Merriweather on July 8, Pitchfork on July 29, and the Emerson on July 31. All three shows should be amazing, I know the one last year at the 9:30 Club was.
Hey Adam1986, "we saw red not green" is (in my opinion) a reference to having seen things in more of a communist way than a capitalist way.
I just started listening to this album again, and this song really caught be by surprise. I'd never really listened to it all the way through, but now that I have I really love it.
The first chorus is so bristling with energy and passion. It's obviously about Ferguson from what some others have posted, but this song also has a lot of personal meaning for me. If only I were 19 so I could have seen Ted Leo in Vancouver. =P