Theologians
They don't know nothing
About my soul
About my soul

I'm an ocean
An abyss in motion
Slow motion
Slow motion

Inlitterati lumen fidei
God is with us everyday
That illiterate light
Is with us every night

Theologians
That don't know nothing
About my soul
Oh they don't know

They thin my heart with little things
And my life with change
Oh in so many ways
I find more missing every day

Theologians

I'm going away
Where you will look for me
Where I'm going you cannot come

No one's ever gonna take my life from me
I lay it down
A ghost is born
A ghost is born
A ghost is born

I'm an ocean
I'm all emotion
I'm a cherry ghost
Cherry ghost

Hey I'm a cherry ghost
A cherry ghost


Lyrics submitted by eastcidskl

Theologians Lyrics as written by Jeffrey Scot Tweedy Chris Girard

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Theologians song meanings
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    General Comment

    I think all the religious connotations in this song make that expanation a bit TOO obvious.

    This song has been banging around in my head for weeks, and I'm starting to think that it's actually about the music. This may be a bit out of left field, but bear with me...

    I see the metaphoric "God" in this song as the totality of music...something that everyone knows about and has some sort of opinion on. Both "God" (music) and the "illiterate light" (music in general, unaffected by personal taste or selection) are with us day and night.

    Tweedy sings about Theologians not knowing anything about his soul. The theologians in this case could very well be music critics, self-appointed fan experts, Jay Bennett...anyone who pass judgement on what's "good" and "bad" music, based solely on their own opinions, and try to impose those opinions on others. Tweedy's heart is thinned "with little things...in so many ways"...his resolve to be himself musically is challenged and has sometimes been changed by these so-called experts, who constantly buffet him with alternating praise and criticism.

    The "No one's gonna take my life from me...I lay it down" section says to me that his musical 'life' is his to do with as he pleases, and he's choosing to ignore what the critics and fans say and go whatever direction he chooses...leaving nothing but "a cherry ghost" of his past exploits behind. And given the radical directional change he went through on this album, this seems almost like the mission statement.

    thermo4on October 08, 2006   Link

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