Jason And The Argonauts Lyrics
but human riches I'll release
oh, my head is spinning like the world
and it's filled with beasts I've seen,
let me put my bag down
and I'll tell you it all right from the start.
like the scarlet woman who would pick on the boy
s she thought were green, and the two faced man
who made a hobby of breaking his wife's heart.
seems the more I travel, from the foam to gravel,
as the nets unravel, all exotic fish
I find like jason and the argonauts
there may be no golden fleece
but human riches I'll release.
their facial features,
and here in the west it's just the same
but they're using make-up veils.
I've seen acts of every shade of terrible crime
from man-like creatures, and I've had the breath
of liars blowing me of course in my sails.
seems the more I travel,
from the foam to gravel, as the nets unravel,
all exotic fish
I find like jason and the argonauts
there may be no golden fleece
but human riches I'll release.
I have watched the manimals go buy---buying shoes,
buying sweets, buying knives.
I have watched the manimals and cried
buying time, buying ends to other peoples lives.
there may be no golden fleece
but human riches I'll release.
The use of the words "men" and "manimals" is not from a gender-specific angle, but is derived from the old-fashioned terminology that referred to human beings in general as "men", as terms to relate to all humanity. As in this verse, he's commenting from both angles: "like the scarlet woman who would pick on the boy s she thought were green, and the two faced man who made a hobby of breaking his wife's heart".
PS My favourite XTC song. Absolutely amazing stuff.
Great, profound song. To me, this hits on frequent Andy Partridge themes of despairing about human cruelty and stupidity, mixed with the ecstatic (XTC!), or perhaps manic attempt to embrace and accept humanity and the world we've made as is. We are animals, but we are rich, and you can look at the ugly side or the beautiful aspects of our nature as you choose. "Human riches I'll release" is the line I see as the attempt to integrate the beautiful with the crude ugliness that dominates these lyrics. We think we are so sophisticated, and perhaps we are, but we are also base and beastly, ready to kill, oppress and selfishly use each other as routine and even culturally accepted patterns. See "The Smartest Monkeys" - it's quite similar in tone, although written by Colin Moulding.
I was in a land where men force women to hide their facial features, and here in the west it's just the same but they're using make-up veils.
that's interesting..
Interesting, sad and true.
At least some men see it. Imagine if all men were "manimals"..
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological figure, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece.