This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Well you sure didn't look like you were having any fun,
with that heavy-metal gaze they'll have to measure in tons.
And when you look up at the sky,
all you see are zeros,
and all you see are zeros and ones.
You took my hand and led me down to watch a kewpie doll parade,
And we let the kittens lick our hair and drank our chalky lemonade.
It's not that I just didn't care, I must admit I was afraid.
And I'm awfully glad my finger's resting gently on the masterfade.
The masterfade,
I coulda played along.
The masterfade,
I coulda played Mah Jongg,
but it just takes too long,
and I just can't remember
which way the east wind blows?
Does it matter?
If we're all matter,
what's it matter?
Does it matter,
if we're all matter when we're done
when the sky is full of zeros and ones?
I saw you standing all alone in the electrostatic rain.
I thought at last I'd found a situation you can't explain.
With GPS you know it's all just a matter of degrees.
Your happiness won't find you underneath that canopy of trees.
If the green grass is 6, and the soybeans are 7,
the junebugs are 8, the weeds and thistles are 11.
And if the 1s just hold thier place, the 0s make a smiley face
when they come floating down from the heavens.
You took my hand and lead me down to watch a papillon parade.
We let the kittens lick our hair and drank our chalky lemonade.
You squeezed my hand and told me softly that I shouldn't be afraid,
'cause all the while your finger's resting gently on the masterfade.
The masterfade,
I coulda played along.
The masterfade,
I coulda played Mah Jongg,
but it just takes too long,
and who the hell can remember
which way the east wind blows,
when your lying on the ground
staring up at that inverted compass?
I mean, Christ, who Knows?
with that heavy-metal gaze they'll have to measure in tons.
And when you look up at the sky,
all you see are zeros,
and all you see are zeros and ones.
You took my hand and led me down to watch a kewpie doll parade,
And we let the kittens lick our hair and drank our chalky lemonade.
It's not that I just didn't care, I must admit I was afraid.
And I'm awfully glad my finger's resting gently on the masterfade.
The masterfade,
I coulda played along.
The masterfade,
I coulda played Mah Jongg,
but it just takes too long,
and I just can't remember
which way the east wind blows?
Does it matter?
If we're all matter,
what's it matter?
Does it matter,
if we're all matter when we're done
when the sky is full of zeros and ones?
I saw you standing all alone in the electrostatic rain.
I thought at last I'd found a situation you can't explain.
With GPS you know it's all just a matter of degrees.
Your happiness won't find you underneath that canopy of trees.
If the green grass is 6, and the soybeans are 7,
the junebugs are 8, the weeds and thistles are 11.
And if the 1s just hold thier place, the 0s make a smiley face
when they come floating down from the heavens.
You took my hand and lead me down to watch a papillon parade.
We let the kittens lick our hair and drank our chalky lemonade.
You squeezed my hand and told me softly that I shouldn't be afraid,
'cause all the while your finger's resting gently on the masterfade.
The masterfade,
I coulda played along.
The masterfade,
I coulda played Mah Jongg,
but it just takes too long,
and who the hell can remember
which way the east wind blows,
when your lying on the ground
staring up at that inverted compass?
I mean, Christ, who Knows?
Lyrics submitted by beastiefreak00
Masterfade Lyrics as written by Andrew Wegman Bird
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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Bee Gees
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
I haven't decided on on what this song quite means yet, but part of it seems to be about peace, and summertime, and calmness (what is a masterfade? well, it doesn't matter) and part of it sort of seems like it's about how science and mathematics sort of miss out on a lot of beauty in the world. (I don't necessarily agree with that, but it does make a good case.)
"well you sure didn't look like you were having any fun.../and when you look up at the sky/all you see are zeros/all you see are zeros and ones" In being so calculating you see the sky as numerals and miss out on everything wonderful about it.
"if we're all matter/what's it matter does it matter/if we're all matter when we're done?" This could be a comment on how the idea that we're just lumps of walking, talking matter trivializes human existance, and even if there is no "meaning of life" and no god and we're just a blob of organized cells, who cares?
"I saw you standing all alone in the electrostatic rain/I thought at last I'd found a situation you can't explain" A situation where logic fails and you have to abandon scientific reasoning. "your happiness won't find you underneath that canopy of trees" You won't be happy if you continue seeing things the way you do now.
"if the green grass is 6 the soybeans are 7/the junebugs are 8 the weeds and thistles are 11" seeing things as numbers again
I put way too much thought into that... something that is most definitely wrong, wrong, wrong.
I definitely like the track this thread is on in terms of the interpretation of this song. Spirituality v science (or the incorporeal v the corporeal) seems to be a recurring theme throughout bird's compositions. I don't get the feeling that Bird thinks mathematics and science aren't important- just that they're incomplete. I've been having the same problem with science, actually. I feel like the "our mind is just a series of neurons firing" school of thought completely passes over the immense complexity and sophistication possessed by the human mind.