The Beast and Dragon, Adored

"[T]he working title for 'Gimme Fiction' was 'The Beast and Dragon, Adored,' which is also the name of the lead-off track. It's a phrase that Daniel found in a book of French tapestries; one of them was called 'Apocalypse: The Beast and Dragon Adored.'"

I think that the song has to do with realizing that the world may not end, so you need to pick yourself up and get on with life again.

Some of the lyrics posted are incorrect. This is from the band's website:

The beast and dragon, adored You been gone so long Where you been for so long I went to places unknown Rented a room And I forgot my pen Shook my twin And I had to find the feelin again

Now all I need is a crew One that can act as if One that can slay on cue And sneeze and sniff Uh-huh alright I'm going back to the water Been landlocked too long

I got a feelin it don't come cheap I got a feelin oh and then it got to me It took its time a-working into my soul I got to believe it come from rock and roll Believe it come from rock and roll

Where did you get for so long I been learning my scene I been watching my friends move away I summon my love back to me And I went down by the seawall That's when I knew, knew They Never Got You

Great dominions they don't come cheap Great dominions they just want you to leave I got the meaning the meaning sat tight Said it's not what you expected but it could be right

I got a feelin it didn't come free I got a feelin and then it got to me When you don't feel it it shows they tear out your soul And when you believe they call it rock and roll And when you believe they call it rock and roll

At first I thought it was about mixed feelings for a returning lover, but now I think it is about the band hitting the road again, or maybe about the end of a dry spell in songwriting.

PS - Normally when I write one of these comments I have some background knowledge of what the song is about, but this album is brand new so finally I get to just write my own opinion and have the luxury of probably being wrong!

This seems like a plea to the muse to return. The speaker's bummed that he can't recreate the feelings he used to have about music. Then there's a transistion "That's when I knew, knew they never got you". He knows the original feeling of joy and authenticity "don't come cheap" and inspiration doesn't always flow like a tap. One has to work for the deep, genuine feeling of music ("I got a feeling, it didn't come free"). There's a lot of truth in this song.

I like how the stanza

Where did you get for so long I been learning my scene I been watching my friends move away I summon my love back to me And I went down by the seawall That's when I knew, knew They Never Got You

is like an outline of the songs that will come in the rest of the album

This song is about songwriting. Its about all the dry spells of insperation, and the frustration this creates, which is shown in the angry messy guitarwork in the song. it explains that really music requires, the utmost commitment to music to make something that is truely great. "when you believed they call it rock and roll" the title and repeated phrase "the beast and dragon adored" is symbolic of this worship of music. it is nothing but pain and frustration to achive greatness as it is in any art. even when one is sucsessful the are thrown into a world of sin and excess like the city of babylon in the book of revelations. it implys the idea that to become a true artist one must pour there entire being into it, including one's very soul.

I agree with a lot of what's already been said. I see this as this one moment of inspiration gone and lost forever. A guy who needs to have inspiration to write songs to find his feelings because he feels misunderstood and numb to the outside world.

I think that the album title Gimme Fiction might have, at least in part, been inspired by a song called 'Friction' by Television in which he says "Gimme Friction." Television had a very short (2 year, 2 album!) career in the late 70s, and their debut album, Marquee Moon, is the best overlooked album of that decade.

I know Britt got the name Spoon from the song of the same name by a band named Can, also from the 70s and of similar cult status. He also mentions a lot of songs by Iggy Pop in his songs, i.e. "Shake Appeal", "Down on the Street", and "Some Weird Sin. So, theres a pretty good chance that Britt was influenced by Television as well, and that Gimme Fiction is derived from Gimme Friction.

The play on words in Gimme Fiction works on many levels though and is really clever for a lot of reasons.

it's def. about music.

looking for the inspiration.

this was the last song written for gimme fiction, he successfully completed the other tracks and it seemed like he was stuck on this one. so he wrote about being stuck?