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The Prodigal Son Lyrics
Well, I've been a disclaimer for twenty-four years
Poor mother drowned in a pillow of tears
Im well known in story, famous in song
The black sheep, the blemish, the one who went wrong
The black sheep, the blemish, the one who went wrong
My crime is discomfort, my mind ill at ease
They'll grow on my shoulder, my favorite disease
My siblings, my rivals might tend to my wake
Grieve me not brothers, I was mother's mistake
Grieve me not brothers, I was mother's mistake
And all the grand expectations of an epic of wealth
Leave me long to crawl back to the womb
Well, I've tasted your grace, placed it back on the shelf
Drag your pedigree wives to your tomb
Drag your pedigree wives to your tomb
Well, I came from this city, a victim of peace
But I've grown far too filthy to attend to the feast
So I take to the hills to live savage and free
I dont need nobody, nobody needs me
I dont need nobody, nobody needs me
Poor mother drowned in a pillow of tears
Im well known in story, famous in song
The black sheep, the blemish, the one who went wrong
The black sheep, the blemish, the one who went wrong
They'll grow on my shoulder, my favorite disease
My siblings, my rivals might tend to my wake
Grieve me not brothers, I was mother's mistake
Grieve me not brothers, I was mother's mistake
Leave me long to crawl back to the womb
Well, I've tasted your grace, placed it back on the shelf
Drag your pedigree wives to your tomb
Drag your pedigree wives to your tomb
But I've grown far too filthy to attend to the feast
So I take to the hills to live savage and free
I dont need nobody, nobody needs me
I dont need nobody, nobody needs me
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This is actually a very deep song, representing modern man's discontent with a modern world, in this case what I call the infliction Middle Class Malaise. "My crime is discomfort, a mind ill at ease." He was born into a position of expectation because he has been given everything he has needed since birth, yet has failed to meet the expectations imposed on him by society and has been nothing but a "disclaimer for 24 years" causing his mother grief. His mother/parents had expectations that he would secure an "epic of wealth" because he has been given everything he needs to succeed but after tasting the "grace", in this case the good, secure life that has been the goal of modern society, he has rejected it, and "placed it back on the shelf". He says he came from "this city a victim of peace," the city being San Francisco which one may say is the ultimate manifestation of liberal, modern society and he decides he wants nothing to do with it, rejecting civilized society, and would rather live "savage and free" and return to the State of Nature which humans were first born into, unprotected by the state or god or any other man made instituitions, but truly free and one with nature.
"Poor mother drowned in a pillow of tears Im well known in story, famous in song" maybe referring to what a embarrasment the person was, from all the bad crap they did, people know you from in the wrong way. "Well, I've tasted your grace, placed it back on the shelf" they tried believeing god, but it didnt help them so they gave up.
"I don't need noobody, nobody needs me" Amazing.
it's actually "old crow on my shoulder, my favorite disease"
the disease being alcoholism.
genetic disease, not favorite disease.
According to their website, where you can find all their lyrics, the song is:
WELL I’VE BEEN A DISCLAIMER FOR TWENTY-FOUR YEARS. POOR MOTHER DROWNED IN A PILLOW OF TEARS. I’M WELL KNOWN IN STORY, FAMOUS IN SONG. THE BLACK SHEEP, THE BLEMISH, THE ONE WHO WENT WRONG. MY CRIME IS DISCOMFORT AND A MIND ILL AT EASE; OLD CROW ON MY SHOULDER, GENETIC DISEASE. MY SIBLINGS, MY RIVALS MIGHT TEND TO MY WAKE, BUT GRIEVE ME NOT BROTHERS, I’S MOTHER’S MISTAKE. AND ALL THE GRAND EXPECTATIONS OF AN EPOCH OF WEALTH LEAVES ME LONG TO CRAWL BACK TO THE WOMB. WELL I’VE TASTED YOUR GRACE PLACED IT BACK ON THE SHELF. DRAG YOUR PEDIGREE LIVES TO YOUR TOMB. WELL I CAME FROM THIS CITY A VICTIM OF PEACE BUT I’VE GROWN FAR TOO FILTHY TO ATTEND TO THE FEAST. SO I’LL TAKE TO THE HILLS TO LIVE SAVAGE AND FREE. I DON’T NEED NOBODY, NOBODY NEEDS ME. I DON’T NEED NOBODY, NOBODY NEEDS ME.