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A Certain Type of Genius Lyrics
There is a certain type of genius who is proud to know so much
He skipped a thousand showers 'cause he doesn't need to touch
He hides his bastard faces behind thick panes of glass
They're all that separates him from the apish lower class
And the stench of love keeps snaking up his nose, through all the snot his sinuses can hold
Believing all the lies that he's been told grows old, so old
A Friday night alone with friends, he's got but one or two
They're geniuses like him, you see, nothing like all of you
They banter and they languish with ostentatious plea
Their oh-so-trendy anguish, their underground machine
And he won't be there when Jesus comes around
He'll write a book on what his studies found
And deep inside he'll learn to fear the sound of hope, of hope
He says, "Why should I even try? I will let the oil soak in my face until the pimples shine like tiny mountains set in place, this lonely valley mine, between the hills of opulence that grow in strength with time. Scarlet clusters spring from skin to hide my missing spots."
Go, go, go
And he won't be there when Jesus comes around
He'll write a book on what his studies found
And deep inside he'll long to hear the sound of hope, of hope
When the world stabs you in the back, the worst thing you could do is become indifferent too
There is no "they," no idiot brigade
Only a thousand you's, equally as bruised
He skipped a thousand showers 'cause he doesn't need to touch
He hides his bastard faces behind thick panes of glass
They're all that separates him from the apish lower class
And the stench of love keeps snaking up his nose, through all the snot his sinuses can hold
Believing all the lies that he's been told grows old, so old
They're geniuses like him, you see, nothing like all of you
They banter and they languish with ostentatious plea
Their oh-so-trendy anguish, their underground machine
He'll write a book on what his studies found
And deep inside he'll learn to fear the sound of hope, of hope
Go, go, go
He'll write a book on what his studies found
And deep inside he'll long to hear the sound of hope, of hope
There is no "they," no idiot brigade
Only a thousand you's, equally as bruised
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Possibly my favorite song by Say Anything. Essentially, he sings about the arrogance that afflicted an intelligent and unorthodox individual who bitterly disowned society at some point, declaring that he was above the silly and mindless games he imagined people played. He comfots himself with mental masturbation, basking in mental acquisition. But ultimately he knows how lonely he is, and how little happiness his intelligence has brought him, and how he's really just like anyone else, and that his intelligence doesn't separate him at all from anyone.
I imagine that Bemis was one of these kids. He writes a lot about intellectual anguish, about arrogance and pretention, probably to make amends for how arrogant and pretentious he's been. Or to warn kids like him.
or he writes because it is the only thing that keeps him from going crazy......
"And he won't be there when Jesus comes around He'll write a book on what his studies found"
I think what he's trying to say there is obvious; the kid's so focused on being intelligent that he stops believing in God.
I love how Max Bemis goes from:
"And deep inside he'll learn to fear the sound of hope, of hope"
to:
"And deep inside he'll long to hear the sound of hope, of hope"
Very intellegent view on things i have met ppl like this. Amazing song. Max is a amazing song writer as well.
I don't think it neccesarily has to do with religion or G-d but just spirituality in general, "And he won't be there when Jesus comes around" doesn't have to literally mean Jesus, and if it is about Max then it's odd because he is jewish. This could just be a shot at the character, such that he built up such a defense against religion, thought based purely on intellect, and the fact that he expresses the feeling what's it all worth, that he wouldn't be able to accept anything spiritual.
It is kind of creepy how much I relate to this song. When it comes to the meaning, TheAmazingJim hit the target spot on. It is the classic story of the underappreciated nerd that isolates himself and holds himself on a sort of pedestal. Afraid of being hurt, he can never form a real relationship with anyone, he is much too far away.
I think instead of 'Scarlet clusters spring from skin to hide my missing spots' it's 'hide my missing spine'