His Master's Voice

Lyrically this is one of the most important songs written in our time.

for all those stating that this is such an influential/important song, I'd like to hear what you think the song is actually about instead of just saying how you feel about it. last i checked this is songmeanings.com, not allmusic.com.

The message is beautiful. Plainly stated : don't follow what other people tell you no matter if it's religion or government, make your own decisions for yourself. Listen to your heart. Song obviously goes into more detail than that, but you can figure it out.

Saw Jim James at Newport Folk Festival this past weekend and he was incredible. played this song solo and at the time I had never heard it before. It is easily one of my favorites now.

I agree with the Rolling Stone review of this album that says this "isn't a concept album, but strong themes course through it." So many big ideas in this album it's unbelievable. Seeing Monsters on Halloween in Louisville (Yim Yames' homecoming), my excitement is uncontainable.

Agreed, let delusion be extinguished!

Johnboy is absolutely right.

This is one of the most influential and important songs, lyrically (and vocally - WOW) of our generation. People need to wake the hell up.

the "Calling Out" at the end is my new mantra

this is my favorite monsters of folk song, so beautiful. i agree that it's lyrics are one of the most important ones written in our time too, so wonderful and simple yet sends out the message i think they're trying to say.

Shannon gave a nice ball-park explanation. I like it.

The artist is telling the listener to follow their heart. Hear and listen to your own master's voice. Don't be influenced by what others believe or what someone told you was true when you were a child.

To me the artist is putting a childish description on some prodigious religious characters (Mohammed and Christ) i.e. "rolling dice" and "they run to do their chores". I don't think he is putting them down or making fun of them or belittling them. I believe he's trying to paint them in a different light than some people would, for the benefit of the listener. When some people think of Christ and Mohammed they think I better follow and believe for he that doesn't suffers the consequences. The artist is describing them as children to more or less relax the listener. We all tend to listen better and retain more when we are relaxed.

He then describes their master telling them to "Re-write the bible for a generation of non believers". I personally believe this is a very important line. I believe the bible and Christ are fictional, created to give birth to and inspire hope. I believe we as human beings "hear what we want to hear" and have forgotten the most important lesson of the bible (have hope and love one another). The artist is saying the master believes he needs to try something new and that the old bible is not working and should be re-written.

The second and third verses are a case in point explanation of how not finding your own belief (master's voice) could end badly. The verses tell a story of a boy listening to a pastor and the boy hearing and being influenced by the pastor's master's voice. The boy then believes it to be his own and follows it witch eventually costs the boy his life.

The artist says "You're only gonna hear what you want to hear" and asks the listener "do you hear your masters voice now?". What this verse means to me is people will interpret religions, beliefs, and creeds any way they choose. They hear what they want to hear and act accordingly. The artist just gave an example of how listening to someone else's master's voice and not there own cost them their life. If everybody hears what they want anyway, shouldn't we take the time and find out what WE really find to be important and meaningful to ourselves (our own master's voice) and listen and stick to that? It may be Christ's or Mohammed's words that we find as our master's voice, but learn that for yourself. Don't come to that conclusion because of what someone else believes or because that's what was taught when you were a child.

The last verse is the artist admitting that he finds Mohammed and Christ agreeable but he still is an individual and has his own beliefs.The artist master's voice just might be Mohammed or Christ, but in the spirit of finding what's important to yourself the artist leaves the identity of his master's voice undisclosed.

Great song from a great album. Maybe I'm over thinking it, I tend to do that. If I have offended any one I apologize.

Cheers, Duder