Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
We knew the world would not be the same
Few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent
I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita
Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty
And to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says
Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds
I suppose we all thought that, one way or another
Few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent
I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita
Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty
And to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says
Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds
I suppose we all thought that, one way or another
Lyrics submitted by MusicFREAK20
The Radiance Lyrics as written by Chester Charles Bennington Brad Delson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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Ministry
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Techno Ted
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Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
Fast Car
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
I Can't Go To Sleep
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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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.
For anybody who wants a bit more background into the meaning of this quote, and why it's on the album, it is because as you said, it was from Robert Oppenheimer, and he quoted this after witnessing the first atomic bomb detonation test in desert New Mexico:
"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form, and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another."
Another line, (not mentioned in the track) from this was:
"If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one."
Which gives both the song and album name.
very informative!!!! thank you!!!!!! it makes alot of sense!
It's in my opinion that this is the quote made very soon after witnessing the biggest change in human history, in that by creating and witnessing this bomb detonate, the people in the bunker that day in New Mexico realised that humans now had the power to completely erradicate all life on the planet... <br /> <br /> It kind of makes me wonder what would have happened if we never developed such a terrifing, deadly weapon...
This is a great quote by J. Robert Oppenheimer regarding the first testing of the atomic bomb in New Mexico.
this is Very interesting and intriguing for a song.
Robert Oppenheimer quotes Lord Vishnu saying to the prince "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" and now We humans, practically and logically incomparable to the Gods create a weapon which can destroy the entire world(s). There is a direct comparison between God and his apprentice Man. According to Robert Oppenheimer, they both are now the same, Destroyer of Worlds (try to look at the bigger picture here)....that's what the feeling the song is trying to capture here; the very greatest and hardest Pursuit of Man, which is to become the almighty, the all powerful form in the Universe, which is to become God himself. The word "Apotheosis" describes the song quite well.
I may be wrong, but this is what i think of it.