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Elephant in the Dock Lyrics
Pillary stocks at the gallows tree dock
the crowd grew impatient as the clouds threatened rain
Elephant arrived at the Constable's side,
with her trunk locked in shackles, and her ankles in chains
Bailiff: "All rise, all rise, his Honor presides,"
the Judge took the bench to the village brass cavalcade,
Elephant refused to swear the oath,
Elephant: "I don't know anything about truth,
but I know falsehood when I see it,
and it looks like this whole world you've made"
Good of our chaplain to sail Kalispell Bay
And now down on his marrow for this old fool to pray,
"Lord, for sixty-so years I've surrendered my love,
to emblems of kindness, and not the kindness they were emblems of,
Trammels and rings, with the strength of old strings,
and some hobble skirt spring, by the old problem caught,
Children, sometimes I think all our thoughts are just things,
and then sometimes think things are just thoughts,"
and the rabble rang
Crowd: Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Elephant: A thirteen coil knot for the samovar pot!
Scottish Oatcakes in haversacks each to its grave
This mock trial can no more determine my lot,
than can driftwood determine the ocean's waves,
Brandish your ropes and your boards, and your basket-hilt swords,
but what is there can punish like a conscience ignored?
Yes, my body did just as you implied,
while some ghost we'll call 'I' idly watched through its eyes,"
and the jury sang,
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Elephant: I feel it stealing now
All adrift fathoms down
the crowd grew impatient as the clouds threatened rain
Elephant arrived at the Constable's side,
with her trunk locked in shackles, and her ankles in chains
the Judge took the bench to the village brass cavalcade,
Elephant refused to swear the oath,
Elephant: "I don't know anything about truth,
but I know falsehood when I see it,
and it looks like this whole world you've made"
And now down on his marrow for this old fool to pray,
"Lord, for sixty-so years I've surrendered my love,
to emblems of kindness, and not the kindness they were emblems of,
Trammels and rings, with the strength of old strings,
and some hobble skirt spring, by the old problem caught,
Children, sometimes I think all our thoughts are just things,
and then sometimes think things are just thoughts,"
and the rabble rang
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Scottish Oatcakes in haversacks each to its grave
This mock trial can no more determine my lot,
than can driftwood determine the ocean's waves,
Brandish your ropes and your boards, and your basket-hilt swords,
but what is there can punish like a conscience ignored?
Yes, my body did just as you implied,
while some ghost we'll call 'I' idly watched through its eyes,"
and the jury sang,
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
All adrift fathoms down
Song Info
Submitted by
chrisiacovetti On May 05, 2012
More mewithoutYou
January 1979
Silencer
The Dryness and the Rain
Messes of Men
In a Sweater Poorly Knit
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Corrected lyrics using the lyric booklet:
Pillary stocks at the gallows tree dock the crowd grew impatient the clouds threatened rain Elephant arrived at the Constable's side, with her trunk locked in shackles, and her ankles in chains
Bailiff: "All rise, all rise, his Honor presides," the Judge took the bench to the village brass cavalcade, Elephant refused to swear the oath, Elephant: "I don't know anything about truth, but I know falsehood when I see it, and it looks like this whole world you've made"
Good of our chaplain to sail Kalispell Bay And now down on his marrow for this old fool to pray, "Lord, for sixty-so years I've surrendered my love, to emblems of kindness, and not the kindness they were emblems of, Trammels and rings, with the strength of old strings, and some hobble skirt spring, by the old problem caught, Children, sometimes I think all our thoughts are just things, and then sometimes think things are just thoughts," and the rabble rang
Crowd: Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang! Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Elephant: A thirteen coil knot for the samovar pot! Scottish Oatcakes in haversacks each to its grave This mock trial can no more determine my lot, than can driftwood determine the ocean's waves, Brandish your ropes and your boards, and your basket-hilt swords, but what is there can punish like a conscience ignored? Yes, my body did just as you implied, while some ghost we'll call 'I' idly watched through its eyes," and the jury sang,
Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang! Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang! Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang! Hang! the Elephant must hang! the Elephant must hang!
Elephant: I feel it stealing now All adrift fathoms down
I think this is a reference to a collection of essays and speeches by C. S. Lewis called "God In the Dock". The wikipedia article says:
"Its title implies "God on Trial"[1] and is based on an analogy made by Lewis suggesting that modern human beings, rather than seeing themselves as standing before God in judgment, prefer to place God on trial while acting as his judge."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_the_Dock
I have read many of Lewis's works but only even heard of this one a few days ago. I wouldn't have made the connection except for a comment on February 1878 where someone thought the Elephant might represent God.
So in February 1878 the elephant causes the train car with the animals to break off and crash, but in Grist for the Malady Mill it's mentioned that it doesn't run away with the rabbit or bear or tiger. So in this song they(people?) are bringing the elephant to trial for its actions it seems.
bravo!
bravo!
additional influence to the song (and likely the album): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_%28elephant%29
what is you opinion on the line
"Lord, for sixty-so years I've surrendered my love, to emblems of kindness, and not the kindness they were emblems of..."
I love this line and it is really perplexing to me.
It could be the kindness associated with putting something out of misery via an act of killing.
It could be the kindness associated with putting something out of misery via an act of killing.
Elephant
additional influence to the song (and likely the album): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_%28elephant%29
Nice touch... elephant ;) Touche' again.
"Yes, my body did just as you implied, while some ghost we'll call "I" idly watched through its eyes,"
If the elephant is God, her body could refer to the church upon which actions the non-believing world judges God, while the Elephants ghost (the holy spirit) idly watched though it's eyes.
putting this together with the song "goodbye, i," i think what's being said is that the actual thing that is "self" is beyond the body. 1 thing stands idly within all bodies, in their limited space & time, but 1 thing transcends all separate individual identities.
putting this together with the song "goodbye, i," i think what's being said is that the actual thing that is "self" is beyond the body. 1 thing stands idly within all bodies, in their limited space & time, but 1 thing transcends all separate individual identities.
but it seems also this song is about multiple things, so this is just one interpretation.
but it seems also this song is about multiple things, so this is just one interpretation.
With, "Yes, my body did just as you implied, while some ghost we'll call "I" idly watched through its eyes." Elephant is saying, "Regardless of what I wanted, I did what should have and needed to be done."
With, "Yes, my body did just as you implied, while some ghost we'll call "I" idly watched through its eyes." Elephant is saying, "Regardless of what I wanted, I did what should have and needed to be done."
what is you opinion on the line
"Lord, for sixty-so years I've surrendered my love, to emblems of kindness, and not the kindness they were emblems of..."
I love this line and it is really perplexing to me.
seems like he's saying he's acted in kindness & love as a way to embody god & his will in our world, but he couldn't successfully enact the full kindness of god, only his scarred representation of the actual thing, thus: "emblems of kindness, but not the kindness they were emblems of."
seems like he's saying he's acted in kindness & love as a way to embody god & his will in our world, but he couldn't successfully enact the full kindness of god, only his scarred representation of the actual thing, thus: "emblems of kindness, but not the kindness they were emblems of."
I saw it as meaning the Elephant has tried to live virtue in the world, but virtue as seen by the people is not true virtue. What we see as symbols or acts of kindness are not actual kindness. "Trammels and rings" of our realities pervert the reality of kindness--she can't be kind because kindness to those she serves is an illusion.
I saw it as meaning the Elephant has tried to live virtue in the world, but virtue as seen by the people is not true virtue. What we see as symbols or acts of kindness are not actual kindness. "Trammels and rings" of our realities pervert the reality of kindness--she can't be kind because kindness to those she serves is an illusion.
It's the chaplain, not the Elephant, speaking. I think he's saying he's given his life to the Church (emblems of kindness) but not to God (the kindness they were emblems of)
It's the chaplain, not the Elephant, speaking. I think he's saying he's given his life to the Church (emblems of kindness) but not to God (the kindness they were emblems of)
I have loved this line for so long. Figures, the irony of the universe would allow that It is actually from Yeats' poem Circus Animal's Desertion:
I have loved this line for so long. Figures, the irony of the universe would allow that It is actually from Yeats' poem Circus Animal's Desertion:
"Players and painted stage took all my love, And not those things that they were emblems of."
"Players and painted stage took all my love, And not those things that they were emblems of."