This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I watch the work of my kin, bold and boyful
Toying somewhere between love and abuse
Calling to join them, the wretched and joyful
Shaking the wings of their terrible youths
Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion
No more alone or myself could I be
Lurched like a stray to the arms that were open
No shortage of sordid, no protest from me
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh, I
Lay my heart down with the rest at her feet
Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile
It's bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
In leash-less confusion, I'll wander the concrete
Wonder if better now having survived
Jarring of judgement and reason's defeat the sweet
Heat of her breath in my mouth, I'm alive
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
Toying somewhere between love and abuse
Calling to join them, the wretched and joyful
Shaking the wings of their terrible youths
Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion
No more alone or myself could I be
Lurched like a stray to the arms that were open
No shortage of sordid, no protest from me
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh, I
Lay my heart down with the rest at her feet
Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile
It's bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
In leash-less confusion, I'll wander the concrete
Wonder if better now having survived
Jarring of judgement and reason's defeat the sweet
Heat of her breath in my mouth, I'm alive
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
Lyrics submitted by michigansdiction, edited by bearpig77777, randy11242, teaspill, cr0wgrrl, Cjmclm, Maedhbh
Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene Lyrics as written by Andrew Hozier Byrne
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
The song is about him recounting a time when all of his family and friends seemed to be in happy relationships and were so concerned with their relationship he felt shut out. He decides it's high time he find a relationship of his own and falls into the open arms of a woman-- quite an interesting woman. She's powerful and experienced, strong and yes, mean. You know those relationships where someone is unhealthily controlling but the couple sticks together anyway? It's like that. He's absolutely addicted to her. The feeling of being with someone, human touch, and (as someone else said) the rapture of sex overwhelm him. He's putty in her hands and she takes full advantage of it.
I watch the work of my kin bold and boyful Toying somewhere between love and abuse Calling to join them the wretched and joyful Shaking the wings of their terrible youths
All his loved ones are running around doing exciting relationship things and inadvertently calling or tempting him to join them in couple-hood.
Freshly dissolved in some frozen devotion No more alone or myself could I be Looks like a strain to the arms it were open No shortage of sordid, no protest from me
He couldn't take it anymore, he needed to be with someone. (Sordid=arousing moral distaste and contempt) "No shortage of sordid, no protest from me" = He knows this is bad, it's morally wrong, but he's not complaining. It feels too good.
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
It feels so good but it hurts so bad, basically. Small death or "le morte petit" is a euphemism for orgasm.Here small death is used to show that yes, the sex is amazing, but also to show that he is dying a little inside. Hozier is awesome at double meanings. Codeine is a painkiller. The relationship is emotional torment and he's in pain. Codeine can also make you feel high and that's exactly what is going on here. She's causing him emotional pain but being with her gives him a high he can't get anywhere else.
Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh I Lay my heart down with the rest at her feet Fresh from the fields, all feeder and fur tires Bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet
He's now joined the ranks of all those with romantic interests and he's addicted to her sex and just having someone to touch. He surrenders all of himself to her, knowing that she will cause him pain, but he doesn't care so long as he gets to be with her. Before her, he was clean, innocent. He says "I lay my heart down with the rest at her feet, fresh from the fields..." He gives his heart and his body to her, both of which are "fresh from the fields" meaning he's either never been in a relationship like this or he's never been in a relationship at all
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
And lease this confusion, I'll wander the concrete Wonder if better now having survived Jarring of judgment and reasons defeat The sweet heat of her breath in my mouth I'm alive
He finally is able to defeat his addiction to her and get out of such an unhealthy and emotionally abusive relationship and is just trying to catch his breath, bewildered at all that has happened. He wonders if it was beneficial for him to have been through all of this or if he was better off staying lonely like he was at the beginning. Even though his logical side says it was good for him to get out, he still can't help having thoughts of the high he gets from being with her and how alive it makes him feel.
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene
With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene