Materialist

KillboyPowerhead... The Materialism refered to in this song is the scientific and philisophical use of the word. The sense you are speaking of is economic. It seems quite clear to me that it is this Philisophical Materialism that Greg is speaking of (lines like "[I'm] a full out realist", "don't talk of hidden mysteries with me", and "I aint no deist" are my evidence).

I personaly think the reference to Nero is simply to emphasize the line "our future's one big zero"

This was a really hard song to figure out, since I don't have a PhD from Cornell like a certain band member... but I think I got the better parts correctly.

All I have to say is that Greg Graffin has amazing word power. No one can write songs like he can.

yeah, these lyrics are mostly all wrong.

I know what a lot of these are, but I was wondering if anybody wanted to define all these different little association things so I have a clearer idea about what he is talking about: Materialist, Realist, Deist

Materialist is a philosophical approch to life where you believe that nothing exists except matter

Here are the corrected lyrics: You're obsessed and distressed Cause you can't make any sense of the ludicrous nonsense and incipient senescence that will deem your common sense useless this aint no recess! I want to believe in you, but my plan keeps falling through I know I have to face the harshness, grin and bear the truth And I have to walk this mile in my own shoes (and I'm no fool!) [Chorus] I'm materialist a full-out realist and I guess I'm full of doubt so I'm prone to have it out with you I'm materialist There ain't no fear in this it's there for all to see, so don't talk of hidden mysteries with me... Mind over matter, it really don't matter If the street's idle chatter turns your heart strings to tatters Flatter hopes don't flatter and soul batter won't congeal to mend a life that is shattered into shards Was it in the cards? The process of belief is an elixir when you're weak I must confess, at times I indulge it on the sneak but generally my outlook's not so bleak (and I'm not meek!) [Chorus] I'm materialist a full-out realist and I guess I'm full of doubt, but I'll gladly have it out with you I'm materialist I ain't no deist it's there for all to see, so don't of hidden mysteries with me Like Rome under Nero, our future's one big zero Recycling the past to meet the immediate needs And through it all we ramble forth with persevere and climb Our mountains of regret to sow our seeds I'm materialist I'm materialist I'm materialist I'm materialist (hold)

I just love how he pronounces 'Materialist' as "Matter-Realist". Makes it alot easier to explain to someone he isn't talking about being a good consumer.

Materialist: No God, Pixie, Gnome, Ghost, or Spirit will get us out of this mess. Guess we'll have to realize that we have to fix our own problems.

"The process of belief is an elixir when you're weak, and imust admit attimes i indulge it on the sneak, but generally my outlook's not so weak" - This, to me, is Greag saying that people believe in meaningless religions because it makes them feel stronger, and that he himself sometimes feels that way, because it's easier to think that there is a God than to feel alone!

I know this is song meanings, but this song just has an awesome intro, i could listen to that bass at the start alllllll day!