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Slowly Growing Deaf Lyrics

As the congregation grows
The lung of solitude deflates
To my ears the greatest sin
Feel a bit like Beethoven

Simultaneous they speak unbeknownst
Exiled to the inner voice, the difference is...
He had no choice

We can't seem to find the air
To get our message through your heads
Poor respiration is sure
To keep clear communication obscure

As if I should care
As if you are listening out there

The louder you speak the more I can hear
The less I can understand
Pound on it, pound it in
To my ears the greatest sin
Feel a bit like Beethoven

Paint my lungs so silently
The darkest color of your noise
A crowd will contradict it's own audibility
Can't hear the dialogue for the voice

No one is listening
Yet ears are ringing

Ears are ringing...

In the morning I will see
What you were trying to say to me
As I respond into the sink
Need not again hear myself think

Ears are ringing...

Wax within my ears has grown
Just like the snot inside my nose
My interpretation of distorted conversation

I will kill for isolation
Sacrifice the energy
To enjoy the breath of silence
When the blood comes naturally

I have chosen to plug my nose
Before the threshold of pain has grown
Mole out from society
Survive off my soliloquy

Removed I can speak as he has
Bleeding from nose throat and ears
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Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

This song seems to me to have a bit more depth to it than most people have granted it. It's obviously not about an actual hearing disorder, and bungle4ever's comments about the frustrations of a great band playing live were unfortunately a bit short of the mark. Frustration with the general public is on the right track, but think more along the lines of a growing insanity to catch the full impact of this song's message. Imagine someone just babbling back to you what they THINK what you said is all about. Now imagine every person you have ever interacted with chiming in with their thoughts on what you said, what you've done, whatever. Most people are so quick to interpret what they hear that they never actually LISTEN to it. As the cacophony steadily grows, it's easy to imagine someone getting overwhelmed by everyone putting their two cents in on something that they never really paid attention to in the first place. For reference, check out Merriam-Webster's take on the word "soliloquy":

1: the act of talking to oneself 2: a dramatic monologue that represents a series of unspoken reflections

Basically, this songs speaks of someone who, after hearing everyone "get it wrong", would rather just listen to their own thoughts. If you really pay attention to what the lyrics are trying to say, you can almost see the speaker in a padded room, wearing a straight jacket, and constantly talking to himself.

Personally, I believe this song is a true work of art in more ways than one. Prose, social commentary, musicianship, you name it. Right on, goodtymze1, definitely Mr. Bungle's finest hour.

Song Meaning

"If you really pay attention to what the lyrics are trying to say, you can almost see the speaker in a padded room, wearing a straight jacket, and constantly talking to himself." There are days I'd pay to see that. And I put on some of those air-filled boxing mitts and take a few shots. This is one of those days. (I'll deal with the guilt later:)

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Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

ok whoever's in charge of the lyrics has posted them in a fucked up order... they are all there.. the words.. just some in the wrong order..

Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

Slowly growing dead.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

damn this song is random i love the tempo changes throughout the song ... im not to sure about the meaning but i guess as the song sugests its about becoming deaf, maybe a self exclution from the world ..

I LOVE this song, one of my very favorites, just as Mr. Bungle is one of my very favorites.

This song is about the frustration of a live band putting huge amounts of time and practice in and playing their asses off just to have a buncha drunken tools bounce around totally deaf to their talent, and completely ignorant to any intended meanings/effects of the music.

READ THE WORDS

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Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

has the most disturbing interlude ever.....

Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

They sing faster than I can think! I try to read the lyrics while listening to it and I try to think about the lines at the same time. This is a great song though.

Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

mr bungle's greatest moment.

Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

well, anyone who has a hearing disorder (like me!) can feel the same way, one moment without ringing is priceless.

Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

For those who don't know, this song is also known as "Sleep (Part I)" and was written by Trevor Dunn. "Slowly Growing Deaf" is part 1 in a 3 part trilogy by Dunn. The other 2 songs are found on "Disco Volante" and named "Sleep (Part II): Carry Stress in the Jaw" and "Sleep (Part III): Phlegmatics"

Song Fact
Cover art for Slowly Growing Deaf lyrics by Mr. Bungle

It could be about hearing what you think you hear or maybe what you want to hear?... when you listen to things (music or people trying to make a point about something). I think it's important to formulate your own opinion about things rather than reading the lyrics of what's actually being said and looking up the actual meaning, it's a skill you have to practice. Ironically enough I am here writing this. Although I do love to hear other peoples perspective and opinion on things, depending on the person...

Anyway... SOAD tends to do this to me. Especially in Chic'N'Stu. "Advertisement causes need! Therapy! Therapy!" But I hear..."Advertising causes me...to repeat...to repeat."

Or Black Sabbath - Paranoid. "I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could but it's too late" I hear "I tell you to end your life I wish I could but I debate"

Misheard lyrics are the best sometimes, but your ears need some air (wiggle room) to get the message through (maybe Beethoven was really good in this aspect), because the louder Patton speaks, the more "your" understanding of it disappears... Probably not what the song is actually about but it's just what I thought about it...