"From the depths I called you, ma"
I think 'from the depths' is the narrators mothers perception of her son and not the sons perception of himself. The mother is religious and the son is trying to call to her and tell him there is a different way to live. Although, I think it is possible that because of the effects of religion the narrator actually feels like he is calling from the depths or like he is in the depths.
"for your breath and breast so warm and fabled
Your hands reached inside
grabbed my heart, enlarged, disabled"
I think this shows what a parent can do to a child's heart by forcing religion, enlarge a heart with fables and tall tales and then disable it once they lose their innocence and see the reality of the world, or disable it from the eventual strangling effects of religion.
"Hailed for your mercy"
the narrator is begging for mercy from his mother for being an unbeliever
"An ear that cares"
the narrator wants to speak about his problems with organized religion but the mother doesn't seem to give an ear that cares.
"How the blues sound from up there?"
I think this is, again, the narrator feeling that his mother (religious people) puts herself (themselves) above her son (nonbelievers) and looks down on him (nonbelievers). So, he is wondering how the blues (one's everyday sorrows) sound (feel) from up there(life with religion).
"With my wet hair, I wipe the blood off of your feet
Carry me through these shark infested waters"
I think the sharks are the masses/religious believers and the narrator is young and being carried through maybe a church (shark infested waters).
"Well you spared me from slaughter for sure,
but these sharks are equally in need of a martyr"
I think the narrators mother spared him by letting him know(possibly forcefully) that people do not tolerate nonbelief. I am not sure what the martyr part is about.
"Oh kindess shared
Undeserved purest gift, this life you spared"
I am having trouble with this verse and will leave it alone for now.
How the blues sound from up there?
"Teeth gnashing, masticating this dumb tongue"
narrator chewing on his tongue to keep from saying what he thinks he shouldn't say
"Quiet now, quiet now, hear that supplication
echo into the void
been recieved by no one"
this sounds like the narrator never felt god and after many times of sending heartfelt prayers into a void he realized they are never receiving any response.
"Oh my sweet dear
Cold alone poisoning ourselves
engulfed in our own tears"
The poison of religion is engulfing the narrator and his mother in suffering.
Signed, blues from down here.
"Pull the pin, drop it in, let it wash away your"
I agree with tommy doll, that if the last word was included it would be sin.
With this added in, I think of the line as talking about soldiers throwing grenades, fighting for god and feeling like they will be rewarded for killing.
"Time for your favorite story
of how to achieve golden glory"
The churchgoers favorite story of salvation.
"Wash yourself all squeaky clean"
Repent for your sins.
"all in white all Hallow's Eve"
in all white on devil's night
"Lessen your desire"
Thou shall not covet
"hold your breath so patiently"
Hold your breath patiently on Earth until Heaven and eternal bliss.
"never inquire how to be free"
never even see the option of being free from religion or just free in general.
"Just stay on your knees"
Just stay on your knees praying literally and metaphorically don't rise up.
"You might doubt it"
doubt what the nonbelieving narrator believes
"think there's nothing left for me
to do but stomp my feet
and shout about it"
those that doubt what the narrator is expressing think there's nothing one can do to stop organized religion except to stomp their feet and shout about it.
"From the depths I called you.
Now I'm waiting for an answer patiently
Stuck here at the bottom of this well
It's not the last you've heard from me"
The narrator is telling his mother that he will wait patiently for her answer to the religious questions he presented to her. He also says he is not going to give up on her: "it's not the last you've heard from me.
I think I used I think quite a bit, mostly to keep from sounding too matter of fact because I do believe that this is only an interpretation of the song. I think at face value this song is about a non believing narrator and his religious mother but metaphorically I think it is about the experiences of non believers with religious people.
To clarify, I do not think all religous people are crazy or malicious. I certainly believe they have good intentions and I think some are quite rational but it sure is hard to see them with all the nuts out there.
"From the depths I called you, ma" I think 'from the depths' is the narrators mothers perception of her son and not the sons perception of himself. The mother is religious and the son is trying to call to her and tell him there is a different way to live. Although, I think it is possible that because of the effects of religion the narrator actually feels like he is calling from the depths or like he is in the depths.
"for your breath and breast so warm and fabled Your hands reached inside grabbed my heart, enlarged, disabled" I think this shows what a parent can do to a child's heart by forcing religion, enlarge a heart with fables and tall tales and then disable it once they lose their innocence and see the reality of the world, or disable it from the eventual strangling effects of religion.
"Hailed for your mercy" the narrator is begging for mercy from his mother for being an unbeliever
"An ear that cares" the narrator wants to speak about his problems with organized religion but the mother doesn't seem to give an ear that cares.
"How the blues sound from up there?" I think this is, again, the narrator feeling that his mother (religious people) puts herself (themselves) above her son (nonbelievers) and looks down on him (nonbelievers). So, he is wondering how the blues (one's everyday sorrows) sound (feel) from up there(life with religion).
"With my wet hair, I wipe the blood off of your feet Carry me through these shark infested waters" I think the sharks are the masses/religious believers and the narrator is young and being carried through maybe a church (shark infested waters).
"Well you spared me from slaughter for sure, but these sharks are equally in need of a martyr" I think the narrators mother spared him by letting him know(possibly forcefully) that people do not tolerate nonbelief. I am not sure what the martyr part is about.
"Oh kindess shared Undeserved purest gift, this life you spared" I am having trouble with this verse and will leave it alone for now.
How the blues sound from up there?
"Teeth gnashing, masticating this dumb tongue" narrator chewing on his tongue to keep from saying what he thinks he shouldn't say
"Quiet now, quiet now, hear that supplication echo into the void been recieved by no one" this sounds like the narrator never felt god and after many times of sending heartfelt prayers into a void he realized they are never receiving any response.
"Oh my sweet dear Cold alone poisoning ourselves engulfed in our own tears" The poison of religion is engulfing the narrator and his mother in suffering.
Signed, blues from down here.
"Pull the pin, drop it in, let it wash away your" I agree with tommy doll, that if the last word was included it would be sin. With this added in, I think of the line as talking about soldiers throwing grenades, fighting for god and feeling like they will be rewarded for killing.
"Time for your favorite story of how to achieve golden glory" The churchgoers favorite story of salvation.
"Wash yourself all squeaky clean" Repent for your sins.
"all in white all Hallow's Eve" in all white on devil's night
"Lessen your desire" Thou shall not covet
"hold your breath so patiently" Hold your breath patiently on Earth until Heaven and eternal bliss.
"never inquire how to be free" never even see the option of being free from religion or just free in general.
"Just stay on your knees" Just stay on your knees praying literally and metaphorically don't rise up.
"You might doubt it" doubt what the nonbelieving narrator believes
"think there's nothing left for me to do but stomp my feet and shout about it" those that doubt what the narrator is expressing think there's nothing one can do to stop organized religion except to stomp their feet and shout about it.
"From the depths I called you.
Now I'm waiting for an answer patiently Stuck here at the bottom of this well It's not the last you've heard from me"
The narrator is telling his mother that he will wait patiently for her answer to the religious questions he presented to her. He also says he is not going to give up on her: "it's not the last you've heard from me.
I think I used I think quite a bit, mostly to keep from sounding too matter of fact because I do believe that this is only an interpretation of the song. I think at face value this song is about a non believing narrator and his religious mother but metaphorically I think it is about the experiences of non believers with religious people. To clarify, I do not think all religous people are crazy or malicious. I certainly believe they have good intentions and I think some are quite rational but it sure is hard to see them with all the nuts out there.