While I'm not completely sure on the exact meaning of this song, here's what I've gathered so far:
"In your
Gunship Gunship Gunship Politico.
I hope you don't get what your after."
I think this verse clearly states what the main part of this song is. Gunship Politico is a wicked easy translation to "Political Gunship." All these people, these murderers, they're getting a free ride through the political system and something's clearly screwed up (to put it lightly).
Why? Why do they (I'm thinkin' military) choose to shoot fleeing people? Why do the cops choose to act as street toughs, the very thing that they should protect against?
The third to last verse also seems to point a finger at the listener too -- you could be next. Following this, the person that did get away is tainted with a guilty conscious. To elaborate, at the end of the Holocaust a lot of the survivors were in a horrible mental state: why were they the ones to survive? "Just trying to wash all his conscience away." This might also have to do with a question of why he didn't do anything, why couldn't he do anything, or why isn't he doing anything.
The final full verse sort of shapes the victims mentioned as people that were just lookin' for a way to live out their live, or perhaps a better analysis, something to believe in so that they could live, but this way, this ideology, has come under fire from oppressive governmental forces hindering people's way of life (a.k.a. the political gunship).
There was one thing I have a question about in the song, though. Who is the person who "wasn't beggin". Is this a local Cambridge incident or is it an allusion to something bigger? The only thing I can come to a conclusion off of this was that he wasn't begging, but just carrying out his life. Does that sound right?
"He wasn't beggin'
He was just keeping time with his cup
You go on and believe that
You keep your eyes straight up"
"He wasn't beggin'
He was just keeping time with his cup
You go on and believe that
You keep your eyes straight up"
The way I interpreted this was that there was a man begging, but the other guy just walked straight past him. He would prefer to think that the beggar was "keeping time with his cup" maybe tapping it to a beat, rhythmically tapping it, etc. If he thought of the beggar as a man just idling his time away, he wouldn't feel so bad walking by him. As long as the man convinces himself of...
The way I interpreted this was that there was a man begging, but the other guy just walked straight past him. He would prefer to think that the beggar was "keeping time with his cup" maybe tapping it to a beat, rhythmically tapping it, etc. If he thought of the beggar as a man just idling his time away, he wouldn't feel so bad walking by him. As long as the man convinces himself of this, he can feel he has done no wrong by passing the beggar by without so much as a thought. If he thought of him as a beggar, it would be wrong not to help out if the beggar was in serious need, and the other man seems to have some wealth to spare.
"One stands in defense in a broken sentence
Ask[s] not to be shot"
"One stands in defense in a broken sentence
Ask[s] not to be shot"
this is the beggar, i'm fairly positive. as for his "keeping time with his cup", i'm kind of blind-firing at the meaning.. but i'd say the literal translation there would be that he was just trying to show his willingness to have a chance at living out the consequences, rather than dying as an unnecessary alternative
this is the beggar, i'm fairly positive. as for his "keeping time with his cup", i'm kind of blind-firing at the meaning.. but i'd say the literal translation there would be that he was just trying to show his willingness to have a chance at living out the consequences, rather than dying as an unnecessary alternative
"his honor['s] in his chambers still washin' his hands
You know he's been fiddlin in his room all day
Just trying to wash all his conscience away..."...
"his honor['s] in his chambers still washin' his hands
You know he's been fiddlin in his room all day
Just trying to wash all his conscience away..."
this, i think, is indeed a sign of guilty conscience. added to that, i think there's deeper reference there.
i read 'macbeth' this year in my high school english class. there was a point in which the wife of macbeth had done a lot of illegal and somewhat barbaric things so to gain wealth and power through macbeth's kingship. she was found near the end of the book washing her hands in her chambers. she states at one point that she was trying to wash the blood of the people she's caused the death of off of her hands. soon after, she killed herself, proving the strong guilt.
i'm fairly confident of the meaning of the song through these interpretations, please someone reply if you have something to add/fix
i now have read canarylite's take on the begging man.. and i totally get it now. the scene described in that verse i thought was jail escapees or criminals or something. so i guess it's actually depicting poor men, and keeping time with their spare change cups... got it.
i now have read canarylite's take on the begging man.. and i totally get it now. the scene described in that verse i thought was jail escapees or criminals or something. so i guess it's actually depicting poor men, and keeping time with their spare change cups... got it.
While I'm not completely sure on the exact meaning of this song, here's what I've gathered so far:
"In your Gunship Gunship Gunship Politico. I hope you don't get what your after."
I think this verse clearly states what the main part of this song is. Gunship Politico is a wicked easy translation to "Political Gunship." All these people, these murderers, they're getting a free ride through the political system and something's clearly screwed up (to put it lightly).
Why? Why do they (I'm thinkin' military) choose to shoot fleeing people? Why do the cops choose to act as street toughs, the very thing that they should protect against?
The third to last verse also seems to point a finger at the listener too -- you could be next. Following this, the person that did get away is tainted with a guilty conscious. To elaborate, at the end of the Holocaust a lot of the survivors were in a horrible mental state: why were they the ones to survive? "Just trying to wash all his conscience away." This might also have to do with a question of why he didn't do anything, why couldn't he do anything, or why isn't he doing anything.
The final full verse sort of shapes the victims mentioned as people that were just lookin' for a way to live out their live, or perhaps a better analysis, something to believe in so that they could live, but this way, this ideology, has come under fire from oppressive governmental forces hindering people's way of life (a.k.a. the political gunship).
There was one thing I have a question about in the song, though. Who is the person who "wasn't beggin". Is this a local Cambridge incident or is it an allusion to something bigger? The only thing I can come to a conclusion off of this was that he wasn't begging, but just carrying out his life. Does that sound right?
"He wasn't beggin' He was just keeping time with his cup You go on and believe that You keep your eyes straight up"
"He wasn't beggin' He was just keeping time with his cup You go on and believe that You keep your eyes straight up"
The way I interpreted this was that there was a man begging, but the other guy just walked straight past him. He would prefer to think that the beggar was "keeping time with his cup" maybe tapping it to a beat, rhythmically tapping it, etc. If he thought of the beggar as a man just idling his time away, he wouldn't feel so bad walking by him. As long as the man convinces himself of...
The way I interpreted this was that there was a man begging, but the other guy just walked straight past him. He would prefer to think that the beggar was "keeping time with his cup" maybe tapping it to a beat, rhythmically tapping it, etc. If he thought of the beggar as a man just idling his time away, he wouldn't feel so bad walking by him. As long as the man convinces himself of this, he can feel he has done no wrong by passing the beggar by without so much as a thought. If he thought of him as a beggar, it would be wrong not to help out if the beggar was in serious need, and the other man seems to have some wealth to spare.
"One stands in defense in a broken sentence Ask[s] not to be shot"
"One stands in defense in a broken sentence Ask[s] not to be shot"
this is the beggar, i'm fairly positive. as for his "keeping time with his cup", i'm kind of blind-firing at the meaning.. but i'd say the literal translation there would be that he was just trying to show his willingness to have a chance at living out the consequences, rather than dying as an unnecessary alternative
this is the beggar, i'm fairly positive. as for his "keeping time with his cup", i'm kind of blind-firing at the meaning.. but i'd say the literal translation there would be that he was just trying to show his willingness to have a chance at living out the consequences, rather than dying as an unnecessary alternative
"his honor['s] in his chambers still washin' his hands You know he's been fiddlin in his room all day Just trying to wash all his conscience away..."...
"his honor['s] in his chambers still washin' his hands You know he's been fiddlin in his room all day Just trying to wash all his conscience away..."
this, i think, is indeed a sign of guilty conscience. added to that, i think there's deeper reference there. i read 'macbeth' this year in my high school english class. there was a point in which the wife of macbeth had done a lot of illegal and somewhat barbaric things so to gain wealth and power through macbeth's kingship. she was found near the end of the book washing her hands in her chambers. she states at one point that she was trying to wash the blood of the people she's caused the death of off of her hands. soon after, she killed herself, proving the strong guilt.
i'm fairly confident of the meaning of the song through these interpretations, please someone reply if you have something to add/fix
i now have read canarylite's take on the begging man.. and i totally get it now. the scene described in that verse i thought was jail escapees or criminals or something. so i guess it's actually depicting poor men, and keeping time with their spare change cups... got it.
i now have read canarylite's take on the begging man.. and i totally get it now. the scene described in that verse i thought was jail escapees or criminals or something. so i guess it's actually depicting poor men, and keeping time with their spare change cups... got it.
NOW i'm fairly confident of the meaning
NOW i'm fairly confident of the meaning