It's true, Christian Brothers, is an inexpensive brandy, that Elliot was probably familiar with. But I think in this song, it's just a play on words, and that his real meaning has more to do with him dealing with the aftermath of a fucked up adolescence. It is well documented that his time with his mom and stepfather in Dallas was a traumatic one for him. I think this song is about him trying to cope.
For sure, Elliott wasn't your typical Dallas teenager. I can imagine him being bullied about by jocks and other typical "frat boy" types. Many of them probably stood under the banner of Christianity, in the way that many Republicans do (Ahhemm george bush). He uses the word "cross" to mean angry, which I think is a play on words reference to the theme of christianity.
Quite possibly, the song is a direct attack on that system, perhaps more specifically, his main antagonist, his stepfather. It appears to me that his stepfather came to represent the things in his life that went wrong and the suffering he faced.
These lines:
Fake concerns is what's the matter, man
And you think I ought to shake your motherfucking hand
Make me think that he is pissed off by the fake sympathy that is shown to him, and he is outraged that he should have to make a show of peace by shaking this person's hand. A person he despises.
It's true, Christian Brothers, is an inexpensive brandy, that Elliot was probably familiar with. But I think in this song, it's just a play on words, and that his real meaning has more to do with him dealing with the aftermath of a fucked up adolescence. It is well documented that his time with his mom and stepfather in Dallas was a traumatic one for him. I think this song is about him trying to cope.
For sure, Elliott wasn't your typical Dallas teenager. I can imagine him being bullied about by jocks and other typical "frat boy" types. Many of them probably stood under the banner of Christianity, in the way that many Republicans do (Ahhemm george bush). He uses the word "cross" to mean angry, which I think is a play on words reference to the theme of christianity.
Quite possibly, the song is a direct attack on that system, perhaps more specifically, his main antagonist, his stepfather. It appears to me that his stepfather came to represent the things in his life that went wrong and the suffering he faced.
These lines:
Fake concerns is what's the matter, man And you think I ought to shake your motherfucking hand
Make me think that he is pissed off by the fake sympathy that is shown to him, and he is outraged that he should have to make a show of peace by shaking this person's hand. A person he despises.