While on a similar subject matter, it's not really about nationalism, or the revolution directly. It's more focused on the symbol of the snake than anything else.
Ben Franklin wrote an essay describing how the snake was perfect as the symbol of the American colonies; much of the song is in almost direct reference to that essay.
"Shining with brightness,
always on surveillance.
(The eyes, they never close)
Emblem of Vigilance."
"eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance."
"Never Begins it,
never, but once engaged.
Never surremders,
showing the fangs of rage"
"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders"
"Love it or leave it,
She with the deadly bite.
Quick is the blue tongue,
forked as the lightning strike"
"She strongly resembles America in this, that she is beautiful in youth and her beauty increaseth with her age, “her tongue also is blue and forked as the lightning, and her abode is among impenetrable rocks.”"
It may be, as some have suggested, questioning the symbol the rattlesnake provides, but to me it seems more like they're describing the snake - paraphrasing Ben's essay.
While on a similar subject matter, it's not really about nationalism, or the revolution directly. It's more focused on the symbol of the snake than anything else.
Ben Franklin wrote an essay describing how the snake was perfect as the symbol of the American colonies; much of the song is in almost direct reference to that essay.
"Shining with brightness, always on surveillance. (The eyes, they never close) Emblem of Vigilance."
"eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance."
"Never Begins it, never, but once engaged. Never surremders, showing the fangs of rage"
"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders"
"Love it or leave it, She with the deadly bite. Quick is the blue tongue, forked as the lightning strike"
"She strongly resembles America in this, that she is beautiful in youth and her beauty increaseth with her age, “her tongue also is blue and forked as the lightning, and her abode is among impenetrable rocks.”"
http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1988/2/1988_2_74.shtml
It may be, as some have suggested, questioning the symbol the rattlesnake provides, but to me it seems more like they're describing the snake - paraphrasing Ben's essay.
That's my opinion, of course.
ahh someone already found out before me what this song meant and posted it on here i was just going to say the same thing
ahh someone already found out before me what this song meant and posted it on here i was just going to say the same thing