I've been thinking about this more, and since nobody else will comment, I'll use this place as a scratchpad:
"Master and slave, in equal parts/Split down the middle, drinkin' doubles at the bar" -- Not two people, but one person who feels like they're "split down the middle:" part master, part slave, and maybe "drinking doubles at the bar" because of the stress.
There's a lot of mentions of sons and fathers, too: Abraham and his (unspecified) son, the prodigal son, "Such a deal for your only son," "Never tossed a nickel to his son, " "Think you're drinkin' wine, dad, it's blood of a lamb," "For fallen sons and fathers, too")
There's also a common thread about being poor: "No pennies from heaven, no pennies in my hand," (i.e. having nothing and getting no help) "Never saw a slice of no pie/Too busy standing in line, just waiting for bread," "Never tossed a nickel to his son", "I'm scratching to hang on" (financially?), "when a can of pork-and-beans can change my attitude"--when I'm so broke and hungry that basic amenities like cheap food are a luxury to me--and every chorus ends in "Two for the price of one"--a bargain.
The album this is originally off of, "Ferociously Stoned", has a couple of songs about an abusive past ("Drunk Daddy" and arguably "Answering Machine" for its "Daddy daddy daddy what's your problem?" chorus) and rising up from bad conditions ("Up From the Gutter").
But how all the Bible references, American iconography, split personality, thematic continuity of the album, and rich/poor dichotomy fit together is still unclear to me.
Is it another abused-son-pissed-at-his-father rant? Perhaps the father is a hypocritical preacher; hence, the Biblical references: the son feels angry at his father's poor treatment ("that's no way to treat your son, now is it, Abraham?") and refusal to help him out in life ("No pennies from heaven...," "Never tossed a nickel to his son"), and throws the father's two-facedness back at him ("Ain't I your prodigal boy?") .
But then, what does this have to do with American iconography and slaves, as well as the opening verse about how whoever the protagonist of the song is addressing is a coward who's "never known no hunger..."? Besides, would a priest or preacher really have a condescending, psychotic 'boss'? (And would the boss be the next step up on the Church's hierarchy, or God Itself?)
I've been thinking about this more, and since nobody else will comment, I'll use this place as a scratchpad:
"Master and slave, in equal parts/Split down the middle, drinkin' doubles at the bar" -- Not two people, but one person who feels like they're "split down the middle:" part master, part slave, and maybe "drinking doubles at the bar" because of the stress.
There's a lot of mentions of sons and fathers, too: Abraham and his (unspecified) son, the prodigal son, "Such a deal for your only son," "Never tossed a nickel to his son, " "Think you're drinkin' wine, dad, it's blood of a lamb," "For fallen sons and fathers, too")
There's also a common thread about being poor: "No pennies from heaven, no pennies in my hand," (i.e. having nothing and getting no help) "Never saw a slice of no pie/Too busy standing in line, just waiting for bread," "Never tossed a nickel to his son", "I'm scratching to hang on" (financially?), "when a can of pork-and-beans can change my attitude"--when I'm so broke and hungry that basic amenities like cheap food are a luxury to me--and every chorus ends in "Two for the price of one"--a bargain.
The album this is originally off of, "Ferociously Stoned", has a couple of songs about an abusive past ("Drunk Daddy" and arguably "Answering Machine" for its "Daddy daddy daddy what's your problem?" chorus) and rising up from bad conditions ("Up From the Gutter").
But how all the Bible references, American iconography, split personality, thematic continuity of the album, and rich/poor dichotomy fit together is still unclear to me.
Is it another abused-son-pissed-at-his-father rant? Perhaps the father is a hypocritical preacher; hence, the Biblical references: the son feels angry at his father's poor treatment ("that's no way to treat your son, now is it, Abraham?") and refusal to help him out in life ("No pennies from heaven...," "Never tossed a nickel to his son"), and throws the father's two-facedness back at him ("Ain't I your prodigal boy?") .
But then, what does this have to do with American iconography and slaves, as well as the opening verse about how whoever the protagonist of the song is addressing is a coward who's "never known no hunger..."? Besides, would a priest or preacher really have a condescending, psychotic 'boss'? (And would the boss be the next step up on the Church's hierarchy, or God Itself?)
Hm.