I think the interpretations of it being about questioning authority are way off. In my view, this song is a brilliantly dark commentary on the habits of over consumption and its cumulative effects on the body. It highlights the ever present sense of naive, immortal 'do anything' youth that many of us go through at one time or another early in our lives.
"You're gonna know if you keep on asking questions!" What questions? The questions you ask your body every time you light up another cigarette, have another beer, eat more than you should, exercise less than you should, etc. You're asking yourself questions... is this going to be the smoke that gives me lung cancer? Can I take another shot? What is this stuff doing to my body in the long run? Well, you're gunna know real soon.
I don't know if it's "ritalin" or "rhythm", I hear both when I listen and it's not exactly clear, but either way gets the point across.
"WE LOVE YOU IN GLACIAL WAYS". This is my favorite part. When something is glacial it's slow and progressive; but certainly on a different timescale than the human mind is accustomed to focusing its attention on. Think of time lapsed photography, plants growing, glaciers moving, but more importantly... lungs getting blacker, sicker.. liver deteriorating.. ris for heart attack gradually increasing. Death by a thousand tiny cuts.
I believe it's the substances that are actually saying that line. It's an eerie bit of irony, coming from them. They 'love' you in glacial ways, little by little over a long time. And we keep loving them back, because we can't quit them. We keep asking ourselves those questions, but then shrug our shoulders, shake our heads, and say "Just one more won't hurt."
The video is very revealing about this song's meaning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vagvI7Y1hZ8
I think the interpretations of it being about questioning authority are way off. In my view, this song is a brilliantly dark commentary on the habits of over consumption and its cumulative effects on the body. It highlights the ever present sense of naive, immortal 'do anything' youth that many of us go through at one time or another early in our lives.
"You're gonna know if you keep on asking questions!" What questions? The questions you ask your body every time you light up another cigarette, have another beer, eat more than you should, exercise less than you should, etc. You're asking yourself questions... is this going to be the smoke that gives me lung cancer? Can I take another shot? What is this stuff doing to my body in the long run? Well, you're gunna know real soon.
I don't know if it's "ritalin" or "rhythm", I hear both when I listen and it's not exactly clear, but either way gets the point across.
"WE LOVE YOU IN GLACIAL WAYS". This is my favorite part. When something is glacial it's slow and progressive; but certainly on a different timescale than the human mind is accustomed to focusing its attention on. Think of time lapsed photography, plants growing, glaciers moving, but more importantly... lungs getting blacker, sicker.. liver deteriorating.. ris for heart attack gradually increasing. Death by a thousand tiny cuts.
I believe it's the substances that are actually saying that line. It's an eerie bit of irony, coming from them. They 'love' you in glacial ways, little by little over a long time. And we keep loving them back, because we can't quit them. We keep asking ourselves those questions, but then shrug our shoulders, shake our heads, and say "Just one more won't hurt."
This song is brutal self-honesty at its cruelest.