Judging by most of Stipe's songs I'd say this has a political meaning, but personally when I read it the first thing I could think of was religion, almost as if he's standing up to Jesus and saying "who are you to judge or guide my life, I'm going to live the way I want to", he talks about the apostles all humming his name perhaps all gunning for him, but he doesn't care he just wants to live his life.
(no offence intended to anybody just my take on the song)
I'm not sure if Stipe is standing up to Jesus or his teachings about love and forgiveness per se, but certainly Stipe is taking on the judgemental and often hypocritical religious far-right.
I'm not sure if Stipe is standing up to Jesus or his teachings about love and forgiveness per se, but certainly Stipe is taking on the judgemental and often hypocritical religious far-right.
"...You had set me up like a lamb to slaughter...." (ie. using the political left, homosexuals, etc as whipping posts is a traditional strategy by far right political and religious leaders....)
"...You had set me up like a lamb to slaughter...." (ie. using the political left, homosexuals, etc as whipping posts is a traditional strategy by far right political and religious leaders....)
"...Garbo as a farmer's daughter..." (I still have to research the movie's plot to get the reference...)
"...Garbo as a farmer's daughter..." (I still have to research the movie's plot to get the reference...)
"....Unbelievable, the gospel according to who???" (ie. the hypocricy issue...and that -...
"....Unbelievable, the gospel according to who???" (ie. the hypocricy issue...and that - perhaps - the "real" message in the Bible is valid (ie. Love...) but being ignored.
"...I lay right down..." (perhaps Stipe regrets not taking on Bush and his buddies in the religious far-right earlier??)
..."now I'm not one to sit and spin" (ie. Stipe does not fit the image of The Devil??)
..."You savor your dying breath" (referencing the idea that far-right Christians only look towards completing their 'checklist' in order to earn their way to getting to heaven, but they're not paying attention to their behaviour or what is happening NOW???)
Judging by most of Stipe's songs I'd say this has a political meaning, but personally when I read it the first thing I could think of was religion, almost as if he's standing up to Jesus and saying "who are you to judge or guide my life, I'm going to live the way I want to", he talks about the apostles all humming his name perhaps all gunning for him, but he doesn't care he just wants to live his life.
(no offence intended to anybody just my take on the song)
To Ebrown9810 and Cyberghost,
To Ebrown9810 and Cyberghost,
I'm not sure if Stipe is standing up to Jesus or his teachings about love and forgiveness per se, but certainly Stipe is taking on the judgemental and often hypocritical religious far-right.
I'm not sure if Stipe is standing up to Jesus or his teachings about love and forgiveness per se, but certainly Stipe is taking on the judgemental and often hypocritical religious far-right.
"...You had set me up like a lamb to slaughter...." (ie. using the political left, homosexuals, etc as whipping posts is a traditional strategy by far right political and religious leaders....)
"...You had set me up like a lamb to slaughter...." (ie. using the political left, homosexuals, etc as whipping posts is a traditional strategy by far right political and religious leaders....)
"...Garbo as a farmer's daughter..." (I still have to research the movie's plot to get the reference...)
"...Garbo as a farmer's daughter..." (I still have to research the movie's plot to get the reference...)
"....Unbelievable, the gospel according to who???" (ie. the hypocricy issue...and that -...
"....Unbelievable, the gospel according to who???" (ie. the hypocricy issue...and that - perhaps - the "real" message in the Bible is valid (ie. Love...) but being ignored.
"...I lay right down..." (perhaps Stipe regrets not taking on Bush and his buddies in the religious far-right earlier??)
..."now I'm not one to sit and spin" (ie. Stipe does not fit the image of The Devil??)
..."You savor your dying breath" (referencing the idea that far-right Christians only look towards completing their 'checklist' in order to earn their way to getting to heaven, but they're not paying attention to their behaviour or what is happening NOW???)