I think this song is about materialism. I know, it sounds farfetched, but hear me out. These lines in particular interested me:
go worship the stone
keep the crystal cat cold
gotta get to the throne
"The stone" appears in Bromst also, in Build Voice, he says:
Behold, the stone it gleams like gold
Out of control the beasts unknown and untold
Oh oh ohhhh! The stooonnnee!
As I'm told unfolds
In the context of Build Voice, I definitely see "the stone" as a metaphor for money and materialism. So, assuming Dan's lyrical motifs mean the same thing in each song they're in, it would seem "go worship the stone" means he is going to pursue a materialistic lifestyle. The other line about stones "Gonna get my pile of stones" also suggests that he is trying to gain a large amount of money.
"Gotta get to the throne", then, is the goal he hopes to accomplish through materialism. "Throne" suggests power and authority. Not sure how "big" and "carrot" fit into it. I think it might be a reference to the Neutral Milk Hotel song "The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1". In the song, two children make up the title "The King of Carrot Flowers" for their make-believe kingdom. If he is indeed referencing this song, then by calling it a carrot throne, he is saying the status and authority of the rich and powerful is just as arbitrary as the status and authority children make up for each other.
I'm pretty lost as to the meaning of the crystal cat itself. Thinking of things that "get cold", or fall by the wayside, when one pursues material wealth - spirituality, connection to nature, empathy - there's a lot of candidates. The line , "gonna turn all snakes into bone", I think, is evidence of an environmental message. In pursuing wealth and power, the narrator will do whatever it takes, he'll skin snakes for their exotic leather, even if it causes mass extinction.
Anyway, there's my attempt at an interpretation. It doesn't completely fit - I have no idea what the beastman represents, or what "let them take a load" means. Perhaps he's saying let the poor have some of your wealth, with "load" being a pile of stones, aka money. If you don't think this song means anything, well, consider that "Wham City" the other song on "Spiderman" that seems the most fleshed out, has a very direct and clear environmental message. I definitely think "The Crystal Cat" has a deeper meaning, its just buried under layer upon layer of non sequitur.
@DCFCAlex maybe Big Carrot Throne let them take a load .. referring to the record label and/or promoters getting their big cut of his success...cuz he\'s about to put his men into rows(fans at shows and/or all the people it takes to put on a tour) and better cover dem toes meaning he\'s gonna step on band\'s toes of the usual bands that tour big every year and get a piece of that pie and/or take higher spots on festival\'s line ups. turn all snakes to bone he says meaning he\'s gonna turn everyone on with the swagger he talks...
@DCFCAlex maybe Big Carrot Throne let them take a load .. referring to the record label and/or promoters getting their big cut of his success...cuz he\'s about to put his men into rows(fans at shows and/or all the people it takes to put on a tour) and better cover dem toes meaning he\'s gonna step on band\'s toes of the usual bands that tour big every year and get a piece of that pie and/or take higher spots on festival\'s line ups. turn all snakes to bone he says meaning he\'s gonna turn everyone on with the swagger he talks about in the first four lines.
@DCFCAlex one last thing... the crystal cat reference to the woman at home that keeps him stable that he idolizes because now he\'s going to be on tour it\'s a rock and roll song it\'s about the Rock and roll lifestyle... and the Crystal cat gets cold cuz he\'s gone living the debauchery of rock and roll ... he doesn\'t care about the money because the record companies and the promoters get a big chunk of that but he\'s still going to get some money too but doesn\'t matter cuz he\'s coming up and stepping on toes getting his....
@DCFCAlex one last thing... the crystal cat reference to the woman at home that keeps him stable that he idolizes because now he\'s going to be on tour it\'s a rock and roll song it\'s about the Rock and roll lifestyle... and the Crystal cat gets cold cuz he\'s gone living the debauchery of rock and roll ... he doesn\'t care about the money because the record companies and the promoters get a big chunk of that but he\'s still going to get some money too but doesn\'t matter cuz he\'s coming up and stepping on toes getting his.
I think this song is about materialism. I know, it sounds farfetched, but hear me out. These lines in particular interested me:
go worship the stone keep the crystal cat cold gotta get to the throne
"The stone" appears in Bromst also, in Build Voice, he says: Behold, the stone it gleams like gold Out of control the beasts unknown and untold
Oh oh ohhhh! The stooonnnee! As I'm told unfolds
In the context of Build Voice, I definitely see "the stone" as a metaphor for money and materialism. So, assuming Dan's lyrical motifs mean the same thing in each song they're in, it would seem "go worship the stone" means he is going to pursue a materialistic lifestyle. The other line about stones "Gonna get my pile of stones" also suggests that he is trying to gain a large amount of money.
"Gotta get to the throne", then, is the goal he hopes to accomplish through materialism. "Throne" suggests power and authority. Not sure how "big" and "carrot" fit into it. I think it might be a reference to the Neutral Milk Hotel song "The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1". In the song, two children make up the title "The King of Carrot Flowers" for their make-believe kingdom. If he is indeed referencing this song, then by calling it a carrot throne, he is saying the status and authority of the rich and powerful is just as arbitrary as the status and authority children make up for each other.
I'm pretty lost as to the meaning of the crystal cat itself. Thinking of things that "get cold", or fall by the wayside, when one pursues material wealth - spirituality, connection to nature, empathy - there's a lot of candidates. The line , "gonna turn all snakes into bone", I think, is evidence of an environmental message. In pursuing wealth and power, the narrator will do whatever it takes, he'll skin snakes for their exotic leather, even if it causes mass extinction.
Anyway, there's my attempt at an interpretation. It doesn't completely fit - I have no idea what the beastman represents, or what "let them take a load" means. Perhaps he's saying let the poor have some of your wealth, with "load" being a pile of stones, aka money. If you don't think this song means anything, well, consider that "Wham City" the other song on "Spiderman" that seems the most fleshed out, has a very direct and clear environmental message. I definitely think "The Crystal Cat" has a deeper meaning, its just buried under layer upon layer of non sequitur.
100% A+, brilliant
100% A+, brilliant
@DCFCAlex maybe Big Carrot Throne let them take a load .. referring to the record label and/or promoters getting their big cut of his success...cuz he\'s about to put his men into rows(fans at shows and/or all the people it takes to put on a tour) and better cover dem toes meaning he\'s gonna step on band\'s toes of the usual bands that tour big every year and get a piece of that pie and/or take higher spots on festival\'s line ups. turn all snakes to bone he says meaning he\'s gonna turn everyone on with the swagger he talks...
@DCFCAlex maybe Big Carrot Throne let them take a load .. referring to the record label and/or promoters getting their big cut of his success...cuz he\'s about to put his men into rows(fans at shows and/or all the people it takes to put on a tour) and better cover dem toes meaning he\'s gonna step on band\'s toes of the usual bands that tour big every year and get a piece of that pie and/or take higher spots on festival\'s line ups. turn all snakes to bone he says meaning he\'s gonna turn everyone on with the swagger he talks about in the first four lines.
@DCFCAlex i think it says happy with my one hand ...another sexual reference like turn all snakes to bone.......its a song about grandiosity.
@DCFCAlex i think it says happy with my one hand ...another sexual reference like turn all snakes to bone.......its a song about grandiosity.
@DCFCAlex grandiose not being mistaken for materialistic...hes coming up and money is just a symptom...not the drive...its a bi-product.
@DCFCAlex grandiose not being mistaken for materialistic...hes coming up and money is just a symptom...not the drive...its a bi-product.
@DCFCAlex one last thing... the crystal cat reference to the woman at home that keeps him stable that he idolizes because now he\'s going to be on tour it\'s a rock and roll song it\'s about the Rock and roll lifestyle... and the Crystal cat gets cold cuz he\'s gone living the debauchery of rock and roll ... he doesn\'t care about the money because the record companies and the promoters get a big chunk of that but he\'s still going to get some money too but doesn\'t matter cuz he\'s coming up and stepping on toes getting his....
@DCFCAlex one last thing... the crystal cat reference to the woman at home that keeps him stable that he idolizes because now he\'s going to be on tour it\'s a rock and roll song it\'s about the Rock and roll lifestyle... and the Crystal cat gets cold cuz he\'s gone living the debauchery of rock and roll ... he doesn\'t care about the money because the record companies and the promoters get a big chunk of that but he\'s still going to get some money too but doesn\'t matter cuz he\'s coming up and stepping on toes getting his.