If we look at this song from a purely literal point of view, then it pretty much tells us about life in the 1600’s. In the past, many people were killed because of their beliefs, whether these opinions were religious or other; if they contradicted the rest of society, they were executed. 1692 was the year of the Salem Witch trials, which I believe this song is referencing to in part. In those days, if you had anything slightly off about you, any small difference, or different beliefs, you were accused of being a witch, and hunted down by the town.
“Hung from the gallows pole”, is a reference to the old folk song about a woman begging the executioner to spare her life. It was popularized in the 1970s when Led Zeppelin recorded their own version, entitled “Gallows Pole”, which is most likely what BT is referring to with this song. The gallows are the big wooden things they hung the condemned from in the past.
“When the blind lead the blind” is a term that actually originally came from the bible.
Let they go, they are ye blynde leaders of ye blynde. Wha one blinde leadeth another, they fall both i ye diche.
Bible, Matthew 15:14
In actual English, this is basically saying that when the blind lead the blind (therefore, when the disabled or incompetent take care of each other), they’ll all just fall into a ditch (ie., they’re screwed). Then, the song goes on to say that this is because the dead can’t testify. Therefore, those who are already screwed (dead), can’t help those who are about to be screwed (hung).
However, “The Dead Can’t Testify” could also be looked at as a metaphor reflecting today’s society. Obviously we don’t have people hunting us down with pitchforks because we refuse to sing in church, but it is sort of saying that by being different, we’ll be made into outcasts by society. Even though we say “oh, just be yourself,” often people are afraid to do that because of the possibility that they won’t be accepted by the rest of the world.
If we look at this song from a purely literal point of view, then it pretty much tells us about life in the 1600’s. In the past, many people were killed because of their beliefs, whether these opinions were religious or other; if they contradicted the rest of society, they were executed. 1692 was the year of the Salem Witch trials, which I believe this song is referencing to in part. In those days, if you had anything slightly off about you, any small difference, or different beliefs, you were accused of being a witch, and hunted down by the town.
“Hung from the gallows pole”, is a reference to the old folk song about a woman begging the executioner to spare her life. It was popularized in the 1970s when Led Zeppelin recorded their own version, entitled “Gallows Pole”, which is most likely what BT is referring to with this song. The gallows are the big wooden things they hung the condemned from in the past. “When the blind lead the blind” is a term that actually originally came from the bible.
Let they go, they are ye blynde leaders of ye blynde. Wha one blinde leadeth another, they fall both i ye diche. Bible, Matthew 15:14
In actual English, this is basically saying that when the blind lead the blind (therefore, when the disabled or incompetent take care of each other), they’ll all just fall into a ditch (ie., they’re screwed). Then, the song goes on to say that this is because the dead can’t testify. Therefore, those who are already screwed (dead), can’t help those who are about to be screwed (hung).
However, “The Dead Can’t Testify” could also be looked at as a metaphor reflecting today’s society. Obviously we don’t have people hunting us down with pitchforks because we refuse to sing in church, but it is sort of saying that by being different, we’ll be made into outcasts by society. Even though we say “oh, just be yourself,” often people are afraid to do that because of the possibility that they won’t be accepted by the rest of the world.