Elliott had a Masters in Philosophy (Political Philosophy). You don't get an MA without reading/discussing the soul. One basic problem is the nature/nurture question. Are people a product of their environment? or are they just born fallen from the grace of god, yaddy yada.
"swallowed up slowly like a bad reaction"
His standpoint seems to say that we are a product of our environment. Our soul is "swallowed" up by our surroundings, like a druggie taking drugs and having a bad reaction.
"all around what you do and say while the symptom falls further away"
While we talk about the environment being the bad, he points out that it's not treating the soul. The bad reactions, or symptoms, seems to fall further away each time they are found. This suggests that there is a root to the problem that he's trying to tackle.
"you live in silence but you can't describe it
so what's the point of talking at all?"
He folds and doesn't know what to do. In philosophy, they teach you different truths... While there are no absolute answers, there is a point of talking. Elliott seems to feel that there is a black & white answer with no gray. And even then, it's hard to describe what's going on in the middle of having an answer and no answer.
"the store bought injury.. the family cane"
This seems to say that he abused himself. You can buy lots of things at the store, and in this case, injuries with the family cane. Who would know the difference between him hurting himself and others hurting him?
"just another boy bad at the game"
He alludes to the fact that others are in on this game, and he, like the rest, are not winning.
"this is when you need a friend to keep you moving around
'cause all your thinking has made you slow
you might be stopping out.. you know"
He may allude to the idea of being extremely prude, and how a lot of thinking leads to inaction. It's quite a big theory in philosophy which was a criticism of Nietzsche. Nietzsche called it Socraticism and the birth of resentment. He says that this is when you need a friend to keep you socializing and keep you on your feet. Someone to keep you doing things so that you don't harbor anymore resentment.
"frustrated fireworks inside your head
there's a lit fuse smoking.. you caught instead"
This seems to illustrate the resentment idea.
"what you're dealing.. but it's just a start
was a time since your problem was a poison dart
and you act like a cowboy.. whatever's in my hat
i'm a hardboiled hero and i'm not so bad"
With resentment, you don't really notice it.
"but i didn't know when to run from this
a proud fan is gonna see you shatter
i know that there really isn't anything the matter
nothing is gonna be crying words.. they only want their voice to be heard
they use it sometimes to show that they're around
or they build you up a theory like the walls of a town
a tired and ancient ruler right now.. the neighborhood slaves are hardly skilled
open your parachute and drop your weight
float on down to the center and investigate
i did my self requirement.. better cop out hard
or i'll leave right now
'cause this feeling of loving.. i felt it in my chest
like the nighttime footsteps of an unknown guest
i know it wasn't me.. i wasn't moving..
i felt thunder.. the rain was pouring
i know it must be something wrong all this is restoring
you don't have to live in a life's mistake
stay in the center and wait
stay in the center and wait
stay in the center and wait "
My opinion on this seems to make sense of the last lines. He talks about his fame and how it overshadows his sense of resentment. He doesn't know what to do but just wait.
"the problem i have with the soul contraption"
Elliott had a Masters in Philosophy (Political Philosophy). You don't get an MA without reading/discussing the soul. One basic problem is the nature/nurture question. Are people a product of their environment? or are they just born fallen from the grace of god, yaddy yada.
"swallowed up slowly like a bad reaction"
His standpoint seems to say that we are a product of our environment. Our soul is "swallowed" up by our surroundings, like a druggie taking drugs and having a bad reaction.
"all around what you do and say while the symptom falls further away"
While we talk about the environment being the bad, he points out that it's not treating the soul. The bad reactions, or symptoms, seems to fall further away each time they are found. This suggests that there is a root to the problem that he's trying to tackle.
"you live in silence but you can't describe it so what's the point of talking at all?"
He folds and doesn't know what to do. In philosophy, they teach you different truths... While there are no absolute answers, there is a point of talking. Elliott seems to feel that there is a black & white answer with no gray. And even then, it's hard to describe what's going on in the middle of having an answer and no answer.
"the store bought injury.. the family cane"
This seems to say that he abused himself. You can buy lots of things at the store, and in this case, injuries with the family cane. Who would know the difference between him hurting himself and others hurting him?
"just another boy bad at the game"
He alludes to the fact that others are in on this game, and he, like the rest, are not winning.
"this is when you need a friend to keep you moving around 'cause all your thinking has made you slow you might be stopping out.. you know"
He may allude to the idea of being extremely prude, and how a lot of thinking leads to inaction. It's quite a big theory in philosophy which was a criticism of Nietzsche. Nietzsche called it Socraticism and the birth of resentment. He says that this is when you need a friend to keep you socializing and keep you on your feet. Someone to keep you doing things so that you don't harbor anymore resentment.
"frustrated fireworks inside your head there's a lit fuse smoking.. you caught instead"
This seems to illustrate the resentment idea.
"what you're dealing.. but it's just a start was a time since your problem was a poison dart and you act like a cowboy.. whatever's in my hat i'm a hardboiled hero and i'm not so bad"
With resentment, you don't really notice it.
"but i didn't know when to run from this a proud fan is gonna see you shatter i know that there really isn't anything the matter nothing is gonna be crying words.. they only want their voice to be heard they use it sometimes to show that they're around or they build you up a theory like the walls of a town a tired and ancient ruler right now.. the neighborhood slaves are hardly skilled open your parachute and drop your weight float on down to the center and investigate i did my self requirement.. better cop out hard or i'll leave right now 'cause this feeling of loving.. i felt it in my chest like the nighttime footsteps of an unknown guest i know it wasn't me.. i wasn't moving.. i felt thunder.. the rain was pouring i know it must be something wrong all this is restoring you don't have to live in a life's mistake stay in the center and wait stay in the center and wait stay in the center and wait "
My opinion on this seems to make sense of the last lines. He talks about his fame and how it overshadows his sense of resentment. He doesn't know what to do but just wait.