I really like tambellina's criminal theory. It makes more sense than mine, in my opinion, but I'll post it here anyway. Basically, he's trying to convey something to people who are unreceptive to his ideas.
You won't believe what I tell you,
White coats and clever minds will choose
^ The audience will choose to believe the clever people who promote the current belief, as they are professions (white coats). For example, doctors, scientists, politicians...
You get a lot from this
Loose tongue and arrogance
^ They argue back, too arrogant to think they could be wrong.
Now I can talk, no one gets off
(I know how you like to)
^ Now he has the opportunity to speak and present his views, no one gets off. This could mean two things: no person escapes the situation without having to reevaluate the situation / hearing the singer's rebukes, or nobody can get off as in the sexual slang for climaxing. In the second case, the ideas being presented are too uncomfortable and not very palatable, so instead of the usual fare of shallow, superficial satisfaction, they are being forced to look at something outside their comfort zone.
A longer sentence brings no more
Than one that I had said before
^ He's just reiterating things he's been saying for ages.
It's hard to compromise
When I see through your eyes
^ It's hard to say 'let's agree to disagree' when he understands the audience/person and sees right through them, knowing he's letting them continue with this sham of a belief.
It's just a common view
I guess it's lost on you
^ The audience has the common view, the singer's ideas being lost on them.
i think you have the best interpretation so far, i dont think its about an institution, the white coats and clever minds is the only line that would confirm that theory, but what you say about politicians and "higher class" possibly conservative minds and ideas repressing the message that he has been trying to put out is what i think this band is more about. what you said about getting off as climax is close to it, its saying that when he says what he needs to, that nobody wins/gets what they are looking for, but he can share his...
i think you have the best interpretation so far, i dont think its about an institution, the white coats and clever minds is the only line that would confirm that theory, but what you say about politicians and "higher class" possibly conservative minds and ideas repressing the message that he has been trying to put out is what i think this band is more about. what you said about getting off as climax is close to it, its saying that when he says what he needs to, that nobody wins/gets what they are looking for, but he can share his ideas in a way that people will listen, this is good for him in a sense b/c he has done what he wants to, but it wont turn out well in the end b/c nobody gets off. "a longer sentence..." yes he does just reiterate, but he says that if he tried getting his message out in some other way, a more sophisticated/official way, then that would not change anything. "it's hard to..." yeah, he is saying that although they may say that they are good/benevolent but he can see that they are not and he refuses to compromise now that he knows their intentions. "its just a common view..." saying that they have the popular opinion, so there is no point in trying to convince them that they are wrong, even if they were shown to be wrong and they believed it, they would not make sweeping changes like the speaker wants, because they have convinced the public that their idea is correct, they will not be swayed if the antagonist starts preaching the same as the speaker, he will just be outcast.
so yeah i think the whole institution thing is a little far-fetched
I really like tambellina's criminal theory. It makes more sense than mine, in my opinion, but I'll post it here anyway. Basically, he's trying to convey something to people who are unreceptive to his ideas.
You won't believe what I tell you, White coats and clever minds will choose
^ The audience will choose to believe the clever people who promote the current belief, as they are professions (white coats). For example, doctors, scientists, politicians...
You get a lot from this Loose tongue and arrogance
^ They argue back, too arrogant to think they could be wrong.
Now I can talk, no one gets off (I know how you like to)
^ Now he has the opportunity to speak and present his views, no one gets off. This could mean two things: no person escapes the situation without having to reevaluate the situation / hearing the singer's rebukes, or nobody can get off as in the sexual slang for climaxing. In the second case, the ideas being presented are too uncomfortable and not very palatable, so instead of the usual fare of shallow, superficial satisfaction, they are being forced to look at something outside their comfort zone.
A longer sentence brings no more Than one that I had said before
^ He's just reiterating things he's been saying for ages.
It's hard to compromise When I see through your eyes
^ It's hard to say 'let's agree to disagree' when he understands the audience/person and sees right through them, knowing he's letting them continue with this sham of a belief.
It's just a common view I guess it's lost on you
^ The audience has the common view, the singer's ideas being lost on them.
i think you have the best interpretation so far, i dont think its about an institution, the white coats and clever minds is the only line that would confirm that theory, but what you say about politicians and "higher class" possibly conservative minds and ideas repressing the message that he has been trying to put out is what i think this band is more about. what you said about getting off as climax is close to it, its saying that when he says what he needs to, that nobody wins/gets what they are looking for, but he can share his...
i think you have the best interpretation so far, i dont think its about an institution, the white coats and clever minds is the only line that would confirm that theory, but what you say about politicians and "higher class" possibly conservative minds and ideas repressing the message that he has been trying to put out is what i think this band is more about. what you said about getting off as climax is close to it, its saying that when he says what he needs to, that nobody wins/gets what they are looking for, but he can share his ideas in a way that people will listen, this is good for him in a sense b/c he has done what he wants to, but it wont turn out well in the end b/c nobody gets off. "a longer sentence..." yes he does just reiterate, but he says that if he tried getting his message out in some other way, a more sophisticated/official way, then that would not change anything. "it's hard to..." yeah, he is saying that although they may say that they are good/benevolent but he can see that they are not and he refuses to compromise now that he knows their intentions. "its just a common view..." saying that they have the popular opinion, so there is no point in trying to convince them that they are wrong, even if they were shown to be wrong and they believed it, they would not make sweeping changes like the speaker wants, because they have convinced the public that their idea is correct, they will not be swayed if the antagonist starts preaching the same as the speaker, he will just be outcast.
so yeah i think the whole institution thing is a little far-fetched