"And now after some thinking
I'd say I'd rather be
A functioning cog in some great machinery
Serving something beyond me"
doesn't sound like "It's about not wanting to be a part of the society that would subject the singer's golden-haired angel to a life of worker's servitude, 'running the store'." (fgevilmonkey)
Working in a store. Farming. Wanting to be a "A functioning cog in some great machinery". It sounds like he wants and likes playing a meaningful role of piety in society.
I agree with Bryceing, although I would say that the song focuses a lot on the conflict between what we are told to be and what we would like to be. Uniqueness is often played up when we are young because our parents have aspirations that we will do wonderful and amazing things in a non-traditional sense. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. And sometimes we do great things, even though they may seem simple, boring and traditional.
I agree with Bryceing, although I would say that the song focuses a lot on the conflict between what we are told to be and what we would like to be. Uniqueness is often played up when we are young because our parents have aspirations that we will do wonderful and amazing things in a non-traditional sense. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. And sometimes we do great things, even though they may seem simple, boring and traditional.
Regardless, I think sometimes it's easy to feel like the speaker in the song, where you just want to be a cog...
Regardless, I think sometimes it's easy to feel like the speaker in the song, where you just want to be a cog in the machine because it's simpler. You want to be like the man on the screen because that's what everyone else seems to like, or because you want to revert back to an old purity that seems to be lost today. But, I think this song focuses on the conflict between those two viewpoints, hence "I don't know who to believe." Then the song shifts, and the narrator decides it is better to take charge rather than sing the "helplessness blues." His choice seems to be in favor of conformity, or at least a preference for a simple life of hard-work and a monogamous, one true love type lifestyle. Ironically, in this day and age, the so-called conformist choice is actually harder to come by (IMO). When the speaker refers to the man on the screen, I envision that he's striving to be like the ideal often portrayed by men in old black-and-white films. There's also a nice undertone of the conflict between mechanized labor and good old-fashioned sweat and earth. The narrator and his love seem to strike a balance between these two, and a balance between conformity and uniqueness. Just some thoughts. I could develop them even more, but this isn't a thesis paper; besides, I've already written far too much. :-)
"And now after some thinking I'd say I'd rather be A functioning cog in some great machinery Serving something beyond me"
doesn't sound like "It's about not wanting to be a part of the society that would subject the singer's golden-haired angel to a life of worker's servitude, 'running the store'." (fgevilmonkey)
Working in a store. Farming. Wanting to be a "A functioning cog in some great machinery". It sounds like he wants and likes playing a meaningful role of piety in society.
I agree with Bryceing, although I would say that the song focuses a lot on the conflict between what we are told to be and what we would like to be. Uniqueness is often played up when we are young because our parents have aspirations that we will do wonderful and amazing things in a non-traditional sense. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. And sometimes we do great things, even though they may seem simple, boring and traditional.
I agree with Bryceing, although I would say that the song focuses a lot on the conflict between what we are told to be and what we would like to be. Uniqueness is often played up when we are young because our parents have aspirations that we will do wonderful and amazing things in a non-traditional sense. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. And sometimes we do great things, even though they may seem simple, boring and traditional.
Regardless, I think sometimes it's easy to feel like the speaker in the song, where you just want to be a cog...
Regardless, I think sometimes it's easy to feel like the speaker in the song, where you just want to be a cog in the machine because it's simpler. You want to be like the man on the screen because that's what everyone else seems to like, or because you want to revert back to an old purity that seems to be lost today. But, I think this song focuses on the conflict between those two viewpoints, hence "I don't know who to believe." Then the song shifts, and the narrator decides it is better to take charge rather than sing the "helplessness blues." His choice seems to be in favor of conformity, or at least a preference for a simple life of hard-work and a monogamous, one true love type lifestyle. Ironically, in this day and age, the so-called conformist choice is actually harder to come by (IMO). When the speaker refers to the man on the screen, I envision that he's striving to be like the ideal often portrayed by men in old black-and-white films. There's also a nice undertone of the conflict between mechanized labor and good old-fashioned sweat and earth. The narrator and his love seem to strike a balance between these two, and a balance between conformity and uniqueness. Just some thoughts. I could develop them even more, but this isn't a thesis paper; besides, I've already written far too much. :-)
Just wanted to reply because I agree with you so much :)
Just wanted to reply because I agree with you so much :)
It's nice to see somebody not immediately jump to the anti-conformity interpretation. I agree with you; it's more complicated than that.
It's nice to see somebody not immediately jump to the anti-conformity interpretation. I agree with you; it's more complicated than that.