okay, i understand that Maynard's lyrics often can mean multiple things. but this is a song that seems very clear to me. he is talking about a man who is obsessed with strippers, or a particular stripper. and every time he goes to see her dance in the strip club he loses control of himself, looses any self esteem he may have had, and feels the compulsive urge to throw his "dollars" at her fantasizing in his head that he would ever have the chance to have one kiss, or one taste of her. the name of the song being "magdalena" is obviously being used because mary magdalene was considered a prostitute. and in some ways strippers are prostitutes. they take off their clothes and dance in a sexual way to turn men on in order to make money. so basically they are selling their sexuality which basically is a form of prostitution. when he is saying that he is willing to 'sell his soul' or his 'self esteem' 'one dollar at a time' is obviously referring to the way men in those places use their dollars to show their appreciation of the stripper. as i said he is either obsessed with strippers in general, or one in particular. it does tend to suggest that it is one in particular because he is saying that it is rare to see such an 'earthly goddess' that he feels compelled to 'throw this dollar' he is also looking at her body as if it were a 'moving temple' or 'holy altar' again referring to his exaggeration of feelings for her to the point where he has placed her in the realm of the divine. to me it is obviously just a mockery of the kind of men that go to these strip clubs regularly and end up cheapening themselves, over this stripper whom he just so desperately wants one kiss or one taste of to the point that he loses control and throws down his money at her feet almost as an offering one would bestow upon a goddess. of all of their songs, i think this one is pretty much an easy one to understand.
okay, i understand that Maynard's lyrics often can mean multiple things. but this is a song that seems very clear to me. he is talking about a man who is obsessed with strippers, or a particular stripper. and every time he goes to see her dance in the strip club he loses control of himself, looses any self esteem he may have had, and feels the compulsive urge to throw his "dollars" at her fantasizing in his head that he would ever have the chance to have one kiss, or one taste of her. the name of the song being "magdalena" is obviously being used because mary magdalene was considered a prostitute. and in some ways strippers are prostitutes. they take off their clothes and dance in a sexual way to turn men on in order to make money. so basically they are selling their sexuality which basically is a form of prostitution. when he is saying that he is willing to 'sell his soul' or his 'self esteem' 'one dollar at a time' is obviously referring to the way men in those places use their dollars to show their appreciation of the stripper. as i said he is either obsessed with strippers in general, or one in particular. it does tend to suggest that it is one in particular because he is saying that it is rare to see such an 'earthly goddess' that he feels compelled to 'throw this dollar' he is also looking at her body as if it were a 'moving temple' or 'holy altar' again referring to his exaggeration of feelings for her to the point where he has placed her in the realm of the divine. to me it is obviously just a mockery of the kind of men that go to these strip clubs regularly and end up cheapening themselves, over this stripper whom he just so desperately wants one kiss or one taste of to the point that he loses control and throws down his money at her feet almost as an offering one would bestow upon a goddess. of all of their songs, i think this one is pretty much an easy one to understand.