| Massive Attack – Flat Of The Blade Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I have listened to this song many times because it is true poetry. But, I have a somewhat different interpretation of the lyrics' meanings, while giving thorough attention to it's nuances. After all the devil is in the details. We start of while a menacing tone. Feelings of fear and anxiety parallel with the distorted twists and creaky, hollow sounds in the song's opening. In the beginning, all we know is that a shadowy figure of a man tells us: I'm not good in a crowd I've got skills I can't speak of Things I've seen will chase me to the grave. These words don't alleviate the anxiousness set by the tone. It forebodes an evil omen, yet the song's lack of melody and rhythm keeps the listener in the dark. I personally felt like a little boy in his bed on a cold, windy night with the creaking trees outside rapping on my bedroom window. We fear our speaker might be the monster that hides beneath the bed or in the closet, waiting... The speaker then repeats himself (with an added nuance) as if he desires to emphasize the horror he embodies: I'm not good in a crowd I've got skills I can't speak of (over there) Things I've seen will chase me to the grave Speaking of his own mortality proves he's human, but the added phrase "over there" gives us a very unsettling feeling. The speaker is letting us know he is not from OUR world here. We might begin to question whether there something corporeal at work. And is this a simple statement, or a warning? Eventually, the music changes from a tone of high anxiety to a tone of horror. Led with your hands tied Fed to the sand flies Now the listener has become the victim. We feel the death in the air as the sand flies circle the victim like buzzards. You stumble the dunes Complain to the moon We get a clearer picture of what's happening and what's GOING to happen here. The dunes are GRAVES of those who were led here before. The speaker has probably done this MANY times. We know the end is near. We connect with the victim who laments his or her fate. *Backs to the wheel There's granite to shove **Take it. They give it ***So rivet for rivet I will build for my family a bullet proof love. I believe this part is very misunderstood by people, so I will translate: Put your backs into it! There's granite to shovel. (For the graves). Take it. They give it.... *I believe the speaker is speaking to his comrades now instead of the victims who are to fill the graves that are being dug. Everything makes sense in this context. **I believe the speaker is telling his comrades that everything left by the dead (or soon to be dead) is forfeit, so take everything the have/had. By being dead, they give it freely. This might mean money, information (from begging victims), and/or the speaker might simply be telling his comrades to strip the bodies of anything valuable. According to the speaker, there's no such thing as "robbing" the dead. ***This is complicated to explain. Rivets are FORCED through metal to hold pieces together. This is imagery that implies the willingness of the speaker to use force to protect his family. It also might imply his use of force to keep the "pieces" of his family together. It is unclear whether the speaker is talking about his immediate family or some other entity like a mafia family or gang. Perhaps he means both, but I don't think that's important. I think his choice of words might imply that some of his family met an untimely death at the wrong end of a gun in the past. Though, this is only speculation. How does it feel, The weight of the steel, The weight of the steel of the flat of the blade? How does it feel To kneel at the feet, To kneel at the feet of the choices you've made? The speaker is now speaking to the victim again. He might be seeking vengeance against those who harmed or betrayed him, but he might also be expressing concern about the heavy consequences of his own choices. Note that the victim's choices may or may not warrant his or her death on a moral or ethical scale. He or she may have simply made the wrong decision by mistake, (by chance) which led to his or her demise. I'm not good in a crowd I've got skills I can't speak of THINGS I'VE SEEN WILL CHASE ME TO THE GRAVE! The speaker repeats himself again. This time, he both expresses and laments the unforgiving nature of the fact that he cannot escape the consequences of his choices either (whether by chance or not). He knows the world won't absolve him from either horror or guilt, nor will he absolve his "victims" from their horrible end. With that in mind, the speaker continues... Backs to the wheel There's granite to shove Take it. They give it So rivet for rivet I will build for my family a bullet proof love. That my interpretation. Hope it helps:) |
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| Blues Traveler – Hook Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I feel this song has two layers of meaning. Layer one speaks of the corruption of the music industry and how he and his fans are sellouts who give in to dumbed-down, manufactured music as long as it's catchy rather than listening to ballads with true meaning and substance. Layer two I feel is the more interesting of the two. It uses layer one's particular example of corruption to refer to selling out ones ideals and values in general, using the music industry only as an example. "It doesn't matter what I say So long as I sing with inflection That makes you feel that I'll convey Some inner truth of vast reflection But I've said nothing so far And I can keep it up for as long as it takes And it don't matter who you are If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks" This is pretty strait forward. Note the description of this formulated music could almost be applied to propaganda. It leaves the listener with a dirty feeling (if he actually listens to the lyrics carefully) because it almost sounds like the words a propaganda peddler. Also, note the melody. The singer perfectly points out how much the listeners are attracted to the pretty sounds even though what he's saying is pretty awful--that everyone sells out in the end. *chorus* "There is something amiss I am being insincere In fact I don't mean any of this Still my confession draws you near To confuse the issue I refer To familiar heroes from long ago No matter how much Peter loved her What made the Pan refuse to grow" *chorus* I think it's interesting that the singer states that the song itself is empty. He's almost making fun of the listeners here. The false confession draws the audience near. Now, to confuse the listeners and steer away from the real issues that are implied by the context, he will now refer to familiar heroes from long ago. Then he arbitrarily sings some catchy nonsense about Peter Pan (the familiar hero from long ago he JUST talked about) and refers to Captain "HOOK." (Because it's catchy!) On layer one, this is just nonsense being sold to the listener, perhaps for money or fame. On layer two, this is very cleverly shows to anyone paying attention, that nonsense sells, and most people don't really pay attention. It AMAZES me how many people don't get this even though he clearly states what he's doing as he does it! I see people talk about the "deep" meaning of the Peter Pan reference... Ha ha ha... There is no deep meaning to the Peter Pan reference. That's the point. Even though the singer just told the listener there is no meaning, the singer knows no one really listens. Joke's on you. Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn [Suck it in Heroic Figures who stood for something] Make a desperate move or else you'll win [Hurry up and sell out!] And then begin to see What you're doing to me [You sellouts are hurting me] This MTV is not for free It's so PC it's killing me [MTV is costing me my true values] [It's so formulated and manufactured it's killing me!] So desperately I sing to thee of love Sure but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self [So I sing to you about real issues I feel that matter] And I can't keep these feelings on the shelf [I'll sing about these deep emotions. I can't stop myself] I've tried, well, no, in fact I lied [Wait... Yes I can...] Could be financial suicide But I've got too much pride inside To hide or slide [But I won't!] I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride until I've died And only then shall I abide this tide Of catchy little tunes Of hip three minute ditties [I'll DIE before before I sell out and betray my values!] I want to bust all your balloons I want to burn all of your cities [I'll start a revolution!!!] To the ground, I've found I will not mess around [I'm not kidding!] Unless I play then hey [Oh... Yes I am... It's time to play] I will go on all day, hear what I say [I'd better play something catchy everyone wants to hear. But listen...] I have a prayer to pray That's really all this was [I'll just make a wish and say a little prayer] [This isn't a revolution. I won't really take a stand] And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck I don't rely on luck because [If I'm desperate and need money] [I'll just sell my values. I'll sellout.] *chorus* [Everybody sells their values in the end] [The hook brings u back. You won't escape.] |
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