So I'm writing about religion and God for the first time because I have finally got the idea organized enough in my head to articulate it. Hopefully this won't sound "preachy" because I don't intend it to be. Well here it goes:
I know people with all sorts of opinions on God, a menagerie if you say. There are those who are devout Christians who were born with faith and have never questioned it. There are those who are Christians that aren't really sure why they are Christians but the Bible says so, so they are. Then there are the people like me who use logic and reasoning to see that there is a God and recognizes that the Bible is a guide on how to live. There are those who are just completely unsure. There are those who, through a bad church or family experience, close their mind to God. Finally, there are those who just don't believe in God and won't let God in.
An argument of these non-believers (for a lack of a better term) that I've run into lately is along the lines of "if God exists, why does he allow suffering?" This is a perversion of the quote by Epicurus "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"
At first glance this seems to be a rather hard argument to counter for Christians without saying "the Bible says so," or "it just is." Many atheists use this as an ace in their pocket to silence any Christian and immediately win with a self-righteous look on their face. Many people who are unsure use this as an excuse to not believe. When I encounter this argument, I try to counter it but I've never been able to find the words. Unlike many, I don't immediately shut my mind to this argument; I consider it and quite honestly it shakes my faith a little, but in the end we always better for that.
So, why does God allow suffering? An important point to make is when we ask this question, we ask, through God's absence of action against suffering, why God creates suffering? This is a faulty question for anyone. If you are an atheist or a Christian you shouldn't ask that, you should ask why do we, as humans, allow suffering to happen. If you believe God exists or not, when you see suffering of any form, should you not try to stop it? If you don't then aren't you just as bad or or worse than those that suffer? Aren't you evil by your inaction.
Can God stop suffering? The answer to this is an unequivocal yes. If you put all of your faith into the lord and allow him to enter into your life and live your life the way the Bible says so, then yes your suffering will cease. You will see the world the way God wants you to see it. Could God wave his hand and never end all suffering on Earth? Yes he could. But then why doesn't he? The answer to this is simple. God does not cause the suffering. That means it must originate from somewhere else. We cause our suffering with a bit of help from Satan. Satan sets up the temptation that we take, but he can't force us to take it, we must choose. This is why God doesn't stop suffering. Life is about choice. The power of choice is part of what makes us human. We have the choice to "build a ladder to the sky" or we have the choice not to. It all up to you. You make decisions that led to your suffering and you make decisions that led to the suffering of others. God could eliminate this suffering but then he would have to eliminate our freedom of choice. God doesn't make you do anything. You can do anything you want, but there will ultimately be consequences for your actions, which often leads to suffering. Without our freedom of choice, we wouldn't really be human.
When you come to this realization that suffering is a product of self, then you begin to set yourself free. You must take responsibility for your actions. There is no god as a puppeteer making you do things. You pull your own strings, no one else. So remember that next you suffer or see suffering. You have the power to change it. Remember this the next time someone tries to undermine your faith with that question, but don't use this as an excuse to stop questioning. You must always question, for if you don't, you will never know what you believe or who you are; you will never discover what is in the world. True questioning will never damage your faith. It might led to a small reduction and some doubt, but with further questioning you will regain it seven-fold.
Note: I never try to shove religion down anyone's throat. I believe faith and religion is something each one of us must discover for ourselves. However, when I see someone that begins to immediately shake their head and close their mind when anything resembling religion, I can't sit back idly and just pretend I didn't notice. I have to confront them, not to make them believe in God the way I do, but to open their mind and at least question why they don't.
Note: Also I use the term Christian here because I find something a bit polarized and odd in using the terms believer and non-believer. You can substitute Christian with Muslim, Jew, or whatever. I use Christian because that is what I identify myself with.
Note: Feel free to comment. In fact I encourage comments. That's the only way I can improve this blog. Without comments, I will continue to plod on in my attempt to expostulate my ideals and ideas. Thank you for reading.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Idiot Wind: BOTT and NY Sessions
It's been a few moons since I've posted anything here; probably due to the whole college thing, but I could be mistaken. Anyway, here is my third post. I've been debating all week about what to post about: random thoughts in my head or a song. I've decided on the latter.
I've decided to tackle one of my all-time hero's of music, the master poet and king of lyrics: Mr. Bob Dylan. To top it all off I decided on of his longest songs: "Idiot Wind". This song is off of the 1975 album Blood on Tracks. Blood on The Tracks my all-time favorite Bob Dylan album, which is saying quite a lot. This album was written in the beginning stages of Bob's divorce from his wife Sara. The two had been married for twelve years. Bob's son, Jakob Dylan, had said that the album is "his parents talking." a
"Idiot Wind" is one of Bob Dylan's most spiteful songs yet also one of his more melancholy songs.
It is a song that took a little while to grow on me but once it did it become one of my favorites. If you've ever felt the emotions or experienced the circumstances behind this song, then you'll know exactly what he is saying. The lyrics from Blood on The Tracks are as follows:
Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.
People see me all the time and they just can't remember how to act
Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts.
Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at,
I couldn't believe after all these years, you didn't know me better than that
Sweet lady.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads headin' south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I ran into the fortune-teller, who said beware of lightning that might strike
I haven't known peace and quiet for so long I can't remember what it's like.
There's a lone soldier on the cross, smoke pourin' out of a boxcar door,
You didn't know it, you didn't think it could be done, in the final end he won the wars
After losin' every battle.
I woke up on the roadside, daydreamin' 'bout the way things sometimes are
Visions of your chestnut mare shoot through my head and are makin' me see stars.
You hurt the ones that I love best and cover up the truth with lies.
One day you'll be in the ditch, flies buzzin' around your eyes,
Blood on your saddle.
Idiot wind, blowing through the flowers on your tomb,
Blowing through the curtains in your room.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
It was gravity which pulled us down and destiny which broke us apart
You tamed the lion in my cage but it just wasn't enough to change my heart.
Now everything's a little upside down, as a matter of fact the wheels have stopped,
What's good is bad, what's bad is good, you'll find out when you reach the top
You're on the bottom.
I noticed at the ceremony, your corrupt ways had finally made you blind
I can't remember your face anymore, your mouth has changed, your eyes
don't look into mine.
The priest wore black on the seventh day and sat stone-faced while the building
burned.
I waited for you on the running boards, near the cypress trees, while the springtime
turned Slowly into autumn.
Idiot wind, blowing like a circle around my skull,
From the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I can't feel you anymore, I can't even touch the books you've read
Every time I crawl past your door, I been wishin' I was somebody else instead.
Down the highway, down the tracks, down the road to ecstasy,
I followed you beneath the stars, hounded by your memory
And all your ragin' glory.
I been double-crossed now for the very last time and now I'm finally free,
I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me.
You'll never know the hurt I suffered nor the pain I rise above,
And I'll never know the same about you, your holiness or your kind of love,
And it makes me feel so sorry.
Idiot wind, blowing through the buttons of our coats,
Blowing through the letters that we wrote.
Idiot wind, blowing through the dust upon our shelves,
We're idiots, babe.
It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves
I've decided to tackle one of my all-time hero's of music, the master poet and king of lyrics: Mr. Bob Dylan. To top it all off I decided on of his longest songs: "Idiot Wind". This song is off of the 1975 album Blood on Tracks. Blood on The Tracks my all-time favorite Bob Dylan album, which is saying quite a lot. This album was written in the beginning stages of Bob's divorce from his wife Sara. The two had been married for twelve years. Bob's son, Jakob Dylan, had said that the album is "his parents talking." a
"Idiot Wind" is one of Bob Dylan's most spiteful songs yet also one of his more melancholy songs.
It is a song that took a little while to grow on me but once it did it become one of my favorites. If you've ever felt the emotions or experienced the circumstances behind this song, then you'll know exactly what he is saying. The lyrics from Blood on The Tracks are as follows:
Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.
People see me all the time and they just can't remember how to act
Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts.
Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at,
I couldn't believe after all these years, you didn't know me better than that
Sweet lady.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads headin' south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I ran into the fortune-teller, who said beware of lightning that might strike
I haven't known peace and quiet for so long I can't remember what it's like.
There's a lone soldier on the cross, smoke pourin' out of a boxcar door,
You didn't know it, you didn't think it could be done, in the final end he won the wars
After losin' every battle.
I woke up on the roadside, daydreamin' 'bout the way things sometimes are
Visions of your chestnut mare shoot through my head and are makin' me see stars.
You hurt the ones that I love best and cover up the truth with lies.
One day you'll be in the ditch, flies buzzin' around your eyes,
Blood on your saddle.
Idiot wind, blowing through the flowers on your tomb,
Blowing through the curtains in your room.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
It was gravity which pulled us down and destiny which broke us apart
You tamed the lion in my cage but it just wasn't enough to change my heart.
Now everything's a little upside down, as a matter of fact the wheels have stopped,
What's good is bad, what's bad is good, you'll find out when you reach the top
You're on the bottom.
I noticed at the ceremony, your corrupt ways had finally made you blind
I can't remember your face anymore, your mouth has changed, your eyes
don't look into mine.
The priest wore black on the seventh day and sat stone-faced while the building
burned.
I waited for you on the running boards, near the cypress trees, while the springtime
turned Slowly into autumn.
Idiot wind, blowing like a circle around my skull,
From the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I can't feel you anymore, I can't even touch the books you've read
Every time I crawl past your door, I been wishin' I was somebody else instead.
Down the highway, down the tracks, down the road to ecstasy,
I followed you beneath the stars, hounded by your memory
And all your ragin' glory.
I been double-crossed now for the very last time and now I'm finally free,
I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me.
You'll never know the hurt I suffered nor the pain I rise above,
And I'll never know the same about you, your holiness or your kind of love,
And it makes me feel so sorry.
Idiot wind, blowing through the buttons of our coats,
Blowing through the letters that we wrote.
Idiot wind, blowing through the dust upon our shelves,
We're idiots, babe.
It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves
And of course here is the link to the song. This version is from the New York Sessions, which was an early version of the song. I couldn't find the album version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEKafa_viAM
All right. Now time for the parsing down.
The First Verse is rather interesting in context to the rest of the song. It contains a bit of a different mood than the rest. It starts out like a story: people are accusing him of killing a man to get the money that would come to her when her husband dies, but he is vehemently denying it.
The Second Verse is a continuation of the first but it goes to a bit more general feeling. The song develops as he writes it. He starts with a specific idea and then his emotions swell up the whole song changes. In this verse, people have their minds made up about him due to some stupid rumor and they treat him differently due to this. This rumor has even penetrated his wife or his companion (the you in the song) and she has to ask him where the money is. It causes him outrage that the person he has known for years doesn't know him well enough to know better.
Chorus:
This is where the spite and the rage starts to be released. He calls her very clearly an idiot, saying its a wonder that she still knows how to breathe. That's a rather harsh insult. He also tells her that everything she says is stupid, nothing she has every said really meant anything at all. All of his pent up rage at all the stupid things she has done or said, starts to come out and he just gets angrier.
Verse III:
This is one of my favorite verses in the song. "Beware of lightning that might strike," an apt warning for us all; be careful what you do or say, because you can never be sure of the results of your actions. "I haven't known peace and quiet for so long I can't remember what it's like." Haven't we all felt that? It's such a mind-numbing, body-ripping feeling. He then compares his suffering to that of Jesus "lone soldier on the cross" and is even spiteful in his telling her that she didn't have enough faith to think that even if he lost all the battles, he could still win the war.
Verse IV:
He now starts to recall some of their past "daydreaming." However, he awakes from these daydreams and realizes the way things are now and how far they've fallen and he turns to his most spiteful, invoking some of the harshest imagery: " One day you'll be in the ditch, flies buzzin' around your eyes, blood on your saddle." He very blatantly says one day you're ways (hurt the ones I love best) will catch up with you and it'll kill you.
Chorus:
The chorus has changed slightly to incorporate her funeral.
Verse V:
He now tries to find some outside reason why they didn't work out blaming it on "gravity" and "destiny" but he returns to blaming her, saying she tried to change him and was able to tame the "lion" (his demons and animal characteristics) but she couldn't really change who he was. He then says that the pain she's caused him has led to his whole world being screwed up, that when he should feel like he's on top of the world, he feels like he's on the bottom.
Verse VI:
He still has more blame and spite to pour out at this woman. Everything she has done has made her a different person, to the point that she can't even look into his eyes. He said he waited for her, most likely to realize the error of her ways, but she never did.
Chorus:
Now the idiot wind is blowing in his skull, not the road or her tomb, but inside of his head. All the pain and rage is starting to actually affect him.
Verse VII:
He has completely lost who she really is and can't even read or touch anything that has ever been associated with her. Whenever he goes anywhere near a place associated with her, he wants to be a completely different person because the pain kills him. He says he followed her everywhere she went and I think that still follows through to the present. Even though she has caused him immense pain and caused him to hate her, he still has to see where she is.
Verse VIII:
He feels that all of the double-crossing is finally through with, that all the pain and misery has finally set him to a point where he can be free of her. Throughout the entire song, he rages against her and pours spite upon her, but his tone changes. He says she'll never know everything he felt because of her and about her, but he realizes that he won't ever know the same about her. He will never get to really know her love and who she is, never really get through to that genuine person and it makes him feel terrible. That is one of the worst feelings in the world. Having someone you care about and just want to be happy, but you'll never be able to really know them and it just caused this immense emptiness inside.
Chorus:
Now it has all come full circle. Throughout the entire song he lashes out in pain and anger, blaming the entire situation upon her, but now as his self-pity is at the highest just before (Verse VIII) he comes to realize the truth. He realizes that he has to take responsibility for what happened. He can't blame the entire thing upon her even if he wants to. This is seen through his saying they were both idiots.
Conclusion:
This song is quite amazing to see the emotions take shape. He starts out angry due to all the shit she has put him through and all the pain she has caused him. He starts to pour out all of his anger and spite upon her. He lashes out against her to the point where he hopes she will die. As he pours venom upon her and the world, he starts to come to term with things. He realizes that hate isn't what is driving him but rather pain. he realized it can't possibly be completely her fault, even though he wants to blame all upon her, it was a relationship after all and he must take a bit of the blame.
This song is incredibly moving because we have all felt that horrible spite and anger, but I doubt many of us have ever come to the ending point of acceptance and really knowing who and what to blame.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Second
Well, here's my second blog post. I'm really not sure of the proper format for doing these or what I should say in each proceeding blog, but I don't really care for convention, so I will just do it my way. Along those lines, I'm rather surprised that I'm actually posting a second one; I thought I would have realized how silly this practice of blogging is but here I am, posting again.
I considered posting about politics, but I thought against it. Instead, I've decided to post about a song I recently learned how to play: White Blank Page by English folk band Mumford & Sons. Mumford & Sons is composed of Marcus Mumford (Guitar, Drums), Ben Lovett (Keyboard), "Country" Marshall (Banjo), and Ted Dwayne (Bass). When I discovered Mumford & Sons a few months ago, I quickly fell in love. In a sea of dismal music about nothing but sex and partying, to see a band sing about love and life is quite refreshing along with the ability to write their own music and perform it (a rarity today).
White Blank Page is the fifth song off of their album Sigh No More. It's got quite a sparse arrangement relying mainly on guitar and vocals throughout, with a bit of banjo, bass, and piano thrown in near the middle. The song is in the key of A with the guitar capoed at the 2nd fret, for those of you interested.
There are two ways to analyze this song: in context or out of context. That is either analyzed in the context of the entire album (after listening to the album over a hundred times, I'm fairly certain it is about one girl and her relationship with Marcus Mumford.) or taken by itself. For ease, I will analyze using the latter circumstances.
Here are the Lyrics and a Link to the Bookshop Sessions:
(Lyrics are property of Mumford & Sons)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Od0PJp6GI&feature=autoplay&list=ML4oVf-d_DwKBrTZ3n8rKv8pCa2cT8q6FC&index=3&playnext=2
Can you lie next to her
And give her your heart, your heart
As well as your body
And can you lie next to her
And confess your love, your love
As well as your folly
And can you kneel before the king
And say I'm clean, I'm clean
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
A white blank page and a swelling rage, rage
You did not think when you sent me to the brink, the brink
You desired my attention but denied my affections, my affections
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life
Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life
Amazing right. But what does it mean?
You can take everything before the chorus in two ways. Either the speaker is talking to someone else (as in the man that has taken the woman he loves) or he is speaking to himself.
Verse I: Plainly states: Do you have what it takes to give your heart away to someone and then your body as well (meaning sex). So he is asking himself, can I really do that? Can I give myself away? Can I let go of my inhibitions and fears to love her? Or he is telling the other guy through questions that that man doesn't have what it takes to give her his heart. He isn't as good for her as the speaker is. The other man doesn't have what it takes to really care for her.
Verse II: Do you have the courage to admit to her that you love her? Do you have the strength to admit all of your flaws and mistakes that has to go along with a commitment of love? Again he could be questioning himself or the guy that has her.
Verse III: This is the verse that can throw a WHOLE new interpretation into the song, which I will get to later. But it basically asks if you have the faith and purity to kneel before God and tell him you have done no wrong (something I doubt any of us can do).
Chorus: This is the part where the desperation reaches a summit. He is speaking at this point to either the girl he loves or himself. He is asking "why am I wrong for wanting to give you all of my love?" "Why can't you see that I absolutely love you?" "Love shouldn't cause pain The question is: Is the speaker sitting alone asking himself this in misery or does he actually have the courage to ask her directly?
Bridge: This is where his longing and hurt turn to rage. I've seen some take this to mean a suicide note (i.e. White Blank Page and brink) but I don't get that from the rest of the song or the album. I think it applies to Marcus's profession, songwriting. It's a warning really. You've hurt me and pushed my emotions and my thoughts over the edge and I'm not even sure what to think. It causes a rage which causes him to lash out in song (i.e. the page which starts out white but turns black under his emotions). The last line is one of the most pertinent to me. The girl wants his attention when he's around and she needs him, but when he wants her or wants to show her his love, she is completely unavailable. This is what really helps to fuel his rage. She won't give him the time of the day most of the week but when she needs him for something she assumes he'll do it. What really makes him angry is that he knows he will do it for her anyway, even though everything in him tells him not to.
Outro: A statement that all of us should abide by. If you can find that person that will tell you the truth and help lead you to discover who you are, you should never leave them.
Now this song also has quite a bit of a religious undertone, as does a lot of their songs. This undertone comes about from the the line about kneeling before the king. It could mean that he, as a Christian, is struggling with the practice of no sex before marriage. The Bridge is the area where his lack of sex is causing him rage and he can no longer hold on to his beliefs. (White Blank Page-i.e. A pure woman/ Swelling rage-i.e. his impulses and the anger it causes him). He is yelling at God "Why? I love you God but I don't see why I have to hold out like this when you are the one that gave me these impulses in the first place?" He asks God where was his fault in loving him. He knows that if he didn't love God then he wouldn't feel the horrid guilt that lust causes him.
In conclusion, it is a song about a guy that loves a woman with all of his heart and is trying to win her but she either doesn't care at all or is with another. Also it contains a religious undertone.
So that was a little bit long winded, but that is what goes through my head when I listen to music (For those of you who know me, this is partly why I am so passionate about music). I try to interpret what the singer is saying as well as how I can apply it to my life. I know I've been in this situation before, as I'm sure a lot of us have. It would be so much better if we could just come out in the open with how we feel, but our culture doesn't support that notion at all. Anyway, I also listen to the music and the interplay between all the parts but I decided not to bore you with the music analysis this time.
I plan on posting analyses of many more songs focusing primarily on lyrical interpretations. Please note that these interpretations are open to change as I listen to these songs more and have more time to contemplate there meaning and extrapolate it to life.
In closing, I hope you have enjoyed this and if you have anything to say please feel free to leave a comment.
I considered posting about politics, but I thought against it. Instead, I've decided to post about a song I recently learned how to play: White Blank Page by English folk band Mumford & Sons. Mumford & Sons is composed of Marcus Mumford (Guitar, Drums), Ben Lovett (Keyboard), "Country" Marshall (Banjo), and Ted Dwayne (Bass). When I discovered Mumford & Sons a few months ago, I quickly fell in love. In a sea of dismal music about nothing but sex and partying, to see a band sing about love and life is quite refreshing along with the ability to write their own music and perform it (a rarity today).
White Blank Page is the fifth song off of their album Sigh No More. It's got quite a sparse arrangement relying mainly on guitar and vocals throughout, with a bit of banjo, bass, and piano thrown in near the middle. The song is in the key of A with the guitar capoed at the 2nd fret, for those of you interested.
There are two ways to analyze this song: in context or out of context. That is either analyzed in the context of the entire album (after listening to the album over a hundred times, I'm fairly certain it is about one girl and her relationship with Marcus Mumford.) or taken by itself. For ease, I will analyze using the latter circumstances.
Here are the Lyrics and a Link to the Bookshop Sessions:
(Lyrics are property of Mumford & Sons)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Od0PJp6GI&feature=autoplay&list=ML4oVf-d_DwKBrTZ3n8rKv8pCa2cT8q6FC&index=3&playnext=2
Can you lie next to her
And give her your heart, your heart
As well as your body
And can you lie next to her
And confess your love, your love
As well as your folly
And can you kneel before the king
And say I'm clean, I'm clean
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
A white blank page and a swelling rage, rage
You did not think when you sent me to the brink, the brink
You desired my attention but denied my affections, my affections
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life
Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life
Amazing right. But what does it mean?
You can take everything before the chorus in two ways. Either the speaker is talking to someone else (as in the man that has taken the woman he loves) or he is speaking to himself.
Verse I: Plainly states: Do you have what it takes to give your heart away to someone and then your body as well (meaning sex). So he is asking himself, can I really do that? Can I give myself away? Can I let go of my inhibitions and fears to love her? Or he is telling the other guy through questions that that man doesn't have what it takes to give her his heart. He isn't as good for her as the speaker is. The other man doesn't have what it takes to really care for her.
Verse II: Do you have the courage to admit to her that you love her? Do you have the strength to admit all of your flaws and mistakes that has to go along with a commitment of love? Again he could be questioning himself or the guy that has her.
Verse III: This is the verse that can throw a WHOLE new interpretation into the song, which I will get to later. But it basically asks if you have the faith and purity to kneel before God and tell him you have done no wrong (something I doubt any of us can do).
Chorus: This is the part where the desperation reaches a summit. He is speaking at this point to either the girl he loves or himself. He is asking "why am I wrong for wanting to give you all of my love?" "Why can't you see that I absolutely love you?" "Love shouldn't cause pain The question is: Is the speaker sitting alone asking himself this in misery or does he actually have the courage to ask her directly?
Bridge: This is where his longing and hurt turn to rage. I've seen some take this to mean a suicide note (i.e. White Blank Page and brink) but I don't get that from the rest of the song or the album. I think it applies to Marcus's profession, songwriting. It's a warning really. You've hurt me and pushed my emotions and my thoughts over the edge and I'm not even sure what to think. It causes a rage which causes him to lash out in song (i.e. the page which starts out white but turns black under his emotions). The last line is one of the most pertinent to me. The girl wants his attention when he's around and she needs him, but when he wants her or wants to show her his love, she is completely unavailable. This is what really helps to fuel his rage. She won't give him the time of the day most of the week but when she needs him for something she assumes he'll do it. What really makes him angry is that he knows he will do it for her anyway, even though everything in him tells him not to.
Outro: A statement that all of us should abide by. If you can find that person that will tell you the truth and help lead you to discover who you are, you should never leave them.
Now this song also has quite a bit of a religious undertone, as does a lot of their songs. This undertone comes about from the the line about kneeling before the king. It could mean that he, as a Christian, is struggling with the practice of no sex before marriage. The Bridge is the area where his lack of sex is causing him rage and he can no longer hold on to his beliefs. (White Blank Page-i.e. A pure woman/ Swelling rage-i.e. his impulses and the anger it causes him). He is yelling at God "Why? I love you God but I don't see why I have to hold out like this when you are the one that gave me these impulses in the first place?" He asks God where was his fault in loving him. He knows that if he didn't love God then he wouldn't feel the horrid guilt that lust causes him.
In conclusion, it is a song about a guy that loves a woman with all of his heart and is trying to win her but she either doesn't care at all or is with another. Also it contains a religious undertone.
So that was a little bit long winded, but that is what goes through my head when I listen to music (For those of you who know me, this is partly why I am so passionate about music). I try to interpret what the singer is saying as well as how I can apply it to my life. I know I've been in this situation before, as I'm sure a lot of us have. It would be so much better if we could just come out in the open with how we feel, but our culture doesn't support that notion at all. Anyway, I also listen to the music and the interplay between all the parts but I decided not to bore you with the music analysis this time.
I plan on posting analyses of many more songs focusing primarily on lyrical interpretations. Please note that these interpretations are open to change as I listen to these songs more and have more time to contemplate there meaning and extrapolate it to life.
In closing, I hope you have enjoyed this and if you have anything to say please feel free to leave a comment.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Genesis
Why start a blog?
It's a question I'm asking myself even now as I begin to undertake this endeavor. I honestly have no answer to this question. What's even more weird is that I've always viewed "bloggers" as incredibly lonely, opinionated people who can't properly interact with other human beings so they have to write to unknown people on the Internet who are just as inept. I've decided to give it a good try before I completely condemn the practice.
As the title of this blog suggest, I will post thoughts that I entertain in my head as well as my opinions on matters. These posts will illustrate the complexities of my persona. That sounds quite conceded but I believe that all individuals are a strange amalgam of complexity and simplicity; a bundle of paradoxes. In addition to that I hope to post my analyses of various things such as music, films, and literature.
Basically this blog will attempt to demonstrate how I view the word and why I view the world the way I do. Hopefully it will give you a different perspective and stimulate thought. If I fail to make you think the tiniest micron, I will be highly disappointed.
It's a question I'm asking myself even now as I begin to undertake this endeavor. I honestly have no answer to this question. What's even more weird is that I've always viewed "bloggers" as incredibly lonely, opinionated people who can't properly interact with other human beings so they have to write to unknown people on the Internet who are just as inept. I've decided to give it a good try before I completely condemn the practice.
As the title of this blog suggest, I will post thoughts that I entertain in my head as well as my opinions on matters. These posts will illustrate the complexities of my persona. That sounds quite conceded but I believe that all individuals are a strange amalgam of complexity and simplicity; a bundle of paradoxes. In addition to that I hope to post my analyses of various things such as music, films, and literature.
Basically this blog will attempt to demonstrate how I view the word and why I view the world the way I do. Hopefully it will give you a different perspective and stimulate thought. If I fail to make you think the tiniest micron, I will be highly disappointed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)