Narcasist
04-21-2006, 08:12 AM
This is my attempt at a line by line analysis. Basically, my theory is that Maynard believes his mother is above all other Christians in her faith and dedication to Christianity. He is almost convinced by her, but is "too set in his ways and arrogent" to become a Christian any longer. The whole song is about how is mother really deserves to go to heaven because of her lifelong faithfulness. It serves as a beautiful eulogy to her. It's definitely changed the way I see Maynard. Let me know what you think.
By the way, I don't think this song means Maynard is turning Christian or anything. I think he believes in some kind of New Age Eastern-Western blend philosophy with no specific religion. He probably believes "whatever you believe is right and there is no absolute truth" or something similar. This song is just saying that his mother's way has to be right because she believed in it so strongly.
edit: Oh yeah just to support this again, listen to Wings for Marie, "What have I done to be the son of an angel?...you believed in me...you may have told a lie, but never lived one." Amazing.
Listen to the tales and romanticize
How we follow the path of the hero.
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun
How we rised to the height of our halo
(This seems to be about how Catholics follow the path of Christ, their hero. They take pride in their good deeds and "earn" their place in heaven.)
Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior
Fading all the trials and the tribulations
None of us have actually been there
Not like you
(The first lines are about saying things like "I'm better than the average person person, so I'm going to heaven" and basically rationalize your way to heaven. The next part about trials and tribulations seems to be about how people think they are so good because they've been through hard times and they THINK they're the only one who has done so, but really everyone has tough times.)
Ignorant fibbers in the congregation
Gather around spewing sympathy
Spare me
None of them can even hold a candle up to you
Blinded by choices hypocrites won't seek
(In the first lines I picture Maynard at the funeral in his mother's old church, and the people are sending him their condolences. He is still bitter and doesn't want sympathy from these "fibbers of the congregations". He seems to believe his mother was an almost perfect person and a true, dedicated Christian unlike most hypocrits.)
But, enough about the collective Judas
Who could deny you were the one who illuminated my piece of the divine
(He calls the church the betrayers of God because they are hypocrits, then says his mother showed him Christianity.)
This little light of mine, the gift you passed onto me
I'll let it shine to guide you safely on your way
Your way home...
(This paragraph is strange. The "little light of mine" is a reference so a children's song talking about Christianity. "This little light of mine..I'm gonna let it shine" the song says. It seems like Maynard is saying his mother did something good for him when she taught him Christianity, although in the past (Judith) he has rebuked her for it. It seems like he has had a change of heart.)
Ohh, what are they going to do when the lights go down
Without you to guide them all to Zion?
What are they going to do when the rivers overrun
Other than tremble incessantly?
(It seems like the people in her church or her family looked up to her to be a pillar of faith, but now that she is gone they won't be able to live like a Christian should.)
High is the way, but our lives are on the ground
You are the light and the way, they'll only read about
I only pray heaven knows when to lift you out
Ten thousand days in the fire is long enough
You're going home…
(A beautiful contrast between earth and heaven is in the first line. He's basically saying that his mother was so holy and all these other Christians are nothing compared to her. She was paralyzed for about 10,000 days, approx. 27 years. Then he talks about how her paralysis was like hell by saying "in the fire" , and contrsats that with now she is in heaven.)
You're the only one who can hold your head up high
Shake your fists at the gates saying:
"I have come home now!
Fetch me the spirit, the son, and the father
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.
It's time now! My time now!
Give me my, give me my wings!"
(He's saying that she has lived a great life and can go to heaven with a clear conscience because of it. She arrives at the pearly gates and welcomes the trinity with open arms and demands her wings for her years of faithful dedication.)
Give me my x5
Give me my wings!
You are the light and way that they will only read about.
Safe I am in my ways and my arrogance
Burden of proof tossed upon the believers
You were my witness, my eyes, my evidence
Judith Marie, unconditional one.
(This is also an odd paragraph. Maynard seems to say that he would accept Christianity, but he is too set in his ways and arrogant to do it. But he's also saying that the reason he could accept it is because of his mother's dedication, her holy life and her unconditional faith. She inspires him.)
Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence
Difficult to see you in this light
Please forgive this bold suggestion:
Should you see your Maker's face tonight
Look Him in the eye, look Him in the eye, and tell Him:
"I never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one.
Hallelujah, its time for you to bring me home."
(This is just beautiful. I picture him looking at her and saying this at the coffin. He sees his mother and tells her that because of her faith and her excellent life she deserves to see God and live in heaven forever. She's been innocent all her life and "saved one" means converted a soul to Christianity. How could Maynard be angry at her anymore, after seeing how truthfully she lived?
By the way, I don't think this song means Maynard is turning Christian or anything. I think he believes in some kind of New Age Eastern-Western blend philosophy with no specific religion. He probably believes "whatever you believe is right and there is no absolute truth" or something similar. This song is just saying that his mother's way has to be right because she believed in it so strongly.
edit: Oh yeah just to support this again, listen to Wings for Marie, "What have I done to be the son of an angel?...you believed in me...you may have told a lie, but never lived one." Amazing.
Listen to the tales and romanticize
How we follow the path of the hero.
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun
How we rised to the height of our halo
(This seems to be about how Catholics follow the path of Christ, their hero. They take pride in their good deeds and "earn" their place in heaven.)
Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior
Fading all the trials and the tribulations
None of us have actually been there
Not like you
(The first lines are about saying things like "I'm better than the average person person, so I'm going to heaven" and basically rationalize your way to heaven. The next part about trials and tribulations seems to be about how people think they are so good because they've been through hard times and they THINK they're the only one who has done so, but really everyone has tough times.)
Ignorant fibbers in the congregation
Gather around spewing sympathy
Spare me
None of them can even hold a candle up to you
Blinded by choices hypocrites won't seek
(In the first lines I picture Maynard at the funeral in his mother's old church, and the people are sending him their condolences. He is still bitter and doesn't want sympathy from these "fibbers of the congregations". He seems to believe his mother was an almost perfect person and a true, dedicated Christian unlike most hypocrits.)
But, enough about the collective Judas
Who could deny you were the one who illuminated my piece of the divine
(He calls the church the betrayers of God because they are hypocrits, then says his mother showed him Christianity.)
This little light of mine, the gift you passed onto me
I'll let it shine to guide you safely on your way
Your way home...
(This paragraph is strange. The "little light of mine" is a reference so a children's song talking about Christianity. "This little light of mine..I'm gonna let it shine" the song says. It seems like Maynard is saying his mother did something good for him when she taught him Christianity, although in the past (Judith) he has rebuked her for it. It seems like he has had a change of heart.)
Ohh, what are they going to do when the lights go down
Without you to guide them all to Zion?
What are they going to do when the rivers overrun
Other than tremble incessantly?
(It seems like the people in her church or her family looked up to her to be a pillar of faith, but now that she is gone they won't be able to live like a Christian should.)
High is the way, but our lives are on the ground
You are the light and the way, they'll only read about
I only pray heaven knows when to lift you out
Ten thousand days in the fire is long enough
You're going home…
(A beautiful contrast between earth and heaven is in the first line. He's basically saying that his mother was so holy and all these other Christians are nothing compared to her. She was paralyzed for about 10,000 days, approx. 27 years. Then he talks about how her paralysis was like hell by saying "in the fire" , and contrsats that with now she is in heaven.)
You're the only one who can hold your head up high
Shake your fists at the gates saying:
"I have come home now!
Fetch me the spirit, the son, and the father
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.
It's time now! My time now!
Give me my, give me my wings!"
(He's saying that she has lived a great life and can go to heaven with a clear conscience because of it. She arrives at the pearly gates and welcomes the trinity with open arms and demands her wings for her years of faithful dedication.)
Give me my x5
Give me my wings!
You are the light and way that they will only read about.
Safe I am in my ways and my arrogance
Burden of proof tossed upon the believers
You were my witness, my eyes, my evidence
Judith Marie, unconditional one.
(This is also an odd paragraph. Maynard seems to say that he would accept Christianity, but he is too set in his ways and arrogant to do it. But he's also saying that the reason he could accept it is because of his mother's dedication, her holy life and her unconditional faith. She inspires him.)
Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence
Difficult to see you in this light
Please forgive this bold suggestion:
Should you see your Maker's face tonight
Look Him in the eye, look Him in the eye, and tell Him:
"I never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one.
Hallelujah, its time for you to bring me home."
(This is just beautiful. I picture him looking at her and saying this at the coffin. He sees his mother and tells her that because of her faith and her excellent life she deserves to see God and live in heaven forever. She's been innocent all her life and "saved one" means converted a soul to Christianity. How could Maynard be angry at her anymore, after seeing how truthfully she lived?