Eussiah
05-30-2006, 07:57 AM
(This turned out to be rather long. I apologize for the length, and thank anyone who reads the whole thing.)
This is an analysis of one aspect of this song: why the persona praises his mother for beliefs he doesn't agree with. This is an important point, as the emotional experience of the song depends on understanding it. Yes, we could say, "Well, let's just not worry about whether Maynard believes in God or not, and enjoy the song." But I think the song becomes much deeper when you do consider this. I think a lot of people are missing some of the really beautiful ideas in the lyrics.
Firstly, I see no evidence here or elsewhere that Maynard has had a religious conversion. I cannot see how any but the most shallow interpretation can yield this conclusion. Others have pointed out that he references "your maker," not simply "God." Someone also pointed out that shaking one's fist at the gates and demanding something from God is considered a sin. This is true. This is not a scenario one Christian would imagine for another. Christianity generally imagines that death is a submission to God, where you humbly accept judgement of your life. The most holy person does not demand wings, but rather bows down before God and claims he is not worthy. Judgement is in God's hands alone. But here, the persona of the song has already made his judgement, and imagines that his mother can also judge for herself. Here the roles are reversed. God humbly comes before the deceased, to accept her demand.
If this last point was merely evidence that Maynard has not converted, it would be a mere curiosity. But it is more than that. This brings me to the real issue. There is a passage in the Bible that illustrates the point well:
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So, then, because you art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." - Rev 3:15,16
(Lest I be misunderstood: I am an atheist. I am not quoting the Bible because I believe in it. My beliefs or lack thereof about God are not relevant.)
These words are spoken by Jesus to an entire church. The general interpretation is that these people have not been totally dedicated to God (hot or cold), but only somewhat dedicated. They pay lip service to God, but are really hypocrites. They have some passion for their faith, but not enough. They are lukewarm, undecided, sinners who repent and then sin again. Jesus rejects them (spews them from his mouth). They are not worthy of salvation. They are, pretty much, ignorant fibbers. A collective Judas. They follow God's word, but then betray it in the same breath.
(Note: "Cold" does not refer to being totally against God. Both hot and cold are interpreted by scholars to mean totally dedicated to God, just in different ways.)
The mother in the song is totally dedicated to her faith. She is not lukewarm. She goes all the way, makes all the effort, and does everything she should. She is not a hypocrite. "A passionate spirit, uncompromised."
Now, another quote. This one is from the poet T.S. Eliot, from his famous poem The Hollow Men (http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~evans/hollow.html).
"Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow"
Also:
"Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow"
This is saying essentially the same thing as the Bible quotation above. The poem as a whole speaks about "hollow men," "empty men." These are men like the ones Jesus spews from his mouth. They have no dedication, no drive to accomplish anything, no purpose. The quote above talks about the difference between having the potential to do something, and actually doing it. There is a difference between having and idea or conception and making that idea a reality, a creation. In between is the Shadow, the realm described by Eliot in the poem. This is where the hollow men exist. They are human beings with the potential to become something, to do something. But they do nothing. Instead they waste their gifts. They do not create, they do not make new realities. They are not passionate enough. The church Jesus speaks to in the Bible quotation would fall into this category. They have the means, but no motivation.
One final quote:
"Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
What Yoda says in The Empire Strikes Back summarizes all these ideas in two simple sentences. There are those who do things, who are always hot or cold, never lukewarm. Then there are those who only "try," but trying is really meaningless unless it results in something being done. The persona's mother does not just try to live according to her faith (like the ghouls do), she actually does it.
(Continued Below)
This is an analysis of one aspect of this song: why the persona praises his mother for beliefs he doesn't agree with. This is an important point, as the emotional experience of the song depends on understanding it. Yes, we could say, "Well, let's just not worry about whether Maynard believes in God or not, and enjoy the song." But I think the song becomes much deeper when you do consider this. I think a lot of people are missing some of the really beautiful ideas in the lyrics.
Firstly, I see no evidence here or elsewhere that Maynard has had a religious conversion. I cannot see how any but the most shallow interpretation can yield this conclusion. Others have pointed out that he references "your maker," not simply "God." Someone also pointed out that shaking one's fist at the gates and demanding something from God is considered a sin. This is true. This is not a scenario one Christian would imagine for another. Christianity generally imagines that death is a submission to God, where you humbly accept judgement of your life. The most holy person does not demand wings, but rather bows down before God and claims he is not worthy. Judgement is in God's hands alone. But here, the persona of the song has already made his judgement, and imagines that his mother can also judge for herself. Here the roles are reversed. God humbly comes before the deceased, to accept her demand.
If this last point was merely evidence that Maynard has not converted, it would be a mere curiosity. But it is more than that. This brings me to the real issue. There is a passage in the Bible that illustrates the point well:
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So, then, because you art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." - Rev 3:15,16
(Lest I be misunderstood: I am an atheist. I am not quoting the Bible because I believe in it. My beliefs or lack thereof about God are not relevant.)
These words are spoken by Jesus to an entire church. The general interpretation is that these people have not been totally dedicated to God (hot or cold), but only somewhat dedicated. They pay lip service to God, but are really hypocrites. They have some passion for their faith, but not enough. They are lukewarm, undecided, sinners who repent and then sin again. Jesus rejects them (spews them from his mouth). They are not worthy of salvation. They are, pretty much, ignorant fibbers. A collective Judas. They follow God's word, but then betray it in the same breath.
(Note: "Cold" does not refer to being totally against God. Both hot and cold are interpreted by scholars to mean totally dedicated to God, just in different ways.)
The mother in the song is totally dedicated to her faith. She is not lukewarm. She goes all the way, makes all the effort, and does everything she should. She is not a hypocrite. "A passionate spirit, uncompromised."
Now, another quote. This one is from the poet T.S. Eliot, from his famous poem The Hollow Men (http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~evans/hollow.html).
"Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow"
Also:
"Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow"
This is saying essentially the same thing as the Bible quotation above. The poem as a whole speaks about "hollow men," "empty men." These are men like the ones Jesus spews from his mouth. They have no dedication, no drive to accomplish anything, no purpose. The quote above talks about the difference between having the potential to do something, and actually doing it. There is a difference between having and idea or conception and making that idea a reality, a creation. In between is the Shadow, the realm described by Eliot in the poem. This is where the hollow men exist. They are human beings with the potential to become something, to do something. But they do nothing. Instead they waste their gifts. They do not create, they do not make new realities. They are not passionate enough. The church Jesus speaks to in the Bible quotation would fall into this category. They have the means, but no motivation.
One final quote:
"Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
What Yoda says in The Empire Strikes Back summarizes all these ideas in two simple sentences. There are those who do things, who are always hot or cold, never lukewarm. Then there are those who only "try," but trying is really meaningless unless it results in something being done. The persona's mother does not just try to live according to her faith (like the ghouls do), she actually does it.
(Continued Below)