ShackledEidolon
11-27-2002, 10:28 AM
I have enjoyed posts about the connection with Maynard and his son Devo and I have in fact posted my own feelings on that elsewhere however I wanted to take the song in another direction...forgive me if this has already appeared elsewhere on the forum, I haven't seen it yet.
What if instead of a metaphor for his child the line "Whats coming through is alive" instead meant emotions or hidden parts of himself. The shadow as it were. It forces him to self reflect and look at his complete self rather then just what he wants. He expects to see himself as he often does but instead sees himself as a snake (archetype for all sorts of hidden dangerous concepts) he sees the parts of himself that he normally hides. The snake hopes to turn what were once considered to be waste products something disgusting vulgar and impure (painful experiences) into something spiritually rewarding.
"They're both totally void of hate but killing me just the same"
Seems to talk about how piss/wine are simply ideas they are not in themselves dangerous but the way that he (narrator) is viewing them they are both killing him just the same. They cause him pain/suffering. So he deals with them by rejecting them.
"The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been"
the shadow is telling him that the pain was self inflicted and that it was something created not from the ideas but our interpretation of those ideas.
"My blood before me begs me open up my heart again"
The blood represents the pain and the question as to why he chose to hurt himself. Look at the information again without the fear and without the self inflicted guilt and pain.
And at this time he relives the experience again taking the time to really live it instead of denying it a target.
The shadow leads him through the experience again allowing this poison-blood to bleed out leaving him cracked and empty ready to be rebirthed again...allow the pain and suffering to pass and allow something beautiful to fill it. Yet he still feels the memory of that pain and the lesson it held. He does not deny the experience as he once did but instead embraces it as something that is changing him for the better, consideratly killing him...yes it hurt but it was worth it.
The snake is drowned when it unites with the conscious mind. The two saturate each other...smother one another...and unite as one so the snake is drowned in the tears of that union. It becomes a part of those tears it becomes a part of those feelings and that healing.
Realizing that the snake (shadow) wanted to cry then and learn from the experience he (narrator) is saying that he should have allowed the experience to change him then...and that he will learn from this in the future and allow it to happen. SO he crys.
he has died in the past and will continue to die. This death is the passing of his old way of thinking, or his old self. Each lesson requires that a previous world view must die to allow a new one to take its place stronger and more real (yes i know this sounds like lachrymology but even if they say it is a fake idea it is still a solid concept). His fear fades away and he has an open relationship with his shadow...which would make sense as to its location just before 46&2. He opens the dialogue and is now ready to step through to see what else is there...at the end of H he has broken down his walls and is ready to accept whatever may come. He stands with his shadow....but the next song takes him through it.
Please, this isn't a complete thought and hopefully you guys can take it and spin on it a little to see more in it then i have posted. Feel free to destroy the idea if you find it flawed as it will bring out more for us to think about...or if you agree tell me why. This isn't my only idea on the song so I accept it could be heavily flawed or possibly accurate.
What if instead of a metaphor for his child the line "Whats coming through is alive" instead meant emotions or hidden parts of himself. The shadow as it were. It forces him to self reflect and look at his complete self rather then just what he wants. He expects to see himself as he often does but instead sees himself as a snake (archetype for all sorts of hidden dangerous concepts) he sees the parts of himself that he normally hides. The snake hopes to turn what were once considered to be waste products something disgusting vulgar and impure (painful experiences) into something spiritually rewarding.
"They're both totally void of hate but killing me just the same"
Seems to talk about how piss/wine are simply ideas they are not in themselves dangerous but the way that he (narrator) is viewing them they are both killing him just the same. They cause him pain/suffering. So he deals with them by rejecting them.
"The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been"
the shadow is telling him that the pain was self inflicted and that it was something created not from the ideas but our interpretation of those ideas.
"My blood before me begs me open up my heart again"
The blood represents the pain and the question as to why he chose to hurt himself. Look at the information again without the fear and without the self inflicted guilt and pain.
And at this time he relives the experience again taking the time to really live it instead of denying it a target.
The shadow leads him through the experience again allowing this poison-blood to bleed out leaving him cracked and empty ready to be rebirthed again...allow the pain and suffering to pass and allow something beautiful to fill it. Yet he still feels the memory of that pain and the lesson it held. He does not deny the experience as he once did but instead embraces it as something that is changing him for the better, consideratly killing him...yes it hurt but it was worth it.
The snake is drowned when it unites with the conscious mind. The two saturate each other...smother one another...and unite as one so the snake is drowned in the tears of that union. It becomes a part of those tears it becomes a part of those feelings and that healing.
Realizing that the snake (shadow) wanted to cry then and learn from the experience he (narrator) is saying that he should have allowed the experience to change him then...and that he will learn from this in the future and allow it to happen. SO he crys.
he has died in the past and will continue to die. This death is the passing of his old way of thinking, or his old self. Each lesson requires that a previous world view must die to allow a new one to take its place stronger and more real (yes i know this sounds like lachrymology but even if they say it is a fake idea it is still a solid concept). His fear fades away and he has an open relationship with his shadow...which would make sense as to its location just before 46&2. He opens the dialogue and is now ready to step through to see what else is there...at the end of H he has broken down his walls and is ready to accept whatever may come. He stands with his shadow....but the next song takes him through it.
Please, this isn't a complete thought and hopefully you guys can take it and spin on it a little to see more in it then i have posted. Feel free to destroy the idea if you find it flawed as it will bring out more for us to think about...or if you agree tell me why. This isn't my only idea on the song so I accept it could be heavily flawed or possibly accurate.