A Song about Abortion

[Ghostwriter]

Pushit may indeed be a song about abortion. I will not step out and immediatly claim it is an anti-abortion song but here is my reasoning.

"Choke this infant here before me.
What is this but my reflection?
Who am I to judge and strike you down?"

This is the mother contemplating the abortion; should she do it and end the life of a child which is a reflection of her? She also wonders is the abortion justified or should she give birth to the child.

"Rest your trigger on my finger,
bang my head upon the fault line."

This is the mother further contemplating the abortion; she can end the childs life with a simple procedure or let it live and she obsesses over it and it mentally tortures her.

"Take care not to make me enter.
'cause if I do we both may disappear. "

This is the mother thinking of what life may be like with the child; the burden of raising a child may cost her all of her money and they both will wither away into poverty and eventually, possibly death.

"Saw that gap again today
As you were begging me to stay.
Managed to push myself away,
And you, as well."

This is the mother knowing that the child is a gap that is needed to be filled in her life. She tries to push the abortion and the child off of her mind.

"If, when I say I may fade like a sigh if I stay,
You minimize my movement anyway,"

The child may live a sad lonely life in a orphanange if she chooses to have it. The mother is worried she will be unable to get around with a bulging stomach.

"Staring down the hole again.
Hands upon my back again."

This is the mother thinking about the birth and the doctor staring down her vagina.

"Just remember I will always love you,
Even as I tear your fucking throat away.
But it will end no other way."

This is the mother making her final decision; to have the abortion. She tells her child she will always love it no matter how brutally she tears it out of her life and existence.

[Resolution]

like the dig, very resourceful. my prior knowledge had me believing it was about the separation of richard pryor from his crack pipe.

[ThirdEyeSeed]

This is an awesome interpretation. Really I don't think this is what it was written about, but I do think Maynard writes to leave other interpretations open.

He's known as saying this on November 23, 1996, "Have you ever loved someone so much you had to kill them? Or had someone love you so much you had to kill them? Me neither."

That's a pretty ambiguous reveal of the song's meaning. But yeah, like I said, this is an awesome interpretation and I don't think it should be labeled wrong since it lands inside that openness Maynard leaves for interpretation.

REALLY, this is an insanely cool perspective on the song. Just, because. It all fits. Nice job.

[slamminsalmon]

well thought out

[Ghostwriter]

The next song, "Cesaro Summability", also coincides with this idea because it opens with the sounds of an infant crying; the consequence of choosing not to have an abortion.

[Ghostwriter]

While I'm at it, in more general terms, I think this song may be about the negative side of sexuality. It is not just beautiful because sometimes it may be "pushed upon you", or may result in the unwanted burden of an infant.

[Ghostwriter]

Further more I will add in a little theory of mine about abortion to elucidiate my ideas to you. I dont think it is a sin to have an abortion. I think the sin is the action you do not take. I think God may put the burden of pregnancy upon you to judge you; he learns more about you by the decision you make, whether to have the baby or not. This helps him learn more about you and get closer to you and develops your personality and beliefs. This idea should help muddle some confused thoughts when reading this thread.

[Ghostwriter]

Cumon people, give me some ideas!

[Inner_Eulogy]

The next song, "Cesaro Summability", also coincides with this idea because it opens with the sounds of an infant crying; the consequence of choosing not to have an abortion.

How can you say the "consequence" of NOT having an abortion? Having a child is a very special thing, true it's a responsibility but it should never be a burden.

[Ghostwriter]

How can you say the "consequence" of NOT having an abortion? Having a child is a very special thing, true it's a responsibility but it should never be a burden.

I know having a child is a very wonderful experience but my whole idea about this song is it is about the negative side of sexuality such as having an unwanted child, for example when you cannot afford to raise it.

[saintjoe]

if you guys think maynard would write about a broke bitch in such a powerful song,i'm sorry but youre sadly mistaken

[Ghostwriter]

if you guys think maynard would write about a broke bitch in such a powerful song,i'm sorry but youre sadly mistaken

Dude, you totally don't understand what we mean by the negative side of sexuality.

[Blackdakhma]

How can you say the "consequence" of NOT having an abortion? Having a child is a very special thing, true it's a responsibility but it should never be a burden.

"Consequence" isn't defined as a negative, it's just a result of an action taken. So he never said a child could be a burden in his statement.

[p.r.a.i.s.e.]

i love this interpretation, it really changed how i viewed this song, especially the last part where you explain how the mother made the final decision to have the abortion even though she still loved the child. It coincides well with what Maynard said ""Have you ever loved someone so much you had to kill them?....Me neither" Its like he's saying that even though he's never been in this position he can kind of empathize how it must feel.

[Ghostwriter]

Thanks for the positive feedback you guys!

[thomasknight]

I dont think it is a sin to have an abortion. I think the sin is the action you do not take. I think God may put the burden of pregnancy upon you to judge you; he learns more about you by the decision you make, whether to have the baby or not. This helps him learn more about you and get closer to you and develops your personality and beliefs. This idea should help muddle some confused thoughts when reading this thread.

You do know that you get pregnant by having sex? I don't believe in God, but I'd be more inclined to think his test was to do with seeing if you could stop getting pregnant in the first place.

But I do like your thinking that "infant" actually refers to a child, or an archetype, and not some metaphor.