Rock Lyrics Analysis Essay, Research Paper
Blow Up The Outside World-Soundgarden
lyrics
Nothing seems to kill me no matter how hard I try
Nothing is closing my eyes
Nothing can beat me down for your pain or delight
And nothing seems to break me
No matter how hard I fall nothing can break me at all
Not one for giving up though not invincible I know
I’ve given everything I need
I’d give you everything I own
I’d give in if it could at least be ours alone
I’ve given everything I could
Burrow down in and blow up the outside world
Someone tried to tell me something
Don’t let the world bring you down
Nothing will do me in before I do myself
So save it for your own and the ones you can help
Want to make it understand
Wanting though I never would
Trying though I know it’s wrong
Blowing it to hell and gone
Wishing though I never could
Blow up the outside world
meaning
“Nothing seems to kill me, no matter how hard I try, nothing is closing my eyes”
To me it sounds like he’s trying to commit suicide.
“Nothing can beat me down for your pain or delight”
Also sounds like he doesn’t care if he brings pain or joy to anyone by doing it.
“And nothing seems to break me, no matter how hard I fall, nothing could break me at all”
Once again, sounds like suicide.
“Not one for giving up, though not invincible I know”
Sounds like he’s going to keep hurting himself because sooner or later he knows something will work.
“I’ve given everything I need, I’d give you everything I own, I’d give in if it could be ours alone”
Saying that if she would be his then he would stop hurting himself. Like, he was hurting himself, or wanting to, because he couldn’t have her.
“I’ve given everything I could, to blow it to hell and gone, Burrow down in and blow up the outside world”
Pretty much saying that he’s done everything he can think of to hurt himself and they are not working so he just wants to be alone.
“Someone tried to tell me, don’t let the world bring you down”
Sounds like someone’s advice to him
“Nothing will do me in before I do myself, so save it for your own and the ones you can help”
He’s knows nothing can really hurt him, but himself so he thinks the advice is useless to him.
“Want to make it understood, wanting though I never would”
Saying that he might want to hurt himself sometimes, but he never would.
“Trying though I know it’s wrong, blowing it to hell and gone”
Well, in today’s society, the religious people in general, it’s wrong to try and kill yourself cause you’ll go to hell.
“Wishing though I never could, blow up the outside world”
Saying that sometimes he may want to commit suicide, but he never would, so he just wants to be left alone.
lyrics
Blackened-Metallica
“Nothing seems to kill me, no matter how hard I try, nothing is closing my eyes”
To me it sounds like he’s trying to commit suicide.
“Nothing can beat me down for your pain or delight”
Also sounds like he doesn’t care if he brings pain or joy to anyone by doing it.
“And nothing seems to break me, no matter how hard I fall, nothing could break me at all”
Once again, sounds like suicide.
“Not one for giving up, though not invincible I know”
Sounds like he’s going to keep hurting himself because sooner or later he knows something will work.
“I’ve given everything I need, I’d give you everything I own, I’d give in if it could be ours alone”
Saying that if she would be his then he would stop hurting himself. Like, he was hurting himself, or wanting to, because he couldn’t have her.
“I’ve given everything I could, to blow it to hell and gone, Burrow down in and blow up the outside world”
Pretty much saying that he’s done everything he can think of to hurt himself and they are not working so he just wants to be alone.
“Someone tried to tell me, don’t let the world bring you down”
Sounds like someone’s advice to him
“Nothing will do me in before I do myself, so save it for your own and the ones you can help”
He’s knows nothing can really hurt him, but himself so he thinks the advice is useless to him.
“Want to make it understood, wanting though I never would”
Saying that he might want to hurt himself sometimes, but he never would.
“Trying though I know it’s wrong, blowing it to hell and gone”
Well, in today’s society, the religious people in general, it’s wrong to try and kill yourself cause you’ll go to hell.
“Wishing though I never could, blow up the outside world”
Saying that sometimes he may want to commit suicide, but he never would, so he just wants to be left alone.
Blackened is the end / Winter it will send / Throwing all you see / Into obscurity
Death of mother earth / Never a rebirth / Evolution’s end / Never will it mend / Never
Fire / To begin whipping dance of the dead / Blackened is the end
To begin whipping dance of the dead / Color our world blackened
Blistering of earth / Terminate its worth / Deadly nicotine / Kills what might have been
Callous frigid chill / Nothing left to kill / Never seen before / Breathing nevermore / Never
Fire / To begin whipping dance of the dead / Blackened is the end
To begin whipping dance of the dead / Color our world blackened / Blackened
Opposition / contradiction / premonition / compromise
Agitation / violation / mutilation / planet dies
Darkest color / Blistered earth / True death of life
Termination / expiration / cancellation / human race
Expectation / liberation / population / lay to waste
See our mother / Put to death / See our mother die
Smoldering decay / Take her breath away / Millions of our years / In minutes disappears
Darkening in vain / Decadence remains / All is said and done / Never is the sun / Never
Fire / To begin whipping dance of the dead / Blackened is the end
To begin whipping dance of the dead
Fire / Is the outcome of hypocrisy / Darkest potency
In the exit of humanity / Color our world blackened / Blackened
meaning
. The first verse makes two initial statements; an identification – the end is Blackened – and the finality of the event, “never it will mend”. After the first appearance of the furious chorus, the second verse tells us in vague words about the neutralization of a group not identified, therefore labeled neutral. Another adrenaline rush nails this knowledge in, followed by grim lines about the actual face of the end, Blackened: The amplifying of existing evil. Finally, there’s a hidden implication of things so very abdominal it cannot be said out loud. It’s been there through the entire song, but realization isn’t risen until after the final chorus, where the messenger, “Color our world blackened”, is preceded by tales of hypocrisy. Blackened is aware!
lyrics
Happiness in Slavery-Nine Inch Nails
happiness in slavery
slave screams he thinks he knows what he wants
slave screams thinks he has something to say
slave screams he hears but doesn’t want to listen
slave screams he’s being beat into submission
don’t open your eyes you won’t like what you see
the devils of truth steal the souls of the free
don’t open your eyes take it from me
i have found
you can find
happiness is slavery
slave screams he spends his life learning conformity
slave screams he claims he has his own identity
slave screams he’s going to cause the system to fall
slave screams but he’s glad to be chained to that wall
don’t open your eyes you won’t like what you see
the blind have been blessed with security
don’t open your eyes take it from me
i have found
you can find
happiness is slavery
i don’t know what i am i don’t know where i’ve been
human junk just words and so much skin
stick my hands through the cage of this endless routine
just some flesh caught in this big broken machine
meaning
“Slave screams he thinks he knows what he wants”
Trent is talking about your average ignorant American. The consumer. He thinks he knows what he wants..he believes that he makes decisions about his life when really it is corporate America and the media telling him what he wants and what he needs.
“Slave screams thinks he has something to say”
He thinks what he has to say counts. That it’s important. That it makes a difference. It feels good to feel important.
“Slave screams he hears but doesn’t want to listen”
It’s easier for him to ignore, to block out all the negatives of the world around him than to actually face them.
“Slave screams he’s being beat into submission”
I believe this is Trent commenting on the “slave’s condition. He’s being beat into submission.. being molded. The line isn’t literal. The slave doesn’t even realize that he’s being shaped into what he is by the media, by capitalism, by politics. He is taught to live in his own comfortable little place in society and not make any trouble and he will live a happy little meaningless life.
“Don’t open your eyes, you won’t like what you see”
This is kind of the twist to the song. Trent is saying to the slaves, don’t open your eyes to the truth. Just sit there ignorantly enjoying your happy little life. If you were to open your eyes and see reality, you would realize that you have no voice. That you are a slave to your job. They set your hours, they tell you where to be and when to be there. That you are a slave to commercialism. You can only buy what they sell you. That you’re a slave to the media. They’ll “tell you all you need to know.” It can also relate to government, in a sort of George Orwell kind of way. The lyrics “they don’t gotta burn the books, they just remove them” come to mind. You are made to believe that you have power when really this is not the case.
“The devils of truth steal the souls of the free”
The free.. these are the people who know the truth. This line is just a fancy way of saying that the truth hurts…it’s hard to accept.. “the free” have lost faith in humanity.
“Don’t open your eyes, take it from me. I have found you can find happiness in slavery”
Trent is saying, look I’ve been there. I was once the slave. I opened my eyes to the truth and it isn’t pretty. He’s advising you to live your ignorant life, almost envying those who do. “You can find happiness in slavery..” This slavery is better than the alternative.
“Slave screams he spends his life learning conformity”
We return to Reznor discussing the slave once more. This line is quite obvious. Since birth, we are taught conformity. For some, it is the hardest of lessons. They tell you to be happy, you must fit in. You must do what you are told. Don’t try to break the mold..don’t cause any trouble, and you will find happiness. It’s somewhat ironic that Trent agrees with this.
“Slave screams he claims he has his own identity”
The slave thoroughly believes he is an individual. He believes his is unique.. important. When really he is just another number.. another guy in the factory. Another person to profit from.
“Slave screams he’s gonna cause the system to fall”
This line gives me some trouble. I think it may be referring to the last line, saying that the slave thinks he can make a difference. So when Trent says “he’s gonna cause the system to fall”, in the slave’s mind, he feels he can do this..that he has that power as an individual. We are told that our vote counts, that one person can make a difference. This is what the slave believes.
“Slave screams but he’s glad to be chained to that wall”
The slave is happy in his slavery. That’s it, pure and simple. He’ll tell you that he wants to be an individual and he’ll deny that he’s a tool of commercialism.. he’ll deny his “slavery”, but really, he is happy where he is.
“..the blind have been blessed with security..”
That’s a key line in the song. The blind are the slaves, those that do not see the truth. They are blessed with security, they are told they are important. They believe this in their ignorance, and they are happy.
“I don’t know what I am I don’t know where I’ve been
human junk just words and so much skin”
This is a slave opening his eyes, becoming “free”. He realizes that he does not matter. Just some more “human junk”, no different from anybody else.
“Stick my hand through the cage of this endless routine
just some flesh caught up in this big broken machine”
He goes on to see his slavery and how he has no control over his life.. his environment. He loses hope. His soul was stolen. He is just some flesh caught up in the big broken machine that is our society, and there is nothing he can do about it. He’d be happier as a slave, when he felt important.
History of Rock and Roll