Bells & Circles Ft. Iggy Pop

[dubman]

Originally Posted by King of Snake

As far as I'm concerned he can do whatever he wants to make himself feel good as long as it doesn't come at the direct detriment to other people.

isn't this exactly what he's implying?
like right on the line at the beginning.

"i'd get my finger into everything i wanted"
this natural sense that any space is his to cheerfully fuck with, his blithe right to invade anything he wants is instantly obnoxious.

his self-aggrandizing "i shouldn't have wings because of what people say about ethics i guess", because he'd do things that go against wimpy european ideas of right and wrong. that sounds pretty strongly like he believes that you're either the one doing it or the one it's being done to.



he'd have fun according to the rules of "the jungle", which will come, because the revolution won't happen. what's coming is a civilization full of atavistic degenerates, who will still ban smoking on flights, which will be hijacked by criminals running a "pretty good business." he de facto knows the rules of this jungle better then people who don't smoke.



nevermind that the jungle would brain him with a rock and sell his drug-infused bone marrow on ebay if it could, big rebel.

[jetpig]

The waitress part still comes off as somewhat creeper to me. It's furthered by his desire to have had the waitress instead of the cocaine as though each is a thing for him to have. I then can't disconnect the "you can't do that" from the waitress section, which doesn't help the image.


On the other hand, every female subject of Karl's lyrics comes across as a full and beautiful human being, save for perhaps, "the most blonde I ever met." I feel an earnest affection from Karl's portrayals as opposed to a self centered lust. Slummin it for the weekend is the best example of this.

I understand all the various contexts of the song and the lyrics and the writers, and at the end of the day, I just prefer Karl's writing and framing to Iggy's, I guess.

I appreciate that this band has put out a song that has sparked such legitimate discussion. I also appreciate that this forum keeps it civil.

Also it's a banging track and Karl/Esme's vocals are A1, top shelf, Underworld magic.

[King of Snake]

Originally Posted by jetpig

The waitress part still comes off as somewhat creeper to me. It's furthered by his desire to have had the waitress instead of the cocaine as though each is a thing for him to have. I then can't disconnect the "you can't do that" from the waitress section, which doesn't help the image.

Well the stewardes (not waitress) did give him her phone number (if we take his story for truth) willingly so there seems to be mutual consent there. It's not like he was thinking of "having her" against her will right?
Self centered lust may not be the most beautiful or poetic of human emotions, but it is human and normal for everyone to have from time to time.

[King of Snake]

Originally Posted by dubman

isn't this exactly what he's implying?
like right on the line at the beginning.

"i'd get my finger into everything i wanted"
this natural sense that any space is his to cheerfully fuck with, his blithe right to invade anything he wants is instantly obnoxious.


his self-aggrandizing "i shouldn't have wings because of what people say about ethics i guess", because he'd do things that go against wimpy european ideas of right and wrong. that sounds pretty strongly like he believes that you're either the one doing it or the one it's being done to.

he'd have fun according to the rules of "the jungle", which will come, because the revolution won't happen. what's coming is a civilization full of atavistic degenerates, who will still ban smoking on flights, which will be hijacked by criminals running a "pretty good business." he de facto knows the rules of this jungle better then people who don't smoke.

nevermind that the jungle would brain him with a rock and sell his drug-infused bone marrow on ebay if it could, big rebel.

Well I think you're making it sound worse than it's intended. Again, I think it should be considered more tongue-in-cheek. He's perhaps speculating on what he would do if unrestrained. He's not saying that's objectively good or moral.
It sounds like you're reading "get his finger in everything" as something sexual and invading, again implying against someone else's will. "Having your finger in (every pie)" also just means being involved, and influencing in many different things. He's just being honest about himself, it sounds like he knows he's someone who would, unrestrained, indulge in many vices. He has done that. Surely he also knows the dark side of this, which could be to the detriment of himself and others. He's already fought heroin addiction, he's had the messed up life. He's 70 now. He doesn't smoke, he does tai-chi, and lives happily with his wife in Miami. His idea of a wild time is going to the beach and to "have dinner with my wife somewhere with low lighting where we can sit close to each other."

[potatobroth]

i also found the play on the line "the revolution will not be televised" to just be shoved in there. how does that even fit in here? and for that matter, isnt the chorus and rant two totally different feelings?

i really dislike the Iggy Pop rant. as a one-off, sure, have at it. but if this was an album track i'd be really bummed.