When I heard this song the first time, I was getting ready for school and it came up on shuffle or something on my iPod. I listened and I was like "...wait what?" It immediately struck me as odd: for one thing, it was so clear. I could understand every word, and the melody was so straightforward. And...I had no idea what it was about. I thought vaguely that perhaps it was referencing something I wasn't familiar with. For example, I had just finished the book Glass by Ellen Hopkins, and armed with my new knowledge that glass is a term for crystal meth, I thought maybe this song was about someone's struggle with drug addiction, hence the "monster made out of glass."
Then I left it alone for a while. A while later, I came across it again, and decided to see what the internet thought about it. I found out that this song was originally supposed to go on the album The Definitive Act, but was pulled at the last minute. I found some forum somewhere were someone posted a statement by Agent M (the lead singer) that it was about the issues the band was having with their record company at the time. Think "4 Robots and an Evil Scientist" style. Furthermore, that person quoted Agent M as saying "I think the song makes it obvious who wins the fight." I tried really really hard to find that forum again, or maybe the original quote from Agent M, but no luck. So...take my hazy memory with a grain of salt?
A year or so later, I was on the bus back to Mom's house from Boise, staring out the dark window with my iPod on shuffle. This song came on. I thought some more, and realized that this is a totally open metaphor. It can literally be applied to nearly any situation where someone is struggling against an adversary. I thought it interesting that the band, if what I found on that forum is true, narrowed down their intention to something so specific when they made the song so open.
So I wonder, was the band so focused on their own issues that they didn't realize their song could be applied elsewhere? Also, I thought the quote from Agent M was interesting because I don't think the winner is clear at all. If the song is about their issues with their record company, they lost that battle and broke up soon after, I think, in which case TB lost the fight in the song. The last instrumental has a feel of a battle to it, and it also ends on a kind of melancholy couple of notes. But that's very subtle, and I don't think it makes the winner at all "clear."
...So those are my musings, sister. Seeing as how you have a much fresher perspective on this than me, what do you think?
Love, Dory
Edit:
It occurs to me that this post might benefit from me posting lyrics for easy reference...
Thought that you would be our guide
Through this big jungle--
I'm wondering why
Your teeth are sharp and you have hungry eyes...
Where did you take us?
Your family honor is weak--
Balloon of loyalty has got a leak.
How can I trust you when
I know you'll sell me?
You're not more than a monster made out of glass;
We see the truth.
And since you're not more than a,
A monster made out of glass,
We'll shatter you!
We'll shatter you!
I have so many friends who deserve so much more.
By helping each other, we gain the force
Of a wrecking ball,
Smashing up all your teeth...
Soon you'll be helpless, and
We'll be free!
I know that we disagree,
Because I believe in integrity.
That word is omit from your library
Of quarterly proceeds!
Your not more than a monster made out of glass;
We see the truth.
And since you're not more than a,
A monster made out of glass,
We'll shatter you!
We'll shatter you!
Love, Dory (take 2)
...also, p.s.: Don't you just love that bass line? :D
I can't believe I've never heard this song before! I like it, it reminds me of that catchy older Tsunami Bomb style, only with better recording (heh..).
ReplyDeleteI listened to it all with my eyes closed before I read any of your post, so I could see what my mind could come up with without your influence. My first thought was comparing it to "Four Robots and an Evil Scientist," because the metaphor of shattering a "glass monster" seems fairly obvious to represent a large corporation both symbolically (lacking substance, cold, shatter-able) and literally (think: skyscraper). And if you consider the album art for "The Definitive Act," this interpretation seems to fit. But you're right; they didn't win at all. They broke up after that album over disagreements over the band's direction. Could that be why this song was pulled from the album? And what is this "definitive act," anyway?
On the other hand, it does leave room for other interpretations. Agent M really had a large hand in writing the lyrics for TB's later material (not so much in the beginning). If you look at her particular writing style, she uses tons of metaphor and symbolism (example: er.. that entire album). However, when she's talking about something very specific, she seems to allow a certain amount of vagueness to encourage the listener to identify with the music. I'm certain it's intentional.
I'm on this kick right now of coming up with material for my future high school English teacher self, and I'm kind of thinking of this song in that context. I'm thinking, this is something representative of why authors publish works in the first place--for other people to interpret them. They might have an original intention, but they know by submitting it to others that they will see it in the light of their own experiences. I'm thinking of something one of my professors said, when a student asked him, upon reading a short story, "What does it MEAN?" He said, "There are a ton of meanings. There are as many meanings as there are careful, thoughtful readers." I like that Tsunami Bomb leaves that especially open for us. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I totally agree with your professor! I think that's an excellent thing to show students. Most things have a meaning, some things aren't trying to MEAN anything, and EVERYTHING can be interpreted in a billion different ways. Which gives me an idea for my next hypothesis (I have some catchin' up to do!).
I also wanted to mention that I like how you pointed out the mood-setting instrumentals at the end. That's something I always look for, and I think it was Streetlight who really made me aware of how that can be used. I think any professional musician would be familiar with that, so I wonder if your interpretation of the song's ending notes is correct. It makes sense to me, but Agent M's statement about a "clear winner" is throwing me off, unless she means the winner was the record company.
That's what I'm thinking too, and that's why I'm wondering if her focus on her original intent is distracting from what the song could mean on its own. If I didn't know the back story, I'd say that the "we" in the song won, because of the unwavering certainty of the narrator throughout the song. But if the song indeed is about TB vs. The Record Company, then the record company won. That's what's messing with me too. 0_o
ReplyDeleteOooh, I do so love the bass line. Thanks for posting the lyrics! Having them all written out seems to strengthen our hypothesis that the song is about the record company:
ReplyDelete"...How can I trust you when
I know you'll sell me?"
"...That word is omit from your library
Of quarterly proceeds!"