(Completely unrelated to the Teenage Marriage series)
I transcend my earthly form
Through some questions never asked before
Question the need to be a machine
That responds automatically
Some words will trigger certain acts
Just one of the commandments we have learnt
Some acts will trigger certain states
I think it’s time to alter the game
I’m changing
You’re changing
We’re changing from within
Deviate from the form of nothing
Deviate from the norm to something
Deviate from the form of nothing
I deviate, farewell to the tribe
I receive clues that lead me
To answers never seen before
And find the final piece
In the puzzle of reality
Some words will trigger certain acts
Belief in limitations we have learnt
Some acts will trigger certain states
I’m taking back what I gave away
I’m changing
You’re changing
We’re changing from within
Deviate from the form of nothing
Deviate from the norm to something
Deviate from the form of nothing
I deviate, farewell to the tribe
Soul volcano
Now erupting
Lava swallows
What used to be
Soul tsunami
Overflowing
Overriding
Reality
What does this song mean to you? How do you interpret these lrics? What do you think the lyrisist means by “deviate from the form”? Do not look these lyrics up, do not try to find out what artist sang this song, just give me your impressions. Go with your gut. …and if you know what band this is by, do not comment, please. I’m trying to prove a point here, I’ll explain in the comments after several people have replied.
Filed under: Religion
Without looking it up:
I imagine metal music, and if this is supposed to be a “Christian” song, it doesn’t sound like it to me. Some of the lyrics can be taken in a suggestive way.
Interesting, but I’m not giving it away for now.
Just one question: how could some of the parts be taken suggestively, specifically?
Er… this bit:
“Soul volcano
Now erupting
Lava swallows
What used to be
Soul tsunami
Overflowing
Overriding”
I read some books when I was younger, without realizing that they had certain scenes in them, and this is similar language to what was in those scenes. That’s the reason I can take some of it suggestively when I am guessing it is not really meant to be suggestive.
Here’s some of my thoughts on this, briefly and in no particular order…
My first impression is obviously that the lyrics are rather ambiguous. There’s no mention of God or Christ specifically. This concerns me somewhat because of the ambiguity.
Lines like “I receive clues that lead me / To answers never seen before” seem very mystical. Indeed, the whole excerpt seems to have a mystical aspect; this kind of mysticism puts me on edge wherever I find it.
I’m not sure what he means by “Deviate from the form of nothing.” In context with the rest of the stanza, I conclude that he’s intending some form of nihilism or self-destruction, which is what sin leads to. It’s a little bit of stretch, and, again, it seems very mystical.
One could consider the last stanza a conversion experience.
Interesting. Any particular reason you interpreted it that way?
Well, those were some freeform thoughts that came to me after reading it.
The whole song seems to be talking about some kind of conversion experience. I’m not entirely sure what he’s converting from, but what he’s converting to seems very mystical. All the following are examples:
“changing from within”
“answers never seen before”
“Soul Volcano / Now erupting”
“Overriding / Reality”
The lyrics are definitely ambiguous, and I’m coming to the table with some presuppositions, I’m sure. This is the only interpretation I can see easily.
Now I don’t know what those would sound like in music, but I am guessing it makes the point even stronger that it is from the lyrics.
Due to the rather random nature of the lyrics it gives a sense of a dream, always revolving around a point but never actually passing through the point. Which Idea is also supported by the first line: “I transcend my earthly form”. Indicating that this person is writing a dreamy and mystical experience.
Now let’s look at it closely:
“I transcend my earthly form
Through some questions never asked before”
So, the writer went in to a trace or altered state of consciousness via asking questions, sound demonic to me.
“Question the need to be a machine
That responds automatically”
What need? The writer is obviously coming at life from a different angle than me because I really have never felt the need to be a machine, I would say it indicates that the writer has lived a stressful life and is searching for any sort of meaning that the writer can find.
“Some words will trigger certain acts
Just one of the commandments we have learnt
Some acts will trigger certain states
I think it’s time to alter the game”
Sound like the person is in an altered state of conciseness, also known as hypnotized where they will respond to someone else telling them what to do, or will put them in to A.S.C. .
“I’m changing
You’re changing
We’re changing from within”
The repetition of this has begun to affect their mind and how they view the world even they aren’t in an A.S.C. .
“Deviate from the form of nothing
Deviate from the norm to something
Deviate from the form of nothing
I deviate, farewell to the tribe”
The person isn’t in a A.S.C. and is having what I (and possibly you) have felt in hallucinations, an unreal world where there is nothing and something together, where nothing is something and something is nothing, what is real doesn’t matter and what is unreal matters.
“I receive clues that lead me
To answers never seen before
And find the final piece
In the puzzle of reality”
So, they believe they have found their meaning in these A.S.C. .
“Some words will trigger certain acts
Belief in limitations we have learnt
Some acts will trigger certain states
I’m taking back what I gave away”
They are a group who are involved in this together, a cult.
“I’m changing
You’re changing
We’re changing from within
Deviate from the form of nothing
Deviate from the norm to something
Deviate from the form of nothing
I deviate, farewell to the tribe”
Repetition to emphasize a point or feeling.
“Soul volcano
Now erupting
Lava swallows
What used to be
Soul tsunami
Overflowing
Overriding
Reality”
To create or communicate a feeling of the unavoidable, a swirling vortex that will absorb all, overcome all, nothing to be done, nothing can be done, nothing was ever done, et cetra et cetra et cetra.
The last two lines are particularly informative, they show that the writer has given up all resistance to this and is letting it gain the last little bit of their mind. The drowning swimmer who finally gives up trying to swim and sinks, the person who gives up on life and lets themselves fall off the bridge, the hypnotized rabbit in the gaze of the viper.
Do you agree with me? Maybe I am adding meaning that wasn’t intended by the writer, maybe I haven’t drawn out enough/.
Jackson
Wow, you sure took that pretty far into the deep end.
Did I . . .
So when are you going to make your point about this?
Jackson
Are you going to tell everyone what your point was now? It doesn’t look like anyone took your bait, but still, we’re waiting.
Bait? What was the bait?
Actually, I’m not sure if I even remember anymore. He told me he was hoping for a certain response from people to prove a point, but I don’t think anyone responded as he intended. But I’ve probably said more than he wants me to already.
The point was that everyone interprets lyrics based on their surroundings. I was going to use that to show how we look at so-called “Christian” lyrics in the mainstream music scene, but I didn’t have enough commenters.