What do you think of this song by Erasure

[dms1972]

This is quite a early song by them - but I have always wondered about it and what they meant with it. Is it a blasphemous song? Been trying to find out who supplied the gospel tinged backing vocals.

Yahoo! ah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUBqjmBic-k

I don't think the lyrics in some songs are necessarily all that coherent, or make a lot of sense - sometimes they are written by the composer in a stream of consciousness.

Anyone discernment?

 

[Fenny the Fox]

I don't think of it as blaspheme, I am honestly not sure what he meant exactly, sometimes.

I don't think the lyrics are incoherent either:

Better that the devil should not be called
If you wanna wed the devil's daughter
I pray to the Lord on high to set you free
Better you decide to cut him loose
Than to ride on the cunning line
I pray to the Lord on high to rescue me

No one should go through hard times
No one should live in sorrow
Got to face the darker skies
Got to lift your head up high

Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord
Ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord

To run where the devil would fear to tread
Got to put your money where your heart is
I pray to the Lord on high to set you free
Whether you decide to trade your soul
For a little of the devil's gold
I pray to the Lord on high to rescue me

No one should feel so low down
And give into sweet temptation
Got to lift your head up high
Got to face the darker skies

Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord
Ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord
Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord

Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord

When you look around and find yourself
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
I pray to the Lord on high to set you free
If there's trouble on your mind when you sleep at night
Won't you come and put your trust in me
And I pray to the Lord on high to rescue me

No one should go through hard times
No one should live in sorrow
Got to face the darker skies
Got to lift your head up high

Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord
Ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord
Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord
Ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord
Ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the Lord

 

[dms1972]

Thanks for your comments, and printing the lyrics. I don't think its blasphemous either, and always liked the music, chorus, and a lot of the songs off the Innocents album.

I was wondering if in this case the lyrics are for the most part just a 'guide vocal' or placeholders, that a vocalist throws together sometimes when composing a tune. They are not total gibberish, but then again I don't think the song really has any overall coherency.

[But would] that make it something like Nik Kershaw's "The Riddle" the lyrics of which he has said are mostly meaningless?

Nik Kershaw

 

[Fenny the Fox]

Thanks for your comments, and printing the lyrics. I don't think its blasphemous either, and always liked the music, chorus, and a lot of the songs off the Innocents album.

I was wondering if in this case the lyrics are for the most part just a 'guide vocal' or placeholders, that a vocalist throws together sometimes when composing a tune. They are not total gibberish, but then again I don't think the song really has any overall coherency.

That would make it something like Nik Kershaw's "The Riddle" the lyrics of which he has said are meaningless.

Nik Kershaw

I think it was meant more to be vague enough to not tell a coherent story, per se, but to act as a guide for interpretation of emotion instead. It does tell something of a vague story, but leaves enough out to be interpreted a bit differently for each listener, to me. Which I think is a bit of a talent, one I find Andy Bell is good at, overall.

 

[dms1972]

Not really into psychoanalysising everything - nor believe that everything someone says tells one about them in depth.

But on the other hand some of the existentialists such as Sartre seem to deny any unconscious entirely. So there are the different extremes

So anyway I used the term 'blasphemous' reluctantly - not every criticism of christians is blasphemous in any case. I was asked that about this song years ago and thought it might be as well to ask in any case. Though I use the term very rarely (its good for those instances when it really makes sense), and look for ways that a song might be misunderstood.

But in any case it got me thinking, about this and song writing.

Some of this is what might be called, and has been called, "The Roving Fancy"

Greeks spoke of the the Muses (nine personifications that presided over aspects of the greek culture)

I'd have to guess that in Eastern thought there is a notion along these lines too in regard to arts and culture, though what its called I don't know??

I was wondering can non-christian art critique bad religion?. I don't assume religion is in itself bad, its part of the human condition, along with culture, and other things. The thing is apart from religion and culture, there is anarchy. And in the arts both freedom and form are important.

I'd assume in and of itself a lyrics dervived from a stream of consciousness aren't bad. Such lyrics might need some re-writing, or some new contribution. So you gotta know what one is writting a song about too. Id be quite hesitant to always call or too quickly call it Art.


People hear a lot of things figures of speech, for instance "caught between the devil and the deep blue sea" but are not always familiar with them, even though they conveys a literal meaning of not knowing what way to turn.

So at least some of this figures of speech, but maybe I am reading too much into it looking for politics, and stuff that isn't there.

Yes, I agree it does make some sense, in that there is the same running theme, of difficulties or dilema, complaint, answer, resolution to at least find help.

I suppose what it keeps coming back to for me is what certain phrases meant for the writer.

If its not simply stream of consciousness (humming a tune and making up words to express one's mood) then for the writer it meant something, and he must give thought to what it would mean also for the listener I would have to guess.

 

[Fenny the Fox]

If its not simply stream of consciousness (humming a tune and making up words to express one's mood) then for the writer it meant something, and he must give thought to what it would mean also for the listener I would have to guess.

(bolding mine)

I disagree here. Because it meant something to the artist doesn't mean it must mean the same for the listener. Nor does the writer need to point out what he or she meant, for it to mean something to the listener.


I recall the singer of Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, commenting on the song "Alive".
He said the song was inteded, in his mind, to be one of dispair - a person realizing something horrible in life has happened to them (in this case death of the character's real father being revealed to him and that his "father" was truly his stepfather, all the while his mother is trying to have sex with him out of desperation for her dead husband). The thought of being alive in the song was meant as one of burden, being all he had and not wanting even that. Life was a curse.

But as listeners began to read it as a positive -all this happened, is happening, but I'm ALIVE!- he admits it actually changed the meaning for him, as well. He no longer views the song as some negative desperation, but as a good feeling.


Meanings can change, do change. From person to person, and even from phase of life to phase of life for one person. Some artists purposefully deny to comment on meaning for that very reason.

(also...this is fun. I haven't had the chance to talk about lyrical/artistic fluidity and philosopy in a LONG time. )

 

[dms1972]

Thanks. I haven't heard that song you mention but I'll try and check it out.

I lost my comment and had to type it in again and didn't included all I had been thinking, but I take your point about the way a song can mean one thing to the writer and another to the listener.