Any music expert aqui?

[perth]

in context...

This guy comes up to me
His face red like a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colors of a royal flush
And he's peeling off those dollar bills
Slapping them down
One hundred, two hundred
And I can see those fighter planes
And I can see those fighter planes
Across the mud huts where the children sleep
Through the alleys of a quiet city street
You take the staircase to the first floor
Turn the key and slowly unlock the door
As a man breathes into a saxophone
And through the walls you hear the city groan
Outside is America
Outside is America

when i think fat cat politician, i picture that big blustery kind. the kind with the fat red face from all the fund raising dinners and lack of exercise. for what its worth, i dont think the implication is complimentary. especially when he starts throwing 100 bills around like he has an endless supply. i think the implication is that the money is being spent on those fighter planes. i think its referring more to a group of people than any one person.

as far as the line "as a man breathes into a saxophone", that seems to be filler to me. the important line is "And through the walls you hear the city groan". the city groaning from the weight of the bombing by the aforementioned fighter planes.

whatever. half-baked analysis i know. but thats all i got. it probably requires a more extensive knowledge of the civil war in el salvador.

y'know, the red face may be a face covered in blood. but i doubt it based on the proceeding lines.

~james

[j03L10T]

Oh, I think I know. How about these?

"You gotta' fight for your right to party"- beastie boys

"Gimme' some money", by spinal tap.

"Fat Thing", by sam kinison.

Works for me anyways. Peace.

: ]

[warch]

Thanks for the context perth. I was too lazy to search it. I know I've heard this song many times, but confess I never really focused on the lyrics.
This is what I get:
American culture- seductive, powerful, and destructive. The red faced man, I imagine the powerful, gambling corporate cat-, and he approaches (from U2s perspective not in the US), instigates, wheeling and dealing. buying and selling. The fighter planes and mud huts arent necessarily in the later mentioned American city- but they are causally related to the man and his cash.
"Through the alleys"-It shifts from happening to "me" to "you", so I imagine a different, contrasting scene- this one definitely set in America. The lone sax line is important and relates to the individual- there are all the links to American music, free expression, with in the quiet groaning American city. Groaning not from the bombs, they're elsewhere, but like a big moving machine groans.

And if you wanna analyze Spinal Tap, I'd suggest the more mature work, "Big Bottom" or "Sex Farm", for they are rife with meaning

[perth]

i didnt really notice the transition, but i agree with your analysis. i didnt really consider that he was talking about two differnet places. makes a lot of sense tho. i dont know about the saxophone bit, it still seems out of place to me.

~james

[j03L10T]

Originally posted by warch
T
And if you wanna analyze Spinal Tap, I'd suggest the more mature work, "Big Bottom" or "Sex Farm", for they are rife with meaning

Forgive me if I am taking this the wrong way, hence "something wrong with opinions?", but I wrote and sang all of U2 and spinal tap. I should have been a man with a very red face for not having gotten paid for my efforts. At least I still have a soul and best of all, I don't have to keep my mouth shut about ANYTHING! Okay, I feel much calmer now. Breathing is slowing down. Oh the humiliation that used to drive me crazy whenever I tried to take credit for my own blood, sweat, and tears while people try to educate me as to the facts and individual histories of the groups and the "performers" that were nothing but lies. I hate mtv. Regards-

J03 0, L10T

:[

[warch]

Now that thar's yer royal flush.

[j03L10T]

It gets better, after everything I have suffered through I can just sit back and relax and enjoy the perpetual melodies accompanying my voice aound the clock. Even while I am at work! And they ask me why I am always smiling.

Maybe because my land, house, and car are all furnished by individuals among this community who not only know these pirates themselves and that I am telling the truth about everything, when not kidding around of course! I only have to pay power and water, and get paid to listen to my songs all night at work. Wouldn't YOU be: )?

[pjshimmer]

The hebetudinous instructor from hell gave me a B+

I did my presentation on Nine Inch Nails circa 1994, complete with audio...got an A.

Syc beat me.

[warch]

Bastard!
(er, your teacher, not you. nor syc - for he reeks of unhebetudiosity - which explains his A.)

[elSicomoro]

My God Warch...that word creation is both obnoxious and incredible.

I reek of unhebetudiosity...man, I rule. So do you, Warch.

[warch]

The incredulousity laud goes to pj! For I am obnoxiously obsequious.

[elSicomoro]

Yeah, PJ is a smart motherfucker...I remember him as a youngin and he showed incredible potential.

And now...*sniff, sniff*...he's almost all grown up.