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SHAZEB ANDLEEB
- FB Fan -
Saint Kitts and Nevis
145 Posts |
 Posted - 01/20/2005 : 18:27:08
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It is one of my favorite songs. Anybody know what the hell Frank is talking about here? I know most of his lyrics are cryptic, especially off of Teenager of the Year.
Wait
It isn’t so great
Since you learned karate chop
You’re walking machs
And I’m just swimming in the slop
You wave your wand at me
And make me dance flip-flop
I want to sing for you
And make your head go pop
The inuit man
Had not so much a caesar
He had provision
Say
You’re spraying in the windy
And I’m just pissing off
I’m literally deaf down here
From your canned philosoph
Softly can you hear me
Through the sucking of your quaff
I’m thallasocracy
And you’re just romanov
The inuit man
Had not so much a caesar
He had provision
BLUE! EXTRAORDINARY BLUE! |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2005 : 22:10:11
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Didn't Frank say it had something to do with the Gaia Hypothesis? I think that has something to do with the Earth being a living thing, but I could be wrong.
The word "thalassocracy" means supremacy on the high seas, so that could have something to do with it.
I think the word "Romanov" is a pun, referring to both the Russian Tsarist family, and "roamin' off."
"Reunion? Shit union!" |
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two reelers
* Dog in the Sand *
Austria
1018 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2005 : 00:52:06
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quote:
Originally posted by VoVat
Didn't Frank say it had something to do with the Gaia Hypothesis? I think that has something to do with the Earth being a living thing, but I could be wrong.
it is "fiddle riddle" which is about the gaia thingy
quote:
I think the word "Romanov" is a pun, referring to both the Russian Tsarist family, and "roamin' off."
i never thought of that, cool !
inuit man - inhabitant of the arctic
I joined the cult of Souled American / 'cause they are a damn' fine band |
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frank black conspiracy
~ Abstract Brain ~
1126 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2005 : 03:35:16
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quote:
Originally posted by VoVat
Didn't Frank say it had something to do with the Gaia Hypothesis?
Quotes:
"And under the sea where angry beings think their thoughts."
- Frank Black, from the Teenager press kit
"Thala is about humankind, earth gaia theory, stuff like that"
- Frank Black, from an online chat, 5/99 |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2005 : 12:01:50
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Actually "thalassa" is the Greek root for "sea" but who am I
to correct The Man?
Is your question about specific words to the song or the idea
of the song or what?
 I still believe in the excellent joy of the Frank |
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frank black conspiracy
~ Abstract Brain ~
1126 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2005 : 13:57:21
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quote:
Originally posted by kathryn
Actually "thalassa" is the Greek root for "sea" but who am I
to correct The Man?
You be the Queen of FB chat.
quote:
Is your question about specific words to the song or the idea
of the song or what?
I think it's about the song itself. Why, do you know it's meaning(s)?
How about this. Where was Frank born?
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2005 : 12:11:35
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quote:
Actually "thalassa" is the Greek root for "sea" but who am I
to correct The Man?
Well, the surface of the Earth IS mostly water.
And yeah, I think "Fiddle Riddle" is also about the Earth as a living thing. Must have been an idea that Frank was enamored with back when he was a Teenager (of the Year, that is, not a physical teenager).
"Reunion? Shit union!" |
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chipahoyboy
- FB Fan -
112 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2005 : 13:13:14
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I always thought the first stanza was about Elvis Presley. The way he wasn't so great when he tried to pull off those karate moves with his gut hanging out of that rhinestone jumpsuit.
I have no idea what the rest of it is about, although they lyrics are interesting "I'm literally deaf down here from your canned philoshoph." But FB does like to sing about The King! (His Kingly Cave)
I think Thallosocracy is one of Frank's best songs EVER!!!! I bet it kills live. What a great dance song. Put it back in the live shows, please! |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2005 : 16:21:16
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quote:
I think it's about the song itself. Why, do you know it's meaning(s)?
How about this. Where was Frank born?
Don't be starting up trouble, ee!
I still believe in the excellent joy of the Frank |
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draculaheadphones
- FB Fan -
3 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 10:27:59
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I absolutely love this song too. It seems like the singer is some kind of embodiment of ocean life asserting her eternal dominion over civilized humankind. She seems pretty angry at us.
The wand could be a fishing pole and the line about "spraying in the windy" could be something about people dumping their waste in the ocean.
She mentions Caesar, the Romanovs, maybe even Vikings ("sucking of your quaff") to show how temporary our governments and cultures are. She does seem to have some respect for the Inuits. I don't know the details, but like most North American Indians, they probably had small tribal units, almost an anarchy, that worked within the boundaries of nature better than we do. So it's not humankind she's angry with, but the recent technologies that let us overreach.
I keep calling the speaker a she because I always imagine her as a mermaid. One of the sirens that tortured sailors with their songs - "I want to sing for you and make your head go pop".
The lyrics are one of my favorite things about Teenager of the Year. I am in love with his new records in different ways, but I miss all the stream of conscious "nonsense" kind of stuff from his earlier records. |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 15:49:15
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quote:
The wand could be a fishing pole and the line about "spraying in the windy" could be something about people dumping their waste in the ocean.
As in the ten million pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey?
"Reunion? Shit union!" |
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ElevatorLady
= Cult of Ray =
385 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 16:16:39
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Thanks for this one. Never did understand what this amazing song is about, but now things are somewhat clearer. I especially like the mermaid idea. "I want to sing for you ecc". Makes sense.
______________________
When in doubt, sqare. |
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Jason
* Dog in the Sand *
1446 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 21:20:00
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| I have no ideas about what this songs means, but if you wanna hear a fun cover of "Thallasocracy", look for a version performed by The Beards, a side-project band formed by women from The Muffs, Cub, and some other band that I forget. "Thalloscracy" is sung by Kim Shattuck of The Muffs. |
Edited by - Jason on 01/26/2005 21:21:10 |
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astrology
= Cult of Ray =
Saint Lucia
252 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2005 : 18:18:09
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its a punk love song..
it suggest me of these friends boy/girlfriends yu always get drunk and end in noisy places arguing about impossible philosophies..
the inuit man, its a witty redundance as inuit means man..and also while the roman empire passed the inuit still survives
and thalasocracy and romanov are related for me because as Russia is almost isolated from the sea, England (who ruled the waves, and seem to be waving the rules) was at that time the ruler of the seas, and also the british king and the tzar were cousins, but the romanov family was abandoned to his fate by the british king and later shot, consirdering also that were overthrown with the help of the Rothschilds the king's bankers
I'm a pistolero, i'm not shakin in my boots
I'm the ruler of this moon, if u move I shoots
the bad thing about talkin to inanimate things starts when they start complainin bout it |
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Triakel
- FB Fan -
119 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2005 : 06:34:25
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I remember having to look up "thallas" when the disc came out, then grinning. I always interpreted the song on two levels.
One, that he was being philosophical -- I didn't quite get the Gaia connection, but the environmentalist conservation aspect vs. conspicuous consumption jumped out. Are you Inuit or Roman? Sure the Romans built the collosseum, but who's lasted longer? It makes sense.
Second, I thought he was contrasting himself against another type of person. Like, "I'm into independence, self-sufficiency, achievement without need for glory, in tune with the world and trying to cooperate with it...You're selfish, exploitive, glory hog who wants to rule everybody. It kinda sucks being down here in your shadow, but at least I know what I am."
Whether he was talking about governments, or kids arguing at clubs and coffee houses, or all of the above -- it made the song cooler. It was a line in the sand ... "You think you're all that, but you don't know the half of me, and that's OK. People like me win in the end."
Also, I thought it was a nasty slam on Kim Deal, as "Cannonball" was fresh from the charts about that time and The Breeders had recently been a main-stage band on Lollapalooza, etc. But I'm a dumb fan that way--using a few tiny scraps of info to build a story. |
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lonely persuader
= Cult of Ray =
Ireland
488 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2005 : 07:47:27
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i get the whole evolution thing "life from the sea" in the first verse...
since we learned Karate Chop, walking mach - evolve hand etc, learn to walk, compared to our fishy ancestors...
yes, someone said it before... "wave your wand at me" must be a fishing rod, like a fish goes flip flop when he's caught...but it also means that the fisherman is the ruler and the fish does what he's told....
so i guess he's setting a theme that the "you" is the apparently more evolved being and he "the singer" is the less evolved, fishy, only for amusement type, "i want to sing for you"....
the rest i can't quite put my finger on but im sure he's saying that, this is not all a bad thing since the nature and our fishy ancestors will prob. be around longer than we "humans" will, and that they are the real rulers of the sea's....
i guess,
as like the inuit's live off the land and have, as suggested, been around for a while now, seems the way to live for preservation,
i get the whole image of a eskimo with a hole in the ice and a fishing rod in his hand, waiting for a bite....
thats my 2 cents |
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danjersey
> Teenager of the Year <
USA
2788 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2005 : 21:06:07
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the speed and output of words, the urgency, thats what just blew me away.
all of your insight and theory is impressive FRANK sure does inspire dont she? |
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two reelers
* Dog in the Sand *
Austria
1018 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2005 : 00:21:15
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quote:
Originally posted by lonely persuader
i get the whole image of a eskimo with a hole in the ice and a fishing rod in his hand, waiting for a bite....
now that would make a cool video !
I joined the cult of Souled American / 'cause they are a damn' fine band |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2005 : 14:39:19
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quote:
Sure the Romans built the collosseum, but who's lasted longer?
Hey, I'm SORRY about the Visigoths!
"Reunion? Shit union!" |
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Triakel
- FB Fan -
119 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2005 : 14:44:02
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quote:
Originally posted by VoVat
quote:
Sure the Romans built the collosseum, but who's lasted longer?
Hey, I'm SORRY about the Visigoths!
"Reunion? Shit union!"
I guess we should go back to Gnome?
Sorry, bad Eskimo joke.  |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2005 : 17:46:28
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We're going north, the rush is on!
And we're going to make El Paso tonight, if it takes all night.
"Reunion? Shit union!" |
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fumanbru
* Dog in the Sand *
Canada
1461 Posts |
Posted - 02/25/2005 : 15:05:19
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here's something that was posted before. it's from dave eggers from spin magazine.
http://www.spin.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=424
"How to prove your devotion to the song you love.
Frank Black, “Thalassocracy” Only 1:33 long, this track starts at 120 miles an hour, so you have to be ready. You’re at a friend’s barbecue, all the boring people have left, and now it’s just six of you. You have known each other for many years, and one of you is pregnant. Place Teenager of the Year in the stereo and then stand in a circle. Do not laugh. No jokes! Goddammit, get serious. Stretch your arms out, as if you’re casting a spell on the person opposite you--which in a way, you are. Now cue to the second song and press play. Quick, you have no time--shake those arms! Keep them straight, but shake them as if 10,000 volts (or however many is a lot) of electricity were shooting through you. Make your legs buckle. Fall to the ground. Get up. Throw yourself against a wall. Throw yourself onto your friends. Writhe on the ground with them in a nonsexual way. Get on your knees and convulse. Blink quickly, as if you’ve had acid thrown in your face. Move your tongue in and out as fast as possible, like a snake or an old person trying to find the lettuce stuck to his upper lip. Optional: Point to your friends while singing key lyrics, as if they have done something wrong."
i haven't tried this yet but looking forward to barbeque season once the snow melts.
"I joined the Cult of Frank/ and I got a free t-shirt with this dude on it." |
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"thallasocracy" OK, help me out here
