Bono, Dave Matthews and "militant pacifism"
What??
For one thing, "militant pacifism" isn't quite the right term. Or more specifically "pacifism" isn't the right word. But you've got to admit, it sounds really cool and paradoxical. Anyhoo...
I'm referring to two songs I've been thinking about lately. Both of which are songs I've liked for a while, but only recently have I really thought about the lyrics, and now I have a whole new appreciation for these songs (don't you love it when that happens?).
The first of which is "I Did It" by Dave Matthews Band:
I'm mixing up a bunch of magic stuff
A magic mushroom cloud of care
A potion that will rock the boat will rock
Make a bomb of love and blow it up
I did it
Do you think I've gone too far
I did it
Guilty as charged
I did it
It was me right or wrong
I did it
Yeah
I never did a single thing that did a single thing to
Change the ugly ways of the world
I didn't know it felt so right inside
I didn't know it at all
Open up the curtains I heard sirens there the lights flash and crawl
I did it justice I just did it for the buzz
It's a nickel or a dime for what I've done
The truth is that I don't really care
For such a lovely crime I'll do the time
You better lock me up I'll do it again
I did it
Do you think I've gone too far
I did it
Guilty as charged
I did it
It was me right or wrong
I did it
Yeah
I never did a single thing that did a single thing to
Change the ugly ways of the world
I didn't know it felt so right inside
I didn't know it at all
Open up the curtains I heard sirens there the lights flash and crawl
I did it justice I just did it for us all, you know.
All you people are the skewers of our dreams
Like the cat collared me
Oh what I gotta say to you got love don't
Turn it down
Turn it loud
Let it build
We got a long way to go
But you gotta start somewhere
Go door to door spread the love you got
You got the love
You get what you want
Does it matter where you get it from
I for one
Don't turn my cheek for anyone
Unturn your cheek to give your love
Love to grow
When I first listened to this song, I thought it was about drug abuse or something. Oops. It's actually about militant pacifism, that is, using love and goodness as a "weapon" of sorts against all the nasty stuff in the world. Make a bomb of love and blow it up. Hahahaha, love it.
Notice, if you will (*adjusts monocle while adopting a scholarly tone*) the line that says "I did it just as I just did it for the buzz" and later, in that line's corresponding place, it says "I did it just as I did it for us all." It looks like good ol' Dave is making a little remark about the phenomenon where you do good at first because it feels good, then later you make a habit of doing good because it is good. St. Francis de Sales makes a similar point in his book Treatise on the Love of God.
And here's another song with a similar message, "Love And Peace Or Else":
Lay down
Lay down
Lay your sweet lovely on the ground
Lay your love on the track
We’re gonna break the monster’s back
Yes we are…
Lay down your treasure
Lay it down now brother
You don’t have time
For a jealous lover
As you enter this life
I pray you depart
With a wrinkled face
And a brand new heart
I don’t know if I can take it
I’m not easy on my knees
Here’s my heart you can break it
I need some release, release, release
We need
Love and peace
Love and peace
Lay down
Lay down your guns
All your daughters of Zion
All your Abraham sons
I don’t know if I can make it
I’m not easy on my knees
Here’s my heart and you can break it
I need some release, release, release
We need
Love and peace
Love and peace
Baby don’t fight
We can talk this thing through
It’s not a big problem
It’s just me and you
You can call or I’ll phone
The TV is still on
But the sound is turned down
And the troops on the ground
Are about to dig in
And I wonder where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Love and peace
This song, to me, sounds a lot like Jesus. All this stuff about laying down your guns, treasure and jealous lovers sounds familiar to me...Like we all need to face what we know is hard: denying ourselves and living Godlike charity so that this world turns out better. It may seem weird to us at first ("I'm not easy on my knees") but in the end it will be a much greater good than if we haven't ("We're gonna break the monster's back").
,+,+,+===---===-++++---========-----..,/_=--=-==+=+++@@<><><><><><><.><.><.>
<.{}.> Whoba. All of a sudden I've become very fond of playing with the keyboard, as I'm sure you can see. In other words, I've run out of things to say.
Toodle-pip, all
~~Badblogger James
For one thing, "militant pacifism" isn't quite the right term. Or more specifically "pacifism" isn't the right word. But you've got to admit, it sounds really cool and paradoxical. Anyhoo...
I'm referring to two songs I've been thinking about lately. Both of which are songs I've liked for a while, but only recently have I really thought about the lyrics, and now I have a whole new appreciation for these songs (don't you love it when that happens?).
The first of which is "I Did It" by Dave Matthews Band:
I'm mixing up a bunch of magic stuff
A magic mushroom cloud of care
A potion that will rock the boat will rock
Make a bomb of love and blow it up
I did it
Do you think I've gone too far
I did it
Guilty as charged
I did it
It was me right or wrong
I did it
Yeah
I never did a single thing that did a single thing to
Change the ugly ways of the world
I didn't know it felt so right inside
I didn't know it at all
Open up the curtains I heard sirens there the lights flash and crawl
I did it justice I just did it for the buzz
It's a nickel or a dime for what I've done
The truth is that I don't really care
For such a lovely crime I'll do the time
You better lock me up I'll do it again
I did it
Do you think I've gone too far
I did it
Guilty as charged
I did it
It was me right or wrong
I did it
Yeah
I never did a single thing that did a single thing to
Change the ugly ways of the world
I didn't know it felt so right inside
I didn't know it at all
Open up the curtains I heard sirens there the lights flash and crawl
I did it justice I just did it for us all, you know.
All you people are the skewers of our dreams
Like the cat collared me
Oh what I gotta say to you got love don't
Turn it down
Turn it loud
Let it build
We got a long way to go
But you gotta start somewhere
Go door to door spread the love you got
You got the love
You get what you want
Does it matter where you get it from
I for one
Don't turn my cheek for anyone
Unturn your cheek to give your love
Love to grow
When I first listened to this song, I thought it was about drug abuse or something. Oops. It's actually about militant pacifism, that is, using love and goodness as a "weapon" of sorts against all the nasty stuff in the world. Make a bomb of love and blow it up. Hahahaha, love it.
Notice, if you will (*adjusts monocle while adopting a scholarly tone*) the line that says "I did it just as I just did it for the buzz" and later, in that line's corresponding place, it says "I did it just as I did it for us all." It looks like good ol' Dave is making a little remark about the phenomenon where you do good at first because it feels good, then later you make a habit of doing good because it is good. St. Francis de Sales makes a similar point in his book Treatise on the Love of God.
And here's another song with a similar message, "Love And Peace Or Else":
Lay down
Lay down
Lay your sweet lovely on the ground
Lay your love on the track
We’re gonna break the monster’s back
Yes we are…
Lay down your treasure
Lay it down now brother
You don’t have time
For a jealous lover
As you enter this life
I pray you depart
With a wrinkled face
And a brand new heart
I don’t know if I can take it
I’m not easy on my knees
Here’s my heart you can break it
I need some release, release, release
We need
Love and peace
Love and peace
Lay down
Lay down your guns
All your daughters of Zion
All your Abraham sons
I don’t know if I can make it
I’m not easy on my knees
Here’s my heart and you can break it
I need some release, release, release
We need
Love and peace
Love and peace
Baby don’t fight
We can talk this thing through
It’s not a big problem
It’s just me and you
You can call or I’ll phone
The TV is still on
But the sound is turned down
And the troops on the ground
Are about to dig in
And I wonder where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Love and peace
This song, to me, sounds a lot like Jesus. All this stuff about laying down your guns, treasure and jealous lovers sounds familiar to me...Like we all need to face what we know is hard: denying ourselves and living Godlike charity so that this world turns out better. It may seem weird to us at first ("I'm not easy on my knees") but in the end it will be a much greater good than if we haven't ("We're gonna break the monster's back").
,+,+,+===---===-++++---========-----..,/_=--=-==+=+++@@<><><><><><><.><.><.>
<.{}.> Whoba. All of a sudden I've become very fond of playing with the keyboard, as I'm sure you can see. In other words, I've run out of things to say.
Toodle-pip, all
~~Badblogger James
posted by James at
3:30 PM
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