10-19-2005, 03:25 AM
I'm torn between three theories:
#1) No Threat as being about American foreign policy..... have another listen..... this time think about the tarnishing of America's image... their own self-image as police (cleaners)... the current state of fear and terror...the war in iraq.. the war at home.... that stupid color coded terror alert system... the star spangled banner.....................
there we go... I think we're on the right track... now lets add a new dimension:
#2) No Threat as being about Canadian foreign policy... always on the outside looking in (window washer).. not having a sense of identity (singing lonely)... not having much impact in the current state of the world (how will i know if i'm helping)... i'm a listener, i'm no threat... i think Gord is trying to tell us that what we think of ourselves is based on false and empty assumptions about where we sit in the world.. as many of you have mentioned the song is filled with a great deal of raw emotion - anger in my opinion..
#3) No Threat as being about global foreign policy... specifically with regard to Africa... the Live 8 events being the catalyst.. is Gord annoyed because many people think that holding a few concerts is enough to solve the situation? is Gord annoyed because so many artists are making money off the event when they really didn't do anything to help the problem? or is Gord optimistic that maybe it could be the right way to help? This ties into the window washer metaphor because we like to have a clear view of what's going on through our TV screens, yet we don't seem to act.
With all that... I vote for theory number three even though I explained it the least well. It makes the most sense to me.... Please feel free to ignore me if you dont agree at all, I just felt the need to put these ideas out there.
Regardless, this song is filled with political metaphors.. Gord is a genius and this song is probably the most complex and provocative single I've ever heard
________________________________________
who sings lonely?
everyone sings lonely
it doesn't sound so bad
who is free?
everybody's freed from the tired of being sad
so sad
how will I know?
how will I know if I'm helping?
moreso, how will she know if I'm helping?
if I'm not in the saddle, I'm nothing - that's right!
I am here
it's only me
I ain't freed nobody yet
it's just me
clearing spider-webs
I'm a listener, I'm no threat
I am here
failed and failing breath
I'm a listener, I'm no threat, no threat, no threat
I'm a watcher
I'm no threat
no threat
no threat
#1) No Threat as being about American foreign policy..... have another listen..... this time think about the tarnishing of America's image... their own self-image as police (cleaners)... the current state of fear and terror...the war in iraq.. the war at home.... that stupid color coded terror alert system... the star spangled banner.....................
there we go... I think we're on the right track... now lets add a new dimension:
#2) No Threat as being about Canadian foreign policy... always on the outside looking in (window washer).. not having a sense of identity (singing lonely)... not having much impact in the current state of the world (how will i know if i'm helping)... i'm a listener, i'm no threat... i think Gord is trying to tell us that what we think of ourselves is based on false and empty assumptions about where we sit in the world.. as many of you have mentioned the song is filled with a great deal of raw emotion - anger in my opinion..
#3) No Threat as being about global foreign policy... specifically with regard to Africa... the Live 8 events being the catalyst.. is Gord annoyed because many people think that holding a few concerts is enough to solve the situation? is Gord annoyed because so many artists are making money off the event when they really didn't do anything to help the problem? or is Gord optimistic that maybe it could be the right way to help? This ties into the window washer metaphor because we like to have a clear view of what's going on through our TV screens, yet we don't seem to act.
With all that... I vote for theory number three even though I explained it the least well. It makes the most sense to me.... Please feel free to ignore me if you dont agree at all, I just felt the need to put these ideas out there.
Regardless, this song is filled with political metaphors.. Gord is a genius and this song is probably the most complex and provocative single I've ever heard
________________________________________
who sings lonely?
everyone sings lonely
it doesn't sound so bad
who is free?
everybody's freed from the tired of being sad
so sad
how will I know?
how will I know if I'm helping?
moreso, how will she know if I'm helping?
if I'm not in the saddle, I'm nothing - that's right!
I am here
it's only me
I ain't freed nobody yet
it's just me
clearing spider-webs
I'm a listener, I'm no threat
I am here
failed and failing breath
I'm a listener, I'm no threat, no threat, no threat
I'm a watcher
I'm no threat
no threat
no threat