So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
I don't have to sell my soul
He's already in me
I don't need to sell my soul
He's already in me
I wanna be adored
I wanna be adored
I don't have to sell my soul
He's already in me
I don't need to sell my soul
He's already in me
I wanna be adored
I wanna be adored
Adored
I wanna be adored
You adore me
You adore me
You adore me
I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna
I gotta be adored
I wanna be adored
He's already in me
I don't need to sell my soul
He's already in me
I wanna be adored
I wanna be adored
I don't have to sell my soul
He's already in me
I don't need to sell my soul
He's already in me
I wanna be adored
I wanna be adored
Adored
I wanna be adored
You adore me
You adore me
You adore me
I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna
I gotta be adored
I wanna be adored
Lyrics submitted by soundgoround
I Wanna Be Adored Lyrics as written by John Squire Ian George Brown
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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Squire has some amazin guitar on this track, too bad its produced so that u can barely hear it, this song could be done so much better with a focus on the guitars.
anyways, the song is just Ian Brown's true self without the Cocky self indulgent Bs that he usually sang about, its his way of showing that hes more insecure then he'd leave you to believe from his "i am the resurection" and other self promoting songs.
it sort of reminds me of the weakness and need for love that the Smiths express in "How Soon is Now"
the line "I wanna be adored" links to "I am human and i need to be loved" in my opinion it may very well be a tribute to the influence the smiths had on them.
@MarcelDwayne I couldn't agree more with you re: Squire's amazing guitar work upon this SR track - which has ALWAYS been my favourite, btw - & as well as about 15 remixes of this song & God only knows how many live versions (during which he usually gets to show it off a tad more), I have their original demo version of this song - & in it his guitar work is FREAKING INCREDIBLE, just as it usually was at the start of their live shows but throughout the ENTIRe SONG!! Cheers & best wishes, mate...Matt.
@wunderkind73 Can you upload the demo somewhere? It can\'t have any significant commercial value.
@MarcelDwayne Hi there,\r\n\r\nI can\'t see how I can reply directly to la-grave\'s enquiry, so here I am instead! I\'ve already sent you a private message to a) send you a YT link to the demo version of "I Wanna Be Adored" & b) inform you that I obtained the demo version of the song when I purchased their "20th Anniversary Legacy Edition" that contains 2 CDs (the 1st is their original album w/ the 10-minute version of "Fools Gold" & the 2nd is their 20-track "Lost Demos" album) & a DVD that contains the entirety of their legendary live show at Blackpool\'s Empress Ballroom, followed by 6 of their promo\' videos for their singles. \r\n\r\nIt\'s awesome to own but they also have a \'Collector\'s Edition\' box set release that not only contains what I\'ve mentioned above but another CD named "Extras", as well as everything that I\'ve just mentioned (apart from "The Lost Demos" album) on vinyl, as well as a lemon-shaped USB that contains absolutely everything again, plus I have previously read that some versions of it came with some of Squire\'s amazing artwork from their singles.\r\n\r\nCheers & best wishes to all from sunny & sweltering, hot & humid "Down Under"...Matt.
"I don't need to sell my soul, He's already in me"
the devil? :D
@psychobain I always thought the other way. The Devil requires the sale of your soul whereas The Holy Spirit was given to us by Christ and requires no sale. He's already in us.
@psychobain hundreds. I don’t have to sell my soul because I am already sold out to the Devil. Go figure! Very talented Satanists.
Yeah, that's what Ian said basically. People will be bad and sell theirselves and do things they shouldn't in order to be adored.
@Shortdude123 +1!!
First of all, mode000 and byrnetom, all of us genuine stone roses fans can obviously see its about the devil, i mean the repetition on those lines are so obvious. selling your soul - devil. it's a massive, obvious link. that's probably why it's not worth mentiong. cos true stone roses fans know that it's so obvious it's about the devil. I MEAN DUHH!! however, there is NO mention or indication of drug use, so shut up. im with fez on this one.
I think Ian Brown knows what his own song means and he said that its about people selling theirselves and being bad and do things they shouldn't in order to be adored. Shaming people for the measures they go to to win the popularity contest.
@wordsandbirds PERFECTO, W&B, my friend!! I couldn't have written it better myself, so I won't even try - especially when I'm such a verbose f*cker, at the best of times!! Cheers & best wishes...Matt.
@wordsandbirds Love it.Someone sees black and white.Youre right obvious and such.Thanj you.Like the group,hate the lyrics of that song
Okay i think once you crack it it's pretty straightforward.
Two points have been touched on that together complete the formula. A) The stone roses loved to project uber confidence and rightly so, they were in possesion of some incredible material at this point. B) John Squire specifically is an incredible and underatted guitarist and the routes of his style can be traced to blues so we can safely assume that he is a fan and a student of the blues.
Robert Johnson would no doubt have been an influence on the whole band but specifically John Squire, Squire would no doubt have been aware and probley intrigued in the story of robert johnsson giving his guitar to the devil who in turned tuned it and gave it back to him instantly giving him the ability tyo play the incredibly compley lix that he became famous for.
It's the first song on the first stone roses album, after the intro the opening line is preceeded by an incredible rift from squire and followed by "i dont need to sell my soul he's already in me" its tongue in cheek - it's saying im good enough already, i dont need a deal with the devil to improve" its a statement of intent and the structure continues throughout the song.
It's incredible, i have listened to and loved this album for years but only last night did i join the dots....hence me finding this website and posting.
As for the fella who thinks this about bum love.......really? i dont think so mate - cant really see these lads sitting in a garage and discussing that concept....have you heard pushing an elephant up the stairs by REM - now that is about crafty butchers!
peace.
@rockriotben I'd never considered this 'path' re: the meaning of this, my all-time favourite SR's song's lyrics but they're certainly worth a hefty nod & worthy of consideration, at the very least...<br /> <br /> Respect, my friend...cheers & best wishes...Matt.
@rockriotben As is "Dirty Back Road" by B52s
One of the best indie tunes ever to be recorded in the UK. Yeh I agree with some of the comments above about the song being about redemption. With the line "I don't need to sell my soul, He's already in me," he's trying to say he was done bad things in his life but with the line "I wanna be adored" he's looking for forgivness and wants to change as a person. He wants to feel loved and cared for again.
basically, the urge to feel oneself loved, even just a little, makes one do just about anything, to sell one's soul.
In a 2009 interview with Clash Magazine, Brown explained that he "didn't actually want people to adore me. I was trying to say then, if you want to be adored, it's like a sin, like lust or gluttony or something like that."
"I don't have to sell my soul, He's already in me."
Yes! So happy to see that someone else thinks that line is referring to the devil. That's what I gathered the first time I heard this enchanting tune.
To me, Ian isn't suggesting that he's literally possessed by the devil, but instead by another evil entity - the desire for fame.
This song is very hypnotic, snake-charmer stuff. It's beautiful and an instant classic.
Personally I think it's about not selling out and it's about other bands that will do anything to be adored. Bands that already have had the devil in them.
And for their second album the band sold their rights to Geffen's label for an initial £125,000 each. <br /> <br /> For some context there is overwhelming evidence linking David Geffen with Satanic Ritual Abuse cults, involved in large scale child trafficking, rape, torture and murder.<br /> <br /> The documentaries 'An Open Secret' and 'Out of Shadows' expose such issues with trails of evidence constantly being dredged from the sewer of financially endorsed power politics.<br /> <br /> The comedy 30 Rock styled an inside-style joke about David Geffen and 'rent boys', akin to the jokes they made about Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein before their scandals made headlines.<br /> <br /> As for the lyrics and this song particularly, it weaves it's magic through rather overt hypnotic suggestion, partly hooking listeners into becoming adoring fans idolising the performers, while in part actually identifying AS the band too, merging their own identity with the performers. <br /> <br /> As a Roses and Ian Brown fan for many years when I was younger I'd always interpreted the "he's already in me" part to mean "my soul is already in me", which would take some explaining to make sense of...