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.
Sample and Hold
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Eyes, blue
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Mood code, rotary adjustable
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But not the angry one
A new design, new design
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But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
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Sample and hold
Sample and hold
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Sample and hold
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I need a unit to sample and hold
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But not the lonely one, the lonely one, the lonely one
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Perfection in every detail
Fabricated from the curl of the hair
To the tip of the nail
Because our units never fail
We know you'll be happy
I need a unit to sample and hold
Don't hesitate to give us a call
We know you'll be satisfied
When you energize
And see your unit come alive
We know you'll be happy
I need a unit to sample and hold
We know you'll be happy
We know you'll be happy
Sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
Sample and hold
New design, new design
Sample and hold
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the angry one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the jealous one
A new design, new design
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Hair, blonde
Eyes, blue
Weight, 1-1-0
Disposition, even
Mood code, rotary adjustable
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the angry one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
We'll send it out right away
Satisfaction guaranteed
Please specify
The color of skin and eyes
We know you'll be happy
Sample and hold
Don't hesitate to give us a call
We know you'll be satisfied
When you energize
And see your unit come alive
We know you'll be happy
I need a unit to sample and hold
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one, the lonely one, the lonely one
Sample and hold
Weight, 1-1-0
Perfection in every detail
Fabricated from the curl of the hair
To the tip of the nail
Because our units never fail
We know you'll be happy
I need a unit to sample and hold
Don't hesitate to give us a call
We know you'll be satisfied
When you energize
And see your unit come alive
We know you'll be happy
I need a unit to sample and hold
We know you'll be happy
We know you'll be happy
Sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
Sample and hold
New design, new design
Sample and hold
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the angry one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the jealous one
A new design, new design
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Lyrics submitted by danger bird
Sample and Hold Lyrics as written by Neil Young
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
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Love in a Vacuum
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Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
Show Me a Little Shame
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
He certainly did earn that reputation.
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
Techno Ted
Audioslave
Audioslave
Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
I can't believe I am the first to tackle this song as this might be Neil's most timely statement and most brilliant song. A dating service for robots is the surface meaning, but I believe at the root is a comment on how superficial our search for a soulmate is. We have our checklist of what we look for (blond, blue eyes, 110 pounds) and when the person is found that fulfills it we call it love, or at least lust, and sample and hold them happily because our list has been satisfied. In that sense we are only robots responding to "blank + blank = perfect partner" in a souless way without consideration for the surprises and intangables that surely go with any higher meaning of love. Think of the popularity of sites like E-harmony and the purely sex related ones. Or just the "sample and hold" mentality of today's hook-up culture. This song well predated all of that.
@finslaw, I think you did a great job analyzing the lyrics. This is certainly one of Neil's more prophetic moments.
I agree with this comment, but also think it has another layer like A Man Needs a Maid in that there is a desire to detach from emotion and feelings to avoid heartache. I love the performance of this on Live in Berlin. Need to checking it is on You Tube.
@bbobbyb \r\nAnd all the references not to send "the angry one" make me think he was fresh off a bad relationship, or just remembering one.