Bigmouth Strikes Again

Many of Morrissey's lyrics have always struck me as strange... Think about it - A vicar in a tutu; he's not strange; he just wants to live his life this way... or Young ones groan and the rocks below say "throw your skinny body down son..." etc. etc.

So I never really tried too hard to interpret them, though I'm sure they all had some type of meaning. But the meaning of the Smiths' "Bigmouth Strikes Again" just kind of came to me the other day. Maybe cause I've said things in the recent past that I've regretted... And that's precisely what the song's about - someone who said the wrong thing to a loved one, and is now suffering as a result...


Let me break it down for ya'll...

First, here's the lyrics:

Sweetness, sweetness
I was only joking when I said I’d like to
Smash every tooth in your head

Oh ... sweetness, sweetness,
I was only joking when I said by rights you
Should be bludgeoned in your bed

And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt, oh
As the flames rose to her Roman nose
And her walkman started to melt

Oh ...Bigmouth, la ... bigmouth, la ...
Bigmouth strikes again
I’ve got no right to take my place
In the human race

And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt, oh
As the flames rose to her Roman nose
And her hearing aid started to melt

Whatever this person said to his loved one was pretty stupid - an unforgivable type of stupid, so it comes as no surprise that his apology comes off as, well, inadequate:

Sweetness, I was only joking when I said I’d like to Smash every tooth in your head

I was only joking when I said by rights you Should be bludgeoned in your bed

His lyrics here are actually kind of funny... this person really messed up... I mean I'd like to smash every tooth in your head ? Yikes!

Bigmouth struck again, and now he has no right to take [his] place In the human race

He's being punished by his loved one... to the point that he feels like he can't even be counted among the human race. The person he offended is being merciless - offering no forgiveness whatsoever.

The person he offended is going to make him pay! That's why he says And now I know how Joan of Arc felt... as the flames rose to her Roman nose...


He is being burned at the stake so to speak!

We all know that it was Joan of Arc's "big mouth" that got her in trouble. But there's an interesting thing we learn about our "Joan of Arc" here - not only does he or she got the tendency to speak rashly, without thinking, but he is hard of hearing.

Hence, the significance of her walkman and her hearing aid. Which of course melt, but too late to do anything about it!

Tell me what you think... Is my interpretation right on?

Solitude and Silence

If you haven't read Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy you are missing out! It is one of the most excellent, well-thought out and relevant books about spirituality that I've ever come across. It's full of good stuff. Here's a bit about the spiritual disciplines of solitude and silence:

"Doing nothing has many... advantages... possibly the gentle Father in the heavens would draw nigh if we would just be quiet and rest a bit. Generally speaking, He will not compete for our attention, and as long as we are 'in charge' he is liable to keep a certain distance" (359).

Willard further writes that in solitude and silence we might "discover beautiful things", among them:

-that you have a soul

-that God is near

-that the universe is brimming with goodness


Other great books that treat this subject are Thomas Merton's New Seeds of Contemplation and Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline.

Is it Like Today?

I haven't posted in a long time, but don't want my blog to completely shrivel up and die. So, for your reading pleasure I will simply post the lyrics to one of my favorite songs of all time- "Is it like today?" by World Party. A beautiful song that contains within it a brief history of Western Civilization, and comments on the inquietudes that have plagued men of all ages... Enjoy!

Is it Like Today?

Many years ago he looked out through a glassless window.
All that he could see was Babylon.
Beautiful green fields and dreams,
And he learned to measure the stars.
But there was a worry in his heart.

He said,
"How could it come to this ?
I'm really worried about living
How could it come to this ?
Yeah, I really want to know about this"

Is it like today ? Oh, ooh

Then there came a day
it moved out 'cross the Mediteranean
Came to Western isles and the Greek young men
With their silver beards they laughed at the unknown of the universe
They could just sit and guess God's name

But they said,
"How could it come to this?
We're really worried about living.
How could it come to this?
Yeah, we really want to know about this."

Is it like today? Oh, Ooh

Then there followed days of Kings, Empires and revolution.
Blood just looks the same when you open the veins.
But sometimes it was faith, power or reason as the cornerstone.
But the furrowed brow has never left his face.

He said,
"How could it come to this?
We've been living in a landslide!
How could it come to this?
Yeah, we really want to know about this."

Is it like today? Oh, Ooh

Then there came a day, man packed up, flew off from the planet.
He went to the moon,
Now he's out in space,
Hey, fixing all the problems.
He comes face to face with God.

He says,
"How could it come to this?
I'm really worried 'bout My creation.
How did it comes to this?
You 're really killing me, you know."

It isn't just today?
Is it like today?
Is it like today?
Bang!

Many years ago he looked out through a glassless window
Didn't understand much what he saw