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EternallyPissed

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EternallyPissed last won the day on September 1 2022

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About EternallyPissed

  • Birthday 02/28/1981

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    United States
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    Writer/radio personality
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    Male
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    Yes
  • Favourite Books
    The best words, like "covfefe"
  • Muse Releases Owned
    Anything, everything, and even that which doesn't yet exist
  • Muse Concerts Attended / Attending
    Three between '09 and '14 - two in Columbus and one in Detroit
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    https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki

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  1. Gosh, you people are impossible. Thank you for the morning laughs, though; it's greatly appreciated.
  2. Come on... Whether or not art intends to be ambiguous, at the end of the day, guess what? It's ambiguous. No matter what the songwriter intended with his or her lyrics, millions of people will hear the song, and as is human nature, they'll interpret it as they so choose. Whether that song, for whatever reason, brings back a memory from childhood; reminds them of a loved one who has passed; etc., they're going to interpret it through their own lens. This isn't isolated to Matt Bellamy's lyrics, as you seem to enjoy contending. Some of the most well-renowned lyricists in history have long had the meanings of their songs misinterpreted due to inevitable ambiguity. "Imagine" by John Lennon: Described as "22 lines of graceful, plain-spoke faith in the power of a world, united in purpose, to repair and change itself," Lennon called the song "virtually the Communist manifesto." "American Girl" by Tom Petty: Rumored to be about a girl at the University of Florida who killed herself, Petty said, "It's become a huge urban myth down in Florida. That's just not at all true." Guitarist Mike Campbell added, "Some people take it literally and out of context. To me it's just a really beautiful love song." "Blackbird" by the Beatles: Many believed it to be about a blackbird, whose wings were broken. To this, Paul McCartney responded, "I got the idea of using a blackbird as a symbol for a Black person. It wasn't necessarily a black 'bird,' but it works that way, as much as then you called girls 'birds' ... it wasn't exactly an ornithology ditty; it was purely symbolic." "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen: According to Songfacts, "Most people thought it was a patriotic song about American pride, when it actually cast a shameful eye of how America treated its Vietnam veterans ... with rollicking rhythm, enthusiastic chorus, and patriotic album cover, it is easy to think this has more to do with American pride than Vietnam shame." These are far from the lone examples of song messages by some of the most well-renowned lyricists in the history of rock being misinterpreted. Does that thereby make the lyrics "sloppy" and problematic? Do you still contend that "great art speaks for itself," or due to human nature being what it is, is it not all but inevitable, whether lyrics were intended to be ambiguous or not, they will be received in such a manner, and there's little to nothing the songwriter can do about it?
  3. Okay, so I just watched a rare interview with Chris, and when talking about life during the pandemic, he said something along the lines of, "I think it was the first time most of us got stuck with ourselves at home for a significant period of time, and we learned a lot about ourselves as a result," and something clicked. At this, I thought, "Oh, wow, there it is - the theme of '...Halloween!'" I now wonder if it's horror-themed because it centers around the scariest hypothetical scenario of all for some people - being stuck at home and having to deal with yourself and your flaws/problems, instead of going out and attempting to deny them through sex, drugs, and alcohol. As we turn out the light at night, fear strikes our innermost soul, as we've been forced to deal with ourselves; we ultimately don't know who we are; and that ignorance is haunting.
  4. Well put. Once in a while I'll come across a negative review of Muse, where I'll say, "Okay, I may not agree with that particular point, but I can understand where he/she is coming from." For the most part, though, the critical reviews come across as extremely lazy to me. Even though chief songwriter Matt Bellamy has never been big into Radiohead, some critics branded them as Radiohead rip-offs due to Bellamy showcasing a falsetto after Thom Yorke did (like they were the only two to ever do such a thing - especially considering they've both admitted to Jeff Buckley being their main inspiration). When that fell by the wayside (for some), the band suddenly became Queen-copycats - even though legendary Queen guitarist Brian May said he loved the band and had zero problem with them taking some inspiration from his band. When "Uprising" came around, the Glenn Beck's of the world stated it was speaking to them. It reached such a point that Bellamy even took the matter to the press and said he was pissed off that Beck and company were adopting the song as their own. The band was then being "disrespectful" with "Drones," "selling-out" with "Simulation Theory," and now are a combination of past stereotypes with "Will of the People" - including exhibiting an "anti-mask" stance on songs like "Compliance" and "Verona" when the band has explicitly stated that's NOT the case. The funny thing is the band has, in large part, at one time or another let it be known what their intent and messages have been with various albums and songs - "Will of the People" included. The problem is a lot of people may hear, but they don't listen. Vague poems or lyrics were at one time considered genius - especially from a marketing perspective, because it improved the potential outreach tenfold. No matter what the true inspiration was behind the poem or song, people of all stripes could read/listen to it and relate. Nowadays, though, it's a double-edged sword. While it may still be a brilliant marketing strategy from the relatability standpoint, if a single person - especially a critic - misinterprets it to the point where their perceived message is antithetical to the initial one, said misinterpretation can spread like wildfire, and then what do we have? A poem or song which basically lives a double-life - one where it's interpreted correctly or at least partially correctly and another which is so off-base, Abbott and Costello are no longer asking, "Who's on first?;" they're asking, "You see that moving dot way up in the sky? I think he was just on first." At the end of the day, given the constant motion and communication that is the internet, what can a band realistically do to stop these cycles? A lot of the criticism I've read concerning this album has been with regard to messaging: "What if someone misinterprets 'Compliance' or 'Verona' as anti-mask? What if people think 'Liberation' is advocating the Capitol attacks?" I'll partially defend critics, as they have many albums to review, and it'd be unfeasible to expect them to listen to "Will of the People" 15 times before reviewing it, but come on, a little research doesn't take real long. Bellamy has said "Compliance" wasn't anti-mask, and that he's fully vaxxxed and mask-friendly. The band's also stated that "Verona" is a hybrid of "Romeo & Juliet" and "Coronavirus." Matt said the main influence for "Liberation" was the Black Lives Matter movement and protests. It's out there for everyone to read and isn't very hard to find. Instead of these critics actually doing their job; they make it seem as though they want everyone else to do the research for them; feed them the facts; and then they'll give a half-ass listen to an album, before providing it an obviously biased review. At the end of the day, it doesn't mean squat, but at the same time it truly amazes me how far we've fallen with regard to impartial journalism and journalistic integrity.
  5. 1. Kill or Be Killed: 10/10 2. We Are F-ing F-ed: 10/10 3. You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween: 9.75/10 4. Won't Stand Down: 9.5/10 5. Verona: 9.25/10 6. Liberation: 9/10 7. Will of the People: 9/10 8. Ghosts (How Can I Move On): 7.5/10 9. Euphoria: 7.25/10 10. Compliance: 7/10 I should note that while I love "Absolution" and "Origin of Symmetry," my two favorite albums leading up to this one were "Black Holes and Revelations" and "The Resistance." So, this album was perfect for me. It's the first album of theirs where I'm not even tempted to skip a song, and immediately want to listen to it again once the final track concludes. To me there are 7 standout tracks, and the 3 which aren't are still solid and have been improving with every listen. It's somehow accomplished what I never thought would occur - surpass "Black Holes and Revelations" atop my Muse-album leaderboard. I very rarely hand out such grades, but feel this one is much deserved. 10/10.
  6. Exactly. All he talked about was the horror-film references throughout the song and that the band realized they hadn't released a holiday-type song yet, so they thought a Halloween-themed one would be fun/cool. I mean, who knows? I just find it interesting the alleged "domestic-violence" theme hasn't been confirmed by any of the band members (to my knowledge), and started via an NME article written by Mark Beaumont. I suppose it's also possible Matt left the interpretation(s) open for a reason, as his intent was for the lyrics to be ambiguous, and thereby simultaneously tackle multiple issues at once. :: shrugs ::
  7. Right, that's the article to which I was referring in my post. At no point do I see Matt quoted on what his inspiration for the song was. Given the upbeat tempo (not tone); the parody-like video; etc., I just have to wonder if the author of the piece - Mark Beaumont - may have at least partially misinterpreted the song's intent/message. It wouldn't be the first time such a thing has occurred. I remember reading an article after the "Compliance" song/video was released, wondering if it was an anti-mask anthem.
  8. Where/When did Matt confirm it? Do you happen to have a link? I've yet to see/hear it.
  9. I've been reading comments on Discord and Twitter which contend the new song "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween" is about domestic violence during the pandemic. There are even some on the latter site which have reportedly "dropped Muse" due to the upbeat nature of the song coinciding with said alleged theme of it. However, the only comment I can find potentially confirming that the song's inspiration was in fact domestic violence during the pandemic was courtesy of Mark Beaumont in an NME article he wrote about the band/album. Did any of the band members confirm this as well? Reading over the lyrics, while I can see why Mr. Beaumont interpreted them to be about domestic violence, I'm getting the feeling it's not as clear cut as that. To me it almost comes across like a satire about COVID-conspiracists, spoken/sung from the vantage point of one such individual. He or she is paranoid, not so much about the pandemic, but about governmental control during it, and no matter what their problems were pre-COVID, all their problems before and after the virus's inception they now claim to be the fault of the government. "You cut me off from my friends You cut me off from my family I'm in misery (I'm your number one fan) Each day I fall to my knees I see the writing on the wall Now I'm in withdrawal" They don't trust the government; they don't trust the CDC; they don't trust Dr. Fauci; and even though vaccinations for the virus started under the candidate they voted for - Donald Trump, they tend to not trust vaccines either. As new information comes to light regarding the virus, and narratives inevitably shift as a result; their suspicions grow; and they take to conspiracy-theorists on social-media for answers - their paranoia exacerbating in the process. "You got me checking my mirror You make me feel like I'm on the run Where'd you hide the gun? The kitchen knife in your hand Are you the poison, are you the cure? I'm not so sure" They've been told we're now residing in a dictatorship, where freedom is a thing of the past, all the while many around them are somehow enjoying life and freedom - especially if precautionary measures were taken to help slow the spread of the virus. "I'm shackled, there is no way out I can't escape When you turn out the lights You make me feel like it's Halloween, it's Halloween When you skulk 'round the house You make me feel like it's Halloween, it's Halloween" They see what's not there; are spooked by the thought of it; and believe they won't truly be alive and free again until they're overtaken by fear and paranoia over the illusory. "I see your eye in the keyhole I feel like it's Halloween It's Halloween Won't reset until I'm possessed You make me feel like it's Halloween, it's Halloween" The song ends ironically with the spoken words, "But you are the caretaker" - as it's noted that the entity about which the central character feels such intense fear and paranoia is essentially their doctor/nurse/mother/father, trying to protect them. Like with the title track to the album, I think the central reason for the song's upbeat, and in this case spooky-fun, tone is because it's mocking right-wing conspiracy theorists, who are set on destroying that which they claim to love and be building (making great again); for buying into the nonsense that doctors and scientists have been brainwashing the masses, all the while they themselves get brainwashed on medical matters by some guy named TrustMeImNotADocter on YouTube.
  10. I'm right there with you. Sadly, said individuals are so far removed from reality, the only thing which could potentially bring them back down to earth is some life-altering event. They continually dismiss common sense, facts, and reason as part of the grand conspiracy that is the liberal agenda. No matter how minute, all they seek is confirmation bias, and once received, their delusions will become further exacerbated. Anymore, I unfortunately see such individuals as a lost cause, and try to focus my attention on those who may be leaning that direction, but haven't fully committed to it yet.
  11. the Globalist. And how about the Drones album as a whole? JFK+ Defector- “Free Yeah, I'm free From your inc-inc-inciting You can't brainwash me You've got a problemFree Yeah I'm free From society You can't control me I'm a defector” Or Propaganda? Or how about his 2020 ‘Simulation Theory Theme’ from Cryosleep? And I suppose that since I’m a conspiracy theorist, to believe about a cabal of hidden globalists, then President Kennedy was a conspiracy theorist for his desire to “splinter the C.I.A. in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds” or for his belief in human cloning (which, by the way, was referred to in the music video for Mercy). Who else would be a ‘conspiracy theorist’, then? Here is some: Jim Corr (from the Irish band ‘The Corrs’): Anti-vaccines, anti-government, believes that 9/11 was a controlled event, believe the swine-flu was man made, believes the American military has a secret tectonic weapon which could have been used to cause the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Jim Corr also things climate change is a hoax. Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd): Literally wrote a song called ‘The powers that Be’, the ‘Animals’ album inspired by G. Orwell’s Animal Farm, has said that there is a ‘firmament’, there was literally a Pink Floyd album called ‘Flat Earth’, Prince: Like I said, spoke about the chemtrials. Prince made a speech in 1999 that was only available on his website called ‘One Song’, in which he explains spirituality, corruption and the spell-casting of words we speak. He also predicted his death shortly before died, tweeting “Just When U Thought U Were Safe” (He ‘died’ in an ELEVATOR. Ever heard of his song ‘Let’s Go Crazy’? “When the elevator tried to bring you down; go crazy”. He explained that the elevator is the Devil. He predicted that the globalists/Illuminati/Freemasons/satanists were going to try and kill him. George Harrison: For a start, his 1981 song ‘Blood From a Clone’. A bit obvious, isn’t it? Then his never ending writings on spirituality and corruption. Tom Petty: Released a B-Side to Hypnotic Eye (Yeah, Hypnotic Eye…), called ‘Playing Dumb’ , with several references to satanic abuse, and clearly hinting at D.U.M.B.’s (Deep Underground Military Bases). Eric Clapton: Seems he would be anti-vaccine now, after the terrible effects it’s had on him. I mean, that’s some pretty big names there. Matt often writes tongue-in-cheek lyrics. He's said a common misconception about the band is that they take themselves too seriously. He recently said, on all but two occasions, he's focused on the music first and the lyrics second. One of Muse's strengths, as far as outreach goes, is their typically vague/general lyrics. Matt has said he often does this so people of all stripes can relate to them in some manner or another. This hasn't always been a positive, as far as interpretation, perception, and communication/misunderstanding go, however. Glenn Beck used to hail the song "Uprising," and attempted to use it to further his own agenda, and this angered Matt, so he spoke out about it. "Drones" is now basically a musical rendition of the Bible, as its seemed to become an inkblot on whether to take the words literally or metaphorically. Matt has said to see them as the latter. "Compliance" drew at least one review, where the critic questioned whether it could be an anti-mask song. The band quickly released a statement thereafter to counter said thought. Matt, like a lot of people, is adamantly opposed to government corruption. He also hasn't shied away from his atheistic leanings. While he has, in the past, labeled himself as a "liberal libertarian," more recent elaborations seem to reveal his "libertarian" leanings are with regard to personal matters (such as sexual orientation and gender identity), and his liberal leanings are more economical. We can read lyrics however we so choose, but that doesn't make our interpretations an accurate reflection of the artist's intent. If you want to view Matt's lyrics as anti-lockdown, anti-mask, anti-vax, and/or anti-the reality of COVID, that's your call, but Matt has never ascribed to those positions; he's actually fervently spoken out against them.
  12. You say "my conspiracies," without elaborating on what they are. How can one listen to another if the other just spouts vagueness like "my conspiracies"? I don't think you know as much about Matt as you think. A 2006 song (a single line from it) and a 2007 concert? That was 16 and 15 years ago, respectively. A few things have changed in Matt's life since then, including having kids. He's always said he's conspiracy-curious, but doesn't necessarily buy into them. You seem to contend Matt's curiosity in conspiracies means he believes them, but curiosity isn't equivalent to belief. I think you place too much stock in lyrics. Give a guy messed up on drugs a pen and odds are he's going to write some crazy-sounding sh*t. Once again, the intent of a parody isn't necessarily to poke fun at the band nor song it's using for the parody. Weird Al is the most well-known parodist. Do you really think his takes off Madonna's "Like a Virgin" ("Like a Surgeon") or Michael Jackson's "Beat It" ("Eat It") had anything to do with poking fun at said artists? So, even if Matt were the most right-wing tinfoil hat-wearing conspiracist the world over, me using his song to parody right-wing conspiracy theories wouldn't mean I was necessarily poking fun at Matt. Muse is my favorite band. Why on earth would I write a parody to poke fun of them? The truth is Matt is not a 9/11-truther. He is not a flat-earther. He is not an anti-vaxxer nor anti-masker. He believes COVID is real; that Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine being used to treat it was BS; has hailed our healthcare workers as heroes during the pandemic; and called Donald Trump a "Nazi c*nt," calling for him to be impeached. He's as close to a right-wing nut job as Neptune is close to Mercury. My guess is you're a conspiracist; one reason you were compelled to listen to Muse was Matt's conspiracy-curiosity; and my lyrics struck a chord with you as a result. When you claimed I knew nothing about the band and singer, it's progressively coming across more as projection - as though the accusation were a confession.
  13. So what do you see and know that the rest of us don't? ...and does Matt see and know what you do, or do you just pretend he does, in order to make yourself feel better? 🤔
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