Drones Album Discussion Thread

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

ah yeah, I thought you were saying the opposite. Basically trying to prove that the lyrics weren't that simple because people were discussing them.

 

Sorry for the confusing writing. Yeah, I think this is by far their weakest album lyrically

[serpentsatellite]

I think the lyrics are so simplistic that things have sort of gone the other way...

 

They're SO simple, Matt's basic points for the album are lost rather than obvious, and people are looking for deeper meanings to the lyrics because they either feel like they just can't really be that basic, or just because they heard the things Matt's said about the album, and are trying really hard to find them.

 

That said, I still think it's just a bit of a break up album with the lyrics geared towards current events to make it more respectful.

[takayanagi97]

The lyrics in the new Drones album is sort of in conflict with itself. And that might be the way they intended it to be, mainly because the album is pushing itself even further towards the subject of conspiracy.

 

The subtleties might have been because if they pushed forward with their lyrics it might've been sounded too much like a whistle blower / truth teller.

 

However the writing in the Drones album is fairly simple. The Globalist is simply, lyrically about how we have been lied to our entire lives about our national security from our upper authorities. Then it proceeds to tell us we have no nation or countries left; just memories of the old world that you and I are familiar with. This part is really subtle mainly because Matt is implying that The Globalist Elite is trying to change our entire world, cuff us with a one world government, and memoirs of a once great nation we all once were are now forgotten. He also says we can prevent this if we rise ourselves like a god, maybe there can be prevention.

 

Aftermath seems to be just seen as another fluffy love ballad but that's not the case. The song is about war, being drained, and not being able to hide the tears and scars of battle. The struggle of bloodshed, and then coming home from that war, you find the person you truly love and care about. You promise your love you'll never be be alone again. War is over, your loved one doesn't need to be either at home worrying about you or fleeting in the cities somewhere. Loneliness is gone and love, life, peace and prosperity can start again. So it isn't only about love. Think about Vietnam War veterans or WW1-WW2 veterans coming home to their families. Aftermath doesn't only apply to your spouse; could apply to a family member, a son, or a daughter.

 

The single acapella "Drones" is a lot deeper than people think. Does anybody know of the technology that is developing in the next 5-10 years? Our government wants to monitor us with flying machines called "drones" that have guns attached to it. Other sources have claimed that soon, these drones although controlled by humans in their very own office or home, could kill any of us civilians. I mean it's already happening in Israel, innocent people killed by Drones.

 

The [JFK] snippet clearly indicates to us that the elite are still around and with Matt putting this snip in his album clearly indicates his love and passion for what United States used to stand for in the olden days of exposing conspiracy, helping the people, and throwing out corruption. That's why he talks about "memories of a once great nation we were"

 

In order to understand this album, I would highly suggest a person to get into the darker side of politics and learn it. Learn that our world has been controlled by international, central, bankers with a globalist elite agenda. Learn that America was once a great nation because they were once the greatest enemies against the globalist elite. Learn that the globalist elite are the people behind The National Bank of England. Learn that The National Bank of England is controlled by the Rothschild banking dynasty. The Rothschild have controlled England for centuries now.

[takayanagi97]

No mention of The Handler?

 

The Handler is pretty straight forward. Though I like some of their other songs on this album more, I think the lyrics in this song are pretty much talking about the globalist elite who control us and beat us on the heads, telling us how much we are worth, how we should live our life, and defining to us what success is and isn't, Matt is simply talking about breaking free from them.

 

He wants to take control of his own life. He wrote in the lyrics that listening to these selfish globalist pricks have done nothing but turned him into a cold, impassive machine. This can also be relevant to becoming pessimistic, self-loathing, submissive, and unable to think for oneself.

 

Lyrically I think the song is great, but the song itself like the background music and how he sings is not too impressive to me.

 

They're SO simple, Matt's basic points for the album are lost rather than obvious, and people are looking for deeper meanings to the lyrics because they either feel like they just can't really be that basic, or just because they heard the things Matt's said about the album, and are trying really hard to find them.

 

Are you referring to when Matt said something like "this was our most experimental and ambitious album, what we did was just go back to the basics."

 

I remember reading that interview somewhere, but if that's what you're talking about, I can explain to you what he means.

Edited October 26, 2015 by takayanagi97

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

Soooo..... the subtleties are basically the story paraphrased except replace everything with "Globalist Elite?"

 

I mean, I get what you're trying to say, but you essentially just paraphrased the story. I know the album is about the evil "them" brainwashing our protagonist who was burned by an unfeeling lover. The hero than breaks free from their control, and leads others against the oppressors. He then returns to a loved one for comfort. Then the world blows up.

 

Thank you for explaining what you saw in the writing and taking the time to reply.

[Jobby]

I think you're:

 

a) reading way too much into Matt's lyrics (and how much they represent his personal views/beliefs) and overestimating the depth he puts into them

b) taking your own interpretations too much as fact

c) mildly insane

[smoledman]

What kills me about Matt's lyrics post-Absolution(for the most part, BH&R had some good ones) is the absolute lack of subtlety. I mean compare any track on Drones with "Blackout" to see what I mean.

[Jobby]

What kills me about Matt's lyrics post-Absolution(for the most part, BH&R had some good ones) is the absolute lack of subtlety. I mean compare any track on Drones with "Blackout" to see what I mean.

 

To be fair, Matt's never been a particularly great or subtle lyricist. A lot of Showbiz-era lyrics are pretty on-the-nose/unsubtle and the vast majority of OOS-era lyrics are self-admitted nonsense.

 

I do think it's gotten progressively worse since TR though.

[smoledman]

To be fair, Matt's never been a particularly great or subtle lyricist. A lot of Showbiz-era lyrics are pretty on-the-nose/unsubtle and the vast majority of OOS-era lyrics are self-admitted nonsense.

 

I do think it's gotten progressively worse since TR though.

 

Yes he's never been Thom Yorke in the sense that he writes 100% brilliant lyrics, but Matt used to write 50% brilliant lyrics through BH&R and then it totally went to shit.

[takayanagi97]

I think you're:

 

a) reading way too much into Matt's lyrics (and how much they represent his personal views/beliefs) and overestimating the depth he puts into them

b) taking your own interpretations too much as fact

c) mildly insane

 

I just personally believe his writing isn't that bad. It's clear as day as it is for story telling. Maybe the way the music was composed is the problem. I actually like most of the lyrics but I think the composition of the music is bad on some tracks. What I mean is some of the tracks on this album sound like generic pop rock but with good intended lyrics. It's not really lyrically bad, but badly composed with background music.

 

Also, if you read the lyrics and the subliminal messages that entail it, it leaves more for personal interpretation that can be understood on a wide scale. The lyrics are simple, virtuous, cautionary, and caring.

 

I am not insane. I think it is genius that they are writing music about the world's greatest threat to humanity.

 

I do agree Matt doesn't write lyrics as brilliantly clear and poetic as Thom Yorke though.

Edited October 26, 2015 by takayanagi97

[Hat]

The single acapella "Drones" is a lot deeper than people think. Does anybody know of the technology that is developing in the next 5-10 years? Our government wants to monitor us with flying machines called "drones" that have guns attached to it. Other sources have claimed that soon, these drones although controlled by humans in their very own office or home, could kill any of us civilians. I mean it's already happening in Israel, innocent people killed by Drones.

You're basically taking us all for complete morons. You're literally explaining to us what drones are.

 

All of this is already obvious. What we're saying is that "Killed by drones

My mother, my father

My sister and my brother

My son and my daughter" is an extremely simple and infantile way of singing about....your mother, father, sister, brother son and daughter being killed by drones. And what drones are has already clearly been explained in Reapers, Psycho etc.

 

What I mean is some of the tracks on this album sound like generic pop rock but with good intended lyrics.

What the rest of us are saying though is that we completely understand what the lyrics mean and the story behind it, but that it's no better than any "generic pop rock band" out there.

[takayanagi97]

It is without any interest for my well being that I would take the pleasure of making people out to be morons. If that is how I sounded, I do humbly apologize. About the Drones lyrics part, I was not referring directly or indirectly to any members here. I don't even know any of you. These are sort of my opinions that I'm sharing when I read comments from people elsewhere but not here.

[Hat]

It is without any interest for my well being that I would take the pleasure of making people out to be morons. If that is how I sounded, I do humbly apologize. About the Drones lyrics part, I was not referring directly or indirectly to any members here. I don't even know any of you. These are sort of my opinions that I'm sharing when I read comments from people elsewhere but not here.

Well then in that case I suggest you read and watch some interviews with Matt on the subject because he says pretty much what you are saying word for word.

[serpentsatellite]

Are you referring to when Matt said something like "this was our most experimental and ambitious album, what we did was just go back to the basics."

 

I remember reading that interview somewhere, but if that's what you're talking about, I can explain to you what he means.

 

I have been talking about the lyrics, not the instrumentation, which is what Matt was clearly referring to in that interview. "Back to basics" of being a three piece band, and scaling down the genre hopping and electronics, etc.

 

The lyrics are pretty "basic" as well (read: dumbed down) and that he has also clearly indicated was partially at the request of the producer, who wanted to make sure he got his point across. So, really, the opposite of making them vague so it's not "truth saying."

 

Besides, I don't think there's anything of a conspiracy nature to this album, really. (Despite the lyrics to Mercy using that imagery.)

It seems pretty based on things that have already happened, or that are already being talked about for the near-future that aren't exactly secret, and it's just based on Matt's view of the world.

 

Unfortunately, again, while Matt's had some good interviews on the subject matter and has on occasion spoken about it pretty eloquently, none of that makes it into the lyrics, and the climax of the album is literally a slogan off a motivational poster.

[GarthMarenghi]

I love Radiohead and can sometimes relate to their lyrics but I don't think Thom Yorke is THAT great a lyricist.

 

On topic, I agree that the lyrics of Drones are far from subtle but as has been said, Origin of Symmetry was mainly nonsense. Just because something is more abstract doesn't make it better.

[Hat]

I don't care about nonsense lyrics. What bothers me are lyrics that are in-my-face awful.

[OriginOfAbso]

I also don't really believe Origin's lyrics were nonsense.

[Jobby]

I also don't really believe Origin's lyrics were nonsense.

 

Not all of them, but a fair amount. I seem to remember Matt coming out and saying that he purposefully wrote weird, nonsense lyrics at that time because he was uncomfortable with how people received a lot of the more personal lyrics on Showbiz (i.e. using them to assume things about him/criticising them).

 

In fact, I'm pretty sure that was at least partly the inspiration behind the lyrics for CE as well.

[OriginOfAbso]

Not all of them, but a fair amount. I seem to remember Matt coming out and saying that he purposefully wrote weird, nonsense lyrics at that time because he was uncomfortable with how people received a lot of the more personal lyrics on Showbiz (i.e. using them to assume things about him/criticising them).

 

In fact, I'm pretty sure that was at least partly the inspiration behind the lyrics for CE as well.

 

Yeah, I guess what I mean is that even on the songs where he says he wrote nonsense, I think the "nonsense" actually really meant something, he just used weird lyrics that seem nonsensical to mask the true meanings so he would feel comfortable.

 

But idk, some could actually be nonsense. Either way, I don't really mind. Still so much better than now.

[serpentsatellite]

Matt said he wrote more vague lyrics, or things with more of a fictional basis because being so open with the lyrics on Showbiz was fairly traumatic for him, yeah. Doesn't really mean they were nonsense.

 

I wondered at the time when I read he'd written The Globalist with CE in mind, and used TG as the basis of writing the rest of the album, if that's more what he meant, than it actually being a "sequel" of any kind...

More of a "how am I going to write this break up album without people speculating and drawing conclusions."

 

Maybe I overthought that a bit, but I still can't come up with any other link between the two songs, for sure.

[Jobby]

Yeah, I guess what I mean is that even on the songs where he says he wrote nonsense, I think the "nonsense" actually really meant something, he just used weird lyrics that seem nonsensical to mask the true meanings so he would feel comfortable.

 

But idk, some could actually be nonsense. Either way, I don't really mind. Still so much better than now.

 

Oh yeah, I think stuff like Space Dementia and maybe Megalomania is definitely where that 'writing personal songs but covering them up with bigger subjects' thing started off. Songs like PIB and Micro Cuts are more nonsense-esque though imo.

[Crimsonglory]

Am I the only one who listens to "Dead Inside" and automatically think maybe he's talking about Kate here?

[OriginOfAbso]

Oh yeah, I think stuff like Space Dementia and maybe Megalomania is definitely where that 'writing personal songs but covering them up with bigger subjects' thing started off. Songs like PIB and Micro Cuts are more nonsense-esque though imo.

 

I read Micro Cuts was about a recurring nightmare he kept having, or is that not true?

[Jobby]

I read Micro Cuts was about a recurring nightmare he kept having, or is that not true?

 

Probably, when I say 'nonsense' I don't necessarily mean totally random and devoid of subject or reason, I mean more vague to the point of not having any clear subject. Probs could've used a better word but ah well.

 

Shit, I had a nightmare about Micro Cuts once so it wouldn't surprise me

[OriginOfAbso]

Probably, when I say 'nonsense' I don't necessarily mean totally random and devoid of subject or reason, I mean more vague to the point of not having any clear subject. Probs could've used a better word but ah well.

 

Shit, I had a nightmare about Micro Cuts once so it wouldn't surprise me

 

I read it in that Muse book by the NME guy. Matt said he started having a recurring nightmare about blades chasing him through the desert and lodging into his head. Then a doctor told him it was because he was drinking too much red wine and no water. Sorry if you already know that haha. I just found it interesting.