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Bu$hleaguer interpretations please

Lukin_ozLukin_oz Posts: 257
edited December 2006 in Words and Music...Communication
Ive done a search and cant find a thread where people have commented on this song so if anyone has interpretations or ideas please comment. While the basic stance of the song is obvious, it has some great lines and metaphors in the lyrics. Im an english teacher and will be using Bushleaguer and some other political songs in an issues class in the next few weeks so any comment sowuld be awesome


Bu$leaguer

(lies, lies, lies, lies, lies...)
how does he do it? how do they do it? uncanny and immutable
this is such a happening tailpipe of a party
like sugar, the guests are so refined

a confidence man, but why so beleaguered?
he's not a leader, he's a Texas leaguer
swinging for the fence, got lucky with a strike
drilling for fear makes the job simple
born on third, thinks he got a triple

blackout weaves its way through the city
blackout weaves its way through the city
blackout weaves its way...
i remember when you sang that song about today
now it's tomorrow and everything has changed

a think tank of aloof multiplication
a nicotine wish and a Columbus decanter
retrenchment and hoggishness
the aristocrat choir sings, "what's the ruckus?"

the haves have not a clue
the immenseness of suffering
and the odd negotiation, a rarity
with onion-skin plausibility of life
and a keyboard reaffirmation

blackout weaves its way through the city
blackout weaves its way through the city
blackout weaves its way...

i remember when you sang that song about today
now it's tomorrow and everything has changed
i remember when you sang that song about today
now it's tomorrow and everything has changed
changed, changed, chains, etc...
Those who dance are called insane by those who dont hear the music
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • JesterTGameJesterTGame Posts: 109
    sein as you have had 22 veiws and no replies i dont think many people know.
    i think its pretty much eds hatred for gw bush and what he has done to the world. maybe now people will put threads on to tell me how rong i am. k later
    Fuck me if i say somthing you dont want to hear,
    Fuck me if you only hear whats in your head.
    Fuck me if you can, coz im not leaving here.
  • even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    Ed did mention in an interview that "blackout weaves........" was all Stone's doing about the blackouts in California a couple of years back. Ed just stole that line and ran with it.
    You've changed your place in this world!
  • BlocksTheSunBlocksTheSun Posts: 25
    I think the second verse is definely about good ole bushy, the rest of the song I think is about anyone with power or money who looks the other way in regards to suffering people.
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  • PastorOfMuppetsPastorOfMuppets Posts: 4
    a think the title is a pun, or a non sexual double entendre...
  • crazycommisarcrazycommisar Posts: 60
    well, besides the obvious references to dubya, a busleaguer is a minor league or nonpro baseball team. A texas league is a minor league baseball team, so again with the reference to that. that is only one of several baseball references in the song....swinging for the fence got lucky with a strike...that is complete baseball reference, wasnt talent but lick that got him that. born on third thinks he got a triple- believes he has worked for what he has, doesnt realize everything was given to him.

    the haves have not a clue
    the immenseness of suffering
    and the odd negotiation, a rarity
    with onion-skin plausibility of life
    and a keyboard reaffirmation

    i believe that that is talking about how the government has no clue about the poor and impoverished, how they dont know what its like and simply thing throwing money at it will solve the problem.
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  • sirjamstonsirjamston Posts: 38
    i've always wanted to know what the 'onion-skin plausability of life' means!? because it's a superb lyric!
  • AbuskedtiAbuskedti Posts: 1,917
    twistedmenace wrote:
    i've always wanted to know what the 'onion-skin plausability of life' means!? because it's a superb lyric!

    An onion has many layers... The implication, I think, is that when it is beneficial to Mr. Bush - he merely deals with one or tow of the surface layers, never getting to the onion.
  • MerkyjammMerkyjamm Posts: 272
    I think it's all about the upper classes and warmongerers, and Dubya of course...
    Too many cowboys, not enough indians, so just go ape shit!

    I may be boring but at least I'm not Jack fucking Johnson.

    TV is such shit; let's go outside and ride bicycles, right now!

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  • IndianaPearlIndianaPearl Posts: 24
    Help! I just can't understand what "keyboard reaffirmation" means, I don't even get the image, probably 'cause English isn't my native language...help!!!
  • snailsnail Posts: 25
    i think a texas leaguer has to do with hitting the ball and it goes high in the air but lands in the middle of the players. not like a pop fly, i guess more pathetic. maybe other people know more about this than me.
    Peace
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    elodye wrote:
    Help! I just can't understand what "keyboard reaffirmation" means, I don't even get the image, probably 'cause English isn't my native language...help!!!
    I think that means pundits in newspaper columns and on the internet (Drudge et al) spreading their agenda.
  • lushkalushka Posts: 8
    twistedmenace wrote:
    i've always wanted to know what the 'onion-skin plausability of life' means!? because it's a superb lyric!

    Me too? Any ideas?
  • sfearllsfearll Posts: 16
    Here's my interpretations:

    a happening tailpipe of a party.... W's campaign and political support generally comes from the oil industry, the exhaust from which is damaging the planet (so some people believe).

    a confidence man... daddy was the CIA chief, confidence // con man

    W originally wanted to be the commissioner for major league baseball, and he owned a minor league team in Texas. Therefore, when he aimed for the fence (trying to hit a home run, being named commissioner), he missed the ball (got a strike) and ended up in Texas politics instead.

    born on third, thinks he got a triple.... born into a political dynasty family, so he started with an advantage, but he thinks he earned his position the hard way.

    can't help much on the second verse... but the aristrocrat choir and the odd and rare negotiation seem pretty straightforward. onionskin plausibility... seems like the plausibility of the administration's justifications are pretty thin, like the outer layer of onionskin.

    keyboard affirmation? haven't a clue, can't imagine W spending much time at a keyboard... unless it reflects the way the media perpetuates the party line.

    my two cents.
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  • AusticmanAusticman Posts: 1,324
    I think its a about a man way out of his depth intelligence wise and out of touch socially but how they run a pinpoint perfect political campain to get him into office.

    And once there all the back scratching that had to go back the other way as thankyous.
    I can't go the library anymore, everyone STINKS!!
  • Casey1Casey1 Posts: 11
    This is how I've interpeted different parts of this song. The title is a refence to a minor league baseball team. I think this is Ed's way of saying Bush is, at best, a amateur politcian yet he is somehow playing in the "big league".

    (lies, lies, lies, lies, lies...)
    how does he do it? how do they do it? uncanny and immutable
    this is such a happening tailpipe of a party
    like sugar, the guests are so refined

    I think the first verse is about the Neo-Conservative wing of the Republican Party in General. I agree with the person who said that "happening tail-pipe of a party" refers to oil money.

    a confidence man, but why so beleaguered?
    he's not a leader, he's a Texas leaguer
    swinging for the fence, got lucky with a strike
    drilling for fear makes the job simple
    born on third, thinks he got a triple

    Ok, this verse is an obvious reference to Bush. "Swinging for the fence, got lucky with a strike", in my opinion, refers to Bush running for president and winning. The baseball reference draws me to this conclusion. A batter is swinging for the fence and is lucky enough to get a pitch in the strike zone (right down the middle of the plate, as opposed to high and away or towards the head). He didn't deserve the White House, but he got lucky.

    "Born on Third, thinks he got a triple" is a reference to being born into a wealthy family and thinking you worked hard for your money.

    blackout weaves its way through the city
    blackout weaves its way through the city
    blackout weaves its way...
    i remember when you sang that song about today
    now it's tomorrow and everything has changed

    I always took this to be a reference to the California blackouts, and judging by one of the posts on here, I guess I'm right. "i remember when you sang that song about today. now it's tomorrow and everything has changed", I think, is a reference to Bush making various campaign promises (such as to not be a nation-builder and to lower Co2 emmisions) and doing the exact opposite when he took office.

    a think tank of aloof multiplication
    a nicotine wish and a Columbus decanter
    retrenchment and hoggishness
    the aristocrat choir sings, "what's the ruckus?"

    I'm a little more lost on this verse. The only part that stands out to me is the "What's the ruckus" part. It makes me think of Bush's cronies believing everything is fine with the country and the world.

    the haves have not a clue
    the immenseness of suffering
    and the odd negotiation, a rarity
    with onion-skin plausibility of life
    and a keyboard reaffirmation

    "The odd negotiation a rarity" seems to be a reference to Bush unilateral way of doing everything. You're either with me or against me, so why bother negotiating.

    blackout weaves its way through the city
    blackout weaves its way through the city
    blackout weaves its way...

    i remember when you sang that song about today
    now it's tomorrow and everything has changed
    i remember when you sang that song about today
    now it's tomorrow and everything has changed
    changed, changed, chains, etc...
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