Pilate... I have a dog?!

little_wish

Does anyone have an interpretation of this song? It baffles my mind! LOL, just wondering what other people think coz I frankly don't get it. It's a great song, don't get me wrong I love it, but I still don't get what it's about!
Thanx
Naomi

grooveamatic

I've been pondering on this for a long time. I'm fairly certain that the Pilate refers to the biblical Pontius Pilate, who, I believe, ordered Jesus put to death. As far as the dog goes, I'm pretty sure there is no dog connected to Pilate in the bible, so your guess is as good as mine. "Drawing circles down"...what the fuck is that? This one will baffle us for the ages. This is a fairly long response for me to say "I have no idea" but that's what I'm saying.

pariah

From http://www.giventowail.com:

"GW: Your songs on Yield seem to reflect that process. "Pilate" is all frenzied frustration, while "Low Light" is like a hymn, serene and at peace. But why does Pilate have a dog?

Ament: I think "Pilate" was the question I was asking myself, and "Low Light " was the answer, the realization. Have you ever read The Master and Margarita [by Mikhail Bulgakov]? I just read that book, and at the end they talk about Pontius Pilate being all alone on a mountain with his dog. He couldn't. sleep and he couldn't function. It really struck me hard, because at that point I was feeling very alone. I've always had this recurring dream about being old and just me and my dog sitting on the porch. It wasn't necessarily a sad dream or a premonition, but it did get me to thinking about why Pilate was so alone and freaked out. Then I realized he didn't get to finish his conversation with Jesus—that's why he can't function, because he didn't tie up the loose ends in his life. Later, I was playing the guitar, and I was hit so hard by this amazing, emotion. In that moment the words "low light" came out, and somehow those were the only words to explain what I was feeling. It was a kind of gratefulness at finding that place of calm and peace at my center and getting a glimpse of the person I could choose to be. It was the purest happiness that I've experienced in a long time, that particular emotion. God, I thought I was going to explode. I feel very lucky to have been able to put it down on tape that morning and work thorough it until it became a song. "

Hope that helps.

Cheers
-Mrc

{[No_Code}]

Originally posted by pariah
From http://www.giventowail.com:

"GW: Your songs on Yield seem to reflect that process. "Pilate" is all frenzied frustration, while "Low Light" is like a hymn, serene and at peace. But why does Pilate have a dog?

Ament: I think "Pilate" was the question I was asking myself, and "Low Light " was the answer, the realization. Have you ever read The Master and Margarita [by Mikhail Bulgakov]? I just read that book, and at the end they talk about Pontius Pilate being all alone on a mountain with his dog. He couldn't. sleep and he couldn't function. It really struck me hard, because at that point I was feeling very alone. I've always had this recurring dream about being old and just me and my dog sitting on the porch. It wasn't necessarily a sad dream or a premonition, but it did get me to thinking about why Pilate was so alone and freaked out. Then I realized he didn't get to finish his conversation with Jesus—that's why he can't function, because he didn't tie up the loose ends in his life. Later, I was playing the guitar, and I was hit so hard by this amazing, emotion. In that moment the words "low light" came out, and somehow those were the only words to explain what I was feeling. It was a kind of gratefulness at finding that place of calm and peace at my center and getting a glimpse of the person I could choose to be. It was the purest happiness that I've experienced in a long time, that particular emotion. God, I thought I was going to explode. I feel very lucky to have been able to put it down on tape that morning and work thorough it until it became a song. "

Hope that helps.

Cheers
-Mrc

wow... that's so cool.... thanks a lot!!

little_wish

Yeah thanks, I guess that clears a lot of questions up!
Thanks again!

grooveamatic

That DOES clear up a lot of questions...I shall rest easier.

brain of c

awesome.:)

justam

pariah, thanks for posting that. I hadn't read it before.

pariah

You're very welcome. Glad to have helped.

upina2001

I would rather not know. Sometimes the imagination of what Ed says leaves it open for personal interpretation. But that is just me.

Originally posted by pariah
From http://www.giventowail.com:

"GW: Your songs on Yield seem to reflect that process. "Pilate" is all frenzied frustration, while "Low Light" is like a hymn, serene and at peace. But why does Pilate have a dog?

Ament: I think "Pilate" was the question I was asking myself, and "Low Light " was the answer, the realization. Have you ever read The Master and Margarita [by Mikhail Bulgakov]? I just read that book, and at the end they talk about Pontius Pilate being all alone on a mountain with his dog. He couldn't. sleep and he couldn't function. It really struck me hard, because at that point I was feeling very alone. I've always had this recurring dream about being old and just me and my dog sitting on the porch. It wasn't necessarily a sad dream or a premonition, but it did get me to thinking about why Pilate was so alone and freaked out. Then I realized he didn't get to finish his conversation with Jesus—that's why he can't function, because he didn't tie up the loose ends in his life. Later, I was playing the guitar, and I was hit so hard by this amazing, emotion. In that moment the words "low light" came out, and somehow those were the only words to explain what I was feeling. It was a kind of gratefulness at finding that place of calm and peace at my center and getting a glimpse of the person I could choose to be. It was the purest happiness that I've experienced in a long time, that particular emotion. God, I thought I was going to explode. I feel very lucky to have been able to put it down on tape that morning and work thorough it until it became a song. "

Hope that helps.

Cheers
-Mrc

grooveamatic

I've just asked 3 friends of mine who are well versed in the bible and they all say that Pilate being alone with a dog on a mountain is complete rubbish...two of them even cracked up laughing. Pilate just orders Christ killed, washes his hands of the affair, and that is all we really see of him. I'm gonna look him up for myself and see if I can verify this.

whoYOUare

Originally posted by grooveamatic
I've just asked 3 friends of mine who are well versed in the bible and they all say that Pilate being alone with a dog on a mountain is complete rubbish...two of them even cracked up laughing. Pilate just orders Christ killed, washes his hands of the affair, and that is all we really see of him. I'm gonna look him up for myself and see if I can verify this.

nothing against your friends, but more often than not, the bible is interpreted as truth, and for hte most part it isnt. most of the stories are made up to teach lessons. now im not sayin that the pilate story is true or false, but the bible talks more about jesus and what happens after, than it does about pilate. for all we know he could grabed a concubine and spent the rest of his life in his bed room bangin away...

pariah

Originally posted by upina2001
I would rather not know. Sometimes the imagination of what Ed says leaves it open for personal interpretation. But that is just me.

No offence, but... if you don't wanna hear this, then don't read threads about song interpretation...

grooveamatic

Originally posted by whoYOUare
nothing against your friends, but more often than not, the bible is interpreted as truth, and for hte most part it isnt. most of the stories are made up to teach lessons. now im not sayin that the pilate story is true or false, but the bible talks more about jesus and what happens after, than it does about pilate. for all we know he could grabed a concubine and spent the rest of his life in his bed room bangin away...

If the bible is interpreted as truth, then why are we discussing hypothetical conclusions that just anyone could come up with? The dog thing could have come out of absolutely anywhere, in that case. If there is nothing in the bible about a dog with Pilate, then what the hell does it mean?

And who decided the bible is interpreted as truth? I could find 8 thousand counter examples to that. Millions of people view the bible as a series of allegories.

Aussie's Rock!

Originally posted by grooveamatic
I've just asked 3 friends of mine who are well versed in the bible and they all say that Pilate being alone with a dog on a mountain is complete rubbish...two of them even cracked up laughing. Pilate just orders Christ killed, washes his hands of the affair, and that is all we really see of him. I'm gonna look him up for myself and see if I can verify this.

'Pilate'
If you read the section concerning Pilate's sentencing of Jesus to death he sends him to Herod first - Herod knows this is a bad move for him to be making - politically it could destroy his career - and forces Pilate to make the decision. Pilate doesn't really want to do it - but he has to appease the mob who are calling for blood - a move that goes straight against his morals.
If you change the ownership here - (for instance, are you assuming Pilate owns a dog, when you could be looking at it in the light of 'My dog is like Pilate?') - a more interesting concept arrives to mind of manipulating those around you to do your 'dirty work' or become the scapegoat - I'm sure we've all been responsible for letting someone else take the fall
Just a little something different.

(as a matter of interest, Pilate is later exiled to Gaul where he commits suicide)

john girl

Pilate/ Pilot,

I had a pilot dream a couple of years ago, it was THE most vivid recollection of a dream I ever had.

pilate/pilot aren't pilots "captains" of there ships/planes?

Pilate's story to me, is about a man who was enforcing the law of Rome and Ceasar (who was state diefied, as like a God), which was the death penalty for Jesus (Jesus though sacrifice, goes to God, were his last words "why hast thou forsaken me?")

it s two men going down with the ship- mirror metaphors

the word Pilate represents to me the crux of your belief in God, Politics Interference and Enlightenment

grooveamatic

Originally posted by john girl
Pilate/ Pilot,

I had a pilot dream a couple of years ago, it was THE most vivid recollection of a dream I ever had.

pilate/pilot aren't pilots "captains" of there ships/planes?

Pilate's story to me, is about a man who was enforcing the law of Rome and Ceasar (who was state diefied, as like a God), which was the death penalty for Jesus (Jesus though sacrifice, goes to God, were his last words "why hast thou forsaken me?")

it s two men going down with the ship- mirror metaphors

the word Pilate represents to me the crux of your belief in God, Politics Interference and Enlightenment

So then what does the lyric mean...I mean, given that thought, what would the narrator of the song "Pilate" be saying by declaring that he has his dog, too?

fanch75

Pilate is about not giving a fuck and drinking so much you sing aloud to the masses, "Like Pilate, I have a dog"

Bertha

Greetings,

from Jeff´s statement about the song (thanks a lot for finding & posting!) I find his interpretation very clear and comprehensible. Also the fact that it´s not Pilate as we know him from the Bible that triggered that image, but Pilate as a character further developed by some book´s characters (I´ve read "the master and Margarita, but that part slipped my mind). So it´s sort of an artists interpretation of an artist´s interpretation...this line even triples once you see the New Testament as some writer´s work.
It´s way apart from the historical figure of Pilate though, rather a symbol of some human´s state of emotional consciousness and sense of self.

Anyway, that´s how I get it now, and I have to admit that without that quote I would have been absolutely lost as far as song meaning goes.

Love, Bertha