ADDICTED

Hey! You're awake!
And it keeps you where you're born to be,
You're afraid... HE'S AFRAID!!!
And it keeps your wants a-wanting...
Oh, let go!
You're the only thing that keeps you well controlled,
Self-control!
It will make sure we are ONE, YOU'LL WANT TO SEE US!
OH!!!
YOU'RE ADDICTED!
...WHICH MAKES IT SEEM SO HARD TO BE YOUR FRIEND
YOUR ADDICTED TO YOUR PAIN
BENEDICT-US!
STAY AWAY FROM THE PORNOGRAPHY I'M SAYING:
LETS BE LIKE THE MOUNTAIN!
OM! OM! OM! OM!
Oh, let's go... 'I will not choose I will not know control!'
SELF CONTROL!!!
We will make sure we are CLEAR
YOU'LL WANT TO SEE US.
OH!!!
WE'RE ADDICTED!
WHICH MAKES IT SEEM SO HARD TO BE YOUR FRIEND
WE'RE ADDICTED TO OUR PAIN
BENEDICT-US!
STAY AWAY FROM THE PORNOGRAPHY I'M SAYING
YOU'RE ADDICTED TO OUR PAIN...
BEEN A DICK TO US!!!!
STAY AWAY FROM THE PORNOGRAPHY I'M SAYING:
LETS BE LIKE THE MOUNTAIN!
OM! OM! OM! OM!

Somehow Devin's albums find me when I need them. Ki found me at a critical moment in my life and since it is a part of a concept then I have no problem feeling that Addicted is the next thing I'm supposed to hear.

So the reason I start this thread is to gather peoples thoughts on the meaning of the lyrics to song Addicted!. No doubt someone is out there that has paid attention to interviews or articles that I haven't even seen yet and they want to share their view of the story.

Personally, I have questions ...

Seems like there's dialogue between people so I instantly assume the "he/you" is the author... so who is the "us"?
Theres contradictions of control and refusing control and I dunno what...
It seems like there's something implied by the screaming of OM! instead of the meditative Om. Seems more like a command.
So is the song a tale of porn intervention? Last night, for the first time, someone asked me if I was addicted to porn and I didn't really know how to answer but this song was the first thing I thought of.

Anyway, I have more questions but maybe just getting the discussion started will shed light. Obviously I would love to see similar threads pop up for other songs from the album but usually it's best to just start at the beginning.

Thanks to all of you.

[The Dev]

Everythings a dichotomy...

Farting as much as meditation, Being stupid as much as existential conversation.

Pretty much as 'base' as 'evolved'...

Om is the truth, the sound, a vibrational metaphor for the sum of all natural laws (to me) ...and in all honesty, I can't say it loud enough. And even when I think it, it's louder than everything I can imagine.

The pattern of 'You are a puppet' during Color Your World is morse code for Om as well, etc etc...same with Info Dump.

Us is the collective.

'You' and 'I' are arbitrary

Porn is incredibly attractive because of the 'base' being a survival instinct, yet it affects (in my opinion) how we view each other.

There is only truth, and to distort that through desire makes the ultimate goal (connection and merging with the Om) harder and harder.

So short term pain, long term gain... It would be great tonight to eat a rare steak, drink a bottle of wine, smoke a ton of weed and then bend the ham to some ass to mouth, but in the long term, it slows the vibrations down to the point where eventually, I rely on those things and without them I'm never truly able to have full clarity.

For some folks, that clarity isn't a goal, but I feel very much like I have a 'job to do' with music, so the closer I can get to that clarity, the more pure the vision will be.

Forever? Who knows...Deconstructions 'moral' was very overwhelming...'there is only truth, and it's different than expected, yet we know it all along.'

'There's a universe in us all'

All observations aside though, no mission or judgement...different strokes for different folks. I think being a masochist definitely plays into it.

The base side of things chooses chaos, 'I don't wanna save my soul, I just wanna lose control'

While the connected side urges us to 'Be like the mountain'

BEEN A DICK TO US! ..I think there's several of them kicking around in there

That's really cool..... I always knew that the rythm of Info Dump / Colour Your World was morse code for something, but out of sheer laziness never bothered to find out. After reading what you just said about Om being a kind of mindset for connecting with nature, it gives a COMPLETELY different perspective on both of those songs, but particularly info dump.

....... Please play Colour Your World at the Aus shows

[The Dev]

Please play Colour Your World at the Aus shows

ok!

So short term pain, long term gain... It would be great tonight to eat a rare steak, drink a bottle of wine, smoke a ton of weed and then bend the ham to some ass to mouth, but in the long term, it slows the vibrations down to the point where eventually, I rely on those things and without them I'm never truly able to have full clarity.

Man... and just day to day living holds so many distractions that it is so easy to forget all this,keep it foremost in the mind and just bounce around not realising what it is we should be doing. Like you say: we already know all this, so when I see reminders like this thread it's always like "Oh yeah... there IS a Universe in us all. Why am I screwing around worrying about pointless silly things.". Always on the search for truth, but keep wandering off with distractions before coming back again. Slows things down.

Now, where was that bottle or red?...

bend the ham to some ass to mouth,

What?

[swervedriver]

bend the ham to some ass to mouth,

What?

Masturbate to porn.

Surely the concept of ass to mouth is not unfamiliar to you?

bend the ham to some ass to mouth,

What?

I'm going to pretend that I didn't see those words. Too much information, Devin. Fuck.

Surely the concept of ass to mouth is not unfamiliar to you?

Not to be confused with arse to mouthpiece, like in those infamous telephone photos!

Interesting info from Dev!

[The Dev]

Sorry about that, just trying to illustrate the dichotomy...that was a little rude.

I laughed so hard I woke my kid up in the other room. I guess the whole paragraph struck a sympathetic chord. In the process of writing this I've consumed a bowl of cereal and a bowl of some stinky stuff. Not enough time in my life spent being like the mountain. I've been patting myself on the back for quitting cigarettes over 4 years ago. Time for some progression.

I always figured that I failed at meditation due to the chatter and music in my head. Your words on the Om being the loudest thing you can imagine has given me a new approach the next time I try to meditate. Just make your intention louder than the playback reels in the head.

Sorry for needing my hand held on the lyrics. I guess having grown up with a lot of prog I expected that the "concept" needed a he/she/them to have a story. It's not often that a character is the collective Us. I hope you feel that part of your "job" in music is helping others get along. If not, it's a fortunate side-effect to perhaps my only healthy addiction.

Sorry about that, just trying to illustrate the dichotomy...that was a little rude.

Funny nonetheless, however, after I actually got it. You have the internets permission to use such imagery in the future.

At times like these, I am reminded that you are still (at least on some level) the man who brought us Shitstorm.

[The Dev]

Yeah, probably wise to keep that in mind...