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flowering judas, T.S. Eliot – Gerontion
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This is also a reference to Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. Gerontion is a Judas-figure through much of this poem, characterised by his sinful nature and inability to find meaning in life (the original Judas eventually committed suicide). It’s followed neatly with a whole host of other betrayers from various nations, who treat art as a commodity – recalling Judas' “thirty pieces of silver” Matthew 26:15.

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Early morning Manhattan Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
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The album is set in Manhattan.

The liner notes that accompany the story begin:

“Keep your fingers out of my eye. While I write I like to glance at the butterflies in the glass that are all around the walls. The people in memory are pinned to events I can’t recall too well, but I’m putting one down to watch him break up, decompose, and feed another sort of life. The one in question is all fully biodegradable material and recognized as ‘Rael’. Rael hates me but I like Rael- yes, even ostriches have feelings, but our relationship is something both of us are learning to live with. Rael likes a good time, I like a good rhyme, but you won’t see me directly anymore- he hates my being around. So if his story doesn’t stand I might lend a hand, you understand? (ie the rhyme is planned you dummies).The flickering needle jumps to red. New York crawls out of its bed.”

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Ultramarine, 808 State (Ft. James Dean Bradfield) – Lopez
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It’s Latin for “Beyond the Sea”. Don Solaris is full of imagery to do with the sea, the colour blue, and so on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8OlDPqYBLw

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Rael imperial aerosol kid
Exits into daylight, spraygun hid Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
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Rael is a vandal. Not one of these:

But one of these:

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And the lamb lies down on Broadway Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
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There are various interpretations of the eponymous “lamb”. The lamb might be Rael himself, or it could be seen as a Biblical allusion to Christ. One interpretation is that Rael himself is a sacrificial lamb.

Alternatively, the lamb could be the white steam coming up from the subway filtered through Rael’s drug-fueled gaze so that it looks like a lamb.

It’s also possible that the lamb lying down on Broadway is merely meant to be an absurd image that sets the tone for the rest of the story, which only gets crazier from here.

All the liner notes say about it is: “Meanwhile out of the steam a lamb lies down. The lamb has nothing whatsoever to do with Rael, or any other lamb- it just lies down on Broadway.”

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6,015

11 months

All of the above.

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3

3 years

Peter Gabriel has a known fascination with Carl Jung’s work- for example, his later solo song “The Rhythm and the Heat” is adapted from Jung’s notes on a travel to Africa.

The depiction of the Lamb as incidental to the story suggests the concept of “synchronicity”- Jung’s attempt to describe seemingly related, meaningful events that have no logical, causal relationship in the conscious world. “The lamb has nothing whatsoever to do with Rael” in a literal, conscious sense; and yet in spite of all logic, it serves as the catalyst for the entire album.

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Mm1rytwsstagqiqhjbem_13fcbcf211a4db9cc21929a12f0f42d2

924

4 years

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in the Hermetic tradition, is an operation/ritual of bringing the cosmic light down into oneself. In this case, the “world” is Broadway. Gabriel is well-known for his spiritual explorations of different belief systems.

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Default_avatar_100

6,015

4 years

Lamb = satirical Christ.

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Marked this as a stretch?
7 years
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Who Dares Wins The Streets – Who Dares Wins
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The penultimate track on The Streets' grime/garage classic Original Pirate Material, this is a short, punchy interlude between “Weak Become Heroes” and “Stay Positive”. The contrast between the end of this track and the start of “Stay Positive” is too sick to state.

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The streets merely reflect this bass line and beat The Streets – Who Dares Wins
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A complex line.

The Streets' music could be said to reflect its environment, but here Mike’s making a bigger claim: that the environment (“the streets”) reflects the music (“this bass line and beat”). It’s also a pun on the name of “The Streets” which he follows up in the next line.

Alternatively, the line could be a description of the state of mind Mike’s in: walking through the streets, listening to garage music and seeing his surroundings as a mere offshoot of what he’s listening to. It could also be the (slightly modest) statement that The Streets' music is just a reflection of the sort of stuff that’s already going on in garage, a general bass line and beat which undercuts the atmosphere of Birmingham both musically and physically.

Whatever the case, the imagery and complexity of this line makes it one of Skinner’s best.

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