Mammon Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 I first heard the Flobots song "Handlebars" and thought it was pretty awesome... Lyrics beings... I can ride my bike with no handlebars No handlebars No handlebars I can ride my bike with no handlebars No handlebars No handlebars Look at me, look at me hands in the air like it's good to be ALIVE and I'm a famous rapper even when the paths're all crookedy I can show you how to do-si-do I can show you how to scratch a record I can take apart the remote control And I can almost put it back together I can tie a knot in a cherry stem I can tell you about Leif Ericson I know all the words to "De Colores" And "I'm Proud to be an American" Me and my friend saw a platypus Me and my friend made a comic book And guess how long it took I can do anything that I want cuz, look: I can keep rhythm with no metronome No metronome No metronome And I can see your face on the telephone On the telephone On the telephone Look at me Look at me Just called to say that it's good to be ALIVE In such a small world I'm all curled up with a book to read I can make money open up a thrift store I can make a living off a magazine I can design an engine sixty four Miles to a gallon of gasoline I can make new antibiotics I can make computers survive aquatic conditions I know how to run a business I can make you wanna buy a product Movers shakers and producers Me and my friends understand the future I see the strings that control the systems I can do anything with no assistance Cuz I can lead a nation with a microphone With a microphone With a microphone And I can split the atom of a molecule Of a molecule Of a molecule Look at me Look at me Driving and I won't stop And it feels so good to be Alive and on top My reach is global My tower secure My cause is noble My power is pure I can hand out a million vaccinations Or let'em all die in exasperation Have'em all healed of their lacerations Have'em all killed by assassination I can make anybody go to prison Just because I don't like'em and I can do anything with no permission I have it all under my command Because I can guide a missile by satellite By satellite By satellite And I can hit a target through a telescope Through a telescope Through a telescope And I can end the planet in a holocaust In a holocaust In a holocaust In a holocaust In a holocaust In a holocaust I can ride my bike with no handlebars No handlebars No handlebars I can ride my bike with no handlebars No handlebars It seemed pretty postive and about pursuing values and living and what not. So I got the CD and found that there is some good stuff on it, but it's bogged down with alot of pseudo-Marxist stuff and they also have this webcomic, which had this page... And this page... It's all package deals. Freedoming fighting and smooth poetic lyrics, tobbled with psuedo-Leftist stuff. *sigh* I'm really disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IchorFigure Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Bahh, me too in that case. I like that song Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kori Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Yeah, it's a really great song, but I wish I had a version of it without that third verse where it gets all depressing. I was wondering if someone here would ever make a thread about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 This is a Colorado band and they've been playing Handlebars on the radio for some time now. I liked it until I heard the last part of the song. The video is just AWFUL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kori Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 ^Exactly, Kelz. Also, I thought it was, "I can do anything with no RESISTANCE." Did you take those lyrics from a website or did they come straight out of the CD booklet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriatarka Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 The video is just AWFUL! Why? I thought it was pretty good. It also changed the meaning I took from the song - from reading the lyrics I thought it was saying that the actions in the second verse necessarily led to those in the third, whereas the video suggests that there is a choice between the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriatarka Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Also I hadnt head this before and its now probably my favourite pop song I've listend to this year, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeatherFall Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 (edited) The video shows the choice between the American sense of life (which is depicted as bad) and an altruist sense of life, which seems to be dirty but noble. The corporate sector bustles with smoke and smog spewing callousness. The "people", one assumes, are downtrodden because of the selfish corporatechnocrats. At the very end is a violent, marxist, class-strugle. I think the song/vid is a talanted representation of a terrible message. Edited July 12, 2008 by FeatherFall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriatarka Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 (edited) The video shows the choice between the American sense of life (which is depicted as bad) and an altruist sense of life, which seems to be dirty but noble. The corporate sector bustles with smoke and smog spewing callousness. The "people", one assumes, are downtrodden because of the selfish corporatechnocrats. At the very end is a violent, marxist, class-strugle. I think the song/vid is a talanted representation of a terrible message. The positive side of business is represented in the second verse. Whats being depicted in the third verse is the military-industrial complex and influential corporations who profit from war, not enterprise in general. Or at least thats how I interpreted it. Edited July 12, 2008 by eriatarka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena glaukopis Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 I heard this song as West and I were driving to Newport, and I got really excited. Thanks for the warning before I went out to buy the CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kori Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 I agree with eriatarka about it being a choice between "this" or "that". However, I still prefer the first two verses over the third. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 They don't seem like capitalists to me. They seem quite the opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted July 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 The positive side of business is represented in the second verse. Whats being depicted in the third verse is the military-industrial complex and influential corporations who profit from war, not enterprise in general. Or at least thats how I interpreted it. Yeah, but after seeing the video I'm wondering if see the difference between the two. It looks like there is some regret there... that the place they lived in became a facist dystopia? The smaller details are what clue me into the fact that I don't think they really see the difference between the two. The two friends or brothers walked down too different paths. One was a dove, and the other was a "C" -- what does the C stand for? Capitalism? Corporations? Cain? Coolness? What? When the brother who choice the C world was walking around, it seemed like he wasn't happy with what he saw, which was drive cool cars, hot girls and nice clothes (contrast to the other brothers/friends path where he was poor and beat down but happy). When he was in the board room, the chart was going higher and higher and ended up in... what looked like a blood spray. And then all the sudden this successfull businessman was a politician and everything goes to shit, which means there are roads everywhere and cameras and factories spitting out smoke. You could interpret this as the fact that no matter what, politicians don't do anything good, but I doubt that was the point. Plus, all those innocent civilians were gunned down for protesting, which would indicate that Joe Corporation brought about a really oppressive regime of some kind. For what reason, we don't know... That's another odd thing about Flobot's lyrics and comics and stuff. They don't seem to blame anyone in particular, and don't really specify what's the problem or the cause of it. I think it's left up for interpretation, but it's kind of difficult. One of there songs talks about shuting down Gitmo and bringing back Che Guevera and other Marxist guerrillas. So, it's hard not to get the hint. ^Exactly, Kelz. Also, I thought it was, "I can do anything with no RESISTANCE." Did you take those lyrics from a website or did they come straight out of the CD booklet? I got them from a website, so I'm not for sure. It sounds like RESISTANCE to me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NineInfinity Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I saw them in concert when they opened for The Fray last year and they had a lot of songs/statements that fit perfectly the typical liberal political positions. They sang a song inspired by Katrina that was about how Bush doesn't care about anyone. Their lead singer also proudly wore an Obama '08 shirt. Here is a sample of a statement from their website: "Our goals during the DNC are: To celebrate the fact that a progressive African-American candidate running a grassroots campaign on an antiwar platform has secured the nomination of a major political party. To claim this nomination as a victory for the antiwar movement. To reaffirm our moral obligation to end the occupation of Iraq, support the reconstruction of Iraq, and fully fund veterans’ benefits. To call attention to ongoing efforts to address other forms of violence and neglect in US foreign and domestic policy. To commit ourselves to transforming this country into a resource for peacemaking and sustainability." I believe the song "Handlebars" is supposed to be denigrating the US for having such a high image of itself despite the fact that it is just an evil war monger in their eyes. The first two verses are "look at us, look how great we are" followed by the third which is "look at how much horrible devastation we can cause." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenure Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I too was very disappointed by this band. When I first heard a bit of it on the radio, I thought it was a nice song, celebrating one's efficacious sense of life, doing little tricks with ease and just enjoying one's own purpose and action. Then of course, I kept listening to the song and watched the video and saw a really malevolent side to it all. Still, I sing the chorus to myself and enjoy that for what it is. Also, they do do a fantastic cover of 'Happy Together': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSvrCPFXAKs The best use of rap I've heard in ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clawg Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Seems like the "New America" will have serious a smog problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 about the smog. During the DNC, they played with Rage Against the Machine. I guess that tells you what their message is about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenure Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 One more thing - I was listening to this song again, and noticed a mention of Leif Ericson. Leif Ericson is a favourite amongst liberal types who want to discredit any achievement by the Colonists. Essentially, their idea is that since a few vikings decided to land in Newfoundland, set up a very small settlement and leave pretty soon afterwards, leaving no records or maps of the country to get back (i.e. having no intention to return), they should be put on the same level as the Colonists who went across the seas with the direct intention of setting up a long-term community there. The goal is to ultimately make the European colonisation seem less impressive (along with accusing them of the genocide of Native Americans and the theft of nomadic land). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James I Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I think the reason is mistaking trade with force, believing that there can be no separation of economy and state and a lack of knowledge about ethical egoism and therefore capitalism. To paraphrase Rand, they don't see the difference between Attila and the businessman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenure Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 I saw this comic on their site and it made laugh uproariously: http://flobots.net/tales/2008/06/vote-for-change-10/ They took my sign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tito Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 Did anyone notice this? This image flashes up for less than a second it is clearly a depiction of the Abu Ghraib photograph, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) They have a great song on an earlier EP called "Jetpack." Some lyrics: [Chorus:] I will not bend I will not bow I will not break I'll stand my ground Won't be afraid To sing out loud To sing out loud To sing out loud The visions of what's involved The tensions you must resolve Distractions will just dissolve YOU ARE NOT LIKE ME He's encountered a setback, He isn't down to let that Keep him on the ground. Press that Button- ignite the jetpack! Launch pad shrink disappear Past the brink the Atmosphere's thinning and his Plasma's tingly Planes appear to be birds and Birds appear to be bees and He's hearing the words that Occur to him for no reason "What are you living your life for What are you willing to die for What do you believe to be the grain of truth you can provide for This grand adventure? Is it your plan to spend your Days batted about by These random events? Are you fueled by another engine Lighting a fire beneath? Have you breathed and seen your breath in the winds And have you reached that point?" .... The heights you'll reach the Depths you'll delve to Depends on the propulsion System that propels you Methods that compel you Messages they sell you Punishments they give you For doing what they tell you But we've got passion They've got prisons You've got the freedom to Make a decision Will you abandon All your addictions Take your stand and Live your convictions What've you got to lose what've You been taught to chose What're you so hot to prove with your Beautiful socks and shoes The costumes' frayed cloth covers Skin like a shroud Exhaust fumes fade off in the wind Like a cloud Edited January 23, 2011 by Dante Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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