Billy Joel - The Piano Man
He’s playing in a gay bar but doesn’t realise it
REM - The Flowers of Guatemala
Guatemala. Socialist democratic country which the US invaded in the 1950’s under fear of communism. Installed a US supporting dictator.
Stipe refers to the flowers covering everything. The flower is Amanita - a hallucinogenic, native to the country. And much of the world is hallunicating thinking that the US did well here. The ‘everything’ are the graves of the innocent people to die in a needless coup.
One of my favourite REM songs. The cute nature of the melody is set against a horrid story. Stipe excels with his political rant against the similar actions of the US at the time of Regan.
I’ve took a picture that I’ll have to send
People here are friendly and content
People here are colorful and bright
The flowers often bloom at night
Amanita is the name
The flowers cover everything
The flowers cover everything
There’s something here I find hard to ignore
There’s something that I’ve never seen before
Amanita is the name, they cover over everything
The flowers cover everything
They cover over everything (Amanita is the name)
The flowers cover everything
Look into the sun
Don’t look into the sun
The flowers cover everything
They cover over everything
The flowers cover everything
The flowers cover everything
They cover over everything
The flowers cover everything
There’s something that I’ve never seen before
The flowers often bloom at night
Amanita is the name, they cover over everything
REM - Accelerate
From the point of view of the jumpers from the twin towers on 9/11.
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