Author Topic: Hear The Bells  (Read 37007 times)

AisforAdrn

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Re: Hear The Bells
« Reply #60 on: October 29, 2011, 09:25:01 am »
Peace
Adriann

SunflowerLeah

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Re: Hear The Bells
« Reply #61 on: March 04, 2012, 08:52:07 am »
I have a theory, and perhaps it's a little out there, I don't mean to offend Vanessa if I am totally off with my idea, so if this is untrue I apologize. [It just seems...]

"Honorable goal? To fall through the looking glass. Every.Singa.Day. Even 4 just a moment. (Mnwhile counting the days til nxt fresh peyote" - Vanessa posted on twitter.

I've researched Peyote, not my drug of choice, but anyways. It can cause side effects of Nausea, also vision, so on so forth. The lyrics "My stomach aches, try and concentrate" reminds me of that. Vanessa has mentioned that she song is about, [forgive me if I'm saying this wrong], an illness, or of a hard time in her life? It just seems like the two are connected. If anyone else has opinons, feel free to speak up.  :)

sarab

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Re: Hear The Bells
« Reply #62 on: March 04, 2012, 08:54:43 am »
I have a theory, and perhaps it's a little out there, I don't mean to offend Vanessa if I am totally off with my idea, so if this is untrue I apologize. [It just seems...]

"Honorable goal? To fall through the looking glass. Every.Singa.Day. Even 4 just a moment. (Mnwhile counting the days til nxt fresh peyote" - Vanessa posted on twitter.

I've researched Peyote, not my drug of choice, but anyways. It can cause side effects of Nausea, also vision, so on so forth. The lyrics "My stomach aches, try and concentrate" reminds me of that. Vanessa has mentioned that she song is about, [forgive me if I'm saying this wrong], an illness, or of a hard time in her life? It just seems like the two are connected. If anyone else has opinons, feel free to speak up.  :)

I have thought before that it might be drug related illness that she alludes to in HTB.  Anything is possible I guess!
~Sara~

beautydivine

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Re: Hear The Bells
« Reply #63 on: March 05, 2012, 05:59:39 pm »
I have a theory, and perhaps it's a little out there, I don't mean to offend Vanessa if I am totally off with my idea, so if this is untrue I apologize. [It just seems...]

"Honorable goal? To fall through the looking glass. Every.Singa.Day. Even 4 just a moment. (Mnwhile counting the days til nxt fresh peyote" - Vanessa posted on twitter.

I've researched Peyote, not my drug of choice, but anyways. It can cause side effects of Nausea, also vision, so on so forth. The lyrics "My stomach aches, try and concentrate" reminds me of that. Vanessa has mentioned that she song is about, [forgive me if I'm saying this wrong], an illness, or of a hard time in her life? It just seems like the two are connected. If anyone else has opinons, feel free to speak up.  :)

If this was true, wouldn't she be avoiding the peyote? But anyways, it's difficult to say what exactly is this illness in HTB. She may not ever tell us, now that she's probably more cautious of what she says out in public after the Nashville show.

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Re: Hear The Bells
« Reply #64 on: September 03, 2012, 07:33:05 am »
I've been doing some close reading for Lit classes. Used the song as a practice.

I've been thinking that this is indeed about depression. The evidences are there: stomachache (a symptom of depression), lack of concentration, and kneeling to graveyards (which symbolizes mourning).  But more importantly, the song is about finding the cure.

Quote
Stealing glances through the keyhole
In a brick wall's wooden door
Chains are keeping quiet secrets
In two hundred year old folklore

I think there's something more to this. Like, the persona is trying to see through the past. And what the persona sees is something dark. The folklore? Well, it could also mean religion. There are some secrets in this religion being hidden by chains.

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And the graveyard on Elizabeth
Where no one ever goes
Kneeling praying to a gravestone
But the gravestone never tells

This tells me something about mourning and trying to get some help from the people in the past. As if the persona is trying to get some actual help from the dead, maybe from their examples. Also, I believe that these lines actually happened in real life. V mentioned somewhere, I believe, that she had moments of going there.

Here are pictures of what I believe is the said cemetery.




Quote
December, crossing on to Chinatown
As the wind starts to cut through
Always, always on the look out
But the poison's running through you
Stomach aches, trying to concentrate
Up the stairs another floor
Now I'm asking a witch doctor
But the witch doctor won't tell

V mentioned once about her Chinese witch doctor who brings her herbal medications and such, hence the Chinatown. I think this whole verse is about how the persona tried to seek help from the said witch doctor. The fourth line also suggests that there is already a knowledge that she is poisoned (hence her need to consult to a witch doctor) although it is soon realized how she caused it to herself.

The last four lines paints a picture of desperation. Again, she is trying to get help, to no avail.

Quote
Hear the bells
Hear the bells

This is the real remedy itself - the one she had been seeking throughout the song. What remedy exactly, I'm not yet so sure. But I've been thinking like a sort of wake-up call...

Quote
Floating on the sea
Stars are watching me
Current takes me out
What will be, will be

This is the epiphany, how she managed to arrive that hearing the bells (or waking up) is the key. Well, let me explain...

In the first two lines, there's a picture painted: she is floating somewhere with stars overhead. Notice that she was the one being watched by the stars, not the other way around. The reference to stars can be connected to a line in "London" where she says:

Quote
But the wolves howl to the moon
And she never answers back

Connecting it, we can make a fair interpretation: That she had been floating out somewhere, and the stars (or the object of faith) had not been doing anything, just mere watching.

For the last two lines, it probably represents uncontrollable happenings, to the point that she was taken out to the middle of the sea (or ocean) and the stars still do nothing about it. We can metaphorically interpret it as being in life, being thrown with a lot of hardships, but still you get no salvation from the stars.

Hence, hear the bells - wake up. Maybe, wake up from religion, or faith. I don't know for sure. But she is telling to wake up, the stars won't save you, what will be will be, so wake up and swim your way.




Floating on the sea, stars are watching me. Currents take me out, what will be will be.

AG.

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Re: Hear The Bells
« Reply #65 on: September 03, 2012, 07:52:03 am »
That's a very detailed analysis, and I think you've made some very sound points. I've never previously seen the connection between the two songs, but I like your comments about the 'stars' not intervening, just their presence being there. I also never considered the song being about religion, but I can see how you can link the bridge to letting go of your faith; especially as Vanessa is now very openly atheist, despite calling herself the 'Jewish girl' whereas before I assumed her to be religious, although perhaps not in an orthodox or practicising way.

sarab

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Re: Hear The Bells
« Reply #66 on: September 03, 2012, 10:02:13 pm »
That's a very detailed analysis, and I think you've made some very sound points. I've never previously seen the connection between the two songs, but I like your comments about the 'stars' not intervening, just their presence being there. I also never considered the song being about religion, but I can see how you can link the bridge to letting go of your faith; especially as Vanessa is now very openly atheist, despite calling herself the 'Jewish girl' whereas before I assumed her to be religious, although perhaps not in an orthodox or practicising way.

I think I may have reported u on accident. I'm on my kindle and needed to scroll and I hit the report button. Nothing happened after that so I really hope it didn't go through. If it did I'm soooooo sorry and moderator's its not true! Sorry!!!
~Sara~