The Writhing South

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Ronnie
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Re: The Writhing South

Post by Ronnie » Thu Oct 14, 2010 2:47 am

From my own perspective the song is about his hometown, or simply Texas in general hence "south", and "hot heartland".
I took writhing as in suffering. So the title is pretty much self-explanatory.

IMHO he is singing about many things that add to the songs story. Max is desperate for a sense of euphoria, and perhaps the line, "I've got this red right hand that points me south" is some sort of a metaphor for having the urge to go back and falter. Then, "I hear hey, come pollinate me" is a metaphor for what many have said above, sex.
"I hear, Come pollinate me" could be a metaphor for having sexual urges to fornicate with a love interest in his life. But at the same time, "Across the room, I hope to watch you writhe again soon" could mean that he holds no emotional ties with her. Finally, "...Use your south to fuel me using you" is quite self-explanatory. He's using her for sex.
I love the honest nature of SA's songs.
Btw this is probably my favorite song off of the album itself, I feel I can relate to it completely.
For those non-conformists, you conformed the moment you decided that you didn't wish to conform. By not conforming you've conformed.
Nice job kids.

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david_style6
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Re: The Writhing South

Post by david_style6 » Thu Oct 14, 2010 9:32 am

now i hope i dont get flamed, hated, or even banned from the site for asking this...
but didnt he get admitted into the hospital after IARB was released?
I miss you, girl. You're all that makes me true.

transylvanian
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Re: The Writhing South

Post by transylvanian » Thu Oct 14, 2010 4:30 pm

I think the metaphors are throwing people off.
It's about picking up a girl and having sex, and it's pretty sleazy at that.
"pollinate me" = "have sex with me" (i.e. flowers/bees)
Love, it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you.
It will set you free. Be more like the man you were made to be.
There is a design, an alignment, a cry of my heart to see
the beauty of love as it was meant to be.
Mumford & Sons

Mailliw
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Re: The Writhing South

Post by Mailliw » Fri Oct 15, 2010 3:31 pm

transylvanian wrote:I think the metaphors are throwing people off.
It's about picking up a girl and having sex, and it's pretty sleazy at that.
"pollinate me" = "have sex with me" (i.e. flowers/bees)
This is what I've always thought. And when I think of writhe I dont think he means in pain but more in pleasure, like the girls body tightening and moving in reactions to sex. Not to be graphic :-P. Since IARB tells a story I think of it this way: Woe- boy meets girl, they hook up. Go seperate ways. Writhing South- They meet again. "Hope to watch you writhe AGAIN soon. AWTGOL- They fall in love.

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Scott
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Re: The Writhing South

Post by Scott » Fri Oct 15, 2010 3:33 pm

david_style6 wrote:now i hope i dont get flamed, hated, or even banned from the site for asking this...
but didnt he get admitted into the hospital after IARB was released?
Pretty sure he had a break down during the recording as well and had to go into it. I'm sure he had hospital breakdowns before IARB as well (though not fact).
Self-inflicted or not, I find myself on the farthest star, foreign to everything like I woke up with a German tongue.

transylvanian
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Re: The Writhing South

Post by transylvanian » Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:55 pm

Scott wrote:
david_style6 wrote:now i hope i dont get flamed, hated, or even banned from the site for asking this...
but didnt he get admitted into the hospital after IARB was released?
Pretty sure he had a break down during the recording as well and had to go into it. I'm sure he had hospital breakdowns before IARB as well (though not fact).
He wrote a letter explaining exactly what happened to him, it's online somewhere. Basically he was convinced, while recording ...iaRB, that the other band members and the producers were filming him without his knowledge for an alleged bonus DVD that would come with the CD. He had freakouts later on down the road that involved running around NYC getting into fights and spitting in people's soup...? Or something to that effect. He wasn't taking his meds. As every SA fan from that time remembers, he got what felt like a bazillion tours ruined or cancelled (i.e. "I'm sorry that I wrecked that tour for us," in "Sorry Dudes, My Bad"). It was grim... being a fan, it was kindof constant fear that they'd be one more emo band that had one proper album and kicked it, esp. after they kicked out Caspar Adams. He eventually got diagnosed with pretty severe bipolar and (maybe) paranoid schizophrenia (don't think so). He sings about his hospitalization on a few songs, namely "The Church Channel" and "Hate Everyone" ("I hate that hospital in Texas"). He got the band's then-manager, Randy, to post for him while hospitalized. Anyway, he's O.K. now.
Love, it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you.
It will set you free. Be more like the man you were made to be.
There is a design, an alignment, a cry of my heart to see
the beauty of love as it was meant to be.
Mumford & Sons

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