Banks and cathedrals

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elevatedmole

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Lemon: "A man builds a city, with banks and cathedrals"

The Playboy Mansion: "The banks they're like cathedrals"

Interesting.. I wonder why he used it twice?

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"I dance much better horizontally than vertically." - Bono

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Originally posted by elevatedmole:
The Playboy Mansion: "The banks they're like cathedrals"

Interesting.. I wonder why he used it twice?


You got me. I'm not sure why he used it twice, but could the line from The Playboy Mansion be referring to lust, almost worship for money?
 
*puts history cap on*

Well...history teaches us about indulgences. I think they were right before the Reformation...*thinks about Luther*...ehm...yes (correct me if i'm wrong) but indulgences occurred a lot before the Reformation. They basically allowed people to pay instead of pray their way out of hell/purgatory. It was a "remission of the temporal pentalty imposed by preists on penitents as a 'work of satisfaction' for their mortal sins." In this time, cathedrals literally were banks, as they would search out any way to make money from religious people. Which, actually, is not all that foreign today. It's not as direct, and is far more subtle, but the Church is still doing the same thing, exploiting its members for money. It's a throw back to "The God I believe in isn't short of cash Mister!" Where devout followers are being told that they can buy their way into heaven (by televangelists and the like) and that they can buy God's grace. It's a shame really...

Anyhoo, what I think Bono is alluding to is all that has been aforesaid. He doesn't accept the Church and the organization around religion, and indulgences are the symbol of organized religion screwing its followers.

[This message has been edited by Lilly (edited 05-13-2002).]
 
Thanks Lilly!
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Very informative and much appreciated.

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"I dance much better horizontally than vertically." - Bono

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Yes Lilly, very informative indeed! Thanks. I had silly thoughts about the 'banks and cathedrals' thing.
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...and, inversely, it raises the idea that we equate wealth with religion. To say the banks are *like* cathedrals is to say instead of worshipping God, many in society now worship wealth. We put our faith now in institutions of money (the stock market, 401k plans, worldwide commerce) instead of in religion, for better or worse.
 
Originally posted by MixingBliss:
...and, inversely, it raises the idea that we equate wealth with religion. To say the banks are *like* cathedrals is to say instead of worshipping God, many in society now worship wealth. We put our faith now in institutions of money (the stock market, 401k plans, worldwide commerce) instead of in religion, for better or worse.

True. Think about the subjects the Playboy Mansion deals with. Niall Stokes called it a song for white trash, and sort of like it was their dreams, their ultimate goals -- and I have to agree. Interesting perspective.

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"I dance much better horizontally than vertically." - Bono

Popheart.org
 
*ruins a perfectly good intelligent discussion* I always thought it was "Makes a cathedral".......
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What are we going to do now It's all been said,
No new ideas in the house and Every book has been read....
 
i think another point to bring up is that Bono quite often repeats themes thru the lyrics from year to year.
"and you can dream, so dream out loud"
"She's gonna dream up the world she wants to live in, she's gonna dream out loud"
"and if you dream, then dream out loud."


I'm sure there are many other examples of Bono words repeated over time. I just can't think of any right now.
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I am a cowgirl of funk

*Last Train to Bono*
 
zooropamanda said:
i think another point to bring up is that Bono quite often repeats themes thru the lyrics from year to year.
"and you can dream, so dream out loud"
"She's gonna dream up the world she wants to live in, she's gonna dream out loud"
"and if you dream, then dream out loud."


I'm sure there are many other examples of Bono words repeated over time. I just can't think of any right now.
biggrin.gif


Oooh.. before we moved to Elvis Ate America, I never got to see this post.

I know.. the "dream out loud" line is used several times. It is a really good line though :D And yeah, there are definitely other lyrics he has used multiple times..
 
He has used the night/day them a million times...

...the day begs the night for mercy...


an example...

ouizy - thinks about making this a whole new thread...
 
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