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Torches-The Oh Hellos
My personal analysis of this song and how I interpret this song based on my knowledge and experience as an ex-Christian and Songwriter. Thanks @greatcelestialhieroglyphs for the idea to do this add this to the Masterlist or reboot if u want.
Trigger Warning for Religious intolerance, racism, Pedo mention, & general fear/hate mongering. This is a very eye opening song when looking at the lyrics and I’m glad a Christian band is willing to show the ugly side and it’s negative effects.
Lyrics in full: (my analysis in this color)
I got a venom like a snake running out of my mouth (Running out of my mouth, running out of my mouth) These first words show hateful words spewing unfiltered. I see this as hateful rhetoric.
It's got you burning at the stake. Innocent or not, you're not a bet I care to take A recall to the witch trials a time were paranoia and fear born out of the horrible lie spread by a man who hated a particular women. Taking the lives of thousands. The Oh Hellos are Christian and are against such hateful words when their religion is one of healing and forgiveness.
And Father Ignorance will make brothers of us all (Brothers of us all, brothers of us all) Again ignorance to fact leading to such a mob mentality.
As he sets our torch aflame. Witch-hunt and the modern day incident of white nationalists marching with Tiki torches in Charlottesville, Va.
Chasing down the flimsy specters that we co-create Making of a strawman enemy.
Over and over, again We keep that old wheel turning We spin it around This is a trend in history and now.
I got a terror I can't shake pushing down on my lungs (Pushing down on my lungs, pushing down on my lungs) Either an act of terror through verbal abuse or a feeling of terror that causes one to act aggressively and irrationally.
It's got me lying there awake with a hand On a gun while turning shadows into shapes Making a crowd restless and willing to commit grave acts of violence.
Mother Fortuna, O, she makes sisters of us all (Sisters of us all, sisters of us all) I don’t know
When the faces in her wake Look more like our own than the effigies we immolate I see this as the monsters become among the people than the others that are demonized. An example are Pedos often being youth pastors when drag queens are demonized as such.
Over and over, again We keep that old wheel turning Over and over, again We lay the next spoke down Over and over, again (oceans will roll in) Over and over, again We spin it around How the cycle continues
How this song weaves and hides the message of your not looking carefully enough:
Basically, this song is very beautiful and has a lot of call and repeat with Maggie calling and the rest repeating. Even I didn’t understand the lyrics cuz I was caught in the beauty of the song. I don’t know if it was intentional or not but it shows how such nasty elements can be hidden, either by ignorance (not a bad thing as long as your willing to learn) or getting caught up in what one believes in. Like getting caught up in the beauty of the song.
Once you realize what this song is trying to say, it brings a new perspective. I’m not christan but I love The Oh Hellos and how they are willing to face the monsters in one’s own group. I know my community aren’t made of saints but for others it’s harder. Passerine is also another song with similar themes.
-ALoe
