I student sent me this song. I hope I'm not reading too much into it; I tend to do that. I found the lyrics to have some depth. What do you think the Flowbots are trying to say with their music, lyrics and video about man's history?
I think that it might be a commentary on the evolution of man and also on his relationship to technology. What do you think? Prove me right or wrong and cite some examples.
It starts so simply and then just snowballs into this complicated maze.
7 comments:
This is Na Li from period 6th.I think the Flowbots are trying to say with their music,lyrics and video about man's history is about two friends needed to be apart from each other. One friend went to a place where there he can have power to deal with people and the world also technology. The other friend just stayed in his homeland where there are not any power or technology that he can use. The perosn with the power wants human to evolution meaning he wanted to upgrade there lifes but what things he did was not good because he say "I can make anybody go to prison just because I dont' like them and I can do anything with no permission." Therefore, the friend without power fights back with other homeless people of things that his friend say like he can do anything without permission. As a result, the powerless friend dies and he felt sorrow for things he did. SO Mr. Jobs I kinda agree with your thinking of this song is about a commentary on the evolution of man and also on his relationship to technology because the friend that has power used technoloy to control the world or to rule the world or to evolution human's life.
I believe the way this video shows man history is the title of the song, "No handlebars," is more than what it is. What I mean is, when you ride your bike with no handlebars, you're carefree and to some people today, that's how they live their life. I've heard the song before, but I've never seen the video. It's kind of confusing a little. I guess it shows how the world is today. We're all one and yet we fight against one another and kill our own kind. Back then, man would join a society for protection, food, trade, and shelter. Everyone seemed to cooperate. Now-a-days with all the technology, I guess people feel like they could careless about others because they have something better than what they had before. I agree with you Mr. Jobs, but I'm not sure if you understand what I'm saying >_< Well, I found this video on myspace. And it has to do with Thai culture, I found it interesting because they still follow a tradition, but I believe it's for the wrong reasons.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=43558536
ooops, Tina Nguyen - 6th period
I hear you loud and clear Tina. What a thoughtful response! I can understand why you feel that technology might have made the world a colder place. I wonder if others agree...
I remember when I first saw this video, I did find it a little confusing. And I've also seen different versions of the video, and they all showed a different meaning. I guess that's why i never really thought about technology when listening to the song, until now. I thought that the video showed how people change in society due to superiority. Like the one friend who stayed carefree. In reference to that character "No handlebars" means totally free. but in reference to the other guy, "No handlebars" meant I don't need help, I can do this on my own. And by having one friend kill another in the end of the video due to superiority and lack of that care-free spirit, the video showed me that some people take life differently than others. And not just life itself, but life in America. To me, the song asked me, "Which will you be?" and reminded me to keep my youthful spirit. But now, I'm starting to think that due to advanced technology, if used wrong, it could be fatally hurtful. I'm just saying. :]
Quineah Morgan - 2nd Period
There are lots of symbolic meanings in this video in my opinion. No handle bars, and the images of doves flying, it's the symbol of freedom in my opinion, of peace and carelessness. Two friends, two different paths, all the possible things granted by technology. One friend walks about the streets, seeing fellow Americans enjoying their lives. The other friend in the suite walks about a city, tall unfriendly buildings extends towards the sky. The friend in the suite thinks about all the things he could do, as his possibilities reach higher and higher, societies influence from the media starts to what I like to call, "corrupts" his thinking process. The scene where the friend's passes by the television displayed in a windows shakes his head negatively. Because he knows that his dear suited friend is going on the wrong path. The suited friend is living the life of complicated twist and turns which are unnecessary, like he had forgotten the most important thing about living, being himself. Right after seeing the television scene, you see a black bird of predator kill a dove that was flying freely. As soon as you see this scene, the watcher can grasp that the freedom was being taken away and along with it, peace. Cameras are rooted on the walls, watching you every movement, an invasion of privacy of what some people refer to as an aspect of freedom. A brick wall with a picture of a dove on it is smashed, a large gathering of people in despair. The commoner friend rises against his suited friend, revolting against what he know is wrong. You can tell the difference. If his suited friend had done good for the world, than why was it that everyone but himself was so miserable?
"Look at me, driving and I won't stop. It feels so good to be alive and on top. My reach is global, my tower secure. My cause is noble, my power is pure." The first two sentences, referring to the video, means the power of technology has granted him so much power. Like a drunk driver at full speed. It feels so good for him to go fast, the power that he has in the grasp of his hand and foot. The following sentence says he has power and he knows it. He wants to reach his hands globally for what he believes is pure and noble. (Sounds a lot like a dictator would though, does he not?) As the song continues, you can tell that the power granted to the suited friend has gotten way over his head. What he calls pure and noble contradicts with what he says about doing what ever he please base on his emotions to either save or kill a life as if it were a object with no soul. In the video, an officer beats a revolting man down with a stick by his own hand. He shows no emotional expression of distress when he does so. Helicopters from above starts to kill civilians like a war game, the officer's expression than was fear. The technology had first been viewed as a brighter possibility for the future where now taking lives of innocent people by the dozen at once. When the suited friend gave off the command to fire to his army, he than realizes the wrong he has done as his friend lies on the earth, dying to turns thing back around, back to the time with no burdens, flying freely, with no handle bars.
In a sense, much like a drunken driver. Letting the feeling of adrenaline over taking you, driving blindly until you kill someone, and only regret once you're sober enough to realize the harm you have caused.
Ah, sorry, excuse the long rant again!
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