What is there to say?
Still I can't be silent
Hear the Cult of Ray
And you'll be enlightened
People, they're no fun
I saw Raymond speak one time, he said hello
And as he opened up my mind, so fried and battered
I heard his words so very fine
So high above this constant dripping chatter
Young sharks feeding on the scrapple
And upstarts feeding on your Adam's apple
And you can't hear yourself in all this babble
And are you feeling role strain

Melting rock into metal [Repeat: x1]

Melting rock into metal again

[Chorus:]
In a dark place
In the deep sky
Is an old man
Is an old man
In a coffee can
And he's waiting
In the old rain
In the deep sky
And he's waiting

Hear the Cult of Ray
Fear the boy as tyrant
People have a way
When their mood is violent
People, they're no fun
I have a century in mind, wait, oh no
At least two centuries in mind
Say, it doesn't matter
This rock is turning into sand
While we are drowning here in our own shatter
You can't eat dirt cause it tastes so awful
Like no sugar in your Turkish coffee
And can't smile cause I got me a mouthful
And I've been grinding this grain

Melting rock into metal [Repeat: x1]

Melting rock into metal again

[Chorus]
In a dark place
In the deep water
Is an old man
In a coffee can
And he's waiting
In the old rain
And he's waiting

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Frank Black's song The Cult of Ray are both cryptic and mesmerizing. The song opens with a curious question, "What is there to say?" before diving into an exhortation to listen to the "Cult of Ray" if one wants to be enlightened. The lyrics suggest that people are no fun, and in fact, "have a way when their mood is violent." The singer remembers Ray (probably a reference to Raymond Pettibon, an artist that Frank Black/Black Francis admires), hearing him speak, and becoming open to the fine words that he shared. The rest of the lyrics describe a chaotic world in which people are constantly babbling and arguing, and the singer can't hear themselves. There's great imagery when he says, "Young sharks feeding on the scrapple/And upstarts feeding on your Adam's apple." The chorus of the song is a bit enigmatic - an old man resides in a coffee can in a dark place in the deep sky, and he's waiting.

The Cult of Ray is a song rife with evocative imagery and intriguing symbolism. The lyrics can be interpreted in a number of ways, but perhaps the most prominent theme is that of the search for meaning in a chaotic world. The singer recognizes that people can be violent and that their constant chatter can render them unable to hear their own voice. The old man in the coffee can may represent a wise or experienced person who is able to rise above the chaos and provide some guidance. Melting rock into metal is a phrase that perhaps implies transforming something that is rough and raw (rock) into something refined and polished (metal). The song is a heady mix of ideas and imagery that leaves the listener with plenty to ponder.

Line by Line Meaning

What is there to say?
I don't have much to say.

Still I can't be silent
I can't help but speak my mind.

Hear the Cult of Ray
Listen to the ideas of this particular group of people.

And you'll be enlightened
You'll gain some new knowledge or insight.

People, they're no fun
People can be boring or uninteresting.

I saw Raymond speak one time, he said hello
I once saw Raymond and he greeted me with a simple hello.

And as he opened up my mind, so fried and battered
He helped me think outside the box, despite feeling exhausted and worn out.

I heard his words so very fine
I heard his words and they were well-expressed.

So high above this constant dripping chatter
His ideas were much more interesting and thought-provoking than the mundane conversations around us.

Young sharks feeding on the scrapple
Young people taking advantage of any opportunity available to them.

And upstarts feeding on your Adam's apple
Ambitious people trying to take what belongs to you.

And you can't hear yourself in all this babble
With all the noise around, you can't seem to hear your own thoughts.

And are you feeling role strain
Are you feeling the stress of filling multiple roles?

Melting rock into metal
Transforming one thing into another.

In a dark place
A bleak situation.

In the deep sky
In the vast openness of the universe.

Is an old man
There is someone older nearby.

In a coffee can
He's contained and waiting in a small space.

And he's waiting
He's waiting for something to happen.

Hear the Cult of Ray
Listen to what this particular group of people is saying.

Fear the boy as tyrant
Be afraid of someone who wields their power cruelly.

People have a way
People have a tendency to do something in particular.

When their mood is violent
When they're feeling angry, things can get nasty.

I have a century in mind, wait, oh no
I have an idea for the next hundred years, but upon reflection, I realize it's not going to work.

At least two centuries in mind
I have an idea that will last for a long time.

Say, it doesn't matter
It's not a big deal either way.

This rock is turning into sand
Things are changing and falling apart over time.

While we are drowning here in our own shatter
While we're struggling and falling apart ourselves.

You can't eat dirt cause it tastes so awful
Some things are completely unappetizing and not worth the effort.

Like no sugar in your Turkish coffee
Like something that's lacking flavor or sweetness.

And can't smile cause I got me a mouthful
It's hard to feel happy or content when you're struggling to deal with something.

And I've been grinding this grain
I've been working hard for a long time.

In the deep water
In a place that's vast and difficult to navigate.

And he's waiting
He's waiting for something to happen.

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Charles F Jurgus

on Repo Man

This is actually a cover of an Iggy Pop song.

just now