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Gold
Art Bears Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was born in the Earth
Out of fire and flood

Owned men mined me

And out of their lives all
my value derived

And out of their deaths
My authority

For

I am the shadow: Money
I come between;
Both time and persons I
disconnect.

I can transform
Anything into what
I am.

And make men immortal.

Overall Meaning

The Art Bears song "Gold" is a profound exploration of the power and influence of money. The opening lines "I was born in the Earth, out of fire and flood," suggests that it is a natural resource, but the following line "Owned men mined me" highlights that the value of money is derived explicitly from human labor. The following lines "And out of their lives all my value derived, and out of their deaths my authority" suggest that it is the lives and deaths of people that give money its power, as it is their labor that generates wealth and their mortality that motivates people to amass as much money as possible.


The chorus of the song, "For I am the shadow: money, I come between; both time and persons I disconnect" emphasizes the way in which money becomes an abstract entity that stands between people and their relationships with each other and with time. Money, in this sense, is a force of separation and distance, which can transform relationships and interactions between people. The final lines of the song "I can transform Anything into what I am. and make men immortal" suggest that money can transform anything and everything, including people, and it is the quest for immortality that motivates people to seek money.


Overall, the lyrics of "Gold" offer a powerful and insightful commentary on the role that money plays in human society, revealing it as a force that has profound influence over human relationships and our understanding of time, mortality, and value.


Line by Line Meaning

I was born in the Earth
I came into existence from the depths of the planet


Out of fire and flood
Created by the combination of volcanic force and extreme amounts of water


Owned men mined me
People possess me through excavation


And out of their lives all my value derived
My importance and worth come entirely from humans' existence


And out of their deaths My authority
I gain supremacy from the demise of people


For I am the shadow: Money
I am a symbol of wealth and material assets, representing human greed


I come between;
I create a barrier that separates people from each other and their precious time


Both time and persons I disconnect.
I cause people to become distant from each other because they are consumed by greed


I can transform Anything into what I am.
I have the ability to convert anything of value into fiscal currency


And make men immortal.
I give men a sense of immortality and indestructibility through generations




Contributed by Arianna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

MeloLand

This song is so incredible...

Lo-Fitronics

Best Drum part of the universe!
This band was incredible!

Davide Brunelli

Grandi, di più non saprei cosa scrivere!

wrongvisions

very Residents!

左近治 Osamu Sakon

What a great chroticism! 1:14〜 皮相的に曲を捉える前に当該箇所を聴いてから判断して欲しい。その凄さが判るでしょう。

Lionel Thion

Fred Frith ist great

Katman Dew

Too far out since i could here

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