Jubilation
20 Minute Loop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A terrible heft behind that pitchfork,
A torn up napking, uneaten meat,
A bloody steak knife, bunions cut off the feet,
A crippled Arab, face in the street,
Searching the asphalt for her missing teeth,
(She mumbles something...)
But still a sense of jubilation,
She took a beating and coughed into her hand,
It settled into some jubilation.
She rode her bicycle down to the place where her husband was found,
He stood up and screamed,
"Where's your veil? You're missing teeth! Look what you've done! And these other men, my friends: They see your disgrace! I'd cut your tongue off, if God was blind!"
She pedaled off toward the harbor and got her dress caught in the chain...
When it had fallen...
Bracketed diamonds, billowing smoke,
A terrible feeling as you stare past the boats,
The moon is rotten, filled with holes,
Getting smaller, dripping on the bay and the road.
When it had fallen...
The lyrics of "Jubilation" by 20 Minute Loop are evocative and poetic, yet also dark and disturbing. The verses paint a picture of a bleak and violent world, full of images of blood, pain, and suffering. The repeated refrain of "When it had fallen and everything had failed, but still a sense of jubilation" seems to suggest that, despite all this darkness, there remains some tiny glimmer of hope or joy that persists.
The opening lines of the song conjure up a vivid image of chaos and destruction, with "bracketed diamonds" and "billowing smoke" suggesting a bombed-out cityscape. The reference to a "terrible heft behind that pitchfork" suggests either a figure of Satan or a farmer carrying a farming tool that has been co-opted by the devil. The line "A crippled Arab, face in the street, searching the asphalt for her missing teeth" is particularly striking, as it conjures up an image of profound suffering and despair.
The second verse of the song shifts the focus to a woman who has "taken a beating" but who still feels a sense of jubilation. This woman is confronted by her husband, who is angry about her missing teeth and lack of modesty. The fact that he threatens to cut out her tongue suggests a misogynistic and controlling personality. The final verse of the song returns to the nightmarish images of the opening lines, with the "moon...getting smaller, dripping on the bay and the road" suggesting that all is lost.
Overall, "Jubilation" is a masterful work of lyricism, crafting a vivid and harrowing portrait of a world on the brink of destruction. Despite its dark subject matter, however, there remains some sense of hope and resilience, as expressed in the repeated refrain of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Bracketed diamonds, billowing smoke,
A picturesque sunset view with the orange sun resembling a diamond that looks as though it's surrounded by brackets; white smoke filling up the atmosphere.
A terrible heft behind that pitchfork,
There's an unsettling feeling surrounding the pitchfork as it seems to carry a weighty presence.
A torn up napkin, uneaten meat,
A ripped napkin indicating the aftermath of a messy meal with unconsumed meat on the plate.
A bloody steak knife, bunions cut off the feet,
A red knife covered in blood resting next to a pair of cut out bunions from someone's diseased feet.
A crippled Arab, face in the street,
An Arab person who's disabled with their face pressed to the ground.
Searching the asphalt for her missing teeth,
She's scavenging the street to pick up her teeth that fell off due to the brutality inflicted upon her.
(She mumbles something...)
The Arab woman struggles to articulate the words due to her injured face, but she's attempting to express herself.
When it had fallen and everything had failed,
Amidst the rubble of a catastrophic event and when everything seemed to have given up,
But still a sense of jubilation,
A feeling of joy still manages to linger within her.
She took a beating and coughed into her hand,
She endured a violent attack that initiated a cough reflex which led her to cup her mouth with her hand.
It settled into some jubilation.
She twists her emotion of happiness from her cough unto a strong feeling of jubilation.
She rode her bicycle down to the place where her husband was found,
She pedals down to the area where the incident involving her husband occurred.
He stood up and screamed,
Her husband got up and yelled loudly.
"Where's your veil? You're missing teeth! Look what you've done! And these other men, my friends: They see your disgrace! I'd cut your tongue off, if God was blind!"
He insults his wife for not wearing a veil and the visible gap in her teeth, accusing her of being the source of the problem. His friends are also watching, which further shames her. He even threatens to hurt her if there are no consequences.
She pedaled off toward the harbor and got her dress caught in the chain...
She pedaled towards the sea while her dress got caught in the chain of the bicycle, indicating further distress.
Bracketed diamonds, billowing smoke,
A sunset view, with a sun resembling a diamond that seems to be enclosed by brackets while smoke surfaces around.
A terrible feeling as you stare past the boats,
An intense emotion felt when glancing past the boats.
The moon is rotten, filled with holes,
The moon is in a state of decay and appears to have perforations.
Getting smaller, dripping on the bay and the road.
The moon visibly shrinking while leaking light unto the bay and the street.
When it had fallen...
Reflecting back to when the event unfolded and the subsequent emotions experienced.
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.