Although much of DiFranco's material is autobiographical, it is often also strongly political. Many of her songs are concerned with contemporary social issues such as racism, sexism, sexual abuse, homophobia, reproductive rights, poverty, and war. DiFranco's guitar playing is often characterized by a signature staccato style, rapid finger picking and many alternate tunings. She delivers many of her lines in a speaking style notable for its rhythmic variation. Her lyrics, which often include alliteration, metaphor, word play and a more-or-less gentle irony, have also received praise for their sophistication. She has released 19 solo albums (not including collaborative albums or live albums), all of which were released on her own independent record label, Righteous Babe Records (which she formed in 1989 at the age of 19).
DiFranco has been a critical success for much of her career, though not a commercial one by major label standards, with a career album average of 72 on Metacritic. Living in Clip, DiFranco's 1998 double live album, is the only one to achieve gold record status to date. DiFranco has been praised by the Buffalo News as the "Buffalo's leading lady of rock music".
atom
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Begs a reverent word
The primary design
Of the whole universe
Yes, let us sing its praises
Let us bow our heads in prayer
At the magnificent consciousness
Incarnate there
The smallest unit of matter
With its orbiting electrons
Echoing off the solar system
Like a hawk in the hills at dawn
The smallest unit of matter
Uniting bird and rock and tree
And you and me
Oh holy is the atom
The truly intelligent design
To which all of evolution
Is graciously aligned
One single structure
To which everything distills
The air
The wood smoke there
And the hills
Leave me here surrounded
To everything that's real
Far outside the boundaries
Of the digitized ordeal
Leave me here awake
Leave me here to heal
Human beings are a cross
Between monkeys and ants
You can see us from your spaceship
Melting the polar ice caps
With our arrogance
Summon a congress of angels
Dressed in riot gear
We've got ourselves a serious situation
Down here
I have this great great uncle
Who worked on the atomic bomb
He got a nobel prize in physics
And a place in song
And I bet there were no windows
And no women in the room
When they applied themselves
To the pure science of
Boom
Yes, messing with the atom
Is the highest form of blasphemy
Whether you are making weapons
Or simple electricity
Someone fashion me a pulpit
I have been called to engage
With the maniacal heretics
Of the nuclear age!
Let the religious get religion
Let consumers get a clue
Let scientists get perspective
Let activists get their due
Let industry get a conscience
Let the earth inherit the meek
Let the divinity of nature speak
The glory of the atom
Begs a reverent word
The primary design
Of the whole universe
Yes, let us sing its praises
Let us bow our heads in prayer
At the magnificent consciousness
Incarnate there
Ani DiFranco's "The Atom" is a song dedicated to the smallest unit of organic life. The opening lines in the song suggest that there is a grandeur in the atom that commands respect, making it deserving of praise and worship. The atom is referred to as holding the "primary design of the whole universe," indicating its crucial role in our world. The song also refers to the atom as a "magnificent consciousness," illustrating the importance of this supposedly lesser-known aspect of the natural realm.
The song talks about how the atom unites everything in the universe. It is the smallest unit of matter, responsible for the air we breathe, the hills we climb and the trees and rocks around us. The atom and its orbiting electrons are described as echoing off the solar system, similar to a hawk in the hills at dawn. This means that the atom might be small, but it plays an important role in the working of the universe.
The song has lyrics that are filled with metaphorical language reflecting the intense emotions and passion about the topic. DiFranco appears to suggest that we should revere science and nature, not abuse them, indicating the need to take responsibility for how we interact with these elements. The song ends on an encouraging note for people to respect nature, and let the earth inherit the meek. It makes a call for scientifically-informed decision-making and mindful action-taking that prioritizes a balance between human activity and nature.
Line by Line Meaning
The glory of the atom
The immense significance of atoms
Begs a reverent word
Deserves deep respect and admiration
The primary design
The original and fundamental structure
Of the whole universe
That forms the basis of everything in the cosmos
Yes, let us sing its praises
We should celebrate its greatness
Let us bow our heads in prayer
We should show deep reverence and appreciation
At the magnificent consciousness
The profound awareness embedded in atoms
Incarnate there
Manifested in their physical form
The smallest unit of matter
The most basic element of all substances
With its orbiting electrons
Includes the particles that orbit around them
Echoing off the solar system
Creating a resonance throughout the entire solar system
Like a hawk in the hills at dawn
As majestic and powerful as a predatory bird at sunrise
Uniting bird and rock and tree
Bringing together all living and non-living things
And you and me
Connecting all human beings with each other
Oh holy is the atom
The atom should be regarded as sacred
The truly intelligent design
The most brilliant and sophisticated arrangement
To which all of evolution
The structure that all evolutionary processes lead to
Is graciously aligned
Working in harmony with other natural systems
One single structure
A solitary arrangement of particles
To which everything distills
Which represents the purest and simplest form of all things
The air
The atmosphere we breathe
The wood smoke there
Smoke from burning wood
And the hills
The rolling countryside
Leave me here surrounded
Allow me to remain in the midst of
To everything that's real
All that is authentic and unaltered by technology
Far outside the boundaries
Beyond the limits of
Of the digitized ordeal
The ordeal of life consumed by digital technology
Leave me here awake
Allow me to be alert and conscious
Leave me here to heal
Give me time and space to recover and rejuvenate
Human beings are a cross
Humans are a hybrid
Between monkeys and ants
Partly primate and partly insect-like
You can see us from your spaceship
Our impact on the environment is visible from space
Melting the polar ice caps
Causing the ice sheets at the Earth's poles to melt
With our arrogance
Due to our hubris and disregard for natural systems
Summon a congress of angels
A plea for divine intervention
Dressed in riot gear
Fully prepared for a battle or conflict
We've got ourselves a serious situation
We are currently facing a difficult and grave challenge
Down here
On Earth
I have this great great uncle
I have an ancestor several generations back
Who worked on the atomic bomb
Who was involved in the creation of a nuclear weapon
He got a Nobel prize in physics
He received a distinguished award in the field of physics
And a place in song
His story has been immortalized in music
And I bet there were no windows
There was likely no natural light
And no women in the room
The scientific team was presumably all men
When they applied themselves
When they dedicated their efforts
To the pure science of
To the study of
Boom
The explosive force of nuclear reactions
Yes, messing with the atom
Manipulating atomic particles
Is the highest form of blasphemy
Is the most egregious offense against the natural order
Whether you are making weapons
Regardless of the intended use
Or simple electricity
Even if it is for generating power
Someone fashion me a pulpit
Provide me with a platform or forum
I have been called to engage
I feel compelled to take action
With the maniacal heretics
With those who have extreme and unorthodox views
Of the nuclear age!
Of the era defined by the development of nuclear technology
Let the religious get religion
Let people who claim to be religious truly embrace its values
Let consumers get a clue
Let individuals become more informed and aware
Let scientists get perspective
Let those trained in scientific fields take a broader view
Let activists get their due
Let those who advocate for change be recognized for their contributions
Let industry get a conscience
Let companies become more socially responsible
Let the earth inherit the meek
Let the environment be the priority over the interests of the powerful
Let the divinity of nature speak
Let the awesomeness of the natural world be truly appreciated
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ANI DIFRANCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind