The Merry… Read Full Bio ↴We are the second generation... We are a nation of innovations
The Merry Thoughts
"If you are to copy a band, either do it right or simply don't; well these guys did it to perfection. The Merry Thoughts [are] the ultimate the Sisters of Mercy clones, and one of the few bands out there that can truly be mistaken for the Sisters of Mercy. From the lead singer's voice who skillfully captures the Eldritch tonality, to the guitars, bass and drums, all carbon copies....well they even have the equivalent of Doktor Avalanche and they called their Drummachine: the Thoughtmachine!
... the quality of the songs is as good as the Sisters of Mercy songs...
Both of The Merry Thoughts' full length albums, Millenium Done I: Empire Songs and Psychocult are highly recommended. I can't think of a single flaw on either."
Said Sukkarieh, Musicfolio, 6/01
http://www.musicfolio.com/modernrock/themerrythoughts.html
Second Generation
The Merry Thoughts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tall orders to fulfil
And the pastiche we've invented
Is serving every man
A love pays love for lying,
A true lie to believe
Ideas of lust and dying
All carefully conceived
We are the second generation
We are a nation of innovation
We are the second generation
We are a nation ...
America, america
The western dream is gone
America asleep,
Since mulberry's too long
Dry thoughts for the tenant
And still they come and go
So come and try to tell me
Things i already know
We are the second generation
We are a nation of innovations
We are the second generation
We are a nation ...
And now you stare at me so doggish
But your eyes won't make me cry
The flowers of romance are trembling
Another chance, another lie,
Another shadow for new fires
Ash-wednesday for the prey
And still no-jesus for you
Welcome to devastate
We are the second generation
We are a nation of innovations
We are the second generation
We are a nation of devastation
We're telling tales of communication,
Tall orders to fulfil
And the creatures we've invented
Are serving every man
Now we are loving with reluctance
Our hearts - they never grew
We are meeting in a garden
It's the taming of the shrew
And now you stare at me so doggish
But your eyes won't make me cry
The flowers of romance are trembling
Because our game was just a lie
And in the end we stand alone
All that we wanted ... we want it
We are the second generation
We are a nation of innovations
We are the second generation
We are a nation of devastation
Devastate ...
Devastate ...
Devastate ...
Avarice
The Merry Thoughts's song "Second Generation" is a powerful commentary on the technology-driven society of today. The song’s lyrics describe a world where communication and innovation rule, but love and humanity are lost. The opening lines of the song, "We're telling tales of communication, Tall orders to fulfil," highlight the way technology requires constant communication and demands fulfillment at all times. The lyrics also suggest that the characters in the song are creating their own narrative, a "pastiche," to serve their own ends.
The song then shifts to comment on the current state of America, which has lost sight of the western dream. The lyrics suggest that America is "asleep" and that the ideas of the past are no longer relevant. The song also touches on the idea of the “tenant” who comes and goes, suggesting a constant cycle of arrival and departure.
The lyrics then shift back to the characters in the song, as they struggle with love and humanity. The lyrics suggest that love pays for lies, and true lies are hard to believe. The characters are depicted as struggling with new fires and ash-wednesday, making them feel lost and alone.
The final verses of the song suggest that while the characters are meeting in a garden, it is really a taming of the shrew, as they struggle with reluctance and hearts that never grew. The song ends on a note of devastation, highlighting the avarice and destruction that technology and innovation can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
We're telling tales of communication,
We're discussing our experiences with communicating
Tall orders to fulfill
We have high expectations to meet
And the pastiche we've invented,
We've created a collage of different styles and elements
Is serving every man
It appeals to everyone
A love pays love for lying,
We repay love with lies
A true lie to believe
We accept lies as truth
Ideas of lust and dying
We're fascinated with sex and death
All carefully conceived
We've thought it all out
We are the second generation
We're the children of the first wave of modernization
We are a nation of innovation
Our country is driven by new ideas
America, America
Addressing the United States of America
The western dream is gone
The ideal of achieving success through hard work has been lost
America asleep,
The country has become complacent
Since mulberry's too long
Referring to the quote 'the age of the mulberry tree is over' meaning that the time of the US's prosperity is over
Dry thoughts for the tenant
People are stuck in their ways
And still they come and go
People are still living their lives
So come and try to tell me
Challenge me to see things differently
Things I already know
I've heard it all before
And now you stare at me so doggish,
You're looking at me like a dog
But your eyes won't make me cry
I'm not going to be affected by your gaze
The flowers of romance are trembling
Love is fragile
Another chance, another lie,
Love is not trustworthy
Another shadow for new fires
Starting over with a new relationship
Ash-Wednesday for the prey
A reference to the Christian holy day, meaning death is near
And still no-Jesus for you
You don't have a spiritual guide
Welcome to devastate
You're in for a rough time
We are meeting in a garden
We're experiencing something beautiful
It's the taming of the shrew
Learning to control our wild side
But your eyes won't make me cry
I won't be affected by your gaze
Because our game was just a lie
Our relationship was built on falsehoods
And in the end we stand alone
We end up by ourselves
All that we wanted ... we want it
We still desire what we originally wanted
We are a nation of devastation
Our society is falling apart
Devastate ...
Emphasizing the destructive state we're in
Avarice
The greed that contributes to our downfall
Contributed by Caleb A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.