![[Its the End of the World...]](itstheend.jpg)
"Lenny Bruce is not afraid"
Lenny Bruce was a controversial American
comedian. [Ron Henry] * He was famous for or, depending on your point-of-view,
notorious for his monologues peppered with scatological language,
fearless tackling of taboo subjects; such as race relations and
liberal hypocrisy, religion, and sexuality. [Brent Hornberger]
"with the furies breathing down
your neck"
The Furies are mythological figures.
[Ron Henry]
"listen to your heart bleed"
As in "bleeding heart",
referring to one who believes in liberal social programs. [Ron Henry]
"with the rapture"
The "rapture" is the
salvation of the faithful at the end of the world. [Ron Henry]
"You vitriolic"
"Vitriolic" means sharply
critical. [Ron Henry] * See also Ignoreland.
"light a votive"
A "votive" is something
done in remembrance (like lighting a candle in a church) or accompanying
a vow. [Ron Henry]
"this means no fear cavalier"
To be "cavalier" means
to be haughty or offhand. [Ron
Henry] * A cavalier is also a mounted
soldier, or a gentleman escort to a woman of high status. [Chris Piuma]
"continental drift"
This is the very slow movement
of parts of the Earth's crust. [Ron
Henry]
"Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev,
Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs."
This part of the song was inspired
by a dream Stipe had in which he was at a party where everyone's
initials were L.B. [Chris
Piuma] * Leonard Bernstein was a famous
classical conductor [and composer]. Leonard Brezhnev was the
former leader of Soviet Union. Lester Bangs was a 1970's rock music essayist.
[Ron Henry]