Originally Posted by This Is Not Here

I'm not necessarily decided on this, but its something I've been wondering about for some time. There are a few tracks of pre-DDN Sonic Youth which have always struck me to be quite 'satanic', namely "Satan is Boring":

"SATAN FLIRTS - IM PREPARED
ITS NOTHING TO CONQUER - THE FIGHT IS GOOD
YOUR FLESH HAS A LIMIT OF TOO MANY YEARS
ITS A SHOCK ABSORBER OF YOUR STINGING TEARS"

and, particularly Protect Me You:

"PROTECT ME DEMONS
THAT COME AT NIGHT
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY SAY
THEIR WHISPERING
SENDS THE NIGHT AIR AWAY
AND MAKES ME FORGET
I HOPE THEY COME
AGAIN AND AGAIN"

What do you guys think? I do think theres probably a better case for labelling early SY as just 'nihilistic' (Death Too Our Friends, Society is a Hole, Confusion is Next). A Black Metal connisuer freind has always told me what satanism and nihilism are as good as the same thing, so maybe that explains some of this content, I dunno...

I've always thought that they used some of the satanic imagery as a generic way of representing strong feelings about the subject of certain songs. To even think of them as a satanic band is the work of the devil, though. People, please do take the time to make sure that you understand what a full time satanic band is and what plain references in a song actually mean.

[nicfit]

from good old http://www.sonicyouth.com/gossip/showthread.php?t=81


03.28.2006, 02:47 AM #88 chabib vbmenu_register("postmenu_8589", true);
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no. but i am. do as thou will shall be the whole of the law.
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[A Thousand Threads]

THELEMA

[max]

going down the hill. so very true.
all of the persons i used to know in real lifearound 3 years ago are... dead inside.

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Originally Posted by pbradley

Satan Is Penisless

No wonder he always seems pissed

[tesla69]

Originally Posted by max

why all the "serious" threads tend to turn to this kind of ot mess these days around?

because people who could care less about music and SY use this board as a free chat site.

[max]

Originally Posted by tesla69

because people who could care less about music and SY use this board as a free chat site.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to tesla69 again.

[nicfit]

well, this is a sort of free chat site, that's why there are entire sections of this board for non sonic youth and even not music related stuff. Complaining won't change things. I don't care, I read just what I find interesting/fun and post wathever I want so, yeah, GO FREEDOM! ha ha. now kill me.

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by This Is Not Here

I'm not necessarily decided on this, but its something I've been wondering about for some time. There are a few tracks of pre-DDN Sonic Youth which have always struck me to be quite 'satanic', namely "Satan is Boring":

"SATAN FLIRTS - IM PREPARED
ITS NOTHING TO CONQUER - THE FIGHT IS GOOD
YOUR FLESH HAS A LIMIT OF TOO MANY YEARS
ITS A SHOCK ABSORBER OF YOUR STINGING TEARS"

and, particularly Protect Me You:

"PROTECT ME DEMONS
THAT COME AT NIGHT
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY SAY
THEIR WHISPERING
SENDS THE NIGHT AIR AWAY
AND MAKES ME FORGET
I HOPE THEY COME
AGAIN AND AGAIN"

What do you guys think? I do think theres probably a better case for labelling early SY as just 'nihilistic' (Death Too Our Friends, Society is a Hole, Confusion is Next). A Black Metal connisuer freind has always told me what satanism and nihilism are as good as the same thing, so maybe that explains some of this content, I dunno...

That is such a backwards misinterpretation. C'mon the song is called "Satan is Boring"! It's as anti-satanic a song as a group could write. In interviews at the time they were talking about how stupid it is for people to do evil things in the name of a non-entity. If you can find me a Satanist (either Anton LaVey goofball or dark "majick" goofball) who will call Satan boring, I'll find you a cheerleader who doesn't like football.

If the title of the song didn't make it obvious enough that this was about how the imagery of Satanism is dorky and a stain on much of rock music and popular culture, perhaps the last line where Thurston says, "That's the real promise, you'll never burn" would indicate that Sonic Youth are humanists into radical ideas like thinking for yourself and science.

The point of "Satan is Boring" is that Satanism is bullshit. It was pretty bold of an underground band to take that stance, but maybe not if people can't even get it.

[uhler]

i always thought satan is boring was about metal bands and how they use satan to rebel and try to shock people. plus, i guess i always thought thurston was catholic. anyway, to me, when i was younger, they were just making fun of the metal bands that were just coming up and getting popular.

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by uhler

i always thought satan is boring was about metal bands and how they use satan to rebel and try to shock people. plus, i guess i always thought thurston was catholic. anyway, to me, when i was younger, they were just making fun of the metal bands that were just coming up and getting popular.

You were right. That's completely what they said in interviews at the time. The idea of the song is to distance them from that idiocy, not embrace it.

[Cantankerous]

HAHA

this thread cannot be serious

[Cantankerous]

sonic youth is the DEBILS MUSIC

Originally Posted by tesla69

because people who could care less about music and SY use this board as a free chat site.

Oh, get off your pedestal, grumpy old man. So boring.

[terminal pharmacy]

satanism = nihilism


hmmmmmm

no

[Cantankerous]

satanism is a belief in occult practises.
nihilism is the abscence of belief or the belief in nothing.

looks like terminal pharmacy would be correct.

[This Is Not Here]

Originally Posted by Cantankerous

satanism is a belief in occult practises.

Thats not actually true, its a common misconception that satanists worship satan, or believe in occult practices, for most 'satanists' satan is merely used as a symbol of their nihilism, nothing more.

[the ikara cult]

I thought Satanists worshipped themselves? Or is that just Bono

[Cantankerous]

Originally Posted by This Is Not Here

Thats not actually true, its a common misconception that satanists worship satan, or believe in occult practices, for most 'satanists' satan is merely used as a symbol of their nihilism, nothing more.

satanism and occultism are closely associated, son.

read up.

unless you're actually satan in which case
a) i always knew we'd run into each other one day
b) i have no business telling you to read up

[atsonicpark]

Kegmama gave me a really funny rep for one of my posts on here