![]() | This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page. |
Archive 1 |
I started this article. It is going to become huge, I can tell, as I created it right as the song was gaining nationwide notability. Come on everyone, lets get this article up to Featured Article status ASAP !!! JeanLatore ( talk) 01:33, 2 May 2008 (UTC)
Platypus was the name of their first album. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jailerdaemon ( talk • contribs) 02:02, 9 May 2008 (UTC)
The meaning of the song uses direct quotes from the beginning and ending of the song. It is sourced. Please explain its continual removal or replacement. Rau's Speak Page 21:17, 9 May 2008 (UTC)
I think everyone is misinterpreting the song completely. The song is not about any one person in particular, it is about everyone. This song is about a childlike innocence, the "look what I can do!". It is about John Q Public and how as he grows up, he realizes that he has the power to do things. Sadly, most men with power tend to abuse that power and the song goes on to follow that little boy growing and becoming a man and shouting "Look what I can do now" while using his great power to bring about the end of the world. It is about how we all have the propensity to be either good or evil. Seanmeadows ( talk • contribs) 15:50, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
I actually agree with this guy's interpretation, however since it seems like some kind of war has been waged over the translation of something (like many things in life), we could just try and put like 2-4 different meanings.
The meaning of the song is difficult to difficult to ascertain on a holistic approach. There are a few glimpses of who the subject is. The song is in direct reference to the American people or an American person in the lyrics “and I’m proud to be an American.” Other lyrics reference America such as, “I can tell you about Leif Ericson,” who is mythologized as the Viking that discovered America, and “I know all the words to De Colores,” which is the unofficial song for the United Farm Workers that was frequently sung in marches that occurred in the United States. The embodiment of the lyrics progress on the capabilities of an individual as they grow from childhood to adulthood and the multitude of applications that an individual can go through from tinkering with a remote control, to capitalistic ventures in magazine publishing, to (“I can lead a nation with a microphone”) and finally to war monger. User:Rachat 15 May 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.233.68.55 ( talk)
You cannot cite the "meaning" of the song by referencing the song itself. Any citations sir need to be from secondary sources, and reliable ones at that. Plz. keep in mind even if you claim to have "heard" those lyrics in the song itself, your repeating/communicating the lyrics is a form of original research as well in that you are merely communicating what you think you heard. Each word, nay each verbal sound, you "hear" whilst listening to the song (or even reading the printed lyrics) is processed in your brain before being passed on, thus subjecting it to your own personal biases, experiences, interpretations, and inherent biases. See Hobbes or Jacques Rousseau on language if you want to know more about that. JeanLatore ( talk) 00:50, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
I believe that protection is going a bit too far. Plus, in no way will we endorse the current version. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:16, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
But the IPs are people too. most of the constructive edits come from IPs actually. Like little things, things that will make this article grow into FA. There is no consensus for your version. its just you. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:22, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
The song is about George W. Bush and saying the people of the United States has elected a leader of little intelligence, and that they have given him enough power to start a nuclear war that would leave many dead. The song begins describing Bush as being so child like in sense as to compare his intellect with only being able to do simple acts as that of riding a bicycle with out the use of its handlebars, but by the end it also indicates that he has the power to execute the act of ending the planet in a holocaust through the use of nuclear weaponry.
The song references many modern technologies, including seeing someone's face "on the telephone;" an example of this technology being an iPhone, and the advances in modern science: "I can split the atom of a molecule." The narrator of the song is a youth of the modern generation, with the line "Look at me, look at me" embodying the narcissism of the younger generation spurred on by the power of modern technology. Global affairs can also be controlled by the narrator, who discusses killing millions "by assassination."The song starts out as the narrator, a young Hispanic male of about 4 to 10 years of age, brags about riding a bike with no handlebars. The bar handles theme becomes rote into this song, providing the chorus, and most likely inspired the title of this piece, which is "handle bars."
Soon this child, playing basketball, learns that he is a platypus (the duckbill platypus theme is found throughout the corpus of Flobots), can discourse about Viking Adventurer Leif Ericson, and can tie a knot in a cherry stem. Later accomplishments in the arts (keeping time with no metronome), business (boasting of marketing prowess), and technology (building an extremely fuel efficient engine) follow this young man, who is now a light skinned black boy. This symbolizes the band's ethos that one must be white to be considered successful in the contemporary Western World.
All is going well with this young man, as the masses that flock to listen to his song and buy his wonderful products are shot down in China and Africa, demonstrated graphically by video montages with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. This young man, now inexplicably a black female adolescent with straight hair, gains political power, imprisons her enemies (presumably the white race that so successfully manipulated economic markets at the expense of the self-esteem and political aspirations of former minorities), cancels distribution of world wide vaccinations, and eventually presses a large red button that signifies the end of the world.
Later the characsters are riding bikes with no handlebars again, and the process repeats infinitely.
Another Interpretation of this song is that it is stating that just because we can do something doesn't mean that we should. This meaning does support the theory that the song is aimed towards George W. Bush but also shows that it could be any of us who make this terrible decision if we don't watch what it is we are doing and learn from our mistakes.
Structure
The song begins and ends with the title lyric: "I can ride my bike with no handlebars." In between, the narrator shows increasing degrees of local, scientific, global, and political power over his surroundings until the eventual apocalypse at the conclusion of the song. The song is done in the post modern "slash & burn" hip hop style associated with Rage Against the Machine, with a horn element taken directly from Cake.
WP:3O or WP:RFC. It may be a good idea to bring in some extra help on this article... -- Jayron32. talk. contribs 03:13, 11 May 2008 (UTC)
This is a list of things that need to be updated when the protection is removed.
The following section was removed from the article. Why? I think it is concise and explains the meaning of the lyrics in the song quite well.
The song begins with childish braggadocio, as the singer boasts that he is able to ride a bicycle without holding the handlebars, can tie a knot in a cherry stem, has composed a comic book, and has seen a platypus, "because he can do anything that he wants." Next, the singer boasts of business and technological acumen, offering such skills as designing engines, marketing, and running a business.
Finally, he boasts of great political power, including the power to "lead a nation with a microphone", "hand out a million vaccinations / Or let'em all die in exasperation", to order assassinations, and to end the planet in a holocaust. Despite the apparent arrogance and amorality of these powers, he claims that his goals are pure and noble.
The song is in the genre of indie hip-hop but with a horn element very similar to that of the band Cake.
The one thing I might change is
horn to
trumpet, since that instrument is what is used in the recording.
BassBone (
talk)
08:34, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
How many think my version is better? Its pure poetry. The article as it is is too bare bones and seems as if written by pre schoolers. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:49, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
The song begins with childish hubris, as the singer states that he is able to ride a bicycle without holding the handlebars, can tie a knot in a cherry stem, has made a comic book, and has seen a platypus, because he can do anything that he wants. Next, the singer offers skills such as designing engines, marketing, and running a business. Finally, he boasts of have the power to "lead a nation with a microphone", being able to "hand out a million vaccinations, Or let'em all die in exasperation", to order assassinations, and to end the planet in a holocaust.
Best practice is to write Wikipedia articles by taking claims... and putting those claims in our own words on an article page, with each claim attributable to a source that makes that claim explicitly.
I already did, above, see my comments under the heading "citations". You are obviously avoiding the issue and feigning ignorance. JeanLatore ( talk) 03:23, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
This whole conversation is pointless. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:46, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
Your counter points were not sufficient. You did not properly rebut my assertions. JeanLatore ( talk) 01:14, 16 May 2008 (UTC)
Uh huh. And you claim to be civil, eh? JeanLatore ( talk) 22:53, 16 May 2008 (UTC)
I wasn't able to update the chart peak link (as it is now broken for some reason) and i'll add the new link here: [3]. Doc Strange Mailbox Logbook 18:48, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
I haven't been able to update anything on the page either. This article will wither like a Roman town during the barbarian migrations... JeanLatore ( talk) 19:24, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
I can edit... Jailerdaemon ( talk) 04:44, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
Just found the official music video on youtube, and i figured that it would make it a little easier to dicern the meaning of the song. http://youtube.com/watch?v=r-u2KWnKmlc&feature=related One thing i noticed is at the begining there were two people on bikes. And by the end, One was Dictating and the other was dieing trying to uproot his former friend. Further prooved by the section when they're walking down the street and take seperate ways at the fork. —Preceding unsigned comment added by CrazyOmega ( talk • contribs) 13:26, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
I have started an RFC on User:Rau J and his antics on this page and his uncivil posting on our talk pages. You can comment on it here: Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/Rau_J. JeanLatore ( talk) 02:20, 19 May 2008 (UTC)
I added some sourced commentary from the singer himself. JeanLatore ( talk) 17:19, 25 May 2008 (UTC)
What's is the technique where you repeat the start at the end, if there is one...?-- Relyk ( talk) 02:37, 26 May 2008 (UTC)
If no one objects, I'm going to insert a segment in the section on the video that the logo in the video looks like the omnicorp logo from robocop —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tealwisp ( talk • contribs) 18:10, 11 June 2008 (UTC)
![]() | This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page. |
Archive 1 |
I started this article. It is going to become huge, I can tell, as I created it right as the song was gaining nationwide notability. Come on everyone, lets get this article up to Featured Article status ASAP !!! JeanLatore ( talk) 01:33, 2 May 2008 (UTC)
Platypus was the name of their first album. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jailerdaemon ( talk • contribs) 02:02, 9 May 2008 (UTC)
The meaning of the song uses direct quotes from the beginning and ending of the song. It is sourced. Please explain its continual removal or replacement. Rau's Speak Page 21:17, 9 May 2008 (UTC)
I think everyone is misinterpreting the song completely. The song is not about any one person in particular, it is about everyone. This song is about a childlike innocence, the "look what I can do!". It is about John Q Public and how as he grows up, he realizes that he has the power to do things. Sadly, most men with power tend to abuse that power and the song goes on to follow that little boy growing and becoming a man and shouting "Look what I can do now" while using his great power to bring about the end of the world. It is about how we all have the propensity to be either good or evil. Seanmeadows ( talk • contribs) 15:50, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
I actually agree with this guy's interpretation, however since it seems like some kind of war has been waged over the translation of something (like many things in life), we could just try and put like 2-4 different meanings.
The meaning of the song is difficult to difficult to ascertain on a holistic approach. There are a few glimpses of who the subject is. The song is in direct reference to the American people or an American person in the lyrics “and I’m proud to be an American.” Other lyrics reference America such as, “I can tell you about Leif Ericson,” who is mythologized as the Viking that discovered America, and “I know all the words to De Colores,” which is the unofficial song for the United Farm Workers that was frequently sung in marches that occurred in the United States. The embodiment of the lyrics progress on the capabilities of an individual as they grow from childhood to adulthood and the multitude of applications that an individual can go through from tinkering with a remote control, to capitalistic ventures in magazine publishing, to (“I can lead a nation with a microphone”) and finally to war monger. User:Rachat 15 May 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.233.68.55 ( talk)
You cannot cite the "meaning" of the song by referencing the song itself. Any citations sir need to be from secondary sources, and reliable ones at that. Plz. keep in mind even if you claim to have "heard" those lyrics in the song itself, your repeating/communicating the lyrics is a form of original research as well in that you are merely communicating what you think you heard. Each word, nay each verbal sound, you "hear" whilst listening to the song (or even reading the printed lyrics) is processed in your brain before being passed on, thus subjecting it to your own personal biases, experiences, interpretations, and inherent biases. See Hobbes or Jacques Rousseau on language if you want to know more about that. JeanLatore ( talk) 00:50, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
I believe that protection is going a bit too far. Plus, in no way will we endorse the current version. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:16, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
But the IPs are people too. most of the constructive edits come from IPs actually. Like little things, things that will make this article grow into FA. There is no consensus for your version. its just you. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:22, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
The song is about George W. Bush and saying the people of the United States has elected a leader of little intelligence, and that they have given him enough power to start a nuclear war that would leave many dead. The song begins describing Bush as being so child like in sense as to compare his intellect with only being able to do simple acts as that of riding a bicycle with out the use of its handlebars, but by the end it also indicates that he has the power to execute the act of ending the planet in a holocaust through the use of nuclear weaponry.
The song references many modern technologies, including seeing someone's face "on the telephone;" an example of this technology being an iPhone, and the advances in modern science: "I can split the atom of a molecule." The narrator of the song is a youth of the modern generation, with the line "Look at me, look at me" embodying the narcissism of the younger generation spurred on by the power of modern technology. Global affairs can also be controlled by the narrator, who discusses killing millions "by assassination."The song starts out as the narrator, a young Hispanic male of about 4 to 10 years of age, brags about riding a bike with no handlebars. The bar handles theme becomes rote into this song, providing the chorus, and most likely inspired the title of this piece, which is "handle bars."
Soon this child, playing basketball, learns that he is a platypus (the duckbill platypus theme is found throughout the corpus of Flobots), can discourse about Viking Adventurer Leif Ericson, and can tie a knot in a cherry stem. Later accomplishments in the arts (keeping time with no metronome), business (boasting of marketing prowess), and technology (building an extremely fuel efficient engine) follow this young man, who is now a light skinned black boy. This symbolizes the band's ethos that one must be white to be considered successful in the contemporary Western World.
All is going well with this young man, as the masses that flock to listen to his song and buy his wonderful products are shot down in China and Africa, demonstrated graphically by video montages with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. This young man, now inexplicably a black female adolescent with straight hair, gains political power, imprisons her enemies (presumably the white race that so successfully manipulated economic markets at the expense of the self-esteem and political aspirations of former minorities), cancels distribution of world wide vaccinations, and eventually presses a large red button that signifies the end of the world.
Later the characsters are riding bikes with no handlebars again, and the process repeats infinitely.
Another Interpretation of this song is that it is stating that just because we can do something doesn't mean that we should. This meaning does support the theory that the song is aimed towards George W. Bush but also shows that it could be any of us who make this terrible decision if we don't watch what it is we are doing and learn from our mistakes.
Structure
The song begins and ends with the title lyric: "I can ride my bike with no handlebars." In between, the narrator shows increasing degrees of local, scientific, global, and political power over his surroundings until the eventual apocalypse at the conclusion of the song. The song is done in the post modern "slash & burn" hip hop style associated with Rage Against the Machine, with a horn element taken directly from Cake.
WP:3O or WP:RFC. It may be a good idea to bring in some extra help on this article... -- Jayron32. talk. contribs 03:13, 11 May 2008 (UTC)
This is a list of things that need to be updated when the protection is removed.
The following section was removed from the article. Why? I think it is concise and explains the meaning of the lyrics in the song quite well.
The song begins with childish braggadocio, as the singer boasts that he is able to ride a bicycle without holding the handlebars, can tie a knot in a cherry stem, has composed a comic book, and has seen a platypus, "because he can do anything that he wants." Next, the singer boasts of business and technological acumen, offering such skills as designing engines, marketing, and running a business.
Finally, he boasts of great political power, including the power to "lead a nation with a microphone", "hand out a million vaccinations / Or let'em all die in exasperation", to order assassinations, and to end the planet in a holocaust. Despite the apparent arrogance and amorality of these powers, he claims that his goals are pure and noble.
The song is in the genre of indie hip-hop but with a horn element very similar to that of the band Cake.
The one thing I might change is
horn to
trumpet, since that instrument is what is used in the recording.
BassBone (
talk)
08:34, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
How many think my version is better? Its pure poetry. The article as it is is too bare bones and seems as if written by pre schoolers. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:49, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
The song begins with childish hubris, as the singer states that he is able to ride a bicycle without holding the handlebars, can tie a knot in a cherry stem, has made a comic book, and has seen a platypus, because he can do anything that he wants. Next, the singer offers skills such as designing engines, marketing, and running a business. Finally, he boasts of have the power to "lead a nation with a microphone", being able to "hand out a million vaccinations, Or let'em all die in exasperation", to order assassinations, and to end the planet in a holocaust.
Best practice is to write Wikipedia articles by taking claims... and putting those claims in our own words on an article page, with each claim attributable to a source that makes that claim explicitly.
I already did, above, see my comments under the heading "citations". You are obviously avoiding the issue and feigning ignorance. JeanLatore ( talk) 03:23, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
This whole conversation is pointless. JeanLatore ( talk) 19:46, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
Your counter points were not sufficient. You did not properly rebut my assertions. JeanLatore ( talk) 01:14, 16 May 2008 (UTC)
Uh huh. And you claim to be civil, eh? JeanLatore ( talk) 22:53, 16 May 2008 (UTC)
I wasn't able to update the chart peak link (as it is now broken for some reason) and i'll add the new link here: [3]. Doc Strange Mailbox Logbook 18:48, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
I haven't been able to update anything on the page either. This article will wither like a Roman town during the barbarian migrations... JeanLatore ( talk) 19:24, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
I can edit... Jailerdaemon ( talk) 04:44, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
Just found the official music video on youtube, and i figured that it would make it a little easier to dicern the meaning of the song. http://youtube.com/watch?v=r-u2KWnKmlc&feature=related One thing i noticed is at the begining there were two people on bikes. And by the end, One was Dictating and the other was dieing trying to uproot his former friend. Further prooved by the section when they're walking down the street and take seperate ways at the fork. —Preceding unsigned comment added by CrazyOmega ( talk • contribs) 13:26, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
I have started an RFC on User:Rau J and his antics on this page and his uncivil posting on our talk pages. You can comment on it here: Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/Rau_J. JeanLatore ( talk) 02:20, 19 May 2008 (UTC)
I added some sourced commentary from the singer himself. JeanLatore ( talk) 17:19, 25 May 2008 (UTC)
What's is the technique where you repeat the start at the end, if there is one...?-- Relyk ( talk) 02:37, 26 May 2008 (UTC)
If no one objects, I'm going to insert a segment in the section on the video that the logo in the video looks like the omnicorp logo from robocop —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tealwisp ( talk • contribs) 18:10, 11 June 2008 (UTC)