Song Interpretation

Alright children. Today I'm interpreting the lyrics of the song, 
'What I am', by Edie Brickell. 

Hold onto your monitors, 'coz it's going to be a less than pleasant read.

'L' stands for the lyrics/line, while 'I' stands for the interpretation.
===================================
L: I'm not aware of too many things

I know what I know, if you know what I mean

I: This line of the song definitely indicates a deeper understanding of oneself. Think about it. If you admit you don't know everything, you are admitting you have a long way to go since you are aware of the vast knowledge that exists, and you are just a man standing on the shore of the sea of knowledge.

But then, she mentions the lack of awareness. So it might indicate she doesn't know about the expanse of knowledge.

Summary: So, yeah. I don't know what you mean by what you mean.

---

L: Philosophy is the talk on a cereal box

I: Cereal boxes are not to be taken lightly. The composition of cereal boxes are complex. They could be made of virgin cardboard/paper, or recycled. Why, you could even have a mix of both. And we haven't even ventured into the volume that the cereal box can contain. The potential of this is endless. 

Summary: The topic of philosophy is deep and expansive, with that very same effect on the mind, when we indulge in it.

---

L: Religion is the smile on a dog

I: Dogs smiling are not a good sign. Humans smiling, and animals smiling never convey the same emotion. Humans smiling (more often than not) convey friendliness. Animals smiling is more like a warning, a grimace even. They serve as a forerunner of bad things to happen if we continue to tread on the same path.

Summary: Religion warns us of dangers that lie ahead and helps prevent bad things from happening to us, IF we interpret it right.

---

L: What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?

I: These lines indicate one specific thing. If you follow the right path, the cycle of infinite births can be broken by the present, as clearly mentioned by the non-repeating word 'IS' in the first line.

The second line gives us insight into how we can break this cycle of birth and rebirth, and that is, what are you is what you are is what are you, or is it?

Summary: Break the circle of infinite births by going the other way. Do things that you wouldn't normally do for the good of yourself and others.

---

L: Philosophy is a walk on the slippery rocks

I: When has walking on slippery rocks ever been easy? Well, only when you have walked on many slippery rocks and actually do it for fun now. 

Summary: Philosophy is a lot of fun, especially when you know what you're talking about. You get to watch other not-so-experienced ones slip up and hurt their pride.

---

L: Religion is a light in the fog

I: Light in the fog is pretty surreal, but can also be deadly. You see the light and presume it's safe to drive in that direction, but BAM! You just drove over the cliff, following the light you saw from the nearby lighthouse.

Summary: Religion is a blueprint, a general direction you can follow. Interpret it wrong, or follow it blindly, and it can lead to some serious pain.

---

L: Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep

Don't let me get too deep

I: This is clearly the lyricist telling me, and you, my dear readers, that this song isn't meant to be interpreted. If you're over-analyzing this, then you're pretty much killing yourself. So stop right now before you do any analyses.

Summary: The song is not meant to be interpreted. The fact I read this disclaimer so late into the analyses will probably break me, way more than 10 years of solitary confinement will.

Disclaimer: I have no rights over the images used in the blog/post, and have used them with no intention to distribute them or make any money out of them.