Living Colour - Cult of Personality
Look into my eyes, what do you see? Cult of Personality I know your anger, I know your dreams I've been everything you want to be I'm the Cult of Personality Corey Glover invites us to look into his eyes....
Look into my eyes, what do you see? Cult of Personality I know your anger, I know your dreams I've been everything you want to be I'm the Cult of Personality
Corey Glover invites us to look into his eyes. He expects us to see himself as he put it as, “a Cult of Personality”. Sadly the only thing I see is desperation as it is quite strange, if not crazy to suggest such a thing. He is after all a singer for a semi-famous band, which to be fair can command him some respect. However, that’s probably where it ends as in reality he couldn’t achieve probably 10 things that most bona-fide men who had a cult of personality could achieve. I mean come on! He’s just a singer in a band he can hardly arrange some kind of mass genocide of bishops and intellectuals or get people to worship him in such a way that they’d fight a war for him.
Corey insists he’s the real deal though as he claims to know my anger and my dreams and everything I want to be. This is rather a large claim which he doesn’t seem to back it up with any real evidence. It’s not like he suddenly appeared before me and goes “Dave, I know you are angry about the war in Iraq” (or something politically skewiff along those lines anyway) and then I say “Why yes Corey. Yes indeed I am! How very astute of you good sir, or should I say sire, for I shall worship you from this day forth”, etc etc. No he just makes jumped up claims about knowing what I’m thinking.
Like Mussolini and Kennedy I'm the Cult of Personality Cult of Personality Cult of Personality
Corey starts comparing himself to famous political figures from the 20th century. Firstly he compares himself to Mussolini, who is still remembered in Italy for the fact he made the trains run on time, (well aside from the brutal dictatorship, killing of his enemies etc). Now I don’t think Corey’s influence can really extend to the rail regulators. It’s not like he just walk into the rail network offices and demand that the trains be run more efficiently and expect it to be done (god knows I’ve tried and failed). Or maybe he can, and in which case I challenge him to live up to these promises, although considering the song was released in 1989 nearly 20 years ago I would expect that he’s probably bluffing.
He also compares himself to John F. Kennedy, who to my knowledge didn’t even have a cult of personality. In fact he was only the president for 2 years and not even the best dictators managed to achieve a cult of personality in that time.
Neon lights, A Nobel Price
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don't have to follow me
Only you can set me free
Corey now seems to believe that his reflection is lying to him. I think he’s truly lost it now, which kind of goes some way to explaining his previous, insane comments that he’s got the power of JFK. Now though, he doesn’t even believe that he looks the way he does anymore, god only knows what he sees himself as now.
Corey now claims that people don’t have to follow him although only the general public can set him free. Two problems with that, firstly where is he trapped and secondly isn’t it kind of obvious that only someone else can free him. After all assuming he’s in some kind of prison he probably can only get out at the behest of the warden.
I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your T.V.
I'm the Cult of Personality
I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I'm the Cult of Personality
Corey seems to have given up on the being a world renowned dictator and has taken to being a salesman. I must say I’m very proud of him on hearing this, as I had thought he was losing it. It seems he’s become quite a success too as he’s made it on TV through his productive work, but then, oh no! He’s claiming he’s a cult of personality again, and to make matters worse he’s saying it on TV now. I would expect he will be fired from this job shortly after announcing this.
Corey seems to be exploiting his viewers, although it doesn’t seem to be affecting their relationship. I wonder how he’s exploiting them:
- Maybe he’s adding an extra pound to the price to scam the viewers
- Perhaps he’s selling shoddy toasters
- He could be organizing a pyramid scheme
- Maybe he’s selling knock off Harry Potter merchandise
In fact it’s none of these things as he’s telling people that one and one make three. Now as we all know that is a lie and quite a big lie at that, as one and one make two. I think Corey should try deceiving people at a lower level before he starts attacking basic principals that we all know are common sense without much leeway. He’ll probably start saying the sky is brown soon and expect us to believe that.
Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi I'm the Cult of Personality Cult of Personality Cult of Personality
He’s turned back to historical figures again. This time he claims he is like Stalin and Gandhi. This presents many problems, as I think he’s trying to imply that he is like both of them at once, when Stalin and Gandhi couldn’t be more opposite if they tried. After all Stalin was a squat fat man, who smoked a pipe and pretty much scared the hell out of the whole of Eastern Europe. Whilst Gandhi on the other-hand was a man who was skinny, used to fast a lot and tended to dislike violence. I can’t see Stalin and Gandhi hitting it off at a party, let’s put it that way.
Neon lights a Nobel Prize A leader speaks, that leader dies You don't have to follow me Only you can set you free
Hmm, this worries me a little bit as I think Corey might be contemplating assassinating someone. He’s talking about a leader speaking and then dying, so I certainly hope that any rallies going on have got good security and keep on the look out for any deranged funk rock singers.
You gave me fortune You gave me fame You gave me power in your God's name I'm every person you need to be I'm the Cult of Personality
Corey seems to have gained fortune, fame and God like powers, although he doesn’t say how and doesn’t really give us a demonstration of his newfound omnipotence. Also his fortune and fame could have been gained through his time with the band too. He now claims he’s every person I need to be, which poses a problem as I quite ok being myself and I don’t think a split personality would really ease my existence. Maybe Corey should give up on this quite preposterous idea of becoming a cult of personality and just stick to being in a moderately successful band.
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