“The Ghost Who Walks” [Karen Elson] – lyrics for English students

View the video below–>

The ghost who walks, she’s on the prowl

• “On the prowl” is used generally for predators or hunters, as with a lion or shark. Searching for a victim.

For the man she loved, he cut her down

• This is an artistic or lyrical way of speaking and is not common in regular speech. “For” means “because” here. “Because the man she loved cut her down.” She could also be on the prowl for this man, so it has a bit of double meaning. “He cut her down” is a lighter way of saying he killed her.

It was an ordinary night in June

When he drove her to the lake so they could watch the full moon

The ghost who walks she’s on the prowl

For the man she loved, he laid her down

• Sometimes, saying “lay” referring to a person has a sexual meaning. “He laid with her last night.” It’s a bit old-fashioned though. “Laid” here probably uses both sensual and physical meanings.

In the tall grass he kissed her cheek

But with a knife in his hand he plunged it in deep

She looked at him with pleading eyes

• “Pleading eyes” are associated with a victim begging not to be attacked or killed.

He softly spoke, My dear, the love has died

And then he muffled her desperate cries under the moonlight

The ghost who walks, she’s on the prowl

Wanders in the moonlight, she’s crying to herself

• *She wanders in the moonlight…

Because his eyes never looked cruel

But the moon in the blade, it shimmered like a jewel

She looked at him with pleading eyes

He softly spoke, My dear, the love has died

And then he muffled her deadly cries under the moonlight

Under the moonlight

Under the moonlight

Under the moonlight

The lyrics are written in a very literary, poetic way. Karen wants the song to sound old-fashioned on purpose, since the story sounds like an old ghost mystery tale. Instead of singing about feelings or partying, she tells a story of a woman who was taken by her man to a field, seemingly a nice and innocent guy. He was never cruel to her before, but he “snaps” and kills her, admitting that their love has died, or ended. The only witness of the murder was the moon above. Her ghost floats around trying to find the man who murdered her. Kind of dark, but it’s an interesting change of pace to most current song lyrics.

Watch here:

Os americanos são religiosos? Os religiosos são todos protestantes? – Religião nos EUA

Entre algumas comunidades brasileiras, tenho ouvido algumas dúvidas sobre se os americanos realmente pregam a religião ou não. Sinto que essa idéia vem da percepção de que os países desenvolvidos (aqueles países “bem-sucedidos”) não colocam muita importância na religião embora, em vez disso, se focam na força das suas nações sobre as outras. Às vezes parece que esse louvor se torna ao favor do consumismo. Pode até ser que como uma sociedade, os americanos tendem a focar muito no sucesso, ganhando dinheiro, ou os demais valores capitalistas.

Porém, os americanos em geral tendem a ser religiosos de alguma forma. Entre mais que 320 milhoes de pessoas, mais que 200 milhões reclamam ser cristãos. E para tocar na sua segunda questão, sim, quase a metade do país segue algum tipo de denominação protestante ou evangélico, como são comunmente referidas. Mas, entre elas;

• 162 milhões de protestantes
• 76 milhões são católicos
• 23 milhões de religiosos não-cristãos

Bom, existe um robusto grupo de não-afiliados, cerca de 20% do país, para dar uma idéia. Nesse leque, pode achar tudo desde agnósticos a ateus e até gente que “não sabe” ou que simplesmente não tem preferência alguma. Alguns desses simplesmente não responderam a essa parte do censo.

Uso os números para lhes dar alguma vista sobre o tamanho e de quantos indivíduos habitam esse país tão gigante. Mesmo entre os religiosos, existem aqueles que não praticam regularmente ou que não declaram uma religião por causa de propósitos pessoais. Alguns, como eu, são espirituais e têm uma visão mais geral e naturalista sobre religião que não é ligada a qualquer igreja em particular. Ao final do dia, os Estados Unidos ainda é um dos países mais religiosos do mundo, ainda que protestante na sua maioria. Tem na verdade a maior quantidade de pessoas que consideram religião importante entre os “países desenvolvidos,” nao contando os países do sul da Europa (pensa em Portugal, Itália, etc.). Também tem muita diversidade entre as religiões praticadas, desde o siquismo, budismo, judaismo, até todos os tipos de islã e cristianismo que pode imaginar.

Mas 76 milhões de católicos ainda conta como muita gente, não conta?

Recursos:

Demografia dos Estados Unidos: https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/united-states-population

A construção religiosa dos EUA: https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/

A importância da religião em cada país: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Importance_of_religion_by_country

Aren’t Americans racist? Segregated? What about xenophobic? – Discrimination in the USA

Well, which ones? At the home level or the political level? It depends on who you’re asking, but here are some things to keep in mind:

Black Lives Matter. This recent movement has ignited a whole swath of emotions from both supporters and opponents of its ideals.

“Don’t all lives matter?”

–one might ask. And on a philosophical, principle-based ideology, yes, they do all matter. But looking at several parameters comparing black Americans to other “races” it’s easy to spot a disparity, especially between whites and blacks.

Here are just a few charts I found particularly alarming:

Shayanne Gal/Business Insider

Shayanne Gal/Business Insider

Madison Hoff/Business Insider

In these three charts, you can start to get a taste for how disproportionately society treats one group of people over another. Now, there are some important things to note here:

1. About half of the deaths caused by police violence are suffered by whites. However, more blacks are killed in proportion to any other racial group, alarming since they make up a much smaller part of the population
2. Even though marijuana usage is becoming more legalized across the country in recent decades, and about the same amount of whites and blacks admit to using it, a much higher percentage of blacks are arrested for marijuana possession
3. White households overall are more likely to be high income, while black households overall are more likely to be poor

These are just what numbers show us; do with them what you wish.

There are plenty of white people killed by police or put in jail, and plenty of black people are wealthy. But at the heart, the U.S.’s system slows down the progress of certain groups.

And it’s not just a current phenomenon. Many opportunities exist for all races today, which is great, although, historically these minorities didn’t have a chance. Institutional slavery was one part of this. Theories of some races being better than others was another yet related one. Why else would a bunch of people come to one continent thinking they were “destined” to teach and conquer another?

I also want to point out that this problem isn’t uniquely European. Slavery, colonization, and segregation have existed on all populated continents throughout most of human history. People are just cool like that.

America has a dirty history of xenophobia, which is fearing or looking down upon people of foreign nations, cultures, religions, etc. Back in the early days, we were worried about Germans and Scandinavians taking our jobs and land. Later it was the Irish, then Eastern Europeans, Italians, and Asians. More recently it’s been Latin Americans and Muslims, but the history is long-standing. All these groups suffered violence and retaliation when migrating to America, the only difference being that those groups seen as having a “lesser” skin color, “lesser” religion, or from “needier” countries have suffered a lot more. This discrimination persists especially strongly in communities that have been divided for generations.

The U.S. is an incredibly complex country. The perception of it being a nation of immigrants has influenced many to arrive and continue with their old customs, estranging them from the general American culture. Fear of immigrants and frequent hostility towards them has left many feeling unwelcome to the point of willfully leaving to other countries or going back home. Who wants someone yelling,

Go back to where you came from!

or receiving despising looks all the time just because of their appearance or religious beliefs? I’m sure that I’d feel terrible about myself if I were put down for stuff I couldn’t even control. The government definitely creates policies that encourage this fear of foreigners. Think of:

• Japanese-Americans put in Internment Camps
• Irish migrants advertised as being subhuman invaders
• Mexicans and Central Americans being mass deported
• travel bans imposed on Muslim-majority countries

That last one’s pretty recent, eh?

To bring some sunshine to this story, Americans, in general, seem to be really well-meaning folks. We don’t like to see others suffering, and we want to be a peaceful and happy society that works together. Many are truly interested in other cultures, languages, and religions. We get a bad rep, but many of us are trying to break those closed-minded, bigoted stereotypes that we’ve put on ourselves.

Anyway, check out these pages below to see more charts about the perception of racial issues in America, and let me know what you think! There’s everything from income comparisons to opinions on how a person’s race affects social class mobility. There’s even an interesting little graph showing how Americans view the “N” word. There are a whole 7% of whites that think it’s okay “Sometimes” or “Always” for white people to say the “N” word, which is just silly. It’s a very small percent, but I’m trying to imagine who these people are. Are they really racist or are they just dotty white dudes that hang out around black people a lot and get away with it? Probably both, but that word deserves a whole article to itself.

So, the answer to the original question is: Yes, we’re a little racist, segregationist, and xenophobic, but it’s a long-time bad habit. We’ve been trained this way. We’ve been taught this way. Our nation started this way. But don’t forget, it’s not just an American problem. And, we’re trying! Many are fighting to fix this. Thinking about those positive-minded citizens helps me sleep better at night.

Resources:

Charts showing how racial differences appear in society: https://www.businessinsider.com/us-systemic-racism-in-charts-graphs-data-2020-6

For the history of xenophobia in the U.S.: https://now.tufts.edu/articles/long-history-xenophobia-america

For Americans’ perception of racial issues: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/04/09/race-in-america-2019/

“Child” [Lights] – lyrics for English students

Video below –>

What is this about? _ Where is everybody going? _ What am I doing here?

• She seems very uncertain about her place in the world.

Can’t separate what I really need to know and _ What I just want to hear

• *I can’t separate… This is related to today’s media in part since we hear so much information on TV and social media that it’s hard to decide what’s important and what’s not. Also, there may be some trouble deciding between what’s true and what she just wants to accept as true, similar to the whole “fake news” deal.

Maybe I’m alone _ Maybe everybody’s lost too _ Looking for a way out

• She’s not sure if she’s the only one or if everyone is struggling with this. Problems of our times.

Maybe I don’t know _ Maybe I don’t even want to _ Just don’t want to be let down

• *I just don’t… To “be let down” is to be disappointed because your expectations were not met.

There is no sureness, I kind of just stumble along

• “Kind of” is a very popular term in common speech. It often shows that the speaker is not sure or is explaining something that they’re unsure about. It’s also used a lot just to take up space so that the speaker has time to think while they talk. “I just kind of need some help.” We also use it to mean “a little.” “I kind of liked that show, a little bit.” Different from when we use it to talk about a type of something. “Football is a kind of sport.” That’s a completely different usage.

There must be purpose in trying to keep on

• *There must be a purpose… To “keep on” is to continue with something. In this case, it sounds like she’s questioning if there is a purpose to keep living, working hard, dealing with other people, etc. The tone is not suicidal or depressed, though; she seems to be just questioning the world and people’s motives.

What do I know? _ I’m a child _ Just trying to talk like a mother does

• She says she’s not really a grownup but a child who is acting like she thinks an adult should act. A little girl in a grown woman’s costume, to put it one way.

Seeing life come and go all the time _ It’s never as long as you wish it was _ oh-oh-oh _ Maybe I’m still trying to see like a child does

• It sounds like she’s saying that life or childhood don’t last as long as you wish they would. Even as an adult, she’s still trying to be confident and not worry about things, just like children do.

And I always feel like I did when I was younger _ Can’t talk sense into me

• *You can’t talk sense… To “talk sense into someone” means that you give them some advice to make them wiser. She’s saying that people try to give her advice and help her, but she denies it and does what she wants anyway. This behavior is similar to a stubborn child, which is why she makes the connection.

How do you decide when to know or how to wonder _ Or how to just get free?

• Here, “get free” means to free oneself from undesired situations, like the stress of social media, the news, and living in a complicated modern world. She struggles between knowing when to be a teacher and give information, when to ask questions and learn, and when to just accept things for what they are and not worry about them. She says a lot with just a few words.

There’s no certainty _ I kind of just stumble along _ Doesn’t bother me

• *It doesn’t bother me… Her not using a subject in many of her sentences makes the lyrics seem very casual and relaxed, the same way she might talk in regular situations.

I’m trying to keep on

• She says stumbling (making mistakes) doesn’t bother her, but she’s trying to “keep on.” This makes it feel like “keeping on” is not a huge struggle in her life. Maybe, like most people, she has accepted that there will be difficult times and that she will make mistakes. But she’s trying, and that’s the best she can do.

What do I know? _ I’m a child _ Just trying to talk like a mother does _ Seeing life come and go all the time _ It’s never as long as you wish it was, oh-oh-oh _ Maybe I’m still trying to see like a child does _ I’ve seen both sides of the door _ I’m not a child anymore _ But I can stand in it the way I did when I was a kid

• She’s been a child and an adult, so she knows how both sides feel. Standing in the door gives the sense that she continues to be rebellious and speak her mind or be stubborn like she was when she was a child, at least when she wants to. She still keeps part of her “inner child” with her, both the bad parts (being stubborn, naïve, insecure, making mistakes) and the good parts (being outspoken, being confident, not worrying too much about life).

Then the lyrics repeat.

• *Just a note: Child and kid mean the same thing, as with children and kids. Kid is more commonly used and sounds more natural in most situations, though child tends to be used in more serious situations.
  • “Do you want to play with the kids down the street?”
  • “Hey, you stay away from my child!”

Watch the video here:

Dead talk close ahead – “dead -” “fasho/fisho” and more, meanings & uses

Terms: dead (serious, wrong, ahead, -ass) / fisho / fasho

You’re so round … and floppy. How’d your legs get so slippery? What a strange creature! Silly you.

Charles’s turtle looked up at him with blank admiration. The apartment walls surrounded them both as the little animal stared fixedly at its owner.

—You know, I love to talk with you when I’m alone. It’s good to vent, isn’t it? It helps me to get my thoughts all together in one place. You’re just a sweet little— ah!

The reptile almost fell to the floor.

—Crap! I almost dropped you, __

Charles wanted to blurt out a name, but he remembered.

—Ha, that’s right. Sometimes I wonder if I should give you a name. But, names are for people, right? You’re fine as the little turtle you are.

BUM, BUM, BUM, from the door.

The turtle flew in fright out of Charles’s hands and flopped on the floor for a bit. As Charles went to grab the door, the nameless turtle was able to flip onto its legs before sliding itself safely under the bed.

—Who is it? Charles wondered.

He knew it was better to check the door before opening it. It could have been a school girl selling cookies; it could have been a mobster with a gun pointed at his nose. It happened to be something between the two extremes.

—Yo, man, I told you to stop with these notices all over my door.

Charles responded to the man outside his doorway, confused.

The man persisted, though; —Like, dead-ass, if you’re not gonna quit it with those posts on my door, we’re gonna have some problems, I’m- I’m dead serious.

—Oh, man. I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t have anything to do with that. Did you try asking the landlord?

—Wait, you’re not the landlord?

Charles shook his head, No.

—Then who are you?

—I’m Charles. I moved here from out of town. Well, out of the country.

The man then laughed at his own mistake.

—Oh, you the foreigner. My bad, man! I thought this was the landlord’s suite for some reason. Let me … Oh! He’s in two-fifty. This is two-O-five. That was embarrassing …

—No, it’s cool. Forget it. Hey, tell me something. What did you mean by “dead serious?” Were you wishing for me to die?

—Ah, no way, guy. I just wanted you to know I was super serious. When we say dead with something, it means it’s “straightforward, serious, just one way.” If I say, “You’re dead wrong,” that means you are “very wrong,” no question about it. Or if you’re asking directions, and I tell you to keep going dead ahead, that means “straight ahead of you.” Same if something is dead in front of you, or dead in your face. It’s not really dead. It just means that it is “directly ahead of you,” without a doubt. Dead-ass is similar, but you’re saying that something is true or serious.

—So, if I say, “I’m going to buy some dead-ass new shoes,” that means I really am going to do it?

—Well, you’d say it the other way: “I’m gonna buy me some new shoes, dead-ass.”

—Got it!

They could hear a rustling noise from under Charles’s bed.

—Oh, I forgot about my turtle. I have to save him … or her.

—Fasho. I gotta go find this crazy landlord of ours anyway.

—Fa-what? What did you say? Charles asked him.

—You ain’t ever heard of “fasho?” The same as “for sure.” It’s just a confirmation. Or, I always use it to tell people “goodbye,” like a closing statement. Like just now, you said you had to go do something, so I said, “Fasho. I gotta go too.” Sometimes I say, “Fisho,” but it’s the same thing. It means our conversation is about to be through.

—Fasho. Well, I’ll see you around here. Good luck with those posts all over your door. Now, I just have to find my little turtle.

Charles’s neighbor pointed down to the floor at a dark object moving around clumsily.

—Isn’t that him? Or her, I mean?

Charles looked.

—Yeah! There he is. He was dead in front of me this whole time.

---

^{*The language used in this dialogue is meant to reflect how different Americans might express themselves. Significant incorrect grammar or sensitive words will be underlined for reference.}

“Jesus He Knows Me” [Genesis] – lyrics for English students

Watch the video below –>

D’you see the face on the TV screen coming at you every Sunday? _ See the face on the billboard? _ Well, that man is me

• *Do you see the face…? He says Sunday as a reference to being a holy or spiritual figure.

On the cover of a magazine _ There’s no question why I’m smiling _ You buy a piece of paradise, you buy a piece of me

• Buying a piece of paradise has the same feeling as buying a plot of land as if going to heaven were a business transaction.

I’ll get you everything you wanted _ I’ll get you everything you need _ You don’t need to believe in the hereafter

• The “hereafter” is another way to talk about life after death.

Just believe in me _ ‘Cause Jesus, he knows me _ And he knows I’m right _ I’ve been talking to Jesus _ All my life _ Oh yes, he knows me _ And he knows I’m right _ Well, he’s been telling me everything is alright _ I believe in the family _ With my ever-loving wife beside me

• Putting “ever” before some verbs can make them mean that something is lasting or persisting. “He is ever talking about that same TV show.” Ever-loving is the most popular usage, though, especially in music.

But she don’t know about my girlfriend _ Or the man I met last night

• *She doesn’t know about… His wife doesn’t know about his undercover actions. It presents how, often, people who show to be perfect in front of others have problems and secrets like anyone else, even religious leaders.

Do you believe in God? _ ‘Cause that is what I’m selling

• He’s using the image or idea of God to make money and fame.

And if you wanna get to heaven _ Well, I’ll see you right

• “I’ll see you right” means that he’ll make what you want happen.

You won’t even have to leave your house _ Or get out of your chair _ You don’t even have to touch that dial _ ‘Cause I’m everywhere

• “Don’t touch that dial” has been a popular phrase on TV commercials and programs where the presenter tries to keep the attention of the audience. “Dial” is another word for “remote control.” He’s “everywhere” references the omnipresence of God, being everywhere. However, he is everywhere in the sense of media, like on TV, magazines, radio, etc. He’s also making it as easy as possible to participate in his “scheme,” since you can even join inside your house from a chair.

Jesus, he knows me _ And he knows I’m right _ I’ve been talking to Jesus _ All my life _ Oh yes, he knows me _ And he knows I’m right _ Well, he’s been telling me everything’s gonna be alright _ Won’t find me practicing what I’m preaching

• *You won’t find me… “Practice what you preach” is a common way to say that someone actually does (or should do) what they say they are going to do. “You need to practice what you preach, man.”

Won’t find me making no sacrifice

• Double negatives! *You won’t find me making any sacrifices. He might be using incorrect grammar on purpose to show the ignorance or lack of professionalism of the types of people who try to cheat others.

But I can get you a pocketful of miracles

• This “pocketful of miracles” sounds like it’s from a book or movie. Sometimes using “a pocketful” makes the object a lot more dreamy and positive. Think of that song “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield.

If you promise to be good, try to be nice _ God will take good care of you _ Well, just do as I say, don’t do as I do

• It sounds like a church sermon! Except at the end, there is a twist. The ultimate phrase of a hypocrite.

Well, I’m counting my blessings _ As I’ve found true happiness _ ‘Cause I’m a-getting richer _ Day by day

• To “count blessings” is to show gratitude or think of ways that you are grateful for something. He says, “I’m a-getting—” It’s an old-fashioned way to talk, but used nowadays sarcastically. It doesn’t really mean anything itself. “He’s a-running, he’s a-going!”

You can find me in the phone book _ Just call my toll-free number

• “Call our toll-free number” is a popular phrase in advertising to get people to call and ask about a product. It means that the call is free.

You can do it any way you want _ Just do it right away

• “Right away” means “right now,” just in case you didn’t know.

And there’ll be no doubt in your mind _ You’ll believe everything I’m saying _ If you wanna get closer to Him _ Get on your knees and start paying

• “Him” with a capital “H” is used to refer to God or Jesus, generally. He plays with the idea of getting on your knees to pray, but he says instead to pay. Essentially, the “worship” is directed toward him and not to God. Again, hypocrisy.

‘Cause Jesus, he knows me _ And he knows I’m right _ I’ve been talking to Jesus _ All my life _ Oh yes, he knows me _ And he knows I’m right _ Well, he’s been telling me everything’s gonna be alright

• It seems like he is two people in this song. Phil as a preacher is saying that Jesus knows he’s right and supports his claims. This is how corrupt religious leaders justify their followers’ having to pay for services, saying that “Jesus knows I’m right!” But, Phil as the singer of Genesis is saying that he knows what Jesus wants and, maybe, it’s to prove how corrupt these false leaders are. It might not really be about Jesus, but about pure intentions vs. corruption and hypocrisy, since I’m not sure if Genesis were ever religious or not.

And the lyrics repeat.

Watch and listen here:

“i like the devil” [Purity Ring] – lyrics for English students

Video and more explanation below–>

Mother laid her elbows on the bed _ Whispering the wishes to the threads

• “Whispering wishes” gives the sensation of praying, especially with her elbows on the bed, like the traditional form of praying on one’s bedside. “The threads” can refer to the bedsheets, but more figuratively may refer to the Fates in Greek mythology. They were a group of goddesses that decided the fate of people by weaving and cutting their “life” threads.

Weaving in the weight of all our dread _ Wiping up the stains of our regret

• “Weaving” here refers to the threads from before. You can also “weave through” something, as in to bend your way through a tough situation or difficult information. “Wiping up” gives the idea that she’s cleaning up her past difficulties and regrets.

Heal her hands by kneading up the bread _ Cleaning off her fingers as she wept

• Kneading is the process of stretching and molding dough before you make bread. Dough is soft and so has a healing sensation to the hands. It also refers to a woman who had past difficulties and tries to heal by doing something traditionally for women, like making food. “Cleaning off her fingers” is washing off those past mistakes, along with the sticky dough.

Lurk within her gleaming silhouette _ Then seal in our wonder to ferment

• Below her pretty outer image is a kind of danger or ugliness. We use “lurk” to talk about something dangerous or ominous, like a monster, that is hiding somewhere. Ferment is the process which allows dough to grow, cheese and butter to harden, and so on. We also use ferment to show how something bad, ugly or evil can rot and grow over time within a person. It sounds like this woman tries to hide her past inside this image of what a good woman should be, but her problems are slowly growing and causing her damage from within.

I, like the devil, can fly _ And I read her sweet mind last night, and _ I, like God, can fly _ And I held a candle over her fright

• Referring to herself as the devil and God references how women have historically been perceived both as something perfect and saintly, as well as something evil and wicked. Reading thoughts and using candles have a mystic or religious feeling too. Partly, she’s saying that she, like all people, have the capacity to be good and bad, or we all have a little bit of God and the devil in us. It’s also a reference to an old way of speaking that’s not really used anymore. “Run like the devil,” and “Talk like the devil.” It’s like saying someone runs, talks, or flies really fast. Megan doesn’t mean it in this way, but she’s playing with the meanings of words.

What is happiness but a word? _ Spoken from on high for what it’s worth

• She’s questioning what it means to be truly happy, and refers to how happiness is often dictated to women, or people in general, from another source. Usually, it’s someone in power, “from on high.”

Flown beneath the wings of little birds _ But I have felt the wind crawl where we’re cursed

• Happiness can be found in simple things like watching birds fly. Also there’s a sense that messages from those in power come to us from small messengers, like with carrier pigeons that used to deliver things. She has felt happiness or joy in situations or places that are looked down upon or not accepted by certain people.

Find us in the folded parts she pressed _ Lying in positions like we’ve slept

• “Folded parts she pressed” gives the idea that her curse as a woman comes from her “hidden parts,” whether physical or emotional. It also sounds like folding clothes, so the curse may come from simply being a woman, a mother, etc. Positions like we’ve slept reminds me of the fetal position, like how babies sleep. It might refer to an actual fetus or baby being a source of happiness, or life in general. It can also be another reference to womanhood or motherhood being a joy and a curse. The theme of a baby also fits in with the album’s title, WOMB.

Find us in the hallows of her chest _ Lying in positions, like we’ve slept

• “In the hallows of her chest” refers to the heart, and love overall. Hallows also makes it sound more holy or saintly. Repeating “lying in positions” is again a reference to babies, motherhood, etc. Happiness can then be found in the heart, love, and womanhood. Again, there’s a sense that all of this is a curse and a blessing at the same time.

I, like the devil, can fly _ And I read her sweet mind last night, and _ I, like God, can fly _ And I held a candle over her fright _ I, like the devil, can fly

• I also want to point out that the title is intentionally misleading. “I like the devil” sounds like she will talk about how she likes or worships the devil. However, we clearly see that she uses this phrasing to compare herself (her actions, intentions) to the devil, and later, to God.

A better and more in-depth look at the lyrics. Please read to learn more: https://medium.com/an-injustice/i-like-the-devil-purity-rings-prayer-for-a-balanced-perspective-on-feminism-and-womanhood-1d0833d41d4f

Watch it here:

A stoning fight – “get high” “get wasted” “fade” and more, meanings & uses

Terms: get light / get high / get stoned / get wasted / get faded / get baked / fade

_{*The language used in this dialogue is meant to reflect how different Americans might express themselves. Significant incorrect grammar or sensitive words will be underlined for reference.}

Skies were blue with those thin strips of white like ripped white pillow feathers painted all around. The birds sang and the sun burned a little on the arms. It was a perfect day to sit in a park — or so thought Charles. In fact, it was a great day for the park for another reason. The sun and birds are fine and all, but what Charles really was looking for was music.

He had recently went to a concert with some work buddies of his and he loved it! Now, Charles was itching for more of the live music experience. He wanted to feel the beat vibrate inside his ribs. He wanted to enjoy the energy of people jumping and singing all around him. He wanted to smell the sweat of the singers as they yelled their lyrics at the crowd. Charles would have never guessed it, be he was radically in love with live concerts. And to his luck, there would be one today at the park.

After walking for some time, he finally found where the stage was. Charles found a quiet, clean spot to lay his coat down in the grass and kicked his shoes off. He stretched his feet, closed his eyes, and let the sun sizzle his arms just a little bit. He was nearly falling asleep when the mechanical screech of a microphone pulled his attention back to life. There was a middle-aged lady on stage tapping on the mic as if to test it.

—Hello all, she said, greeting the crowd of park-goers. —I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday. My sponsors and I are here to get the show started off tonight. How about that? Are you all excited?

The people around the stage sitting in the grass all yelled and cheered in approval. They were, in fact, all excited. The sun was starting to go away, and the mood was getting set.

—Excellent! Well, we’ve got a great show planned for you all tonight. A$AP Rocky and Tyga are here.

—Yo, where they at? some guy yelled out impatiently.

—A$AP? Aw man. I thought this week was Twenty One Pilots. You’re kidding me, right? another guy moaned.

—Yes, the lady from before said, We will get on with the show in just a minute. Firsthand, I want to talk about the “big M.” Mari-what?

—Oh, no! We don’t wanna hear it, lady! someone else yelled.

Charles was confused and looked around for someone to help him understand.

—What a buzzkill, right? They always bring these old-timers trying to keep us from getting stoned in public. It’s a waste of time. That’s why I stopped coming to public concerts.

It was a young woman about the same age as Charles.

—What do you mean? They throw stones at people in public? he replied.

—Oh, God no! Haha, ain’t you ever heard of someone getting stoned? Like, high?

Charles shook his head to say No.

—Well, to tell you what it means, it’s what happens when you smoke weed. You know, cannabis. Some people say they get faded or get baked. It’s all the same thing.

A guy sitting next to the lady had been listening and made a sound that meant he agreed.

He then told Charles, —Yeah, sometimes we say we get wasted or we get light. Wasted’s a little more for drinking, though. Most people just say high, when in doubt.

Another lady nearby complained, —Don’t teach him that stuff! Poor guy. He was so innocent until you told him all that junk.

The lady next to Charles turned to the complainer and told her, —Shut up, yo. Or do you want to fade?

She got quiet and turned away. The lady next to Charles laughed and bumped her friend to laugh together.

She told Charles, —Don’t worry, I wasn’t really gonna fade. It was just a threat.

Charles asked her, —A fade is a hair style, right? Or were you talking about smoking?

She said “No” and, —By fade, I mean … and she moved her arms around like she was punching someone invisible. —I wasn’t gonna fight her, you know?

—Fade can mean fight, then? Charles asked.

—Yeah. And if you catch a fade, you end up fighting someone. Or worse, they try to fight you.

Sounds like a heavy hand tapping on the microphone bumbled from the stage once more.

—And without further ado, here is your concert! the woman on stage announced. And several people sitting in the grass simultaneously sighed Finally!

Charles looked over and whispered at the pair he’d been talking to.

—I’m glad she stopped telling us not to get high, or she was gonna catch a fade from somebody in this crowd.

The three laughed at his comment and invited him to stand up and dance. The sun had gone down, the big lights were turned on. Everyone started to vibrate as the first pounding beats rolled out from the massive speakers.