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Signs And Signifiers

from Live​-​ish​-​esque by Paulie Lipman

/

lyrics

Stop
is one of the first things
I remember being programmed
and for good reason
If I saw a red
light/octagon/hand
I…stopped
and therefore
didn’t get my brains dashed
on the hood of a Buick

But
the side effect
was that now Red
meant Danger
Blood/Red
Danger
Buick/Brain/Red
Danger
Panic
Siren/Red
Danger
Dread Fear

Before that, Red
held only the meaning
I gave to it
Sun/Red
Infinite
Fire/Red
Creation
Anger
Infinite
Destruction
Possibility

“Changing someone’s mind”
is
figurative/literal/chemical
When you marry
image and name, you
create identity
a liquid tie between the two
but you propose
different name/same image
you change someone’s
thought
A new neural link
Next time they encounter
the same image, they think
Red/Infinite
then
Red/Stop
and then
they will question both
and will never see that image
the same way ever again

At birth
we are Tabula Rasa
blank
but then we are
bombarded
ABC’s
Image/language/phonics
flicker/flicker
Television
All of it
Advertising:
A Man watches sports
A Man doesn’t dance
Man shows no weakness
Man equals Pride
Man is Control
Man/Strength
Man/Ego
Man/War
Man/Fist
Man/Fist
Man
is Red
and God help the woman
who loves him

Philosophy/Propaganda
The only difference?
One offers a way, amidst millions
to think
The other, only
one
Stop
Danger
Once a symbol’s
name and meaning
provoke action
without language, you
have removed thought
Raw
Primitive
The only organism
that can thrive without the mind
is Hate

Stop
Danger

An image
with no definite end
is boundless
Green/Go
Green/Flourish
Blue/Womb
Yellow/Safe
Sun/Red
Infinite
Fire/Red
Infinite

credits

from Live​-​ish​-​esque, released April 2, 2013

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Paulie Lipman Denver, Colorado

Paulie Lipman has been a part of 8 Denver National Slam Teams(including '04's second place and '06's national champions). His work has appeared in The Legendary, Borderline, and the Write Bloody anthology: The Good Things About America.

In addition to Spoken Word, Pauile is also a musician/composer and is available for hire for commercial/video game/soundtrack work.
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