The Tragically Hip: Scared Meaning
Scared Lyrics
I'm not prepared, but if I have to
He said I can make you scared
It's kinda what I do
If you are prepared to
Here is what I propose to do
Your in Russia
And more than a million works of art
Are wisked out to...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:It's about how fear is used as a commodity to intimidate and gain. It's a tool used by governments and corporations to influence our decisions. People are actually employed to scare people. It's about how dishonest things are done as if God isn't watching. R.I.P. GORD DOWNIE
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2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:I have recently learned this song on my guitar and getting a bit older I have gone over the lyrics many times so I can remember them without looking at the text! Before reading anyone else's interpretation, I came to the conclusion that this song is about the Devil in conversation with Hitler. It starts out with the Devil offering his help to Hitler: "I can make you scared, if you want me to, its kinda what I do, etc". He also said to hitler: "If you pay me to" inferring that he sell his soul to the devil. Ultimately after Hitler executes his philosophy/atrocities on the Jewish people (tests have shown, etc.), the Devil in turn becomes scared of Hitler: You make ME scared", "you did what he set out to do", "didn't know if I was getting through", etc. And ultimately at the end of the song he thanks Hitler: "Its been a pleasure doing business with you". There are many more parallels and references to the second world war, and they all seem to make sense when considering this scenario. My 2 cents!
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Scared
Analysis
This is literally a poem that tells about how humans can eliminate fear in a practical manner. It’s about the phenomenon “Scared”.
I’ll explain between the verses how I see it.
I could make you scared, if you want me to
I'm not prepared, but if I have to
He said, I can make you scared, it's kind of what I do
If you're prepared, here's what I propose to do
This defines the point of view of the subject of the poem “He”. He offers to explain what we can do about being “Scared”. He is not prepared, but will outline the solution if he can engage.
He now gives an example
You're in Russia and more than a million works of art
Are whisked out to the woods
When the Nazis find the whole place dark
They'll think God's left the museum for good
From the point of view of the Russian society in World War 2, the darkest days of the war were when the Nazi’s pushed deep into the heartland, and threatened a museum. The locals could only think of emptying the museum into the forest to hide the priceless treasures. They hope the Nazi’s will think everyone has left and move on.
I can make you scared, if that's what I do
If you're prepared, and if I have to
If I make you scared, and you pay me to
That's the deal, now here's what I can do for you
He has shown you how people are scared. He wants a commitment that you want to hear the answer. The answer follows.
Now there's a focus group that can prove
This is all nothing but cold calculation
That’s it. That’s the answer to the climate crisis, nuclear war, asteroids crashing into us, gamma ray bursts, pandemics, etc. Every single existential threat can be eliminated by following this strategy.
…yet most will continue to argue against acting in our own best interests…….
Tests have shown that suspicious are hostile
Their lives need not be shortened
Truth be told, they can live a long, long while
Tickled to death by their importance
Those who are hostile against acting in their own best interests can be ignored. Even if it is tiring.
If you can make me scared, if that's what you do
If I'm unclear, can I get out of this thing with me and you
If you feel scared, and a bit confused
I got to say, this sounds a little beyond anything I'm used to
If you are unable to see how you can act in your best interests, if you can’t see reason, then you frighten Him.
If you are still scared when you have been shown reason, then we have a communication failure.He cannot understand why individuals cannot see what he is saying.
He asserts the answer one more time.
There's a precious few that can prove at the root
This is all nothing but cold calculation
Clearly entranced, you're leaving back now
Defanged destroyer limps into the bay
Down at the beach it's attracting quite a crowd
As kids wade through the blood out to it to play
When those who are scared begin to see the solution, that there is no need to build these instruments of war, people will come to witness the destruction.
We allow our own children to swim in the “blood of others”, unaware or uncaring about the further destruction this means. We allow our children to swim in the hateful thoughts that let us create war without reason.
It is a frightening thought. Still, no one can hear Him.
Okay, you made me scared, you did what you set out to do
And I'm not prepared, you really had me going there for a minute or two
He said, you made me scared too, I wasn't sure I was getting through
I got to go
It's been a pleasure doing business with you
He gives up. No one hears him. He has given the solution, but everyone remains distracted by the magnitude of the problem.
He had thought he was going to explain it, but the recipient is unable to receive the answer. It frightens Him.
He departs the conversation, offering a kind thought.
The author is talking about a person who can solve all of Humanity's problems.
He said " I can Make you scared".
This is a person who can make you scared. He offers the scary idea of the Russian people, so driven by fear of the invading German army that they put all their valuables into the woods, hoping the Germans will be tricked by an already looted museum. It actually happened in Russia..
This person can make you scared, but instead proposes something quite different.
He proposes that cold calculation can solve every problem. Every threat can be controlled or eliminated.
No one hears Him, and so He asks if people are still scared. If you are, He says, then you make the author scared. The author then says He "wants out of this thing with me and you".
He doesn’t want to be scared, and doesn’t want to remain amongst those who continue to be scared.
People can't understand the concept that cold calculation can solve every problem and so they remain scared.
Until people understand we can solve our problems, humanity will remain scared. Conversely, when people take care of their problems in a practical manner, we will no longer be scared.
The poem suggests to me that we can have hope. Eventually, people will come to understand that we are not helpless.
Humans can create unlimited energy and resources. Nothing can stop us.
I think Gord Downie wrote this song to show that when humans are ready, we will use cold calculation to tell our children that there is nothing to fear. We will tell them we will control our environment and ourselves to prevent annihilation.
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We started this thing a split second and a trillion years ago, now here we are, and they're waking up to me and you.
They've learned every thing is an I or an eye for another I or two, they've learned they're not fools or naked too.
All this twisting, churning soup of you and I was what we all set out to do - I think it worked, here's what they showed me to show right back to you.
Once upon a time there was no time there was just a dot, so we turned it inside out and made it all start down again from the top.
It's recoiling back into and out of itself again, but hang on tight or let go and ride; this here's the best part and why we do all these things this time around while still inside.
The dot was one and the one made two, the two split into many mes and many yous. The quantum field or consciousness, they made so many words to say the same things, but details are always the beauty of these things now, aren't they, my dear?
Any disturbance in the field is what exists for now, they see compounded eyes all the way through to their own new Is - all the champagne bubbles exploding from here, this is what we do, when I pretend I'm a little scared of you.
That found out there's no place to hide unless they make a place to keep themselves inside, and that just shows us what it is they want to hide. Do we make them scared, or does being scared make them run home to you once again to pretend to die?
It's been fun, Mr. Spaghetti Monster,
XOXO, your Kraken
And all of the balls and all of the suckers got up and out of the bleachers - gtfo of town, but come back anytime now, ya hear? -
The author is talking about a person who can solve all of Humanity's problems.
He said " I can Make you scared".
This is a person who can make you scared, he offers the idea of the Russian people, so driven by fear of the invading German army that they put all their valuables into the woods, hoping the Germans will be tricked by an already looted museum. It actually happened.
This person can make you scared, but instead proposes something quite different. He proposes that cold calculation can solve every problem.
No one understands this, and so the author asks if people are still scared. If you are, he says, then you make the author scared. The author then says he "wants out of this thing with me and you".
People can't understand the concept that cold calculation can solve every problem and so they remain scared.
Until people understand we can solve our problems, humanity will remain scared.
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I think this song was written as a reflection of Downie's own inner conversation with himself about facing his own immortality and death. He is talking to "death" I could make you scared, if you want me to I'm not prepared, but if I have to"...
He goes on to discuss the miracle of saving the Jewish Art from the Nazis- meaning there must be a God as it gives him hope...
Next he says "There's a precious few that can prove at the root This is all nothing but cold calculation" the world being Scientology explained by Science and not God Creation,
Finally, "If you can make me scared, if that's what you do If I'm unclear, can I get out of this thing with me and you"...
He does not want this relationship with death... would love to break the contract.
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I believe this song is about people who have sacred knowledge ,who is also gifted or cursed with some of this knowledge, afterlife and new beginnings on this earth, ie freemasons,knights templer etc
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I see two lovers, both warning the other about how they have mishandled relationships in the past. The I still fear in one another as a means of self defence. They don’t want the other to hurt them so they warn the other of how badly it might go to avoid going there. Eventually they pull one another into this abyss they cannot pull one another out of and the only thing that can save their peace of mind is to part ways.
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I always thought it was about the relationship between the Quebec separatists and the rest of Canada
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It's about being an artist, and your art being commodified. Art is supposed to scare you, make you confront your shadow self. He's talking about the deal made between the artist and the consumer of the art.
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I believe the whole reason we like a song most of the time because we can relate the wording. Something in our own lives. Music is medicine for the soul but can also be poison if u listen to the wrong type of music when u r clinically depressed or a violent angry. A person can hear a song they maybe shouldn't be listening to at the time they hear it. Due to the reason it pumps them up even more so and could lead to acting out on both depression or violent thoughts. Most of us however listen to the words of a song when we r searching to relate the song to something close to home in our own lives. At least for me anyway. Personally I believe the song scared has a deeper meaning for Gord. He may be speaking of himself or a very close family member or close friend who struggles with mental health illness. Most of us when we hear the word scizophenic we feel fear. Like the lyrics say. I can make u scared if u want me to. It's I believe someone who suffers deep emotional and mental health problems and what they have to deal with from our society, friends, co workers, family, thier doctors, strangers. It's what they feel like saying and doing when the person finds out they r bipolar or personality disorder even depression. They are treated like a outcast or like they have 20 different personalities and might come at them with a large butcher knife or something ridiculous and so very far from the reality of the mental ilness. They have tested and made alot of mistakes and ruined tons of lives with the drug trials performed on young adults who were believed to show signs of early onset scizopheniaThey created an injectable medication for them not even knowing for sure if the person had the mental disease for sure. These poor teenagers were given a medication the government soon realized had destroyed their mental health to the point of no return back to who they once we're. That was in the 1970's. Late 70's I should say because I know people who received those injections and they r forever ruined from that. First off a person in their teenage years very rarely is diagnosed yet. Men usually between ages 23 - 30 yrs of age. Women usually 30 - 39, 40 yrs of age before they can conclude for sure someone is in fact bipolar or szciphenic. I think perhaps being a star singer and his lifestyle with fans and travelling and constantly being in the spot light for someone with mental disorders must be very hard at times. But I suffer from some mental health issues and what I do at times if they act a certain way towards me is make them scared by telling exageratted stories about something I have done and I make them scared. It's kinda what I do. If I have to. I can make my doctor more money by saying off the wall things and then this way he gets paid by the government larger one slots for that patient so i can make him scared if he pays me too. If he doesn't pay me I can throw his freedom away with snap of his fingers and place anyone suffering mental illnes into MH without their clothing on their backs without any street clothes for as long as the doctor feels they should be there. So the fear works both ways with doctor/patient aspect of song. But I speak from experience and believe maybe Gord suffered a serious mental illness as well and his words r speaking about society and how they have dealt with it and how they fear it. There is however a small few who believe it's nothing but cold calculations and a guessing game because they still and probably never will fully understand the way our minds work. People fear what thy don't understand.
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Not sure why I checked this site but was listening to scared for the first time in a while and kinda got lost in the words. Always thought I knew what it was about (not sure why) but now I'm not so sure. You're never sure with Gord, a real poet who always seemed happy dropping ideas into songs out of context and order. Part Mischief maker part truth teller. Anyway here's what I used to think.... It's Satan making a deal with mankind, as he sees the results come in Satan admits that he wasn't sure that his message was getting across but mankind actually scares him now with all the egregious assholes who populate the planet and on that note his work is done so he's leaving but its been a pleasure. Interesting play with the change between I and you the you and me etc... as the conversation go back and forth. Also I think "Tickled to death by their own importance" is tied with "There's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes" as 2 of the greatest lyrics ever written. RIP Gord (and John)
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Down at the beach, is drawing quite a crowd. The D-day invasion is underway.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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One of my interpretations of this song is someone battling with depression. At first you don't realize how scary it can be but in the end it is terrifying. If this is the true meaning then the end "it was pleasure doing business with you" could mean that the person has overcome it and learned something from being in such a dark scary place. None the less this is a beautiful song that can be interpreted in so many ways. That just shows how masterful Gord Downie was at his craft. May he walk amongst the stars forever. Rest in Peace.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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It's about how fear is used as a commodity to intimidate and gain. It's a tool used by governments,corporations and people in general in relationships to influence our decisions and manipulate. People are actually employed to scare people. R.I.P. GORD DOWNIE
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