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Posted by Aqua Green Toupee on 09-16-2004 at23:30:

  What does this song mean? Anyway?

never meant to trip the minefield hidden here in paradise
(put stink weed in the bouquet)
i never meant to fire a lethal weapon or to terrorize
(put poison in the buffet)

(if) i played my roll as dipolomat
you knew it wasn’t just an act
i couldn’t stand to stand in back
a faded little wallflower
i’ve maybe taken too much on
naiveté and youth is gone
but at least the juice is still turned on
i’m dancing on a live wire
i’ve summoned up a thunder cloud
but i always meant to do you proud
still certain things are not allowed
like setting off a wildfire
wildfire

yeah yeah yeah yeah … uh huh …

i never meant to cut my tender fingers on your angel hair
(put the sawdust in the gas tank)
i never meant to hide tacks in the cushion of your mercy chair
(make a brother walk the gangplank)

(if) i played my roll as diplomat
you knew it wasn’t just an act
i couldn’t stand to stand in back
a faded little wallflower
i’ve maybe taken too much on
naiveté and youth is gone
but at least the juice is still turned on
i’m dancing on a live wire
i’ve summoned up a thunder cloud
but i always meant to do you proud
still certain things are not allowed
like setting off a wildfire
wildfire

i never meant to do you wrong
(i never meant to trip the minefield hidden here in paradise)
i never meant to cause anybody’s harm
(i never meant to fire a lethal weapon or to terrorize)
i never meant to cause you any pain
(i never meant to cut my tender fingers on your angel hair)
i never meant to bring you any shame
(i never meant to hide tacks in the cushion of your mercy chair)

(if) i played my roll as diplomat
you knew it wasn’t just an act
i couldn’t stand to stand in back
a faded little wallflower
i’ve maybe taken too much on
naiveté and youth is gone
but at least the juice is still turned on
i’m dancing on a live wire
i’ve summoned up a thunder cloud
but i always meant to do you proud
still certain things are not allowed
like setting off a wildfire
wildfire…

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Posted by John Foxe on 09-17-2004 at11:38:

 

For me, I think Terry is writing about a fine line that we sometimes tread as Christians. We may have a vision, want things to happen, want purity in the church, ask questions deemed offensive, whatever, and we tick off some of the good church folks without really intending to.

It's put in the context of a pyromaniac, who gets off on starting fires. So they label you as a church-basher and write you off, although your intentions were only the best. You're really not looking for trouble, it just seems to find you.

That's my take on it. But maybe it's flavored by my own experiences at times in the churches I've attended.

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Posted by dorfsmith on 09-17-2004 at12:10:

 

Great thought.

I've always seen it as a relationship with your wife type of thing...the great thing about terry is that it works both ways

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Posted by dorfsmith on 09-17-2004 at12:12:

 

Of course, reading the lyrics again it works better for what you said john

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Posted by audiori on 09-17-2004 at14:00:

 

I agree with John as well..

"For me, I think Terry is writing about a fine line that we
sometimes tread as Christians. We may have a vision, want
things to happen, want purity in the church, ask questions
deemed offensive, whatever, and we tick off some of the
good church folks without really intending to. "

But I would take it a few steps farther and say it can be worse
than ticking off good church folks... it can even get into being a
hindrance to God's work...

but I always meant to do you proud
still certain things are not allowed
like setting off a wildfire

i never meant to do you wrong
(i never meant to trip the minefield hidden here in paradise)
i never meant to cause anybody’s harm
(i never meant to fire a lethal weapon or to terrorize)
i never meant to cause you any pain
(i never meant to cut my tender fingers on your angel hair)
i never meant to bring you any shame
(i never meant to hide tacks in the cushion of your mercy chair)

If he is speaking to God here, "having a vision, wanting
things to happen, wanting purity in the church, asking questions
deemed offensive" shouldn't cause God pain or bring him
shame, unless we are doing it in a way which
'causes others harm' or 'hides tacks in God's mercy chair.'

You don't want to be a wallflower, and not do God's work at
all....but you don't want to go to the other extreme and actually
become a thorn in Jesus' side by being too over zealous.

(if) i played my roll as diplomat
you knew it wasn’t just an act

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Posted by Aqua Green Toupee on 09-17-2004 at16:30:

 

Well, that's pretty much what I thought.



BTW, I still think my interpretation of Prayer Wheel is the correct one even if Terry disagrees with me. What does he know?