August 26,
2002: The following is a copy of the origional famous Marxist
Interpretation of Peaches document. It was recently pointed out
that the origional had disappeared from the net. I was able to find
a copy in a google cached versioj of
http://www.multimania.com/mchavaz/pensee.htm (which doesn't exist
either).
-Enjoy
The Marxist Interpretation of Peaches
The NEW PUSA CD,
"Pure Frosting" is out; click here to go to CDNOW and order your
own copy.
Before you lauch
into this there's something I have to clarify. Just because I say
the Presidents are singing about Communism. Doesn't mean that I
want Communism. If I said that a certain president's speach last
night was about expanding the governemnts role in our lives
wouldn't indicate that I agreed with him. I never agree with him.
We should have elected the Dole Man, not the guy China paid money
for.
Many people think
"Peaches" is the weirdest song ever written, others think its lame.
Both with good reason because it appears to be a pointless rambling
of a band who drank a little too much spiked fruitopia. I admit it
doesn't seem all that sensible, but if you listen to it enough and
ask yourself why anybody would write such a blatantly pointless
song. Well the only logical answer is that it isn't blatantly
pointless. Just bear with me here. You may just see the hidden
meanings. Those of you who hate a deep analysis please link back to
my homepage now. If you know the lyrics feel free to hop down to
the analysis.
I'd like to thank
an unknown guy from kings.k12.ca.us who probably found the page
while at school and pointed out a lyrics blunder. Basically the
lyrics I have here I scrawled down while listning to the tune. I'm
sorry for any flubs.
1 Movin' to the
country
I'm gonna eat
a lot of peaches
I'm movin' to the
country
I'm gonna eat me a
lot of peaches
5 I'm movin' to
the country
I'm gonna eat a lot
of peaches
I'm movin' to the
country
I'm gonna eat
a lot of peaches
Peaches come
from a can
10 They were put
there by a man
In a factory
downtown
And If I had my
little way
I'd eat peaches
every day
Sun soaking bulges
in the shade
15 Movin' to the
country
I'm gonna eat a lot
of peaches
I'm movin' to the
country
I'm gonna eat a lot
of peaches
I'm Movin' to
the country
20 Gonna eat a lot
of peaches
Movin' to the
country
Gonna eat a lot of
peaches
I took a little nap where there roots all twist
Squished a
rotten peach in my fist
25 And dreamed
about you woman
I poke my finger
down inside
Make a little hole
for an ant to hide
Natures candy in my
hand, or can or pie
Not
Now
30 Not
Now
Not
Yet
Millions of
peaches
Peaches for
me
Millions of
peaches
35 Peaches for
Free
Millions of
peaches
Peaches for
Me
Millions of
peaches
Peaches for
free
40 Look
out
Millions of
peaches
Peaches for
me
Millions of
peaches
Peaches for Free
45 Millions of
Peaches
Peaches for
Me
Millions of
peaches
Peaches for
free
Look
out
"Peaches" is a
song discussing the coming of socialism and warning that the
revolution shouldn't occur at this exact moment but its coming. The
Presidents of the United States of America make repeated reference
to the oppression of the capitalistic world and their desires to
leave it far be hind. Verses espousing communism are quite
prevalent to the end with scattered warnings not to both the
revolutionaries and the establishment.
In order to escape
the capitalistic decay of the city they are moving to the country
as indicated by the first stanza. This is repeated like a chorus
and contains a double meaning, both with socialistic implications.
The most apparent is that the narrator is moving away from the smog
of industry to what American's call the country, a rural
unindustrialized community with a low population and a high sense
of community bonding. The people are geographically more distant
but ore emotionally closer. In such communities most of the people
work in the area and the community is self-sufficient. There is no
more than one of each business (basically a general Store and a gas
station). These communities are almost communistic, and generally
supported by the US' agrarian socialism programs. The other
interpretation is that he is moving to a foreign socialistic
country. Once there he's going to eat lots of peaches. The peaches
where he is now are tainted with oppression but in the country
(which ever one it is) are fresher and more free.
The third stanza
discusses capitalism as an unnatural thing. peaches are fruit, and
fruit comes from fruit trees not cans. The "It was put there" lines
show capitalism as a sexist institution a non-gender specific term
like worker, or employee would have been used other wise. The term
"factory" is a reference to the factories of the Industrial
Revolution when people worked long hours for mere pocket change.
Industrial society has lead to placing beautiful nature into a can.
Line 14 shows that Nature's candy has been forced into can. The
word hand has long been a symbol of a force and strength and also
oppressive control hence the American idiom "I've got them eating
out of my hand." By placing pie after the can, the Presidents, are
implying that we feed upon this oppression.
The wishes embodied
in the fourth stanza imply a desire and a plan to over through the
establishment. A daily consumption of fresh peaches would only be
allowed to the common person by a socialistic or communistic
economy. Of course the obstacle in the way of the daily peach is
the "Sun soaking bulges in the shade". These bulges are the portly
capitalists who do nothing but lounge around in the shade while
trying to get a tan, because their delicate complexion couldn't
take the sun. They're people who haven't worked all their life and
have lived by walking on the backs of men.
Capitalism is
declared decadent and inescapable. In seventh stanza the Presidents
turn up the imagery. The twenty fourth line vents anger at the
decay capitalism has caused. By squishing a "rotten peach in my
fist" there is an angry attempt to shrink the decay caused by
capitalism and squish it out of existence. The anger is given
intense force by the word fist which produces an image of anger and
strength. The previous line about talking a nap may seem silly and
out of place but implies that at present the only way to squish the
"rotten peach" of capitalistic decay is in dreams. The 25th line
reinforces this idea. Communism and socialism are beliefs that are
publicly seen to be feminine. During the Industrial Revolution and
the two American Red Scares (after World War I and II) socialists
were seen as something less than masculine. They were ridiculed as
being week and woman like (as the women's rights movement hadn't
quite happened and such a belief was socially acceptable). In
modern thought the woman artistically represents an entity of great
beauty and equal intelligence, as far as The Presidents of the
United States of America are concerned a socialistic/communistic
state would be a beautiful thing. Also the tisted roots symbolize
the change in ideals from our parents. It is most likely that
anyone who grew up in the 50's sees communism as twisted. In
America, roots are seen as a metaphor for someone's cultural base,
a twist in them would be a twist or change in them. The Presidents
have diverged from the beliefs of their parents.
The final verses of
the song are set over a heavy slamming of the basses (guibass and
bassitar, as they call them) with some distortions producing the
sounds of a waging revolution. If one hasn't heard it, you need not
fear, the lyrics express the message far more effectively. The
Revolution will happen but, the presidents warn that now is not the
time with screams of "Not now" and "Not Yet". They hope in time the
world will be ready for what the revolution will bring. Where the
"beneficial" fruit of communism, here symbolized by peaches, will
be free for millions.
Enough
interpretting. We may stop and be amused at the ultimate irony. The
Presidents of the United States of America are singing favorably
about communism. The same communism that Americans have been
fighting for years. Please note I don't always agree with the
Presidents of the united States of America, whether they are a band
or an "elected" man.