Bend me, Shape me

[burkeus]

What kind of impression do these lyrics make on you?

"You are all the woman I need
And baby you know it
(Know it, know it, know it)
You can make this beggar a king
A clown or a poet
(Poet, poet, poet)
I'll give you all that I own
You got me standing in line
Out in the cold
Pay me some mind

Bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
Long as you love me
It's all right
Bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
You got the power to turn on the light

Everybody tells me I'm wrong
To want you so badly
(Badly, badly, badly)
But there's a force driving me on
I follow it gladly
(Gladly, gladly, gladly)
So let them laugh I don't care
'Cause I got nothing to hide
All that I want is you by my side

Bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
Long as you love me
It's all right
Bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
You got the power
To turn on the light

Yeah, bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
Long as you love me
It's all right
Bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
You got the power
To turn on the light"

[Jennifer]

Yay -- complete codependency at its best!

[INTJMom]

I had never really looked that closely at the words.
What Jennifer said.

When I listen to the lyrics of a song, I sometimes wonder about that MBType of the person that wrote it.

[kuranes]

Bubble gum band, but they had some decent horns. I remember what I was doing when that song came out; just starting to get into Junior High school. 1968. The year previous those guys appeared on American Bandstand with the original Pink Floyd ! In London there was the whole Carnaby street thing, and I remember the paisley design and the beginnings ( for me ) of hearing about "psychedelia" for the first time. Back then people were trying to scare us by saying that hippies would try to slip drugs in our punch at parties, and to watch out for dealers, etc. It didn't usually work like that in real life, though, is what I found as I got older. There were no dealers knocking on your door and trying to twist your arm. Au contraire.

Lots of changes happening that year in'68. Khe Sanh and the Tet offensive. The battle of Saigon. The My Lai masacre. Congress repeals the gold standard. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy assassinated. Saddam Hussein becomes Vice chairman of the Revolutionary party. Nixon and Wallace nominated. The Chicago protest at the Democrat convention. 150 women protest the Miss America pageant in the Feminist second wave. The Zodiac killer emerges. The Beatles form Apple records and put out "the White Album". In China, Mao begins sending young people educated in urban centers to work in the fields. In Japan - a 300 million yen heist, that is still unsolved to this day, goes down. Back when a yen was still a yen, ye know ? :)

[Metamorphosis]

What kind of impression do these lyrics make on you?


He's willing to sacrifice everything about himself because he's obsessed, lol.

Two thumbs down for that approach.

[Beat]

Sad, sad man.

[INTJMom]

Bubble gum band, but they had some decent horns. I remember what I was doing when that song came out; just starting to get into Junior High school. 1968. The year previous those guys appeared on American Bandstand with the original Pink Floyd ! In London there was the whole Carnaby street thing, and I remember the paisley design and the beginnings ( for me ) of hearing about "psychedelia" for the first time. Back then people were trying to scare us by saying that hippies would try to slip drugs in our punch at parties, and to watch out for dealers, etc. It didn't usually work like that in real life, though, is what I found as I got older. There were no dealers knocking on your door and trying to twist your arm. Au contraire.

Lots of changes happening that year in'68. Khe Sanh and the Tet offensive. The battle of Saigon. The My Lai masacre. Congress repeals the gold standard. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy assassinated. Saddam Hussein becomes Vice chairman of the Revolutionary party. Nixon and Wallace nominated. The Chicago protest at the Democrat convention. 150 women protest the Miss America pageant in the Feminist second wave. The Zodiac killer emerges. The Beatles form Apple records and put out "the White Album". In China, Mao begins sending young people educated in urban centers to work in the fields. In Japan - a 300 million yen heist, that is still unsolved to this day, goes down. Back when a yen was still a yen, ye know ? :)
Thank you for the Historical reminder. :)
I was only 9. :newwink:

[sleeptowin]

That's just weak.

[BerberElla]

If I heard the chorus alone I would relate it to something sexual, but the rest of the lyrics spoil it for me.

It's pretty pathetic and a reminder to me that no amount of trying to change yourself to please anyone is worth the sacrificing of pride that comes along with it.

[Jennifer]

He's willing to sacrifice everything about himself because he's obsessed, lol.

Two thumbs down for that approach.

Then again, he'll ditch her as soon as she tries to drive him away for being so clingy and spineless.

(Right before he moves onto his next victim.)

[Metamorphosis]

Then again, he'll ditch her as soon as she tries to drive him away for being so clingy and spineless.

(Right before he moves onto his next victim.)

She should write a song about that experience. It would probably be much more interesting. :devil:

[burkeus]

Okay, what do these words mean to you?
"Bend me, shape me"

[Beat]

Bend and shape that thing between his legs into a vagina cuz he sounds like a girl!

Amirite, bros?! Right man?! *high fives a nearby bro*

[Bella]

Bend and shape that thing between his legs into a vagina cuz he sounds like a girl!

Amirite, bros?! Right man?! *high fives a nearby bro*

Oh my word! LOL! Someone's gonna slap you.

[Lucifer]

*reluctantly high fives beat*

But, coming from you that don't mean much.

[Beat]

Love ya, womenz. :cheese:

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I just see the lyrics as the exuberance of infatuation and new love. I would not necessarily feel they reflected the singer's sober thoughts on the relationship. I'll admit, that viewpoint is somewhat informed by the utterly joyous style of the music. I just think he really digs this girl and is in that "I'll do anything for you, baby!" phase. Besides, he probably wrote the song for some girl he was trying to nail ;)

[burkeus]

Any physicists reading? Maybe you can give it a whirl.

[Kora]

I think the 'bend' and 'shape' thing is more of a personality one. Like she can bend and shape his personality at will, for example, if she says 'I don't like when you do that' he'll never ever will do that again (even if he enjoyed it very much).
Is that what you're asking?

[Tallulah]

I just see the lyrics as the exuberance of infatuation and new love. I would not necessarily feel they reflected the singer's sober thoughts on the relationship. I'll admit, that viewpoint is somewhat informed by the utterly joyous style of the music. I just think he really digs this girl and is in that "I'll do anything for you, baby!" phase. Besides, he probably wrote the song for some girl he was trying to nail ;)

Yeah, exactly. It's really just hyperbole, like, "I'd swim the ocean to get to you." He's just trying to say he loves her.

Now, if he wrote these sentiments in prose form and sent them off in an email, I'd be worried.

[animenagai]

lol man you guys are harsh. i'm all for being yourself, but when you're in love, that is what it feels like. it's just artistic expression. i'm a fan.

[Anja]

I have concern for the steady diet of unhealthy messages we receive from pop music at a formative time of our lives.

If you google lyrics, and I do at times, I see so many tragic attitudes and behaviors being reinforced through rhythm and tune. Hooks are called that for a reason. I don't know what the subconscious process may be for the individual but given the current state of our global values system I have my questions.

[kyuuei]

My immediate thought is yes, it's the hyperbole-based love-lyrics of most love songs.

... If you replace the "woman" from the physical sense of one though to something else entirely.. like, for example, referring to music as a woman, loving music the way he would a soulmate.. it seems like a very indepth way of trying to capture the way this mistress bends and shapes his every move in life without ever knowing or tagetting him personally for that. Though, if that were the case.. we'd never know what influences him so heavily.. music, art, corruption, idealistic fancies...

I think I'm reading too hard into it now. ;)

[Beat]

I have concern for the steady diet of unhealthy messages we receive from pop music at a formative time of our lives.
Was totally thinking about this just not too long ago upon seeing Avril Lavigne's music video for the song "Girlfriend". I threw up in my mouth watching it. Her music is undoubtedly geared and marketed for middle school aged girls and I don't know what better method you could use to encourage them to be more of a brat/tramp than music like that. I'm not about censorship and keeping all music clean and pretty, but this music, it's basically handed to kids of a certain age and is more like propaganda than anything else.

Hey, hey,
You, you.
I don’t like your girlfriend.
No way, no way.
I think you need a new one.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I could be your girlfriend.

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I know that you like me,
No way, no way.
You know it’s not a secret.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I want to be your girlfriend.

You’re so fine,
I want you mine.
You’re so delicious,
I think about ya all the time,
You’re so addictive.
Don’t you know what I could do to make you feel alright?
Don’t pretend I think you know I’m damn precious,
And hell yeah,
I’m your mother fucking princess
I can tell you like me too and you know I’m right.

She’s like so whatever,
And you could do so much better.
I think we should get together now,
And that’s what everyone’s talking about.

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I don’t like your girlfriend.
No way, no way.
I think you need a new one.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I could be your girlfriend.

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I know that you like me,
No way, no way.
You know it’s not a secret.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I want to be your girlfriend.

I can see the way,
I see the way you look at me.
And even when you look away I know you think of me.
I know you talk about me all the time again and again, (And again and again and again)
So come over here, tell me what I want to hear.
Better yet make your girlfriend disappear,
I don’t want to hear you say her name ever again.(And again and again and again!)

She’s like so whatever,
And you could do so much better.
I think we should get together now,
And that’s what everyone’s talking about.

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I don’t like your girlfriend.
No way, no way.
I think you need a new one.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I could be your girlfriend.

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I know that you like me,
No way, no way.
You know it’s not a secret.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I want to be your girlfriend.

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I know that you like me,
No way, no way.
You know it’s not a secret.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I want to be your girlfriend.

In a second you’ll be wrapped around my finger,
Cause I can,
Cause I can do it better.
There’s no other,
So when's it gonna sink in?
She’s so stupid,
What the hell were you thinking?

In a second you’ll be wrapped around my finger,
Cause I can,
Cause I can do it better.
There’s no other,
So when's it gonna sink in?
She’s so stupid,
What the hell were you thinking?!

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I don’t like your girlfriend.
No way, no way.
I think you need a new one.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I could be your girlfriend.

Hey, hey.
You, you.
I know that you like me,
No way, no way.
You know it’s not a secret.
Hey, hey.
You, you.
I want to be your girlfriend.

(Sorry for the usage of bandwidth to litter the board with terrible lyrics.)

[Jack Flak]

It could be the worst music video in history.

[Jennifer]

lol man you guys are harsh. i'm all for being yourself, but when you're in love, that is what it feels like. it's just artistic expression. i'm a fan.

Actually, I am far more "okay" with it than I was when I was a teenager.

Back then I really despised songs like that and thought people were horrible for being so pathetic and clingy. (Curse of the NT thought process.)

Now I can laugh at it and just roll my eyes, because it's a natural feeling that most people experience at least at some point in their lives.

[kuranes]

I have concern for the steady diet of unhealthy messages we receive from pop music at a formative time of our lives.

If you google lyrics, and I do at times, I see so many tragic attitudes and behaviors being reinforced through rhythm and tune. Hooks are called that for a reason. .

I know what you mean Anja. When this "Bend Me, Shape Me" song was first out, though, I did think of it as just silly exuberance versus anything meaningful. I was 14 years old. I misunderstood the repeated line "Bend Me, Shape Me" to say "Baby, shake it, aaaanyway you want to". Typical guy, huh ? :) I never knew the rest of the words and didn't care.

I have seen kids get so wrapped up in bands that they did weird stuff, thinking the band wanted them to do so. A heavy metal song had said something that was interpreted to mean a suicide pact, and these kids tried to carry it out. One died, and the other only partially succeeded.

[kyuuei]

Actually, I am far more "okay" with it than I was when I was a teenager.

Back then I really despised songs like that and thought people were horrible for being so pathetic and clingy. (Curse of the NT thought process.)

Now I can laugh at it and just roll my eyes, because it's a natural feeling that most people experience at least at some point in their lives.

I had felt this way as well. I had been just giggling picturing little you (aka your avatar ;) ) loathing a bus ride home filled with pop-trendy girls as I read this post. I was also quite disliking of lyrics preaching the wrong ways of saying and doing things... but now, a bit older, I realize that even if I don't agree with the lyrics.. it won't stop the song from playing. So why waste my energy being annoyed by it?

[Anja]

And this has been going on since parents worried that Elvis was going to turn us all promiscuous! And that never happened!

What I remembered from the song of the Fifties and early Sixties was that recurring theme that I was gonna die if someone didn't love me. Whew. That's a burden for a fifteen-year-old to carry. I think it was a relief to all concerned when the Beatles came along and, under the noses of watchful parents who thought they were cute, suggested recreational drugs as the remedy.

No wait!

All said with tongue in cheek, of course. Still there is a grain of truth which is interesting.

The one that's recently caught my ear is, roughly, "If someone said three years from now, you'd be long gone, I'd stand up and punch them out."

What? That's good response to someone who is trying to give you a tip. Punch them out?

[Anja]

There's a book. Do you Believe in Magic, by Annie Gottlieb, which addressed culture of my time as a teenage and talks about the music reflecting and shaping our values. It was a good read.

This thing, kuranes, about heavy metal and young people's violence against themselves and others is a difficult thing to talk about. Certainly some young people who are so inclined seem to find reinforcement for dark thoughts in their choice of music.

[EffEmDoubleyou]

It could be the worst music video in history.

No, that would be "Separate Ways" by Journey. Nothing trumps air keyboards.

[Anja]

Was the OP hinting at sexual innuendo? If so, how about this Arlo Guthrie for a puzzler?

"I don't want a pickle
I just want to ride my motorcycle."

Evil?