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That the enemy is everywhere Titus Andronicus – Titus Andronicus Forever; or, Theme from "The Monitor"
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Patrick paints a picture of a group of people oblivious to the impending (perhaps inevitable doom) coming at them from all sides. This recalls Ray C. Anderson’s harrowing metaphorical anecdote from the film The Corporation regarding ignorance of the harsh truth.
[Here’s a] metaphor [based on] early attempts to fly. The man going off of a very high cliff in his airplane, with the wings flapping, and the guy’s flapping the wings and the wind is in his face, and this poor fool thinks he’s flying, but, in fact, he’s in free fall, and he just doesn’t know it yet because the ground is so far away, but, of course, the craft is doomed to crash.
The enemy is everywhere
The enemy is everywhere
The enemy is everywhere Titus Andronicus – Titus Andronicus Forever; or, Theme from "The Monitor"
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The Monitor draws a parallel between the American Civil War and the failings of modern life, and in particular, Patrick’s life from 2007-2009.
As part of the metaphor/allegory, “the enemy” on a personal level could be ennui, depression, self-loathing, solipsism, addiction, etc.; whereas on a societal level, the enemy could be looming collapse from environmental causes, greed, detachment from reality, the income gap, consumerism, etc.
The enemy is whatever is preventing a person or a group of people from living a full life; later in the album Patrick makes mention of devils, an apt metaphor for the same thing.
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The three verses each describe an aspect of Patrick’s move from Glen Rock, NJ, to Somerville, MA, following a devastating breakup (described in more detail later on the album).
In Verse 1, he’s in New Jersey, having resolved to move to Somerville, describing how life will be once he’s moved to MA; Verse 2 describes his thoughts while en route; finally, Verse 3 describes his life after moving to MA, realizing first that it changed nothing, and subsequently, that he can overcome his problems there after all.
The image below shows Patrick’s drive north; if you’d like to replicate this beautiful drive on your own, you can view the drive and directions on Google Maps here.
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These lyrics are taken from the song “The Battle Cry of Freedom,” written in 1862 by George Frederick Root, a patriotic song advocating the Union cause, associated with abolitionism. It was the most popular song of its day, with over 700,000 copies in circulation.
Patrick inverts the lyric about slavery to reflect apathy and misanthropy, offshoots of his depression. Later in the song, however, he “rallies” to overcome, or at least come to terms with, the depression (“the enemy”) and accept his place in his new city (Somerville/Boston).
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These densely historical lyrics reference the historical figures Jefferson Davis and John Brown, as well as the folk songs “John Brown’s Body” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
John Brown was an abolitionist who led an unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in 1859, that ended in his capture and execution. A group of union soldiers wrote the song “John Brown’s Body,” a frank and comedic song that transcended its tawdry roots over time.
The song lamented Brown’s death and hoped for the death of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy; however, when the Civil War ended, Davis was given a full pardon.
Patrick references the numerous original versions of the song, which contains the lyrics below.
He also borrows from the rewrite of Julia Ward Howe, an American abolitionist who wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” when a friend suggested, “Why do you not write some good words for that stirring tune?”
In imaging himself as sitting beneath the tree from which Jeff Davis' body hangs, Stickles also alludes to Palm 137:1-2. Like the psalmist, Stckles laments his exile from his beloved home.
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Patrick references the negro spiritual, “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen,” recorded by Deep Water Boys, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, and numerous others.
The song is something of a trope in film and televison to show a character in the depths of a comedic despair, notably on Mel Brooks’s Spaceballs and Disney’s The Lion King.
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What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.
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