The whole "Rats" vs. "Leash" debate currently raging on the mainboard has got me thinking about the hidden meaning of "Rats," centering around the Hakeem Olajuwon reference that so frequently goes overlooked. It's generally accepted that Hakeem Olajuwon was a great player, but drafted out of place; in case you're unfamiliar, Olajuwon went first in the 1984 NBA Draft where Michael Jordan went third. Most teams would be thrilled to have a powerhouse like Olajuwon, but only a true believer would choose him over what he knew Jordan would become. As many will recall, Eddie wears a Jordan jersey in the "Alive" video--do you think it's possible that "Rats" is a direct antecedent to the "Alive" video, in which Eddie proclaims subliminally that Jordan is "still alive," while intoning that Olajuwon--due to being forced to spend his career in Jordan's shadow--is forced to live "with the rats," who "lick the dirt" off his feet? This admittedly is a risky move, considering the racial implications of associating a black male with that sort of "gutter" element, but in part due to Ed's subtle delivery and in part due to the ineptitude of most critics to pick up on such things, it flies by with class. I further propose that a third installment in this trilogy of songs about NBA players may have been slated to appear on Vitalogy, but that the whole artistic flow was thrown askew by Olajuwon and the Rockets' triumphant victory in the '94 NBA Finals. When they finally did get around to completing the trilogy, it was too far removed from the original vision to succeed, and was ultimately compromised by bringing in a co-author. It's kind of like the third "Godfather" movie that way.

"Corduroy" too--it's commonly accepted that the song is about Eddie's obsession with shopping, but I think there's a chance that fame might play into it too. Consider the line, "They can, by the can, put on my clothes." This was around the time when the guys were really struggling with the idea of celebrity, and by leaving his clothes (i.e. his public image) by the "can" (i.e. the toilet) and offering them to another, Ed essentially relinquishes his role as generational voice, saying, "Hey, someone else can have this now, but be forewarned--it smells like crap."

Does anyone else have any secret PJ meanings they'd like to share?

We'll see if we can rescue Kevin's topic from the dregs of GD.

isn't the lyric 'lick the dirt off a larger one's feet'?

oh, b













green is intentional

Corduroy about Ed´s obsession with shopping?haha.WTF!!!Was it really your first impression about the lyrics?Hahahahaha

I thought this was more of a GD thread.

this thread has lost all meaning now

oh, i think it has gained infinitely more meaning now.

prove your worth skitch

I'm so confused.

It is, but I'm sure the "Olajuwon" reference is intentional.

I have alway's sung "Olajuwon's feet". Mate.

I saw that m turn into a w

But it wasn't Olajuwon that was the problem - you can't argue definitively against him as first pick even with Jordan there. The problem was Portland taking Sam Bowie at number 2. That one you can't explain away.

honest typo. I love 'The Dream'.

This thread isn't doing much better than it's brother over in GD.

You're just trying to keep Kevin Davis on this side of the fence.

why would the whitest band in america sing about black people?