Okay first tumblr post gghhhh pray that this works.
I saw the premiere of the ghovie a while ago and now I am forever changed (I cried a lot, like many others probably hahah) I've been a fan for a long time but this is my first time interacting with the fandom!
This was super fun for me to put together. Please enjoy.
The Future is a Foreign Land has allusions to lyrics from the Dead Kennedys, classic literature, and Nazi Germany. It has a more punk aesthetic than the other Papa Nihil songs, which are focused primarily on interpersonal relationships, with a heavy dose of the ubiquitous Satanic imagery the band is known for. Notably, Satanic imagery is virtually absent from the lyrics of TFiaFL, although interpersonal relationships do still play a role. Â
So, letâs dig into the lyrics and music to see if they lead us to any ideas about the future of Ghost, or insights into how the concepts presented in this song might influence the bandâs identity. Please note that while I have researched the lore and read several histories of the band, I am fairly new to this fandom. I am merely following leads I discovered while binge-listening to this song after seeing RHRN. Which is to say, if any of my ideas run counter to established fandom theory, I apologize in advance. (I edited this to put in a read more... it's been a hot minute since I've used this platform and forgot my etiquette, please forgive me.)
The conceit of TFiaFL is that Papa Nihil wrote it in 1969. Taking that into account, the year 1984 does track, mathematics-wise. However, 1984 is a very culturally significant year. George Orwellâs novel is immediately brought to mind, with all the baggage contained therein - Thought Police, brainwashing, Big Brother and the loss of privacy, and the fact that the main characterâs job is to literally rewrite history at an organization called the Ministry of Truth.
Initially, as a US-based listener of the song, Iâm jumping on the anti-fascist underpinnings of that allusion. That line of thought isnât wrong, per se, but I think there are factors at work that make the allusion much deeper and even more meaningful.
Since 1812 (Or 1834, depending on your source) Sweden had maintained a stance of neutrality. This neutrality was baked into their identities - to the point that they didnât declare for either side in World War II, the Cold War, or any other conflict. On March 7, 2024 (ah, thereâs the 2024 from the song!) Sweden joined NATO, foregoing neutrality for the first time in 200 years. A large step - and one that was supported by 66% of the population.
Now, as someone who lives in the US, I know exactly how much power and influence 34% of the population can wield if it so chooses. According to poll after poll, 66% of US Americans support all KINDS of initiatives that would actually make living in this country suck a lot less. But that last 34%... well. If youâve followed US American politics at all in the past 8 years, you know what happened when 34% of the population lost its collective mind. (Yup, thatâs the percentage of US Americans that identify, or routinely vote, as Republican. The percentage is nearly identical to that of Democrats, so letâs not get too overwrought about things just yet.)
The interesting thing is, though, that the anti-NATO movement is supported primarily by young people. Young people worried that joining NATO will militarize their country. Worried that collective security does not stop conflicts and may exacerbate them. I canât deny that I understand where theyâre coming from, that political neutrality gives more freedom of choice to the Swedish government about where and how they get involved in European affairs. Choosing to be a part of NATO may remove some of that freedom of choice. On the other hand, you end up selling iron ore to Nazis and training Danish troops at your airbases in the same breath, so⊠neutrality can also lead to hypocrisy.
But Puddles, I hear you cry, what on EARTH does this history lesson have to do with Ghost?
Well, in the absence of sympathies, wonât you hear me out?Â
1969. The year TFiaFL is supposed to have been written. Height of the Cold War. Sweden is still neutral - this time out of concern that if they join NATO, the USSR is going to invade them. A not-improbable concern, given Finnish history of the era. And closer along the timeline to 1945 than we are to 1969. Whatâs the worry stated in the song? A Brownshirt Stasi guard is knocking on your door. A Brownshirt is, of course, one of the Sturmabteilung troops of Nazi Germany. Stasi is a security officer of East Berlin - the Berlin of the Cold War.
Thus, if we take a small leap of logic and use a Sweden-centric worldview: If Sweden fails to maintain neutrality, if they give up their freedom of choice, then the world falls to fascism. (This is the first half of the first verse. Iâm sorry. Moving on.)
Interestingly, the specific lyric âItâs 1984, and knocking on your doorâ is a callback to the Dead Kennedys song âCalifornia Uber Allesâ which was then remade by the band after the 1980 election into âWeâve Got a Bigger Problem Now.â
Those two songs studied side-by-side are a fascinating study. The first is about the fascism of the Left - which IS A THING. It might seem corny or sarcastic to worry about hippies becoming dictators - but the theft of choice, even if that theft feels like comfort, is still theft. Forced conformity, even if you agree with the premise, is still fascism.
 The second song is, of course, about how everyone who wasnât WASPy felt about the election of Reagan. The rise of the yuppie to replace the hippie. This is definitely more in line with what is traditionally associated with punk and rock music in general. (Iâm also a fan of the fact that âWeâve Got a Bigger Problem Nowâ is on an album named âIn God We Trustâ but I think thatâs just coincidence.)
To continue the lyric analysis, the song goes on to reference the Kennedys (which is a nice double-whammy - telling us that the previous line is almost certainly related to the Dead Kennedys songs, but ALSO invoking in the next breath the assassination of both John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, which would have been contemporaneous to the storyline release date of TFiaFL, occurring in 1963 and 1968 respectively.) As an aside, I find it hilarious that âthe good ones get shotâ is the next lyric because there is currently ANOTHER Kennedy running for president, with the implied meaning that heâs ânot goodâ because he hasnât been shot. I donât think this was intentional, itâs a very minor point in a pretty complex political landscape, but it makes me chuckle.
âFor the minute it takesâ in the chorus⊠definitely a reference to nuclear war. The ensuing firestorm after a nuclear blast will consume a human body within moments, leaving nothing behind. This is also likely to be a reference to the Doomsday Clock - which is currently sitting at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest itâs ever been to destruction. Just to give some perspective - the Doomsday Clock was set to 7 minutes to midnight in 1947, right after WWII. It was 10 minutes to midnight in 1969 and 3 minutes to midnight in 1984. In 1991, however, the clock had been set back to 17 minutes to midnight, the furthest back it had ever been since its inception. It has never been set back since.  More esoterically, though, it could be a reference to ts eliotâs poem âThe Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock.â The line âin a minute there is time/for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.â If this line is an allusion to the poem (there are other lines in other songs that make me think that ts eliot is likely one of Tobiasâs poetic influences, tempered by the medium of lyric creation and music) then we can assume the piece is, indeed, referring to Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil.Â
The second verse is a bit more obscure - probably because itâs dealing with an actual future prediction, as 2024 is only about half over as of the time of this writing. There is hope in this verse, but itâs tinged with irony. âThe dark fascist regime might be goneâ is bittersweet - the hope of Papa Nihil looking toward the future and seeing that maybe, just maybe thereâs a way to defeat fascism for good and knowing, as we do, that it didnât come to pass and that fascism is, in fact, on the rise globally is a gut-punch. Â
The next two lines are interesting. They could be referring to Sister Imperator, continuing the subplot of their failed relationship. They could be speaking to the audience - either in reference to some real-life transgression of the lyricist or of the lore-based transgressions of Papa Nihil. Or, perhaps this is asking to be forgiven for some future slight that will occur later.
Iâm not going to lie, the bridge is weird. Itâs simultaneously finishing the thought of the previous verse but ALSO giving heavy-handed âAll You Need is Loveâ vibes a la Beatles in 1967. None of this is in any way meant as a criticism, however. The bridge works musically as well as lyrically to pull the disparate lines of thought together into something coherent and hopeful. Also of a tangential but possibly related note - âRevolutionâ by the Beatles was released in 1968 on The White Album. And I canât think of a more boot-licking rock and roll song ever to be penned. But this is certainly a digression and probably just my brain leapfrogging onto interesting coincidences.Â
Ok, fine, the song has some deep roots, but Puddles, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE BAND?
Iâm so glad you asked. I find that putting the two Dead Kennedys songs together paints a pretty definite picture for me, and Iâm going to lay out what I think is in store based on this juxtaposition and The Future is a Foreign Land generally.
I think our next Papa is going to be a âteenage punkâ to put it bluntly. Cardi was childlike - the tricycle, Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator acting as parents, his antics onstage, the bumbling charm and relative innocence of the character all read as childlike. Charming, charismatic, certainly able to carry the title, but even the characterâs backstory lends itself to a kind of childhood, with Cardi beginning as frontman without the official title of Papa Emeritus. Cardi has grown up - and now has to face those awkward, angry, tumultuous teens. And I think that will be reflected in a more punk-inspired sound (where Cardiâs music definitely trended toward pop-inspired). TFiaFL gives us some of that punk-inspired flavor with the guitar riff and general vibe of the song. I also think that this next Papa might try to dismantle the Clergy as it's a symbol of authority and conformity - the antithesis of the spirit of punk. I think we got a taste of this direction on IMPERA with the song âTwentiesâ - which Iâll be doing a deep dive on sooner rather than later, Iâm sure.
Iâm interested in, but not sold on, the idea that the next Papa will be female (either a new character or Tobias in drag - either works). I donât think changing the gender works with the story as I see it progressing. I do think, however, that the next Papa will be possibly more chaotic and possibly angrier than weâve seen - and probably more political, if the allusions in this song are any indication. Whether that politicization is outward-facing toward the world as it is or inward-facing toward the world of the Lore, Iâm not sure yet. I look forward to the new cycle with great eagerness!
TLDR; I want the next Papa to have a mohawk and wear a ripped denim jacket for at least part of the ritual. Thank you.
I was inspired by old master painter Viktor Vasnetsov, the scandinavian Julgoat, the mythological Wild Hunt and of course Copia's bewitching fashion sense.
[ Painted in Pocreate. Color edited in Photoshop. ]
occasionally when discussing lunches and dinners and other such wonders i get the feeling when i say "Soup" i mean another persons definition of "Stew", and our communication is somewhat skewed. please tell me how you identify your wet meals
when you think of soup and stew, what do you think of?
soup and stew are the same thing, the words are interchangeable
soup and stew are different things (soup is just liquid, stew has chunks in it)
soup and stew are different things (soup has chunks in it, stew is just liquid)
they are different things, but i often/always use "soup" for both
they are different things, but i often/always use "stew" for both
somehow you did not account for my opinion, which i will regale to you below
Voting ended onAug 31, 2023
if you so desire, detail your decision With the place you grew up/learned your distinction in the tags
When I saw this gif on my dashboard, I knew I had to make it vashwood flavoured
Image description in the read more:
[ID: A three paneled comic of Vash and wolfwood.
First panel: Vash leans into wolfwood, his right hand holding the back of Wolfwood's neck. Wolfwood locks eyes with Vash, anticipating what he will do next, cigarette between his lips.
Second panel: Vash pulling Wolfwood close, their lips touch in a light kiss as Vash steals wolfwood's cigarette with his tongue. Wolfwood's eyes are closed, letting Vash take the cigarette.
Third panel: Vash now holds the cigarette between his teeth, grinning triumphantly. Wolfwood has a slight smile on his face as well. /End ID]
A mark on your forehead identifies the god you must worship to stay alive, usually by joining its local church or temple. Your mark is unknown, meaning an old, forgotten god sponsored you. To survive, you must either find an old temple to worship at, or do the arduous task of building a new one
Of course it doesnât happen right away. No god worth itâs salt would expect a literal baby to worship it. No. The pact begins, as all these things do, when the rate of cell death outstrips cell growthâ usually around 28, but some as young as 16 and some as old as 32. Thatâs when the mark appears.
Most people get a sun or moonâ powerful gods with the capacity to influence thousands upon thousands of lives at a time. Some have leaves or flowers, also powerful, to be sure, but on this desert planet their power is waning.
Nicholas doesnât recognize the symbol on his forehead that morning. Canât find it in the listings at the Chamber of Prayer, either, which heâs never heard of before. Even the gods with only a handful of chosen are in the lists.
He immediately starts to panic- because how else should he respond to having an unnamed godâs mark on his forehead? How will he know whose name to call at prayer? To whose honor he should dedicate the offerings? What if this is one of those rare gods that demands sacrifices?
He resigns himself to a very short life, indeed.
But the strangest thing happens⊠somewhere between meeting Vash the Stampede and actually getting to know him, he feels a vitality crawl across his skin. Itâs not such a chore to wake up in the morning.
Somewhere between wasteland and sky, between July and Augusta, he doesnât feel like heâs dying anymore. Itâs not exactly living, not yet, but it is definitely not dying.
It isnât until he sees the explosion that it clicks.
The mark on his forehead isnât a sun, or a moon, or even a leaf or a gear. Itâs lightning, and the being who embodies that power sleeps beside him in the bed they share on a ranch in the middle of the desert.
Nicholas has been worshipping his god for a long time, but it took a tragedy to make him understand it.
Since the arguments about Wolfwoods age is beginning to start up again. Info taken from this post by @tantei-armin . As well, here's another post with screen caps from the manga. Both Livio and Wolfwood are legally adults.
Also, if you don't like something? Block the tag, block the people, don't try to wage a puritanical war. Much love and peace âïž
Edit (same day as posted): Some people are wondering in the tags where this is coming from, so I thought I'd clear it up for those who are confused.
This rumour comes from the manga panels which talk about how from the serum and surgeries Wolfwood's metabolism is faster, and so he doesn't look the age he should look. Since Wolfwood was never explicitly given a set number for his age, and if you're not paying attention to the context, some people have assumed this meant that he's actually still a minor at the time trigun is set, while in reality he's been confirmed to be in his early/mid twenties, and so would look like he's in his late twenties/early thirties (and it would make very little sense for Stampede to have changed the ages for the characters). It's alright to be a bit confused, since it's not ever explicitly stated; however, this rumour that he's a minor has then been used as slander for ship wars. I've only seen one recent post calling Vashwood an underage ship, but it looks like it was a bit of an issue in the old fandom, and I (and I think most people) would prefer the newer fandom to avoid that if possible. Again, just going to reiterate using the blocking function liberally for things you don't like!
origamiaround
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