@ladycynthiana commented a few days ago how “Kill a Man” sounds like it’s about Link for... many reasons but of course there is this interpretation (that I agreed with before I watched the EB) that it’s about Rhett trying to kill (perhaps unsuccessfully) some bad elements in himself.
But I think it’s cool to see how Rhett and Link view it based on their commentary in Ear Biscuit #351:
Rhett says it’s the last song he wrote.
Of course Link can’t bloody help it and he jokes (?) the song is about him.
Rhett did not intend this song to be part of the album but he really liked his producer and wrote this song to also include a song of “badassery” in there.
This was by far the song that Rhett was willing to explain the least. He just said that the song explores a principle that has remained unchanged in his philosophy before and after his spiritual deconstruction and then he ended with a “make of that what you will” of sorts.
Actual dialogue:
Link: What do the backing vocals, the ones that sound like a chant, say? Are they words... or something? Rhett: Which part? Link: It’s like ugh... ugh... * groans* It’s like a percussive- R: Oh. They just say: “yeah, yeah”. L: They say... “yeah... yeah”? R: Yeah. L: Okay. All right. Glad we cleared that up.
Rhett clarifies a little excitedly that the image he had in his mind while writing this song was of putting shackles on somebody and then dragging him somewhere to kill him.
Link is less inquisitive about this song than he is about all other songs, even though this is objectively the most mysterious one.
PS. My input: regardless of the lyrics meaning, this is the best song in the album. Really good stuff.
