What's the symbolism and significance of the Bear?

[markcel]

After many listens to The Bear it's pretty obvious it is indeed a  reference to the Gay bear community and cruising. It's actually a very sad song when you look at it that way. But beautifully written.

Does this mean MMJ are trying to tell us that they are actually non-stereotypical gays?...

Since I didn't write the lyrics I can't say exactly. But it's pretty rediculous to ignore the repeated subject matter of cruising. "Into the woods" is a downright sleazy cruising song (on your knees, open your mouth, I'm gonna give you what you need and you're gonna like it), The Bear is another song about cruising, as is Anytime. The BEAR in Gay culture in NOT about "Non Stereotypical gays", it's about men who are "Bearish" in frame, bearded, hairy and VERY much like Jim. The lyrics are also way too personal to be written by the whole band. They're Jim's feelings. And if you cannot read between the lines that Dondante is about a friend of his that obviously lived a Gay, sexually promiscuous life and paid the ultimate price for it, then you're in denial. Read back over all the lyrics. Almost ALL of "Z" is full of inuendo and metaphors.

Next you're going to tell me YMCA is not just about a place to play basketball and a cheap place to stay when moving to a new city. :( (New forum rule, all sarcasm is in italics to avoid unneccessary fights.

[Tracy 2112]

   Since I didn't write the lyrics I can't say exactly. But it's pretty rediculous to ignore the repeated subject matter of cruising. "Into the woods" is a downright sleazy cruising song (on your knees, open your mouth, I'm gonna give you what you need and you're gonna like it), The Bear is another song about cruising, as is Anytime. The BEAR in Gay culture in NOT about "Non Stereotypical gays", it's about men who are "Bearish" in frame, bearded, hairy and VERY much like Jim. The lyrics are also way too personal to be written by the whole band. They're Jim's feelings. And if you cannot read between the lines that Dondante is about a friend of his that obviously lived a Gay, sexually promiscuous life and paid the ultimate price for it, then you're in denial. Read back over all the lyrics. Almost ALL of "Z" is full of inuendo and metaphors.

Best post ever?  It's close....

raaaaaazor sharp!

[Tracy 2112]

Almost ALL of "Z" is full of inuendo and metaphors.

I have been thinking more about this and I have sort of figured out the "code" of Z.

Z is the 26th letter of the alphabet.

69=15
(6+9= 15)

26>15

1+1=2
1+5=6

26

Z=69

[Crispy]

Almost ALL of "Z" is full of inuendo and metaphors.

I have been thinking more about this and I have sort of figured out the "code" of Z.

Z is the 26th letter of the alphabet.

69=15
(6+9= 15)

26>15

1+1=2
1+5=6

26

Z=69

QED

[bowl of soup]

Wow, Jim is gay?  Bob Mould is gay.  I like their music a whole bunch.  Does this make me gay?  Is my life all inuendo and lies?  I'm a huge baseball fan and that's a game about bats and balls.  I also really like football and that game features one man rubbing the ass of another man before every play.  I can't fight this feeling anymore!  Tracy, what you doing Friday night?

[Tracy 2112]

Tracy, what you doing Friday night?

prolly this

[Nicholas Yames]

After many listens to The Bear it's pretty obvious it is indeed a  reference to the Gay bear community and cruising. It's actually a very sad song when you look at it that way. But beautifully written.

Does this mean MMJ are trying to tell us that they are actually non-stereotypical gays?...

Since I didn't write the lyrics I can't say exactly. But it's pretty rediculous to ignore the repeated subject matter of cruising. "Into the woods" is a downright sleazy cruising song (on your knees, open your mouth, I'm gonna give you what you need and you're gonna like it), The Bear is another song about cruising, as is Anytime. The BEAR in Gay culture in NOT about "Non Stereotypical gays", it's about men who are "Bearish" in frame, bearded, hairy and VERY much like Jim. The lyrics are also way too personal to be written by the whole band. They're Jim's feelings. And if you cannot read between the lines that Dondante is about a friend of his that obviously lived a Gay, sexually promiscuous life and paid the ultimate price for it, then you're in denial. Read back over all the lyrics. Almost ALL of "Z" is full of inuendo and metaphors.

So you start off saying that "since you didn't write the lyrics I can't say exactly" but then end up essentially telling me I'm in denial because I can't "read between the lines" in Dondante.  What make you the authority on this?  Just because you're gay, you turn all of the lyrics to pertain to your lifestyle?  One of the greatest things about music is that it's different things to different people, but every one of the lyrics you just used (if they are actually sexual innuendos) can pertain straight or gay people.

I agree with you and was gonna throw in my two cents but it was getting late last night. Artists mention all the time in interviews that fans interpret songs to make them about themselves. But guess what, the songs aren't about you! Also pretty sure it's well known that Dondante is about a friend/ex-band member (Month Of Sundays I think) that committed suicide.

I believe the name is Aaron Todavich?

[youreveningcoat]

After many listens to The Bear it's pretty obvious it is indeed a  reference to the Gay bear community and cruising. It's actually a very sad song when you look at it that way. But beautifully written.

Does this mean MMJ are trying to tell us that they are actually non-stereotypical gays?...

Since I didn't write the lyrics I can't say exactly. But it's pretty rediculous to ignore the repeated subject matter of cruising. "Into the woods" is a downright sleazy cruising song (on your knees, open your mouth, I'm gonna give you what you need and you're gonna like it), The Bear is another song about cruising, as is Anytime. The BEAR in Gay culture in NOT about "Non Stereotypical gays", it's about men who are "Bearish" in frame, bearded, hairy and VERY much like Jim. The lyrics are also way too personal to be written by the whole band. They're Jim's feelings. And if you cannot read between the lines that Dondante is about a friend of his that obviously lived a Gay, sexually promiscuous life and paid the ultimate price for it, then you're in denial. Read back over all the lyrics. Almost ALL of "Z" is full of inuendo and metaphors.

So you start off saying that "since you didn't write the lyrics I can't say exactly" but then end up essentially telling me I'm in denial because I can't "read between the lines" in Dondante.  What make you the authority on this?  Just because you're gay, you turn all of the lyrics to pertain to your lifestyle?  One of the greatest things about music is that it's different things to different people, but every one of the lyrics you just used (if they are actually sexual innuendos) can pertain straight or gay people.

I agree with you and was gonna throw in my two cents but it was getting late last night. Artists mention all the time in interviews that fans interpret songs to make them about themselves. But guess what, the songs aren't about you! Also pretty sure it's well known that Dondante is about a friend/ex-band member (Month Of Sundays I think) that committed suicide.

I actually never thought that about dondante.. but yeah makes sense. BUT I cannot find anywhere in that song that says the person who died was leading a gay, sexually promiscuous life? (WTF??)

ALSO what if your a bearish person but not gay? Does that still make you a bear?

[DejaView2011]

Looking back over this I want to clafiry and apologize to all for what seemed like and aggressive and way to pointed statement. I do not by any means assume because I'm gay that any member, fans or message in the lyrical content is limited to that interpretation. This music has become so personal that in retrospect its hard to not connect it things you knowir understand. I did make some rediculously "know it all" types of comments and apologize to all. This is not like me and certainly not How wanted to begin this year of concerts and meeting other MMJ fans. It was a bad day and I'd had a few glasses of wine and behaved improperly. I'm sorry to al android hope to meet up with many of you on this tour. I'm really not an asshole. I promise. Sorry again.

[Jon T.]

Looking back over this I want to clafiry and apologize to all for what seemed like and aggressive and way to pointed statement. I do not by any means assume because I'm gay that any member, fans or message in the lyrical content is limited to that interpretation. This music has become so personal that in retrospect its hard to not connect it things you knowir understand. I did make some rediculously "know it all" types of comments and apologize to all. This is not like me and certainly not How wanted to begin this year of concerts and meeting other MMJ fans. It was a bad day and I'd had a few glasses of wine and behaved improperly. I'm sorry to al android hope to meet up with many of you on this tour. I'm really not an asshole. I promise. Sorry again.

:-* , welcome and...



PS- how random is it that I search for an image of a peace sign and find a peace sign AND a bear in the same pic?

[bowl of soup]

Bet she wouldn't be so cozy with that bear if it didn't have that medieval lip leash thing hanging out of it's mouth.  Jeez.

[BigHerm]

Reading this thread has been an IQ lowering experience. Thanks DejaVIew 

[Tracy 2112]

I'm really not an asshole. I promise. Sorry again.

I consider us all brothers and sisters here. We get along, we cry, we love, we disagree, we agree, we fight, we make up, we hold grudges, we ignore, we laugh, we turn each other on, we hold each other up, we post pictures of each other, we quit the Board, we return to the Board, we talk about our loved ones and our love of music and cars and women and men and big hands and not-smoking and drinking and baseball and football and politics and on and on and on...

I say some really clever shit here and I say really stupid shit here (often not on purpose); I post really cool pics and really stupid pics; I make really great decisions and really poor decisions; I offend people and I enlighten people- sometimes all in 1 post!  ;D In the end, I would be happy to stand with any of you on the rail at a show and melt together (and personally I don't think I need to join a "fan club" to have that right;sounds a bit like the American Express Platinum card to me  ;))

[DejaView2011]

I'm really not an asshole. I promise. Sorry again.

I consider us all brothers and sisters here. We get along, we cry, we love, we disagree, we agree, we fight, we make up, we hold grudges, we ignore, we laugh, we turn each other on, we hold each other up, we post pictures of each other, we quit the Board, we return to the Board, we talk about our loved ones and our love of music and cars and women and men and big hands and not-smoking and drinking and baseball and football and politics and on and on and on...

I say some really clever shit here and I say really stupid shit here (often not on purpose); I post really cool pics and really stupid pics; I make really great decisions and really poor decisions; I offend people and I enlighten people- sometimes all in 1 post!  ;D In the end, I would be happy to stand with any of you on the rail at a show and melt together (and personally I don't think I need to join a "fan club" to have that right;sounds a bit like the American Express Platinum card to me  ;))

You, My friend are an incredible human being and I look forward to meeting and melting together with as many other great MMJ friends as humanly possible. It's so wierd how only a year ago MMJ was a band that had existed under the radar for me and then appeared on a cartoon and completely blew my mind and changed my life, my view on all modern music and reinspired me to start writing again. After absorbing all the albums and all the dvd's and tv appearances I swore this year was all about seeing them live if they went on tour and with tickets to 3 shows already and Charlotte being 2 hours from my house I'm trying to spend the entire summer following this groove. I feel like I'd been in a musical coma and the Jacket really just woke me up, inspired me and made me feel love and passion for a band like I haven't in decades.
      I really do look forward to meeting many of you out on the road this tour and hope to host as many as possible in my home in Virginia for a MMJ weekend prior to the Charlotte show. I really think Jacket fans would be an incredible bunch of friends to invite into my home and share the love with. Thanks again for being so kind.  :) :dankk2:

[sweatboard]

That is truly Awesome, just don't invite Tracy over unless you're ok with being woken up at 5am with him standing over you in his tighty whiteys playing the solo to "La Villa Strangiato" on his......."GUITAR"

[DejaView2011]

That is truly Awesome, just don't invite Tracy over unless you're ok with being woken up at 5am with him standing over you in his tighty whiteys playing the solo to "La Villa Strangiato" on his......."GUITAR"

Hell, at 5:00am ill still be sitting behind the piano in my briefs running through "let it be" or "comfortably numb". Propped up and more than a  bit tipsy. But I'm a damn good host till I drop. He sounds like he'll be right at home. People always tend to call my home 'the sanctuary". This would be the first event at the new house in Virginia and I can't think of a better vibe to fill my home with what I see to be one hell of a great group of hearts like ya'll.

[ManNamedTruth]

Looking back over this I want to clafiry and apologize to all for what seemed like and aggressive and way to pointed statement. I do not by any means assume because I'm gay that any member, fans or message in the lyrical content is limited to that interpretation. This music has become so personal that in retrospect its hard to not connect it things you knowir understand. I did make some rediculously "know it all" types of comments and apologize to all. This is not like me and certainly not How wanted to begin this year of concerts and meeting other MMJ fans. It was a bad day and I'd had a few glasses of wine and behaved improperly. I'm sorry to al android hope to meet up with many of you on this tour. I'm really not an asshole. I promise. Sorry again.

The androids accept your apology. ??? ???



???

[sweatboard]

That is truly Awesome, just don't invite Tracy over unless you're ok with being woken up at 5am with him standing over you in his tighty whiteys playing the solo to "La Villa Strangiato" on his......."GUITAR"

Hell, at 5:00am ill still be sitting behind the piano in my briefs running through "let it be" or "comfortably numb". Propped up and more than a  bit tipsy. But I'm a damn good host till I drop. He sounds like he'll be right at home. People always tend to call my home 'the sanctuary". This would be the first event at the new house in Virginia and I can't think of a better vibe to fill my home with what I see to be one hell of a great group of hearts like ya'll.

yes, i'm in   :-*  Bring on the "Sanctuary"

[DaFunkyPrecedent]

Jim James is gay? cool.

[DejaView2011]

Jim James is gay? cool.

Oh. My God. Lets not go anywhere near there ever again.  ;D But truthfully, I'm starting to plan for the gathering in VA. They wrote " if u host it they will come" so I'm gonna do it. If Louisville I'm going to try and meet as many of y'all as possible so we can start sowing the seeds for our party. But if there's a Llama, everyone has to hug it and take pic with it. We could make it Victorian like on Okonokos. This is really turning out to be the best summer of my LIFE!