43 replies to this topic

[Captain Tightpants]

Loomis, I think you're being more than a little unfair. I actually think there's a whole lot of meaning in this song; it just happens to be hellishly metaohpical-like. But most don't see that for whatever reason, whether it's because it wasn't written by David Arnold or Amy Winehouse, or because they don't like the music or ... you get the idea. In fact, here's my take on the thing, which I wrote over at the other forums:

"Another ringer with the slick trigger finger for Her Majesty"
This is pretty simple: 'slick trigger finger' relates to the fact that Bond is a paid assassin, and the 'for Her Majesty' obviously means that he works for the British Government.

'Another one with the golden tone voice and then your fantasy'
Alicia's first line is still about Bond: I imagine a 'golden tone voice' is someone who is easy to listen to. Likewise, 'and then your fantasy' probably has something to do with Bond being a gentleman or the kind of person you'd fantasise about; for men, fantasising about having that life, and for women, fantasising about knwoing someone who can be as charming as Bond.

'Another bill from a killer turned a thrill into a tragedy'
This falls back on the events of Casino Royale: 'another bill from a killer' has something to do with Bond being sent on assignment. The 'bill' can be interpreted two ways: Bond getting paid, or a contract being put out on someone. 'Turned a thrill into a tragedy' has Vesper's name all over it. I'm not entirely sure what White was aiming at; whether Bond felt his lifestyle was a thrill until Vesper died, or whether Casino Royale started out as a thirller and turned into a tragedy for the same reasons. I'm leaning towards the latter, but it's obviously relating to Vesper.

'A door left open, a woman walking by
A drop in the water, a look in your eye
A phone on the table, a man on your side'
This is probably the murkiest part of the song as it's not really clear what they're talking about. However, given the next few lines, I'm interpreting this as being some kind of sign that a person is trustworthy, or it's describing an actual scene (not strictly of the film) where Bond is trying to decide what to do or who to trust; what I love about Jack White's lyrics is that there's more than one meaning that can be applied to them.

'Or someone that you think that you can trust
It’s just another way to die'
This is easily my favourite line from the song, an it's also one of the few with a pretty clear meaning: if you open yourself up to trust someone, you opn yourself up to a bullet. Every person Bond starts trusting can get him killed.

'Another tricky little gun giving solace to the one that will never see the sun shine'
Back into the verse, and we're now getting on to the state of Bond's psyche. 'Tricky little gun giving solace' is probably revenge: his gun will give him that emotional comfort he's looking for. 'The one that will never see the sun shine' is Bond again, but alludes to Vesper's belief that Bond is burning his soul away by killing people.

'Another inch of your life sacrificed for your brother in the nick of time'
At first glance, this may actually relate back to Felix Leiter ... but I suspect it's Bond's countrymen. I say this because I remember Boromir's final words in The Fellowship of the Ring: "My brother, my captain, my king". Bond is giving up his own soul to protect his brothers from Mother England. 'In the nick of time' is probably about the way Bond is always working to a countdown: if he's too slow, it's game over. How many times in the past has he stopped the resident Big Bad just in time?

'Another dirty money, heaven-sent honey turning on a dime'
This is the resident Bond Girl; 'heaven-sent honey' makes that much certain. 'Dirty money' might relate back to Vesper, or the idea that the girl might not be trustworthy as her alligeances may already have been bought and paid for, which is backed up by the part about 'turning on a dime'. It may also come back to Camille having her own agenda, and as soon as she and Bond no longer share the same goals, she'll tur on him because he is of no use.

'Another girl with her finger on the world singing to you what you want to hear'
I'm not sure what a 'finger on the world' means, though it's possible it's relating to someone who could make or break either Bond's assignment, or Bond himself. 'Singing to you what you want to hear' is a metaphor for pretending to be on your side by telling you what you want to hear, when it reality, that person is working againt you.

'Another gun thrown down in surrender took away your fear'
This is another great line, because it actually relates back to Fleming's Bond. The literary version hated killing, and while it's been a while since I've read the books, I'm fairly certain Bond only ever did it when he absolutely had to. I also think that the Bond in the Age of Craig is a little concerned for the state of his soul, so 'a gun thorwn down in surrender took away your fear' means that Bond doesn't have to kill a person who surrenders, and doesn't have to be afraid for his soul. But here's the double meaning: I think it also relates to a woman. If Bond throws down his gun and surrenders to a woman the way he did with Vesper, he doesn't have to be afraid.

'Another man that stands right behind you looking in the mirror'
And finally, this line relates to Bond looking in a mirror and seeing someone else entirely, even if it is his reflection staring back at him, which I think he something he would have experienced when he killed Fisher in the bathroom. Likewise, it could be relating to Bond's successor; 'standing right behind you' is the person who will assume the Double-Oh prefix when Bond dies or retires, and 'looking in the mirror' is the way that person will, in a way, turn into Bond. I don't mean the seventh actor to play Bond, but the actual person who would become the new Double-Oh Seven. In some way, they'll becoe just like Bond in that they kill for a living and will probably experience the same kind of concern for their soul.

[Donovan]

I like the song, for the most part. But I think this idea of what makes a "Bond song" leads to more problems than solutions creatively. This new song to me feels like what Sheryl Crow's tune wanted to be, without the shrill warbling.

By the way, haven't read all the comments, but did anyone else notice the OHMSS cue by the guitar during the final verse, after "another gun thrown down in surrender..."?

[SecretAgentFan]

Loomis, I think you're being more than a little unfair. I actually think there's a whole lot of meaning in this song; it just happens to be hellishly metaohpical-like. But most don't see that for whatever reason, whether it's because it wasn't written by David Arnold or Amy Winehouse, or because they don't like the music or ... you get the idea. In fact, here's my take on the thing, which I wrote over at the other forums:

"Another ringer with the slick trigger finger for Her Majesty"
This is pretty simple: 'slick trigger finger' relates to the fact that Bond is a paid assassin, and the 'for Her Majesty' obviously means that he works for the British Government.

'Another one with the golden tone voice and then your fantasy'
Alicia's first line is still about Bond: I imagine a 'golden tone voice' is someone who is easy to listen to. Likewise, 'and then your fantasy' probably has something to do with Bond being a gentleman or the kind of person you'd fantasise about; for men, fantasising about having that life, and for women, fantasising about knwoing someone who can be as charming as Bond.

'Another bill from a killer turned a thrill into a tragedy'
This falls back on the events of Casino Royale: 'another bill from a killer' has something to do with Bond being sent on assignment. The 'bill' can be interpreted two ways: Bond getting paid, or a contract being put out on someone. 'Turned a thrill into a tragedy' has Vesper's name all over it. I'm not entirely sure what White was aiming at; whether Bond felt his lifestyle was a thrill until Vesper died, or whether Casino Royale started out as a thirller and turned into a tragedy for the same reasons. I'm leaning towards the latter, but it's obviously relating to Vesper.

'A door left open, a woman walking by
A drop in the water, a look in your eye
A phone on the table, a man on your side'
This is probably the murkiest part of the song as it's not really clear what they're talking about. However, given the next few lines, I'm interpreting this as being some kind of sign that a person is trustworthy, or it's describing an actual scene (not strictly of the film) where Bond is trying to decide what to do or who to trust; what I love about Jack White's lyrics is that there's more than one meaning that can be applied to them.

'Or someone that you think that you can trust
It’s just another way to die'
This is easily my favourite line from the song, an it's also one of the few with a pretty clear meaning: if you open yourself up to trust someone, you opn yourself up to a bullet. Every person Bond starts trusting can get him killed.

'Another tricky little gun giving solace to the one that will never see the sun shine'
Back into the verse, and we're now getting on to the state of Bond's psyche. 'Tricky little gun giving solace' is probably revenge: his gun will give him that emotional comfort he's looking for. 'The one that will never see the sun shine' is Bond again, but alludes to Vesper's belief that Bond is burning his soul away by killing people.

'Another inch of your life sacrificed for your brother in the nick of time'
At first glance, this may actually relate back to Felix Leiter ... but I suspect it's Bond's countrymen. I say this because I remember Boromir's final words in The Fellowship of the Ring: "My brother, my captain, my king". Bond is giving up his own soul to protect his brothers from Mother England. 'In the nick of time' is probably about the way Bond is always working to a countdown: if he's too slow, it's game over. How many times in the past has he stopped the resident Big Bad just in time?

'Another dirty money, heaven-sent honey turning on a dime'
This is the resident Bond Girl; 'heaven-sent honey' makes that much certain. 'Dirty money' might relate back to Vesper, or the idea that the girl might not be trustworthy as her alligeances may already have been bought and paid for, which is backed up by the part about 'turning on a dime'. It may also come back to Camille having her own agenda, and as soon as she and Bond no longer share the same goals, she'll tur on him because he is of no use.

'Another girl with her finger on the world singing to you what you want to hear'
I'm not sure what a 'finger on the world' means, though it's possible it's relating to someone who could make or break either Bond's assignment, or Bond himself. 'Singing to you what you want to hear' is a metaphor for pretending to be on your side by telling you what you want to hear, when it reality, that person is working againt you.

'Another gun thrown down in surrender took away your fear'
This is another great line, because it actually relates back to Fleming's Bond. The literary version hated killing, and while it's been a while since I've read the books, I'm fairly certain Bond only ever did it when he absolutely had to. I also think that the Bond in the Age of Craig is a little concerned for the state of his soul, so 'a gun thorwn down in surrender took away your fear' means that Bond doesn't have to kill a person who surrenders, and doesn't have to be afraid for his soul. But here's the double meaning: I think it also relates to a woman. If Bond throws down his gun and surrenders to a woman the way he did with Vesper, he doesn't have to be afraid.

'Another man that stands right behind you looking in the mirror'
And finally, this line relates to Bond looking in a mirror and seeing someone else entirely, even if it is his reflection staring back at him, which I think he something he would have experienced when he killed Fisher in the bathroom. Likewise, it could be relating to Bond's successor; 'standing right behind you' is the person who will assume the Double-Oh prefix when Bond dies or retires, and 'looking in the mirror' is the way that person will, in a way, turn into Bond. I don't mean the seventh actor to play Bond, but the actual person who would become the new Double-Oh Seven. In some way, they'll becoe just like Bond in that they kill for a living and will probably experience the same kind of concern for their soul.

Excellent interpretation! Now that´s what I call an intelligent reaction to this song. Finally someone who makes an effort to think about something instead of just blurting out "SUCKS!"

Captain, you made me believe in message boards again.

[Loomis]

Loomis, I think you're being more than a little unfair. I actually think there's a whole lot of meaning in this song; it just happens to be hellishly metaohpical-like. But most don't see that for whatever reason, whether it's because it wasn't written by David Arnold or Amy Winehouse, or because they don't like the music or ... you get the idea.

I wasn't being unfair at all, merely clowning around. In fact, I actually like "Another Way to Die". As I posted on another thread the other day: I like it a lot. And it's gonna grow and grow and be as catchy as the plague, the kind of thing you'll be trying to get out of your head before long. It's not a solid gold classic like "You Know My Name", but, yeah, count me a satisfied Bond fan. It's possible to poke affectionate fun at something you like, you know, and, besides, my post was more of a comment on the general Bond fan reaction to it rather than a personal response.

[Elvenstar]

Thanks for the lyrics from non-english speaking folk! And thanks Captain Tightpants. I agree with your interpretation 100%

[JADSTERSDAD]

Another minger with some slick R&B but it's a travesty
Another "singer" who don't know what Double-O music's meant to be
Another nail in the coffin of Bond, did they write this one on LSD?

For fans the season's open
On "Another Way to Die"
A leak to the fora
The anorak as spy
You played it to Aunt Mabel
And then watched as she died
And posters whose opinions that you trust
Tut-tut Alicia and Jack White

Another ****ty little song gets up your nose, do you suppose it's the emperor's new clothes?
And what used to be good taste is replaced by an aural punch in the face
And everybody said why can't the fools just use the instrumental version instead?

For fans the season's open
On "Another Way to Die"
A leak to the fora
The anorak as spy
You played it to Aunt Mabel
And then watched as she died
And posters whose opinions that you trust
Tut-tut Alicia and Jack White

Another verse that's even worse than the one before, oh will it ever end?
Say what you like about Dame Bassey, she may not have been sassy but at least she didn't drive people round the bend
Another bling from the sting of the golden ring ting-a-ling-a-ling do they make it up as they go along, d'you think?

For fans the season's open
On "Another Way to Die"
A leak to the fora
The anorak as spy
You played it to Aunt Mabel
And then watched as she died
And posters whose opinions that you trust
Tut-tut Alicia and Jack White

Excellent! And better.

[bond 16.05.72]

Another minger with some slick R&B but it's a travesty
Another "singer" who don't know what Double-O music's meant to be
Another nail in the coffin of Bond, did they write this one on LSD?

For fans the season's open
On "Another Way to Die"
A leak to the fora
The anorak as spy
You played it to Aunt Mabel
And then watched as she died
And posters whose opinions that you trust
Tut-tut Alicia and Jack White

Another ****ty little song gets up your nose, do you suppose it's the emperor's new clothes?
And what used to be good taste is replaced by an aural punch in the face
And everybody said why can't the fools just use the instrumental version instead?

For fans the season's open
On "Another Way to Die"
A leak to the fora
The anorak as spy
You played it to Aunt Mabel
And then watched as she died
And posters whose opinions that you trust
Tut-tut Alicia and Jack White

Another verse that's even worse than the one before, oh will it ever end?
Say what you like about Dame Bassey, she may not have been sassy but at least she didn't drive people round the bend
Another bling from the sting of the golden ring ting-a-ling-a-ling do they make it up as they go along, d'you think?

For fans the season's open
On "Another Way to Die"
A leak to the fora
The anorak as spy
You played it to Aunt Mabel
And then watched as she died
And posters whose opinions that you trust
Tut-tut Alicia and Jack White

Excellent! And better.

The irony is that some applauding Loomis for his interpretation are the ones who hate it are saying it sucks when it's you he's pointing the finger at.

Feel a little silly now?

As he said he likes it, Tightpants thats a good interpretation of the lyrics for me, I actually like them the first line is Bringer not blinger, some feel so desperate to relate this to Hip-Hop as a way to destroy it.

Although they set themselves up as narrow minded and have a very stereotypical view of that genre, likely with 50 Cent as their perceived picture.

It's not blinger it's bringer, wash your ears out!

[Captain Tightpants]

As he said he likes it, Tightpants thats a good interpretation of the lyrics for me, I actually like them the first line is Bringer not blinger, some feel so desperate to relate this to Hip-Hop as a way to destroy it.

Thanks. I'm pretty sure it's "bringer" or "ringer" - White isn't very clear - but even if it were "blinger" and be an absolute atrocity, it would still make sense ... a little. If you head over to Urban Dictionary, "blinger" is defined as being (drum roll, please) "when you cannot determine whether a girl is blonde or ginger". I would assume this applies to guys, too (even though I've never heard it used until now), so it's clearly about Craig and Jack White's colour-blindness.

[WC]

Unless it's actually specified officially on the CD, it's probably bringer or ringer, as some have said, not some random word like "blinger", which doesn't fit with the rest of the song at all.

It's like that Blondie song "Maria" which doesn't have the lyrics written down on the album sleeve. Lots of people think the chorus goes like this:

Maria, you've got to see her go insane and out of your mind.
Latina ,Ave Maria - a million and one candlelights.

But Latina doesn't have any place in the rest of the song and doesn't fit with the context of the following lines. It should be this instead:

Maria, you've got to see her go insane and out of your mind.
Regina ,Ave Maria - a million and one candlelights.

Regina fits with the rest of the regal metaphors plus actress Regina Russell was involved with one of the Blondie band members.

[Fro]

It's definitely "ringer"... Bond was a ringer in the Poker contest at Casino Royale.

And I interpret the refrain as being about the Venice scenes of Casino Royale.

I also think White and Keyes are sort of a greek chorus here, and aren't singing as Bond or Camille as we thought before we heard the song.

[Publius]

It's definitely "ringer"... Bond was a ringer in the Poker contest at Casino Royale.

And I interpret the refrain as being about the Venice scenes of Casino Royale.

Exactly what I was thinking.

I also think White and Keyes are sort of a greek chorus here, and aren't singing as Bond or Camille as we thought before we heard the song.

Good point, but I think their voices sounding similar, which isn't what you'd expect from a male-female duet, could be echoing the interchangeable motivations of Bond and Camille.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

What's the meaning of "ringer"?

[Fro]

What's the meaning of "ringer"?

In this case, a person who enters a competition under false pretenses.

If I entered an amateur football (soccer) tournament and secretly had Ronaldinho on my team (under a fake name and in a disguise), Ronaldinho would be a "ringer".

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Ah, thanks. So, a ringer is kind of an undercover person.

[Icephoenix]

'Another one with the golden tone voice and then your fantasy'

I'm with others who agree that the line sounds like - 'Another one with golden tongue poisoning you fantasy'.

Seems to make more sense.