The Educated Fool

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How good is The Educated Fool on a scale of 1-10?

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'the Educated Fool'

I don't really get how the song title relates to the lyrics, but that doesn't matter too much as the lyrics are quite interesting insofar that they raise some pretty interesting questions about life and what will happen after one has died. Musicwise the song is pretty average.
 
'the Educated Fool'

I think this song is about a man who has been through the education system, possibly in ancient Egypt (i get that feel from the song). The song is trying to say that you can be taught at the best schools in the world, but the people who leave those schools with qualifications and degrees sometimes have no real world experience (RW!).

Let me elaborate:

I’m an educated fool
So I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to do
About this awkward situation
That’s been forced down right upon me

Here the man is saying that some situation that he has never faced before is facing him. He feels he is a fool because he doesn't know what to do, we see that on the first line.

As I’m walking down into
On my own into the Valley of life
Got a lifetime of experience
Yeah I’ve got so much to give

Thinks that despite the situation, he's got education on his side so he can give it to the world and solve everything.

Open the page at chapter one
Could this just be that life’s just begun
Forever within your darker thoughts
Reflecting on everything you’ve been taught

The Fool attempts to understand this new situation he is faced with, could it be that his real life is just beginning?

Never felt this way before
Seems that somebody’s’ just opened the door
To the book of life .... or is it death

He feels that getting out into the real world having been shielded from it for so much of his life with either make him live again, or it will kill him.

Is there ever anyway out

I think here that the man is questioning the situation he is in and that he can't he just walk away, like he used to be able to do in his 'shielded' life. This new situation he is facing is imminent

Someone’s looking down on me
To the very inner core of my soul
They won’t tell me what they see
But I really want to know

Possibly this shows how the man is seen to other people, that others can see right through his background and what he is.

I want to leave my life on my own
I want to lift the unturned stone
I want to walk right into the fire
I want to live out all my desires

The man wants to be free of this part of his life, he wants to be free and to be able to do everything he's ever wanted to do. Possibly the situation he is facing now is stopping him doing that. The situation can be seen as a corrupt society and how society is an endless circle of dept, you can never do what you want, society represses you.

I want to go and see the fire burn
I want to see and feel my world turn
I want to know what more there’s to learn
I want to pass the point of no return

The Fool seems to want to know everything about the world, to be educated even more, maybe he feels that this will elevate him above the situation he has encountered.

Do you really wanna be
Just another one statistic or feel
That you really should aspire
That you really do deserve more

Here the Fool is showing that he wants to break free of education and all hes been taught - he does not want to be Just another one statistic...

Do you ever really feel
That you have so much potential inside
What you really have to give
Could be realised so much more

The Fool realises that his potential is now uncovered now he is free of the system.

I want to meet my father beyond

Not entirely sure about the last line.

Not great analysis I know.
 
'the Educated Fool'

This song reminds me very, very much of the drama "Faust", immortalized by Johan Wolfgang von Goethe (even though the original story predates Goethe's drama by about 300 years, if not more).
The opening scene of the actual play (coming after the dedication, the prelude on the stage and the prologue in heaven) begins with these very famous words (note the section highlighted in bold letters):

I've studied now Philosophy
And Jurisprudence, Medicine,
And even, alas! Theology
All through and through with ardour keen!
Here now I stand, poor fool, and see
I'm just as wise as formerly.

"Faust" deals with a scholar (Faust), who is unhappy with his life because all his life, he has spent above books, learning, and yet never finding an answer to the really meaningful things in life. Here, Mephistopheles enters, who has betted with God that he would win Faust's soul. Mephisto offers Faust to show him the pleasures of life under one condition: Once Faust says to the moment: "Ah, linger on, thou art so fair!" (this is nothing compared to the original German), Mephisto gets his soul. Faust agrees. And then, Faust falls in love...
Needless to say, this is one of the most famous works in literature, and I am quite sure that it must have at least been some inspiration to this song.

The complete English translation can be found [a href=\'http://www.levity.com/alchemy/faustidx.html\' target=\'_blank\']here[/a]. The original German version can be read [a href=\'http://www.wissen-im-netz.info/literatur/goethe/faust/1teil/\' target=\'_blank\']here[/a] (note please that the English translation includes both parts of "Faust" while the German original only has Part I, though that doesn't matter, as the second part is a real pain to read).
Let me say again that the English version is absolutely nothing compared to the German original, which is indeed one of the best works ever written.

By the way, the song is also great [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Educated Fool'

Great song. I like all on it.

But I can't give to it 5 stars because I hear a little sound - occured by a re-recording - in the begining of the last chorus.

Here's what I hear :

...I want to live out all my desires
T.. Time will flow...

I've already talked about a thing like this during the solo of 'Fallen angel', but this time I have no proof.

Does anyone heard this too ? [!--emo&:huh:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/huh.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'huh.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

4,5...
 
'the Educated Fool'

Really good song - great riff, and a very enjoyable instrumental bit. One of the best songs on the album - 4 stars from me.

I also like the lyrics, and the whole concept of the song; the idea that education isn't completely relevant to life, and there's a lot more to it than you can read in books etc. I find this whole concept very relevant to me and my outlook on life.
 
'the Educated Fool'

First of all, great performance by Blaze, alternating subtle and powerful, intense in both. I like the sound of the guitars and bass, the synths, the exciting riffs, although to me the song lacks just a little a bit in the solo department. Generally it still sounds satisfying.

I gave it four and a half, and the main reason is the excellent lyrics. This is a song I can relate to. Some of the lines where I feel this include
Forever within your darker thoughts reflecting on everything you've been taught

I want to go and see the fire burn, I want to see and feel my world turn
I want to know what more there's to learn, I want to pass the point of no return,

while this one
I want to leave my life on my own
is one of the key phrases. On one hand it seems to suggest suicide but I think Steve meant something else. The metaphysical was always one of Steve's favourite themes and on this one he managed to point out what is really important - the willingness to go beyond one's limits to comprehend oneself, and thus life as such. I can see why Perun was reminded of Faust. One of Faust's phrases is "Ich will es wissen" - I want to know it - in fact he is looking for himself.

Edit, quoting Perun:
Faust says to the moment: "Ah, linger on, thou art so fair!" (this is nothing compared to the original German). The German is "Verweile doch! Du bist so schön!" Oh yes, I love Faust, too. Unlike to some, this particular verse is even special to me.
 
Daily Song: The Educated Fool

Welcome to the Daily Vote Thread! Rules are here.

Remember, only a decent review will count towards the contest.

Today's song: The Educated Fool

Yesterday's song remains open for voting! You can find it here.

Sure, Nicko's missing on this track. The cadence bothers me a bit. But this is a song that is closer to a legacy of TXF than anything else. And the chorus. I want to lift the unturned stone...fuck yes. What is this song about? It's about someone breaking out from their own paradigm and expanding their horizons. 10/10. A great song from a vastly underrated album.
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

Another great song off this great album. The lyrics are some of Steve's best and musically it's just epic. 10/10
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

Best song of side B, but imo not as good as Lightning Strikes Twice and The Clansman.

This song has a magnificent intro and couplets. And lyrics! Very enthralling, especially when Blaze goes into the "open the page on chapter one" part. I'll never forget when this one came on, live, back in 1998.

A very high 8 (I'd have done 9 if the last chorus wouldn't continue so long).
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

They did this live? :O
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

Yep, at the VXI-tour they did the first seven songs live, though the 7th was only done at the first few gigs.
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

8. The chorus repetition is the only thing keeping it from a 10. The song is wonderful, eerie, haunting intro featuring 2 amazing melodies, the verses are strong, the lyrics are sung with truth in every word and they have a strong relation with myself. The solos are fantastic, once again, and this song is plain and simple wonderful and powerful. :edmetal:
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

6 out of 10... Like The Clansman, this is another very strong tune that I have to give a lower ranking than I would like to. Again, I find Bayley's vocal performance to be the low point of this song, and while the rest of the band (with the exeption of Nicko) is on fire, Blaze just sounds like he shouldn't be there.
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

9/10. A tie for my fave off the album! Fantastic all around (except by Nicko).
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

My pick for one of the band’s most underappreciated tracks. I just love the melodies and the way each section moves into the next. Blaze sounds great — he’s way better on these more pensive tracks — and the instrumental mid-section is special. The lyrics are the next step past the themes from the X Factor and probably resonate pretty well with most of us middle-aged guys. A high eight.
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

My favorite off VXI.  I love every element of it, and I think Blaze sounds great.  Unfortunately Nicko's drumming is boring here.
 
Re: Daily Song: The Educated Fool

just heard the live version and it is really good. The drums are so noticeable and are much better. The only problems I had was:
A) Blaze was out of tune on the "Time will flow" part
B) Janick messed up a lot on some of his riffs.
I don't know if it was like that on other shows but on the version I heard it was very evident.
 
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