Two months ago, Puddles Pity Party released a song called Brain Damage or Eclipse, and for your info, over 700K people have already watched it on YouTube. Just as expected? Maybe yes. Michael Geier is a man of great hits.
In case you are wondering, Puddles Pity Party is Michael Geier’s stage name. As Puddles Pity Party, in his music videos, the American singer and entertainer is famous for using the personality of a tragicomic clown, an alter ego that is both sad and amusing at the same time, revealing the inner struggle between good and evil in the world.
But don’t worry, “The world is a sad and beautiful place, and it’s OK to feel sad sometimes. Keep weepin’ and keep the party going,” he says.
His latest song – Brain Damage – is a cover version for the ninth track from English band Pink Floyd’s 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, which was sung by the now departed George Roger Waters, the group’s co-founder who later performed as its co-lead vocalist and lyricists up to his demise in 1985.
“Much of Roger Waters’ writing was inspired by a former member of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett. He was forced to leave the band he created when his behaviour became too erratic. Some say it was a psychotic break,” Psychologist Daniel Levitin was quoted by NPR during an interview to dig out the meaning of “Dark Side Of The Moon,” which is also part of the chorus in Geier’s recent release and why the song is also called ‘Eclipse.’
Puddles Pity Party Brain Damage meaning
Brain Damage cover by Michael Geier, AKA Puddles Pity Party, is a sad song still about real brain damage in which everybody, but mostly drug abusers, is at risk.
Dissecting its first lines, where he sings, “The lunatic is on the grass; the lunatic is on the grass,” everything is symbolism: Lunatic to represent catastrophic thinking, negative cognition, or any satanic influences from the Evil One and the Grass here is marijuana, as it is also known.
Several studies have linked regular use of marijuana, also known as weed, bhang or cannabis, to increased risk for mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and this might be true when Geier sings;
“And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon”
The ‘dark side of the moon’ has been used to refer to extreme psychological or physical positions such as death or permanent brain damage.
When he sings, “The lunatic is in my head,” he signifies the beginning of the worst experiences caused by the hard drug, or he is referring to its high.
“You raise the blade, you make the change” means the overall changes one starts to go through and feel at that moment after each use. Repeatedly, over time, the experience is still; “You rearrange me ’till I’m sane,” but more and more leads to addiction and ultimately psychosis as seen in the lines “You lock the door and throw away the key, And there’s someone in my head, but it’s not me.”
“And if the cloudbursts thunder in your ear
You shout, and no one seems to hear
And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon!” That is permanent brain damage. SAD!
