Despisals

Song Meaning

The lyrics present a radical call to dismantle internal and external systems of contempt, urging a profound self-acceptance that extends to all aspects of human experience. The narrator challenges the ingrained habit of despising the marginalized, whether it's the physical "backsides of cities" or specific groups like "our Jews" and "our blacks." This rejection of externalized shame is framed as a necessary step toward recognizing our own complicity and wholeness, stating directly, "You are the city." The core tension lies in confronting and integrating what society, and by extension the self, has been taught to "despise." This includes not only societal outcasts but also the body's "ghetto," specifically referencing the "asshole" and the "clitoris." The lyrics suggest that these often-shunned parts and functions are intrinsically linked to our needs and our very being, with "useful shit" being a "clean clue." The repeated directive, "never to despise," acts as a mantra for this radical inclusivity. The most striking craft element is the constant redefinition of "despise" through direct identification. The narrator doesn't just ask us not to despise; they insist we recognize the despised within ourselves and as ourselves. Phrases like "not to despise our Jews (that is, ourselves)" and the ultimate assertion, "to know that I am it," collapse the distance between the self and the other, the accepted and the rejected. This creates a powerful, almost unsettling, demand for total self-recognition. This writing achieves its impact by forcing a confrontation with ingrained prejudice and shame. By equating the externalized "other" with the internal "self," the lyrics dismantle the very concept of an external enemy or an inherently shameful part. The effect is a profound, albeit challenging, invitation to embrace a complete and unfragmented existence, where every touch, every body part, and every identity is recognized as integral to the whole.