Interpretations:I Should Be Allowed To Think

This song is poking fun at teenage rebellion and thinking you're more intelligent than anyone else or someone in a similar mindset.

It shows a person complaining that he cant put up his band's poster up in some public viewing place (possibly a grey utility pole).

He then proceeds to over-dramatize his situation and claims that he is some sort of silenced genius that must be heard.

-Michael Edward Willenzik III

The first line is from the Allen Ginsberg poem "Howl." http://alt.venus.co.uk/weed/writings/poems/agh.htm

-- Eric Vogl

"My guess is that well over 80 percent of the human race goes through life without having a single original thought." - H.L. Mencken

This is either a powerful song in support of freedom of speech or a denunciation of how stupid idea abuse the freedom. It could really go either way, but considering how John came down on tort reform, it's probably the latter.

Or maybe it's a complaint of how only stupid people get to speak ("the worst bands [were on] drywall ... [but] I should have a call-in show") and everyone else parrots their ideas ("I am not allowed / to ever come up with a single original thought ... I should be allowed to think").

In New York City around the time this song was written, there was a city ordinance planned that would have made it illegal to glue up posters; part of the Giuliani years' crusade against quality-of-life violations.

Yeah, the 1st impression I had after listening to this was that it was a song expressing frustration with the man. I can relate : )

I'm almost certain this is both a support of freedom of speech/expression/etc. and an expression of annoyance at those who abuse it. It's saying that this guy wishes he could make his statements to the world, because he knows they are important and/or interesting, and he's annoyed at all of the idiots figuratively shouting so loud that he can't be heard.

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I think the song's about some delusional, paranoid, and slightly mad nut ("I was the worst hope of my generation; destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical") who think's somebody's keeping him down not allowing him to think ("I am not allowed / To meet the criminal government agent who oppresses me"). The fact that's it's just one agent makes me think that the narrator is just really neurotic and possibly afraid to express himself or even think to himself in front of this shady character, who may or may not be a figment of the guy's imagination. Of course, the narrator obviously has the ability to think, seeing as he makes these words. And then the rest of the song is filled up talking about various things he thinks he cannot but should be able to do.

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I think this song is a reference to the book 1984, in which people aren't allowed to think or they are taken by the Thought Police. I think this song is 1984 through the eyes of the main character Winston who goes against the government for love.

Squeak

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The funny thing about the first line is that Linnell sings/speaks it in such a placid, matter-of-fact manner. Ginsberg's 'Howl' was generally emoted to death in coffee shops across the country by breast-beating, bearded, beaded beatniks who presented it as a revelation! Linnell prefers to talk about grief and death with the tone one would use to biggie-size a combo meal at a drive-through window. It seems like a reproach to whiny emo acts. --Nehushtan 21:52, 9 Apr 2006 (CDT)

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the interesting part of this song to me is how sure the narrator is that he is the one who should be allowed to speak. he is too busy trying to make his point to consider if his point is valid

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I'm pretty sure that this song is about uniformity, and the narrator is saying that he should be able to stand out in the crowd. Good point. =) Great jorb Linnell. ^~ --Lemita 08:57, 5 Jul 2006 (MDT)

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It's against censorship, although largely exxagerated. And it's not ABOUT the band guy, it's using that as an example. ~AgentChronon

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Think about some of the ways that speach is represented in this song: "I should be allowed to shoot my mouth off", "I should be allowed to blurt the mearest idea, if by random whim one should occur to me." This song is an ironic parody of teenage "rebels" who naively believe they are being persecuted, when in fact they are simply being annoying. After all, if the narrotor isn't allowed to think, how does he manage to write a song?

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The song is a rebellious song, duh. I think TMBG originally decided to make it non-exxagerated, but they got out of hand ;) ~AgentChronon

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