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The meaning of the lyrics of the song "I Can't Read" by the artist "Tin Machine"

The lyrics of "I Can't Read" by Tin Machine are filled with frustration and alienation from a modern society oversaturated with information and superficial values.

The lyrical hero admits his inability or unwillingness to conform to imposed standards: he "can't read and write", he doesn't know the "book from the list", which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the rejection of generally accepted norms and canons. He is indifferent to his own fate ("I don't care what shadow falls on me"), focused only on "someone's face" - perhaps a symbol of fleeting human contact in a world of alienation.

Further, the text paints a picture of a faceless consumer society: "money goes to money heaven, bodies go to body heaven", where people are driven by primitive desires and the pursuit of pleasure. Caught in this senseless race, the hero only passively observes what is happening, switching TV channels and following the police car - a symbol of control and violence.

Repeating the phrase "I can't read shit anymore" reinforces the feeling of helplessness and apathy. The hero is unable to resist the system; he can only "sit and ignore" what is happening.

The mention of Andy Warhol and his famous phrase about "fifteen minutes of fame" emphasizes the ironic tone of the song. In a world where everyone strives for symbolic fame, the hero remains invisible and misunderstood.

I can't read and I can't write down,

I don't know a book from countdown,

I don't care which shadow gets me,

All I've got is someone's face.

Money goes to money heaven,

Bodies go to body hell,

I just cough, catch the chase,

Switch the channel, watch the police car.

I can't read shit anymore,

I just sit back and ignore,

I just can't get it right, can't get it right,

I can't read shit, I can't read shit.

When you see a famous smile,

No matter where you run your mile,

To be right in that photograph.

Andy, where's my fifteen minutes?

I can't read shit anymore,

I just sit back and ignore,

I just can't get it right,

Can't get it right,

I can't read shit, I can't read shit.

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