Master of Bourgeois

Originally posted by almanso "... You make me feel like the Master of Bourgeoisa man whose life became an illusion" Angel Dust

could anyone explain to me who this Master of Bourgeois was? never really understood that line...

OK, time to get deep. Bourgeois has many definitions, ie from an economic perspective, a state of mind perspective etc. It usually refers to "middle class", but has also been defined as "rejecting humanity and the uniqueness of the individual person, favouring society" or as "a state of mind where all thoughts are superficial, leading to a culture with no depth". Looking at these definitions, one interpretation would be to say that the person is being made to feel like someone who is superficial, without depth and lacking individuality - "a man whose life became an illusion". The end. :)

I think this reference come from a Moliere play, maybe one of our French friends could help us here but The Master of Bourgeois could be Monsieur Jourdain, from "The Bourgeois Gentilhomme" a rich trader who aspiring to enter the Court and become a nobleman takes lessons in good manners, fencing, elocution and so on effectively his life becoming an illusion.

It has got one of the funniest dialogues ever produced in theatre. I have pasted it below.

The Bourgeois Gentleman

Act Two, Scene Four MONSIEUR JOURDAIN ... Before you go, I must confide to you a secret. I am in love with a lady of great rank and quality, and wish to ask your help in writing her a note which I intend to drop most casually at her feet.

PHILOSOPHY MASTER Oh, yes. That ought to be a lovely treat.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN That is the gallant thing now, is it not?

PHILOSOPHY MASTER Oh, certainly. A verse you'd like to jot?

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN No, no, no verse for me.

PHILOSOPHY MASTER

	So you want prose?	

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN No, neither.

PHILOSOPHY MASTER

	Well, I think we must suppose	

It's one or its the other.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN

	Why?	

PHILOSOPHY MASTER

	I guess	

That those are all the options to express.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN There's only prose and verse?

PHILOSOPHY MASTER

	To make the point most terse.	

What isn't verse is prose, and what's not prose is verse.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN And this, the way I speak. What name would be applied to the --

PHILOSOPHY MASTER The way you speak?

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN

	Yes.	

PHILOSOPHY MASTER

	Prose.	

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN

	It's prose?	

PHILOSOPHY MASTER

	Decidedly.	

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Oh, really? So when I say: "Nicole bring me my slippers and fetch my nightcap," is that prose?

PHILOSOPHY MASTER Most clearly.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Well, what do you know about that! These forty years now, I've been speaking in prose without knowing it! How grateful am I to you for teaching me that! So, what I wish to tell the gentle lady is: "Fair Marquise, your lovely eyes make me die of love," but in a way that's elegant, and nicely turned.

PHILOSOPHY MASTER Then you can say the fires from her eyes do sear your heart down to an ashen ember, and that you suffer night and day --

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Oh no, not like that at all. I want it just as I now told you: "Fair Marquise, your lovely eyes make me die of love." That's it.

PHILOSOPHY MASTER You really should draw out the thing a bit.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN No, listen. I only want those words there in that letter, but nicely turned with art to the arrangement. Please tell me of the ways that this can be expressed, so that I might select the one that works the best.

PHILOSOPHY MASTER Well, your first choice could be to put it just the way you've said it: "Fair Marquise, your lovely eyes make me die of love," or then you might say, "Of love, fair Marquise, your lovely eyes make me die." Or else: "Of lovely love, your eyes, Marquise fair, me make die." Or then: "Your lovely eyes, fair Marquise, die of love; make me." Or yet again: "Make me die of love, lovely eyes, your fair Marquise."

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN But of those several ways which is the best?

PHILOSOPHY MASTER The one you came up with on your own: "Fair Marquise, your lovely eyes make me die of love."

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN And to think: I've never studied, and yet I did that one right on the first go! I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Tomorrow, please come see me sooner still.

PHILOSOPHY MASTER I will. (HE exits.)

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN (To his LACKEYS.) And has my suit not yet arrived?

SECOND LACKEY No, Sir.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN That confounded tailor has kept me waiting the whole day long, and here I have so much to do! That puts me into such a lather! A plague upon the rascal of a tailor! The devil take the wretched tailor! Why if I had the scoundrel tailor here with me, I'd tell the odious, detestable treacherous dog of a tailor --

Act Two, Scene Five MASTER TAILOR, JOURNEYMAN TAILOR (Carrying the suit.), MONSIEUR JOURDAIN, LACKEYS

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Ah, there you are! I was just about to get myself annoyed with you!

MASTER TAILOR I wish that I could have come sooner, too, But found myself in quite an awful boat, With twenty men at work upon your coat.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN The silk stockings that you sent were far too tight. It took me half the day to get them on, and already they've torn two ladders down beneath the pants.

MASTER TAILOR They'll stretch out on their own given the chance.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Of course they'll stretch, if I keep tearing seams! And then the pair of shoes you made me hurt my feet. It must be they're too small.

MASTER TAILOR Oh, no, Sir. That can't be. No, not at all.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN How not at all! How impertinent!

MASTER TAILOR It's not too small. You couldn't hurt in it.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN And I am telling you I do!

MASTER TAILOR That's only likely, Sir, if your feet grew. I think you just imagine there's some pain.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Imagine it? Well, I suppose I would imagine it if that was what I really felt! And I should think that might be reason enough!

MASTER TAILOR Look, here's the finest coat in all the court, The most well-balanced and harmonic sort. A work of art to take the world aback: A sober coat that's not done up in black! I'll give six tailors half-a-dozen tries, And none could touch this coat for sheer surprise.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN But what is this? You've placed the flowers in this coat here upside down!

MASTER TAILOR You wanted them the other way around?

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Oh, must you specify these things today?

MASTER TAILOR At court they wear them all the other way.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN The folk of quality wear their flowers towards the floor?

MASTER TAILOR The fashion that the nobles most adore.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Oh, yes, well, that's all right then.

MASTER TAILOR I'll point them right side up, if that's your yen.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN Oh, no!

MASTER TAILOR

	I don't mind if you make a scene.	

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN No, you did right. This is the way I ... meant.

Originally posted by Budvar Huber The Bourgeois Gentleman "Of lovely love, your eyes, Marquise fair, me make die." Or then: "Your lovely eyes, fair Marquise, die of love; make me."

that sounds like Yoda

Now I am not so sure of what I have written, who would have thought Barney reads 17th century French Theatre

This man is full of surprises!

Originally posted by almanso maybe he watched the play at the theatre. that´s more Barney. i read somewhere that he doesn´t like to read because he can´t concentrate at all. going to the theatre could solve that problem.so, returning to the original issue. Bourgeois could be a word or a person! this is getting complicated.

I do think the Master of Bourgeois is Monsieur Jourdain. It fits to a T.

There is no way that Barney studied French literature or any other literature for that matter at school. He described himself as the village idiot at school and from experience that was a brutally honest assessment! If it is indeed Master of Bourgeois then perhaps these words were written by Tony Wilson who was a Cambridge graduate and I do recall him bragging in his 24hrPP book that he had been responsible for writing some lyrics.

Originally posted by almanso "... You make me feel like the Master of Bourgeoisa man whose life became an illusion" Angel Dust

I always thought that this was a dig at Tony Wilson?

Shows how shallow and stupid I am!

Fascinating as this literary conversation is, who the eff came up that version of the lyrics!!?

"You make me feel like the mass confusion Of a man who's life became illusion"

Originally posted by Old Blue Fascinating as this literary conversation is, who the eff came up that version of the lyrics!!?"You make me feel like the mass confusion Of a man who's life became illusion"

Your not far off!!

it's actually..

"you made it feel like the masked confusion,of a man who's life became illusion"

Originally posted by a very small boy There is no way that Barney studied French literature or any other literature for that matter at school. He described himself as the village idiot at school and from experience that was a brutally honest assessment!If it is indeed Master of Bourgeois then perhaps these words were written by Tony Wilson who was a Cambridge graduate and I do recall him bragging in his 24hrPP book that he had been responsible for writing some lyrics.

Brian Edge's Pleasures states that 60% of the lyrics are written by Barney, so there's got to be someone responsible for the remaining 40% I guess. Another thing, the NME interview from the Technique era that I've got says that Technique is the first album where all the lyrics were by Barney. So Angel Dust could have been written by someone else as well.

Originally posted by almanso maybe he watched the play at the theatre. that´s more Barney. i read somewhere that he doesn´t like to read because he can´t concentrate at all. going to the theatre could solve that problem.

b]

I think he has watched this play on cable tv late at night.:)

No way is it "Master of Bourgeois". Listen to the bleedin song!! It doesn't scan right, theres one too many syllables to fit the structure of the line for a start!!

I realise that not everyone on this site uses English as there first language, but come on... "Masked confusion" versus "Master Of Bourgeois". Difficult to mix up even if Barney has goy a Manc accent!