Me Wise Magic ?

**mondola** · 10.18.02, 04:03 AM

Right,

I've looked through some past topics, and I can't find anything about this recently so, here goes.

The song, Me Wise Magic. What does that phrase, Me Wise Magic actually mean ?

I read somewhere that they took the name from some horse, but that doesn't make sense to me.

I get the meaning and vibe of all the rest of the song, but just can't get what is meant by the exact meaning of the title of the song.

Just something that's been bugging me for a while. Can anyone help me out ?

Cheers,

**ross** · 10.18.02, 07:55 AM

No idea. I always thought it was just a few words that they thought sounded good together.

**mondola** · 10.18.02, 08:22 AM

Originally posted by ross:
No idea. I always thought it was just a few words that they thought sounded good together.

That they thought they'd put in a song to mess around with my head ! Well, it worked !

At least I'm not the only one !

[img]graemlins/drunk.gif[/img]

**Raldo** · 10.18.02, 08:41 AM

Only Dave could come up with something like that. Like I've always said, he is one of the best with his way with words.

**naturallywired** · 10.18.02, 10:02 AM

I always took it to mean the same thing as "MY wise magic" Spoken as a pirate me buckos...

**Top Jimmy #1** · 10.18.02, 01:48 PM

me wise magic
I'm hip to some MOJO (for the Dave crowd)
I know some SERIOUS juju (for the Sam crowd)
or for y'all laypersons....
I am a big bad voodoo daddy, I know magic,
DON'T YOU TRUST ME? You should because I KNOW things SHE BELIEVES..., well she should, and you should, because ME WISE MAGIC.......
.....git it? [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

**mondola** · 10.21.02, 04:02 AM

So basically, he's saying, "I'm a wise witch doctor" but chose to say it in Elmo-from-Sesame-Street talk ?

Heh heh heh !!!

**Top Jimmy #1** · 10.28.02, 03:49 PM

In the words of Big Ed (MacMahon, Not Van Halen

):You are correct, sir! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

**mondola** · 10.30.02, 10:11 AM

Originally posted by Top Jimmy #1:
In the words of Big Ed (MacMahon, Not Van Halen ):You are correct, sir! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

Ah, the song makes much more sense to me now.

I can sleep easy at night now, without it worrying me.

Cheers for the help.

[img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

**Daved Mikalex** · 11.08.02, 11:44 PM

Wasnt Me Wise Magic the name of a Racehorse ??

**Eddie_Van_Anglin** · 11.10.02, 12:11 PM

I was unaware that MWM was supposed to make sense at all. I don't pay attention to lyrics much, anyway.

**jimmy** · 11.10.02, 02:37 PM

Originally posted by Daved Mikalex:
Wasnt Me Wise Magic the name of a Racehorse ??

Yes

**CaboWaboHombre** · 11.11.02, 01:52 PM

Have you ever listened to vintage DLR interviews? There is no meaning to most of what he sings. That was the beauty of Classic Halen. [img]graemlins/bounce.gif[/img]
Dave was no Bono or Dylan.

**el_jalepeno** · 11.12.02, 08:45 AM

If you listen to the background vocals, it sounds like Dave is the only one, and it has a good sound to it for those claiming that Dave needed Mikey to help out on the vocals... [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[ November 12, 2002, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: el_jalepeno ]

**Fontcow** · 11.12.02, 10:44 AM

Since the song appears to be about self-awareness and the lyrics follow a "talking-to-yourself" inner-dialog ("I know what you're thinking, what you're thinking is easy to see. I know what you're dreaming, I have those same dreams" and "I feel you breathin', Don't you trust me (trust me). I feel you agreein', I know what you need"), it appears to be about knowing, or at least being aware of, yourself on the inside. I always took it to mean that you are aware, or "wise", to your inner thoughts (or at least should be): personality, behaviors, whatnot, ("I am you and you are me" and "Don't you trust me?") and that you should look inside for answers instead of elsewhere ("Reach up to the feet of God, Lookin' for a sign. It was right here all the time, time, time, time!"). Since this inner dialog is psychology that is internal and all intangibles that you can't easily explain with regular prose ("A little Zen headed your way, You'll get it halfway down the interstate. Four days from now, It all goes clear. A Buddhist riff for your inner ear") it's like a self-religion, or "magic", like voodoo, eg., I'm wise to my own voodoo magic, like lying to myself to rationalize things, etc. According to interviews with Dave, "Me Wise Magic" was indeed a racehorse Dave took the name from, but it worked for the rest of the songs lyrics and what the song was about. It's a great title to a good song, both musically and lyrically.

Perhaps I think too much?

I still think it's one of the best Van Halen songs of all time because it satisfies the classic VH sound with Roth and the guitars, yet, it also satisfies EVH by crossing over from the Van Hagar days with an updated sound and "mature" lyrics (as Eddie wanted) to give Van Halen a serious song. Something tells me that a reunion with David Lee Roth would have more of this, however, I'm sure EVH and Roth butted heads (obviously, otherwise we'd have had our reunion by now) because EVH wants to move forward with Van Halen being "serious" and "contemporary" while Dave wants to only go back to 1984 as a nostalgia band. Difficult to be sure of, but after hearing "Humans Being", "MWM", "CGTSNM" and the entire album "III", and then seeing Roth on the summer tour with Sammy, that's what it appears happened with the aborted reunion of 2000-2001.

I also think Mike's vocals are clearly being used on the "Do you believe" and "If you could see" chorus parts.

[ November 12, 2002, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: Fontcow ]