Obscenery

Queens Of The Stone Age's song 'Obscenery' delves into the complexities and absurdities of modern life, using vivid and often jarring imagery to convey its message. The lyrics juxtapose the artificial perfection of mannequins with the raw, unfiltered experience of being human. The line 'Mannequins have flawless skin, you can dress 'em up like me if you like' suggests a critique of societal pressures to conform to unrealistic standards of beauty and behavior. The singer, however, rejects this conformity, embracing a more authentic, albeit flawed, existence: 'I'm happy and free, listening to crickets in the pale moonlight.' This sets the tone for a song that oscillates between defiance and resignation, capturing the tension of living in a world that often feels both hyperreal and disconnected.

The chorus, with its repeated exclamation 'Hurrah! The obscenery's fucking useless,' serves as a cathartic release, a moment of clarity amidst the chaos. The term 'obscenery' itself is a portmanteau of 'obscene' and 'scenery,' suggesting a landscape that is both visually overwhelming and morally corrupt. The lyrics 'Born ruthless, until the rivers run dry' and 'Empty hole where the empathy used to be' paint a bleak picture of a society devoid of compassion and driven by self-interest. This is further emphasized by the lines 'Self-help, go on help yourself, you must be pleased with miseries you designed,' which critique the superficiality and self-centeredness of contemporary self-help culture.

The song also explores themes of voyeurism and emotional detachment, as seen in the lines 'Voyeurism-jism may cause blurry visions' and 'Emotional amputees with phantom pains from missing limbos of life.' These metaphors highlight the disconnection and numbness that can result from constant exposure to curated, artificial experiences. The repeated refrain 'Ain't it a little strange? Pretend to be awake?' questions the authenticity of our daily lives, urging listeners to wake up and confront the unsettling realities of their existence. Ultimately, 'Obscenery' is a powerful commentary on the alienation and absurdity of modern life, wrapped in the band's signature blend of hard-hitting rock and introspective lyrics.