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About this quote

What does it mean?
Peel references a song about chanting down Babylon, noting that despite their nightly ritual, Babylon remains present.
In plain terms
We chant against oppression every night but it is still there in the morning.
What can you take from it?
Symbolic resistance is comforting but may not solve systemic issues.

Where it applies

  • protest actions
  • daily routines

Putting it to work

  • acknowledge limits
  • maintain rituals

Questions to consider

  • Does ritual matter?
  • What changes reality?

Another view

It implies that spiritual or symbolic acts are inherently limited against real-world systems.

More from John Peel

  1. (after playing 'Scream Like an Angel' by Brilliant) - How do these people know what an angel screams like? Answer me that. On one side of a paper only.

    Permalink to quote #34
  2. (after playing 'Carnival of Damocles' by In Excelsis) - I'm not entirely sure Damocles was the kind of chap who went to Carnivals much, but that's the title of…

    Permalink to quote #36
  3. (after playing 'How will I know when I'm really in love ?' by XXOO) - Your hat will fall off! I thought everybody knew that.

    Permalink to quote #33

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