“DLZ” by TV on the Radio tells a story about an individual’s rise to power and the inner conflict that he experiences as his desires for wealth and influence collide with his sense of guilt that is brought on by his own misdeeds. We can think of the story’s antagonist in terms of a drug manufacturer type character like Walter White from the TV series Breaking Bad, or even an ambitious and power hungry dictator.
The song begins somewhat somberly despite its 176 beats per minute, but none the less sparks interest almost immediately within the listener. An internal dialogue begins between the antagonist's conscience and his ego and the listener becomes aware that an argument is taking place and that a story is about to unfold.
Conscience: “Congratulations on the mess you made of things.
On trying to re-construct the air and all that brings.
And oxidation is the compromise you own…”
The first lines of the song are sung with an air of condescension. Congratulations on your failure is essentially what is being sung. The antagonist is being scolded on his recklessness which luckily resulted in failure. To “re-construct the air” is to create. As in, to create a product or a chemical reaction. “Oxidation” on the other hand, refers to a deconstructive process, like rust forming on iron or the skunky taste of oxidized beer.
Conscience: “But this is beginning to feel, like the dog wants her bone.
You force your fire and you falsify your deeds.
Your methods dot the disconnect from all your creeds.
And fortune try’s to fill the vacuum that it feeds.
But this is beginning to feel, like the dogs lost her lead.”
Undeterred by his failure and like a dog with a bone, the antagonist persistently and enthusiastically pushes forward in his pursuits. He forces his will upon the world by any means necessary, lying and cheating his way to the top - 'falsifying his deeds.' However, these methods go against his own internal beliefs system, his “creeds,” which evokes a sense of guilt within him. However, eventually, his moral values succumb to his desire for wealth and power and casting aside his morals, the antagonist becomes uninhibited and free to force his influence on the world - "the dogs lost the lead.”
At this point, the song begins to pick up pace. Anticipation builds as the rhythmic tempo increases and the vocals intensify. Within the song, the antagonist’s conscience reels in horror at what is being witnessed- the birth of something evil.
Conscience: "This is beginning to feel like the long winded blues of the never....like its curling up slowly and finding a throat to choke."
The antagonist is becoming more powerful but he is out of control and lacks remorse towards his misdeeds. Hungry for power, the antagonist consumes everything within reach and mercilessly acts like an “uncontrolled locomotive…devoted to crushing the broken and shoving their souls to ghost…” He separates himself from his humanity and constructs his evil empire. He gives birth to a legacy - “objectified…eternalized.” However, unbeknownst to him, he is losing himself. He is unstable. Consumed by madness he pushes beyond his limits which sets in motion is own moral demise. Cracks form and ripple through his very foundation.
Conscience: “This is beginning to feel like the bolt busted loose from the lever.”
The song soon reaches its climax and the vocals reach their maximum intensity. The antagonist tries to shrug off his guilt - "never mind" but his conscience spews outward from within him and drops all illusions of what he has become, a “death professor!” Again his ego tries to ignore the truth – “never mind,” but his conscience relentlessly persists – “Death professor!” But it is all too late. The antagonist’s product and even his legacy, have become “objectified,” and “crystallized,” They are worshiped like a celebrity or a god and he himself is fueled by society’s validation and his own sense of power. The antagonist casts aside all moral and social constraints and opts to pursue his own destructive force. He screams back at his conscience
Ego: “Your structure’s fine
My dust is better.”
His Conscience retorts: Your victim fly's so high all to get a birds eye view of...
But his ego cuts his conscience off - "Who's next." He is more concerned with his pursuit of finding another victim.
Now like a twisted “doctor” standing above others, he scans the world below looking endlessly for his next victim
Ego: Y’all could use a doctor"
Conscience pleads with ego pointing out that no one is in need of him "who’s sick?"
Ego pushes conscience aside "who’s next.”
In this case the antagonist’s genius is that in spite of there being no apparent ailment within his victim, he has convinced them that they are not whole. as such, he has replaced their need for love with a tangible object that feeds their own egoistic desire. Acting as a salesman selling his evil contracts, the antagonist entices his victim with promises. He offers them bliss and fulfillment, perhaps in the form of a drug or prescription, the potential for wealth or even a shiny new smart phone.
Ego: “If love is life
My love is better...
His victims are looking for something to fill their void. They do not realize that everything they need is already within them (love) and so they succumb to the evil doctors lies that they are not whole and that the doctor has the cure.
Conscience: “Your fiction flies so high.”
Electrified
My love is better
It’s crystallized, so am I,”
So they take the Doctors offer and sign his evil contract. They give him their soul which further empowers him.
The victim is momentarily engulfed in bliss and satisfaction but soon realizes that they are just another a target. A casualty. An addict. As the victim comes down from their high they are left wanting more. But the twisted doctor has already moved on to his next victim "who’s next.”
Quickly the intensity of the vocals drop and the song ends in a chant describing the antagonist’s definitive loss of morality as well as the creation of another addict. Both have lost something significant. The victim has lost his/her soul and the antagonist has lost his morality.
Conscience: “This is beginning to feel like the dawn of a loser forever
This is beginning to feel like the dawn of a loser forever” (repeated)
Though the listener may not at first be aware of the songs meaning they are none the less, left with the realization that they have experienced something profound. We are all victims looking for fulfillment for our own unique personal void. We are forever chasing something that lies just beyond our reach, forever failing to realize that everything we need has always been and always will be within us. We continue to chase our highs because we are addicts.
Songs youtube.com link: