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musictheory · 2 years

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The Rocky Horror MEGA Theory

This is it The Rocky Horror MEGA Theory a compilation of all theories including a few new longer theories and a few notes I’ve picked up about certain songs.

(please note some songs aren't here or have very little analysis as I had little/ nothing to say about that. I’m sorry if I excluded any of your favourite songs.)

Science Fiction Double Feature is the opening song to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Yet the foreshadowing went over my head until my classmate passed this theory onto me. Today we will see Richard O'Brien foreshadowing the entire plot of rocky horror through clever references and

a nod to the classics.

“Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still” Is a nod to the movie The Day The Earth Stood Still where extraterrestrial visitors break havoc on earth as the government scrambles to stop it. This parallels the Transylvanians. Instead of causing catastrophic harm they evoke a social change in society through Brad and Jannet (who are microcosms for 1970s society) and change their perspective of the world by exposing them to the strange and unusual. Alternatively, perhaps this is symbolic of Brad and Jannet's failing relationship and Brad doing little to fix it standing by while his fiance runs into the arms of another man.

“Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear” Is a reference to the superhero Flash Gordon, a Yale graduate who embarks on a mission to planet Mongo, which imposes danger on earth. Is symbolic of Rocky Horror and also gives the musical a cynical structure as it links back to the closing song “superheroes” allowing me to infer when Jannet was talking about “superheroes come to feast” She implied that the sexual experience she had with Rocky is going to be at the four front of her mind for a while.

“At a deadly pace it came from outer space” exposes the plot twist at the end of the movie of the Transylvanians being extra terrestrial. There are countless movies which I could pick on and show the connections to the plot of Rocky Horror but this song shows us we should take nothing we are being shown in Rocky Horror at face value, always analyzing and always inferring. Therefore, Richard O'Brien is one of my favorite composers as he was way ahead of his time and he put quality thought into the world he was creating.

The final quote I want to highlight is “when worlds collide”. Rocky Horror brought out a new side of society, being able to express ourselves freely, not caring about the opinion of most of society focusing on themselves and social change for the future generations where we can be who we are with no scrutiny.

Dammit, Jannet is the first peak we have into Brad and Jannet and shows young romance (statistically going to fail) but here's a few notes.

-Brad is talking about how difficult it was to get to this point. I think this is an early sign of him holding back his sexuality.

-User @pant-lit has full credit to this theory. The Transylvanians are at the funeral home to collect parts for Rocky

-First sign of Jannet not being interested in the relationship being more concerned about the ring and up leveling her friends.

(note one paragraph has been copy and pasted from a prior essay)

Over at the Frankenstein is symbolic of societies progression in the 1970s towards more alternative and sexually liberated life styles and the growing possibility of communities rising out of obscurity and benefiting society as they come to a more liberated views and values.

Late 1960s and the early 1970s undeniably sparked a chain of change for those in the LGBTQ+ community spanning from 1967 where homosexuality was decriminalized in England and Wales.1969 stonewall riots protesting the treatment of members in the USA and Cuba. A year later 1970 the American Psychiatric Association ruled 13-0 that homosexuality should be taken off the list of mental disorders. 15th of August 1975 was the premier of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. First rated 2.5 stars out of 4 from critics. It didn’t become a cult classic straight away, however; it found a place in the hearts of LGBTQ+ members and allies that loved the sexual liberation and the androgyny that the movie brought to the screen. We can credit actors such as Tim Curry and the rock legend Meatloaf and the rest of the cast for the movie's timelessness.

In Janet's verse, Richard O Brian highlights the accepting nature of the LGBTQ+ community and how it creates a change in societal norms by teaching those who are curious. In the first two lines “in the velvet darkness of the blackest night” is a metaphor of pre-1970s society and the republican views it held and the prejudice which it spread causing a community being marginalized from society despite protesting for equality and acceptance. Later in the verse the lines “burning bright, there's a guiding star, no matter what or who you are.” Is valuing the role of the LGBTQ+ community in bringing a new light to society and guiding it into a one of acceptance and love. Alternatively, this is Richard O Brian expressing that Brad and Janet are microcosms for the 1970s society which would allow more analysis of Richard's interpretation of society through character arcs.

In the original, Brad hasn’t got his own verse; however, in many stage plays Brad has the lines “I can see the flag fly, I can see the rain, just the same, there has got to be something better here for you and me.” I won’t go into great detail considering it's not canonical to the original movie adaptation. For the line “I can see the flag fly” I consider this as Frank N Furter's mansions almost being a white flag for Brad and Janet as they surrender their republican views in the benefit of more liberated ones. “Something better for you and me” Is Brad understanding the new society they are going into isn’t going to negatively impact them rather expand their mindset on the world.

Riff Raff verse highlights the breath of fresh air and the metaphorical weight of expectation being lifted off their shoulders. His most notable line is “flow morphia flow”. Morphia was the original name for the common drug morphine now used for pain relief. This is symbolic of Frank N Furter house being a safe place and promoting identity no matter how weird or outlandish.

This song is fundamental for analysis on Richard O Brian's meaning and interpretation on the society around him otherwise the message of the movie wouldn’t be as clear.

Time Warp is one of the most well-known songs to come out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show even a first time Rocky Horror watchers can do a jump to the left and a step to the right. But putting dance moves aside the song shows how the Transylvanians arrived on Earth and the foreshadowing to the backstabbing of Riff Raff and Magenta.

Riff Raff line “I’ve got to keep control” initially read to me as Riff Raff trying to grab Brad and Jannet’s attention however, through my countless re-watches of the movie I’m believing Riff Raff saw Brad and Jannet as a stop to his and Magentas plans. For example, in the film's entirety we can see Riff Raff and Magenta plot with each other through a hand signal they do repeatedly (editor Rez here this may be far fetched but their hand gesture looks like the signal tower at the end of the movie maybe foreshadowing Rocky’s and Franks final moments). We also see them sabotage Frank N Furter's plans letting Rocky go while indirectly stopping Frank from “entertaining” Brad. Another theory I have for Frank N Furter's original mission is to enslave humanity and the reason he made Rocky was to be desirable for all, making it easier for him to manipulate others for the benefit of the Transylvanians. Here, Brad and Jannet would be the test subjects and I believe if Frank wasn’t interrupted his mission would have been successful as he would have blackmail to hold over Brad and Jannet’s making them his new human slaves which could allow him to use them as bate for the rest of humanity.

“The blankness would hit me and the void would be calling” is a reference to the time warp/ Blackhole they traveled through to get to Earth. For example, for around 100 years physicists have known of time warp in fact the space between the Earth and the sun is a sort of time warp. Einstein argued that gravity is the property of curving space and time. Blackholes can dilate time however once you get to the point called the event horizon whatever you brought with you can’t come back. The following line “let’s do the time warp again” shows the Transylvanians wanting to go back but waiting on Franks “audio vibratory physio-molecular transport device” to get them back waiting for him to finish (ha) so they can regain control and go back to Transylvania shooting their matter through space and time.

Another bit of evidence into enslaving humanity is the quote “in another dimension with voyeuristic intention”. Voyeuristic is a word which wasn't priorly in my vocabulary but the definition goes: relating to or denoting sexual pleasure gained from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.

Now Columbia's verse is a can of worms. In summary, it explains how Columbia became a groupie for Frank N Furter. “A snake of a guy gave me an evil wink” Could link to the biblical story in the Garden of Eden. God warns Adam and Eve not to take from the tree of knowledge lying to them both saying they would “surely die”. However, the serpent tempts Eve stating “your eyes will be opened and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” Eve eats from the tree and gives some to Adam. God bans them from the garden of Eden. This mirrors what happened to Brad and Jannet, seeing only the good in the world but being exposed to the restricted, increasing their curiosity and changing their life forever. Which makes me think Columbia was a relatively normal person before she got abducted. “time meant nothing never would again” allows us to infer that Columbia can’t remember how long she’s been there falling into a depression as everything gets ripped away from her or time moving differently in the mansion.

Richard O'Brien is a master of foreshadowing. What else could we be missing in his writing?

Frank N Furter has been labelled a gay icon through his disregard for gender norms and the sexual liberty that he spreads to everyone in his presence allowing members of the LGBTQ+ community to take to the streets and be out and proud.

Here’s a few notes I have about Sweet Transvestite:

The candy man that Frank was referencing was a drug dealer. In the 1970s harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin became more popular. The average age of users being 15-35 which we can infer is the age of the characters in the Mansion.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is an amazing message to apply to anyone but carries more meaning to Frank N Furter as Brad and Jannet judged him on his sexuality and behavior not sensing stranger danger and made themselves vulnerable.

“You both look pretty groovy,” the sarcasm

“You got caught with a flat” the fact that Frank knows this makes me believe he orchestrated the entire night (except for Eddie as he seemed surprised when he popped out of the freezer) to lure Brad and Jannet in. They evidence this in the quote “maybe the rain isn’t really to blame” hinting to the fact he caused the flat tire somehow.

(This analysis is less lyric by lyric rather than two theories spurred on by this song. And a little head cannon at the end. This theory is rather sloppy and I apologies)

Richard O'Brien's structuring of the Rocky Horror Picture Show allows for the songs to be filled with meaning and comments on the society it is based on. This allows for generations of fans to analyze songs and start discussions. However, Richard may have never intended on takes that fans created and I believe this is going to be one of them. Today I will discuss the concept of imperfection in perfection supported by a centuries old parable on idolisation and seeing things at face value.

The sword of Damocles takes its name from a 45. BC parable. To thoroughly get my future points across I’ll summarize the story and evidence it later.

The story follows the tyrant king Dionysius who had become weary of the evidence he had created for himself. He lived in constant fear only trusting those closest to him. The court flatterer Damocles showered the king with compliments explaining how sublime his life must be. This angered the king and offered him to take his place. The court flatterer agreed and sat on the tyrant's golden throne. All the servants waited for him with gifts of oil and fine cuts of food. He soon looked up and his eyes were met with a razor-sharp sword being hung from the ceiling with a single strand of horsehair. Damocles soon became anxious, understanding the weight of the situation. How can this apply to Rocky? Instead of impeccable wealth Frank has specifically made Rocky to be the “perfect man” being modeled by Charles Atlas the most well-known bodybuilder of the 70s. However, behind the scenes we see Rocky struggle with a form of mental health and being sexualised from birth being seen as nothing more than sexual relief to Frank N Furter. Rocky is the first example of Frank N Furter 2 sidedness.

Based on a few headcanons I believe Rocky was completely aware of why he was created. “I am at the start of a pretty big downer” understanding the rest of his life on being nothing more than a sex slave for Frank.

It is also apparent that Rocky's song is foreshadowing of the rest of the events of the November night. “Someones gonna be cutting the thread” is symbolic of the end of his life. He got the production wrong though but I guess the fling of the RKO radio tower doesn’t roll off the tongue just the same (see I did a comedy).

Head cannon

-I think parts of Eddie's brain was used to make Rocky (hence the scar on his head)

-I don’t think Frank Frankensteined it actually developed a functioning “human'' from baby to now.

-Rocky was Frank's original mission.

(sorry for how short this theory is planning something bigger will make an update later today)

I can make you a man and hot patootie some of my favorite songs however lore wise it is lacking but here are some fun theories.

I can make you a man:

Rocky was modelled from the bodybuilder Charles Atlas working through his dynamic tension course.

“In just seven days I can make you a man” echoes Charles Atlas’ motto however, can also link back to the story of creation. The universe being built in seven days and seven nights.

Also “I can make you a man” is Frank's very subtle way of explaining that he’s going to make him extremely good at sex.

Hot patootie:

“When you dressed up sharp, and you felt alright” differs from the sword of Damocles lyric “I’m dressed up with no place to go”. It would make sense as they both share a half of the same brain.

“Doesn’t seem the same since cosmic light” may be a reference to when he first met the Transylvanian

This is all a love song to Columbia which visibly angers Frank as the attention isn’t on him anymore.

Rocky Horror Picture Show normalised a more sexually active lifestyle and breaking out of traditional values that society expects us to follow. Let’s have a look at the song that allowed the peak of Janet Weiss' character arc.

“I’ve only ever kissed before'' confirmed what everyone in the castle was already thinking. Jannet was a virgin before Frank. “There was no use getting into heavy petting, it only leads to trouble” can be read two main ways. One is that Jannet didn’t have a reason to have sex as through her religious upbringing telling her it only leads to trouble. This “trouble” in this context could indulge in the sin of lust or catching an STD. Or you could interpret it as Jannet not wanting to become pregnant especially with Frank N Furter's baby out of wedlock.

“I've tasted blood and I want more” is a reference to her going head first into her primal instincts to allow her sexual side to seep through. The line “Give yourself over to absolute pleasure” has come to the forefront of Jannet’s mind almost like a devil on her shoulder yet she doesn’t have the willpower to say no.

“I’ll put up no resistance” is Jannet trying to grab a part of her innocence back playing the part of a petite undefended woman. We see Brad do this in Rose Tint My World asking help from his mommy. This reluctance would come full circle in superheroes as they both have to face society with their newfound identity.

The repeating line “creature of the night” at the end of the song is Jannet’s sexual awakening as she wonders what it would be like to have sex with all these different people and enjoying the thought of lust taking over her life.

Eddie’s Teddy:

The repetition of mother in the movie shows there is a sense of innocence in these characters allowing them to be seen as redeemable in the eyes of the 1970s audience.

“Stay sane inside” is Columbia trying to warn Eddie of what’s about to happen to him and trying to get him out as soon as possible

“They mustn’t carry out their evil scheme” tells me everyone in the house knew of Frank’s mission, however if they were to speak out they would use their body for Rocky

Planet Shament Janet is one of the most overlooked songs in the Rocky Horror Picture Show film adaptation but what does it reveal about the plot. It may seem that this song is Frank N Furter insulting Janet’s sexual ability but what if it told you it reveals the Transylvanian's true intentions on Earth or the fragility of Janet’s mental state.

On one hand Planet Shament highlights the desperate situation that Brad, Doctor Scott and Janet are in. Repetition of the line “wise up Janet Weiss” is Frank N Furter truthfully expressing to Janet that the situation she is in is no longer one of sexual liberation rather a circumstance crafted by his own manipulation to aid his true intentions for coming to Earth. In verse 2 Richard uses the lyric “wound up like an e or first string” comparing Janet to the most fragile and on the verge to breaking string on a guitar. In Janet’s character at this point we know she is extremely fragile to the circumstance as she battles away the negative thoughts of being loyal to someone other than Brad along with being on the verge of breaking as her whole sheltered existence has been shattered right in front of her. Alternatively, perhaps this is a criticism of Janet’s naivety and self-centeredness which has been shown in abundance throughout the musical through materialistic and self-indulgent actions.

Yet it also shows the Transylvanians true intentions with the humans. In verse 2 the line “I’ve laid the seed it should be all you need” exposes the Transylvanians goal to replicate human DNA on the planet of Transexual Transylvania and threw assumptions we can infer that they would use them for sexual needs (gruesome i know). We know that Frank was trying to find the secret of life however, his “accident” leads me to believe prior he understood little about human sex cells such as sperm and eggs and their importance on human life. Noticing how he seems to be targeting Janet in this scene allows me to deduce that he’s using Janet's body to carry on his research. Furthermore, in verse 3 the placement of the dialogue is extremely important. I've noticed in many stage places they either do it before the song or not at all. Janet’s dialogue “we’re trapped” followed by Frank's response of “it's something you’ll get used to” emphasizes his intentions with Janet of caging her up like an animal to carry on his lustful experiments.

A small deviation yet the quote “when we made it did you hear a bell ring” Foreshadows the events of the floorshow as Frank's time is limited to do his original mission on Earth.

(sorry this is rather short this song has got quite a few repetitive lyrics, but I tried my best (: )

Tw: abuse (sexual,emotional,physical)

Rose tint my world is definitely one of the most catchy songs but the hidden meaning behind it all shouldn’t go over your head. Through in-depth character revelations to what comes next for Brad and Jannet and we will reveal Columbias descent into utter despisement for Frank.

In rose tint my world Richard O Brian exposes the manipulative nature of Frank N Furter and the pattern of codependent relationships by forcing his victims to be isolated from the rest of society. Columbia steals the first verse in her lines “it was great when it all began”. Through prior character notes Frank is charming and attentive. Many abusive relationships start off with this (note every relationship that follows this will not become abusive this is just how manipulators hook you into their game before it starts). Sociologists argue there are 4 stages of abuse: first tension. With Columbia the tension starts with Eddie joining the Transylvanian group. We know this in the line “First you spurned me for Eddie''. Stage 2 is an incident. Frank definitely disapproved of Eddie and Columbias relationship and understood that injuring Eddie would cause severe emotional trauma to Columbia. This allowed him to keep Columbia under his control through fear while also becoming a sexual manipulator as it implies they have a sexual relationship with eachother while this goes on. Stage 3 is reconciliation; They show this through the house wide rule not to talk about Eddie. The 4th stage is calm which we can infer is from Eddie’s initial “death” and the Transylvanian convention. This repeats itself on the events of the November night.

The second half of her verse starts off with the line “Now the only thing that gives me hope… love of a certain dope.” They imply that the “dope” is a reference to Eddie as we see throughout the film Columbia taking refuge in the memory of Eddie. The norm that Eddie brought to Columbia gave her an accurate view of reality. This is clear in how a mention of Eddie causes Columbia to break away from her normally preppy self. The repetitive line “Rose tint my world keeps me safe from my trouble and pain.” Has similar but different meanings for each character. For Columbia she is choosing to be naïve about the world around her as she no longer has reality to be comforted by.

The next verse is Rocky's where we see the adverse effects of Frank’s hyper sexuality personified. For example, in the lyric “my libido hasn’t been controlled” exposes the instability of pure mindless lust. A lack of personal control causes others to be hurt furthering the point of Frank being a sexual manipulator even going to the whim of building a person to relieve himself. Another notable line is “The only thing I’ve come to trust is an orgasmic rush of lust” highlights how the only constant in Rocky’s life is sexual pleasure caused by Frank sexualising him from the moment he was born. “Rose tint my world keeps me safe from my trouble and pain” in reference to rocky is his childhood naivety rather than shutting out reality like Columbia.

Unlike Columbia and Rocky’s, Brad's verse is not a criticism of Frank rather exploring his sexuality and the problem of accepting himself and his new lifestyle.Brad sings the third verse with the lyrics “It's beyond me”. This could be a subtle nod towards Brad’s sexuality finally understanding its something he can't hide from himself and others somewhat ruling over his life. Contrasting his prior beliefs at the beginning of the film as we can infer that he follows the words of a christian god. In the 1970s religion had a greater effect on society compared to modern times. Furthermore, the lyric “help me mommy” is a plea for his innocence depicting the internal crisis he is now facing. Caught between two mindsets praising his new found freedom while simultaneously shunning himself. We see a sort of resolve to this issue in the quotation “what’s this lets see, I feel sexy!” showing that he doesn’t restrict himself from feeling sexual desire and in the format of the Frank N Furter house he feels safe and excepted. For me the lines “rose tint my world keep me safe from my trouble and pain” (despite him not saying it directly in the song) with Brad is him not wanting to re-enter society as he fears the social repercussions as being a sexually liberated gay/bi man.

Unlike like the other characters (excluding Brad as he had no clear opinion on Frank) Jannet has a positive view of Frank N Furter talking about the sexual freedom she know has access to. In the line “I feel a release” there is no question this is symbolic of the pressure around purity culture falling off her soldiers after having 1 and a half positive sexual experiences (i say this because her relationship with Frank is iffy). In the quotation “Reality is here” rather than mirroring 1975 society is showing how she wants to live her life from now on. Yet for me the closing lines “It's a gas that Franky landed, his lust is so sincere” is the most interesting part of her verse. This contrasts the events of planet shamanett as Frank N Furter openly criticised her and the sexual interaction they had with each other. Jannet’s rose tint my world is her allowing herself to continue to see no worries to avoid going back to old beliefs.

Based on my analysis of this song i have a convincing argument to show this song definitively show Columbia as being the most tortured character in the play's entirety. Being led down a cycle of abuse only being considered as Frank’s plaything.

Frank was an extremely manipulative character sacrificing other people's bodies and mental sanity to aid his own sexual desires and goals. But I’m going home gives us Frank's origin story and allows us to sympathize with him.

“I want to come again and stay, smile and that will mean I may” Is Frank stating he wants to stay on earth for eternity but he wants acceptance and for him to be seen as normal in the eyes of society. This could be Richard O’Brien stating that society will never be completely accepting, always marginalizing the bizarre and unknown.

“Cause I’ve seen blue skies through the tears in my eyes” Despite the events of tonight Frank still sees hope for humanity seeing both the good and evil but relying on the good memories to keep him going.

“Everywhere it's been the same, like I'm outside in the rain” is showing Frank never really fitted in anywhere looking for a place to call his permanent home and dying doing so.

Frank is performing to an audience I think this is symbolic of the community he wanted to create but his sexual desires derailed that causing havoc through society

“Superheroes” Rocky Horror Picture Show analysis

Historical context:

Song analysis:

“Superheroes” composed by Richard O Brian successfully shows societies two perspectives of the exposure of LGBTQ+ media and lifestyle. On one hand, the fear of it confusing the younger generations and the other understanding that acceptance is the next stage for society. Rocky Horror creates a bridge to both opinions while still having a moral message bringing us all together. “Don’t dream it, be it.”

First let's talk about Brad Majors. Through the film we see him propose to Janet Weiss, enter the castle and being exposed to an alternative lifestyle even being able to be involved after having sexual relations with Frank N Furter. In the floorshow, it’s revealed that Brad is having an internal conflict between his taught purity shown by him calling for his “mommy” (a symbol of innocence) yet still enjoying the sinful feeling of lust. However, superheroes highlight his vulnerability after the curtains are drawn, and he now has to face the music of society and the social repercussions that come with being outside the norm. In the lines “to find the truth I even lied” could be a nod to his sexuality and hiding it away from others and partially himself. Furthermore, him collapsing at the end of his verse could be symbolic of the weakness he feels after the safe space of the Frank N Furter house has been ripped away from him. Adversely perhaps his verse is an overarching metaphor on the search for the meaning of life and reliant on a higher power. Both Brad and Janet’s worlds were shattered that night in November but for Brad, he fears repercussions from an angry god. Brad's arc supports the theory of it destroying young adults however in Janet we see the other side of the coin.

In Janet Weiss’ character arc we see her grow from materialistic (shown by her being inflicted by the ring comparing it to her newly wed friends), to being sexually liberated twice, once with Frank N Furter and another by Rocky. The song “Touch-a touch me” is the peak of her character arc as she understands she can give into primitive desires. Her lines “taste the flesh not yet deceased” and “The beast in feeding” all have connotations of sexual desire it takes over her passions and old beliefs. Linking back to the floorshow, “My mind has been expanded” shows the contrasting argument to what Brad represents showing the positives of sexual discovery allowing an individual to see the world in a new light. “superheroes” may link back to the Transylvanians effectively communicating that Janet doesn’t see tonight as a negative experience rather something that has positively changed the course of her life going onwards. At the end of the scene we see Brad and Janet crawling away from each other highlighting the opposite perspectives as they no longer have the connection of purity in the same degree as their first introduction. Alternatively Janet’s verse could be a metaphor of societies changing towards a more excepting one. “Still the beast is feeding” conveys how this rapid change will only get better.

The criminologist/ narrator has the most sociological view. “Lost in time, lost in space, and meaning” links back to the fragility of human morality and looking for a higher power on who you can mirror in hopes of the most sanctified life. Society will instantly follow the one with the higher power but when said person may or may not exist society becomes torn between conflicting opinions. “Some insects called the human race” reveals that no matter if tonight happened Brad and Janet would have a similar experience as their primal instinct would kick in and they would be led down the same path.

In my opinion, Superheroes is the most revealing and sentimental song in the entire movie and the fact it was cut from a lot of the movie renditions is quite upsetting.

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