Last night I listened again and followed along with the lyrics. I am convinced now of something I previously suspected. I believe Join Us is truly a concept album. Apollo 18 had conceptual elements, especially the Fingertips – shuffle feature, but Join Us seems to be a concept album in the traditional sense as a rock opera. I really think there’s a narrative that runs through the whole program.

The title: My theory is that the “Us” refers to an antihero ho has a tendency to think of him self as two people. He’s not a classic multiple personality case, but he isolates himself from others to the point that he’s his own companion. Sort of a “wherever you go there you are” situation. “Join” refers to a rare attempt to reach out to another person, or possibly an invitation to the audience to look inside this sick mind, or even adopt his lifestyle (with sarcasm intended of course.)

ACT 1

Can’t Keep Johnny Down:
This is our introduction to our antihero. He is a loner who thinks everyone is against him, and he is against everyone. He is obsessed with revenge and he is convinced he’s a real threat to his enemies.

He visualizes his enemies as a pile of corpses. He fantasizes that he’s capable of murder. I doubt he has actually killed before, but I don’t rule it out.

You Probably Get That A Lot:
I didn’t know what a cephalophore was. Original I thought he was saying something else. I had to look it up, and it’s a type of Saint represented in sculpture carrying his own head, to indicate martyrdom by beheading. In the context of the story. Our Johnny has spotted a woman he refers to as a cephalophore, apparently being one isn’t that unique.

The way I see it a “cephalophore” here is referring to a “martyr” who has sacrificed her “life” (read happiness – dreams) and openly “carries her head” by outwardly showing the world their discontent with her lot in life.

Our Johnny, being the type he is, is attracted to misery and becomes instantly infatuated with this woman, who’s particular burden is that she’s married to or living with a man she doesn’t love. He brashly makes advances on her, but as the lyrics suggest he gets nowhere and she dismisses him. He vents his frustration by…

Old Pine Box:
engaging in some disorderly conduct.

He flees town to evade arrest.

Canajoharie:
Out of context this is a celebration of Secular Humanism, but the significance to the story isn’t really Our Johnny finding joy in the idea of human evolution, but the setting. It establishes that he is on the lamb in the wilderness. Our Johnny has become a drifter if he wasn’t already one to begin with.

Note the assertion “I’m not insane.” Which is something I think Our Johnny would likely say a lot.

Cloisonné:
Our Johnny eventually arrives in a new town. He is extremely paranoid about still being wanted for his crimes in the previous town. He perceives suspicion in every person he meets, and reacts irrationally with threats.

ACT 2

Let Your Hair Hang Down:
This is the turning point of the story. Note that this is where Our Johnny begins to think of himself as “we.” Having isolated himself for so long, he has become starved for external companionship and another side of him begins to emerge. This lighter side of Our Johnny is determined to change on the premise that his attitude is counterproductive and he doesn’t have to be that way. Changing is going to be harder than he realizes.

Some lines indicate that there is some doubt from his darker half.

Celebration:
Banksy’s Post-it note for Anonymous is a random party flyer that leads Our Johnny to a social event where party goers have gathered to dance and imbibe. Our Johnny joins and interacts and fits in with ease. More importantly, he likes it and finds it cathartic.

The above calls back to a line from Can’t Keep Johnny Down

Our Johnny runs into Our Cephalophore, who is much more accepting of him in his more relaxed state, but his old social paranoia sets in.

In Fact:

Our Johnny confesses the “facts” to himself and possibly to Our Cephalophore. His darker half is going to sabotage any long term change,

and any chance he has of making something work with the girl he wants.

His paranoid mistrust of others is back and he has applied it to the party goers. “They have your old ID” doesn’t necessarily mean they know he’s wanted, but they see through his attempts to be “normal.” (In his mind of course)

When Will You Die:
Alone, in a hotel room, Our Johnny is furiously frustrated with his inability to connect with others. This song is actually sung by Our Johnny to himself, his darker half that is.

There’s also an indication of his duality.

ACT 3 The plot thickens.

Protagonist:
We are introduced to Our Protagonist, who is the other man in Our Cephalophore’s life. Melancholy, he watches as she leaves him and goes to meet Our Johnny in his motel room. Note that the lyrics suggest Our Protagonist is a writer.

Judy is Your Vietnam:
This could be a history of Our Protagonist’s time with Our Cephalophore, but I think this is actually Our Johnny’s Darker Half drudging up memories of the last relationship he had. Vietnam was a quagmire war that lasted too long, generated incalculable loss and failed to accomplish its goal. It also happened quite a while ago. The darker half is making the argument that Our Johnny risks repeating a painful and fruitless relationship.

Never Knew Love:
Not sure of the meaning of this song. Possibly it’s Our Johnny’s counter-argument. Perhaps our Cephalophore is low maintenance and capable of making love easy and painless.

The Lady And The Tiger:
Bear with me here. In the famous short story gladiators are forced to play a game of chance in which they must choose between two doors. The prize is marriage to a Lady and the zonk is death at the hands of a ferocious tiger. The lyrics themselves tell a silly story in which the Lady concocts suicidal escape plans while the tiger attempts to dissuade her. The lyrics don’t actually contribute to the narrative, but the title does. It is here that Our Johnny has to make a choice. He wants the Lady, and attempts to choose her over the (self) destructive darker half.

But let us not forget that in the short story, the main character was the victim of a conspiracy, in which it was arranged that there was a tiger behind both doors. Our Johnny may have put himself in just that position.

Spoiler Alert:
The song tells of an imminent collision between two drivers with very strange habits. This represents an imminent conflict (Spoiler Alert) between Our Protagonist and Our Johnny. We can tell that one of the drivers symbolizes Our Protagonist because he’s a writer. The driver that symbolizes Our Johnny says:

His darker half is overpowering him, and he eventually surrenders “the controls” to it. Basically, he’s been with Our Cephalophore for a while now and jealously villainizes Our Protagonist (like Scott Pilgrim and an evil ex) in his mind.

Meanwhile, Our Protagonist has no idea what’s coming for him.

Dog Walker:

Our Johnny violently assaults Our Protagonist.

Battery is not just the setting of the conflict, but the result.

Our Johnny is delusional and in his fantasy has turned Our protagonist into some monster.

His psychological issues have caused destruction, and unchecked will continue to do so.

2082:

Having proven to everyone that he’s a psycho, Our Johnny finds himself alone with nothing. He has a fantasy in which he sees his darker half still alive and causing misery in the distant future. This song is the sequel to When Will You Die? and is also the answer to the question. Although it changes to 2240 and 3415 and finally never. Finally he quelches his darker half. This could mean one of three things. A) He internally “kills” the darker half and becomes healthy. B) He snuffs it by snuffing himself (committing suicide). C) He kills it in his fantasy, but in reality nothing changes.

Three Might Be Duende:
I have no idea what this song is about. The lyrics seem like complete nonsense to me, however references to Faust and Orpheus seem appropriate to Our Johnny’s struggle.

You Don’t Like Me:
The story ends where it started. Our Johnny spots a new “Cephalophore,” but although instantly infatuated, he is no longer brash. He assumes no one can love him and chooses to move on without making any effort to connect.

Alternate ending: All of the events starting with You Probably Get That A Lot were a fantasy in Our Johnny’s mind. When he comes down to reality though, he assumes “You Don’t Like Me.” And moves on. If this is the case, then Three Might Be Duende possibly makes more sense. Duende are magical elf or faerie folk (I had to look that up as well.) so the title could mean that the three characters in the story were imaginary.