Meaning of “Crucify Your Mind” by Rodriguez
Rodriguez passed away on August 8th, at the age of 81. Sixto, as was his first name, had an very-interesting career in that. For example, despite being a loyal Detroit native, he proved more popular in Southern Africa and Oceania than he did stateside.
That said, he only dropped two studio LPs, those being 1970’s “Cold Fact” and 1971’s “Coming from Reality”. So all of the Rodriguez albums that came since then, up until the final of his lifetime, 2016’s “Rodriquez Rocks: Live in Australia”, have either been compilations or live projects.
Release Date of “Crucify Your Mind”
“Crucify Your Mind” was released through Sussex Record. It came out as part of “Cold Fact” during March of 1970. Rodriguez wrote this song, and its producers are as follows:
- Make Theodore
- Dennis Coffey
The album as a whole charted in South Africa, Oceania and a number of European countries. And there was only one single issued from it, which was not “Crucify Your Mind” (rather a song titled “Inner City Blues”).
Lyrics of “Crucify Your Mind”
The lyrics of this track, despite containing a specific message seemingly aimed at a particular individual, are ambiguous and therefore open to interpretation. However, what can be generally ascertained is that the vocalist comes off as if he’s a bit peeved. Secondly, he also feels as if the addressee is overvaluing him or herself.
Also, the first verse gives the impression that at the heart of Rodrigo’s beef with the person he’s singing to is a matter that may be sexual in nature.
All lyrics considered, one reasonable theory is that they are being relayed to the singer’s girlfriend. It is the last line of the song especially which gives the impression that the addressee is someone whom Rodriguez is accusing of cheating or being on the verge of doing so.
Under such circumstances, i.e. the woman you love deciding to deal with someone else, it is pretty common for guys to argue that their girlfriend’s ego has become too inflated, as if she is taking his love for granted. And that’s how the singer comes off in this song. For instance, he basically threatens to “leave” the addressee and “never look behind”, i.e. annul the prospect of the two of them getting back together in the future.
“Soon you know I’ll leave you
And I’ll never look behind
‘Cos I was born for the purpose
That crucifies your mind
So con, convince your mirror
As you’ve always done before
Giving substance to shadows
Giving substance ever more”
But all theories aside, the thesis sentiment of this piece revolves around the vocalist encouraging the addressee to humble him or herself. In a roundabout, heavily-poetic way, that seems to be what Rodriguez is saying when he asserts that he “was born for the purpose that crucifies” the “mind” of the addressee.
Another way of looking at that statement, all lyrics considered, is as the vocalist believing that he is the only one in this person’s life willing to tell her the hard truth that even she doesn’t want to hear. And what exactly is this bitter truth? That she’s addicted to pleasure and isn’t as glamorous as she believes she is.
Furthermore, those are the type of things that a guy may tell his girlfriend when he becomes convinced that he’s about to lose her to someone else or that maybe, as alluded in the first verse, she has already violated their relationship.
But what exactly does Rodriguez mean with the phrase “Crucify Your Mind”?
It is not exactly clear what he means. That being said, we have offered the best explanation we could come up with. The phrase might just be another way of the singer expressing his intent to humble the addressee.
