| Tori Amos – Mary Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This is a song I go back to again and again. I listen to it when I feel diminished. When it seems all the people around me are trying to grab pieces of me until I'm left feeling empty and alone. This is what this song means to me. That moment when you realize you've given everything you had away and you are left with nothing. I feel like this song is written from the point of view of recognition. Recognizing that others have taken all of your good intentions, and recognition from those that took and left Mary "bleeding" seeing what they have done and trying to offer attention and help to someone they've left torn and spent. "Even the wind cries your name" acknowledges in a comforting way the beauty of being needed, but it is bittersweet as there is no end and the donations of oneself can be limitless. Although it seems like the lines: Rivers of milk are running dry, /Can't you hear the dolphins crying?What'll we do when our babies scream? / Fill their mouths with some acid rain?' appear to be environmental, I have a different impression. It seems that in the beginning there was an abundance of energy and emotion i.e. "milk" but through the greedy intentions the emotional river is now "dry". Now there's nothing left for the "babies" basic needs, only acid rain left to give for nourishment, which will surely cause harm in the end. To me this this song is represents all the emotional vampires. The fair weather friends. The emotional one uppers. The ones who take all that you have to give and leave you in pieces. "When I think of what we've done to you" for what we've done is truly horrible. When all is said and done, all we want in the end is to be the butterfly, set free from our trappings. Allowed to live whole and loved. |
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| The Dresden Dolls – Girl Anachronism Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I love this song so much. I think that we all have a bit of "the crazy" in us so I can relate to some of the bits in the song. I love the sound of the piano and it reminds me of the really old silent films. I keep picturing a run away train, and someone tied to train tracks, and the sinister villian looking on. I guess even the piano sound could tie into the definition of anachronism, very clever :) | |
| The Dresden Dolls – Mrs. O. Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Virginia O'Hanlon was little girl living in New York city in 1897 who was discouraged by her friends telling her there was no Santa Claus. She wrote the New York Sun after encouragement from her father, asking if this was true. Virginia O'Hanlon received the famous "Yes, Virginia" response written to her by Francis Church a war correspondent for the newspaper The New York Sun. After that Virginia O'Hanlon grew up and became a school teacher. I think this song is about the lies that adults tell children to make the world not seem so monsterous. I think the fact that Francis Church, was a war correspondent, is very interesting due to the many war references in the song. It seems that Francis Church told Virginia O'Hanlon about the existence of Santa clause, but left out all the truths about war, and destruction. |
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| Amanda Palmer – The Point of It All Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song struck a vey loud and resonating chord with me. I've listened to it several times and absolutely love it. I think that all the comments regarding the song being about drug abuse do make sense, in a very obvious way. However, I can also see a different interpretation as well one that may be more subtle. I think the song is about someone who has given up or cannot live normally due to a mental issues, autism, depression, schizophrenia etc. The reason I'm leaning more towards crazy than drugs is that A.P. talks A LOT about craziness in her other songs and various mental issues(like Girl Anachronism or Runs in the Family which is on the same album as Point of it All) It seems the song/story is told from a mothers point of view about her child who for whatever reason is not in touch with the outside world. I use the terms mother/child loosely as it may imply grown daughter/caretaker/sister etc. The mothers opinion although being the care taker, is somewhat dismissive, uncaring, and smug and it seems she relys on given "good appearances" to any possible outsiders. It kind of reminds me a dated, haughty, well to do, woman dealing with the "black" sheep in her life. "Oh, what a noble, distinguished collection of fine little friends you have made" and "And you're learning that just 'cause they call themselves friends Doesn't meant they'll call" - Is talking about imaginary friends/dolls "Hitting the tables without you again: "No, we'll wait, no, we promise, we'll wait"- reminded me of a casino, and possibly a reference about being left alone, about people who won't stop living their lives, to wait for someone who doesn't know how to live. "Maybe a week in the tropics would help to remind you how nice life can be We propped you right up in a chair on a deck with a beautiful view of the sea But a couple weeks later we came back and you and the chair were nowhere to be seen You had magically moved to the closet Eyes fixed to the place where the dryer had been" -To me this reinforcecs the idea of hiding or brushing off the "black sheep" "a week" in the tropics turns into "a couple weeks later" which implies that she had left there and forgotten. "You're aces for coming along, you're almost human after all"- is a condescending statement thats shows how the mother views her own child. I think the needle refers to the imaginary reality created by the child. It seems that that there may be moments where the mother trys to get through to the child, or even momemts of lucidity from the child, but effectually, the relationship remains the same. I agree with the previous comments about the line "But while you were sleeping some men came around Said they had some dimensions to take" - "sleeping" refers to death and "measuresments" for a coffin, and "they sure made a mess of your face" refers to the mortician's job. I think overall this song is about a person with issues, and their reluctant caretaker. Also about life and the inability, in this case, to live life to its fullest. Oh and on a side note, I definitely think the phrase is "you're Aces", its a dated figure of speech, one I've heard before, meaning similar to "you're stellar" or "you're great". |
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