| Bon Iver – Hey, Ma Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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@[threetoe:37489] Good morning to anyone who may read this: I heard this song a while ago and found it compelling as I do for most of the Bon Iver music. Its well composed and is infused with a lot of complex music literary theory. Many of the themes of Bon Iver music to include all the artists in the band have this same up bringing and thus provide deep rich experiences to component this talent of composition delivery through music. To understand any literary piece, the context of the writer(s) experience is key to understanding the conscious message and unconscious messages being delivered. So as to that brief introduction I would begin: 1. Mid west life in the north is very difficult as weather conditions and origins of its people has dictated so blue collar work values hold strong to this region. However, due to this same experience work is limited to largely to the lower socioeconomic groups and lack of education. These conditions usually result in drug/alcohol use to cope with long winters and the hardships of blue collar life. Additionally these conditions usually lead to unhealthy family and perosnal relationship patterns. The work of this region for unskilled labor is packing and mining namely coal and iron ore. Many young men look to these risky jobs as a way to make fast money as they pay well but cause many health and relationship problems due to long hours in the nine cold months (feast or famine). Nonetheless, several themes run through this song to include the beat in the beginning which sounds like a heart monitor at a hospital. This Foreshadowing leads to several other songs with significance to same blue collar Wisconsin life and the hardships or long winters, innocence lost and destruction of family cohesiveness. Examples: “Back and forth with light” Daily ritual of mine work. “Mind mind, mine sugar, heavy mind coal mine” - all plays in literature to add depth of context to psychological challenge and physical challenges being analogous. “ Tall time” old language to imply absence of connection. Talk your money up” to imply money represents happiness however we learn quickly that it does not as “mope” is then used to describe the blue best down or the reality of working long hours for money but still happiness is illusive. This leads to the drug references which take you the dark reality that the writer has personal experience with; however, quickly realizes that this is not the answer snd offers help. In the end, it is futile as the “tall” references grow darker in theme leading the conclusion that drugs are only an avoidance of the reality that innocence is gone and only the truth remains. The cold dark truth of coal mine metaphorically and figuratively. The “vote” reference implies the person being referenced has a choice in the work but finds also that the choice itself they are a slave to and can’t escape. This literary symbolism may all be metaphorical however the region and socioeconomics of the region are great physical representations of the human kind’s struggle to make sense of tragedy. |
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| Blind Pilot – Poor Boy Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I like the several interpretations in the previous posts and some have founds logically… but this refers to the loss experienced by one of the bad members. It could have relations to drug use and the eventual martyrdom of a drug addict failing to recognize his unwillingness to change. Reference “…try getting water…try getting sleep…” Any drug use would know this could reference to the lack of basic care the problems when focused on drug use. Additionally, this line references the realization after “nodding off” and a “moment of clarity” that the person is self-reflecting on their behavior. But ultimately feels helpless to change and succumbs to the notion I can’t change and don’t want to change. I will in place justify my actions as I am the one who should suffer for my actions. The martyrdom comes from “why shouldn’t this be me (suffering)”. “You don’t want to change, I don’t want to change (my ways)”. This line could reference and support the claim that some emotional issues are beneath that the person can’t overcome “Think back a year When everything stood at the surface. But bandage you cuts 'cause you don't know what swims underneath…” The further evidence that could lead one to believe this person had deeper lying issues that were unseen that strains the loved ones around them. However some of this underlying reasoning holds true except for one simple fact, the band members father is dying from cancer. The wife is trying desperately to save him. In the end no one wants to accept what is happening and the son is left with the resentment towards his father and living with words unsaid and relationship unreconciled. This is the most plausible meaning with at least an 85 percent accuracy based on the facts about the writers experience and the support of the lyrics. The band members father is diagnosed with cancer and passes quickly with everyone left holding unfinished business. The wife is trying to help with all she has because losing him means everything. The son feels some quilt about having left things in the way they were and feels he should be suffering instead his mother. Even on his father’s death bed he contemplates his behavior but is unwilling to change and neither is his son (band member). Underlying this is a deep literary piece well thought out trying to capture the process of losing someone with a relationship conflict and the realization after at the end of life how we might have done things different. It also incorporates the stages of grief (Kublar/Ross). |
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