In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Echoes of the Broadway Everglades
With her mythical Madonnas still walking in their shades
Lenny Bruce, declares a truce and plays his other hand
Marshall McLuhan, casual viewin', head buried in the sand
Sirens on the rooftops wailing, but there's no ship sailing
Groucho, with his movies trailing, stands alone with his punchline failing
Ku Klux Klan serve hot soul food
And the band plays 'In the Mood'
The cheerleader waves her cyanide wand
There's a smell of peach blossom and bitter almond
Caryl Chessman sniffs the air and leads the parade
He know in a scent uou can bottle all you made
There's Howard Hughes in blue suede shoes
Smiling at the majorettes, smoking Winston cigarettes
And as the song and dance begins
The children play at home
With needles, needles and pins
With her mythical Madonnas still walking in their shades
Lenny Bruce, declares a truce and plays his other hand
Marshall McLuhan, casual viewin', head buried in the sand
Sirens on the rooftops wailing, but there's no ship sailing
Groucho, with his movies trailing, stands alone with his punchline failing
Ku Klux Klan serve hot soul food
And the band plays 'In the Mood'
The cheerleader waves her cyanide wand
There's a smell of peach blossom and bitter almond
Caryl Chessman sniffs the air and leads the parade
He know in a scent uou can bottle all you made
There's Howard Hughes in blue suede shoes
Smiling at the majorettes, smoking Winston cigarettes
And as the song and dance begins
The children play at home
With needles, needles and pins
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Broadway Melody of 1974 Lyrics as written by Phillip David Charles Collins Anthony George Banks
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Gabriel is making social comment on the extent and influence of media, ironic considering the song appears early on one of the most adventurous and seminal multimedia explorations at that time. Lenny Bruce, a highly contrivetial comic and social commentatory, banned for his radical observations, is having time off. Marchal Mcluchan, one of the greatest american accademics of media, very heavy stuff, is compared to light weight, popular froth and is shown to be uncharacteristicly disinterested, head buiried etc. Sirens called mariners to their death, some believe they are the source of the mermaid legend, but theres no ships sailing.The cheerleaders wands smell like cyinide, the gas used to execute in the gas chambers, as was Caryl Chessman, a convicted kidnapper, although huge media uproar surronded his execution and doubt as to his guild. He was the last person executed under the "Little Lindbergh" law, brought in following the kidnapping of the baby Lindbergh, where bodily harm was caused to the kidnap victim. Them we have Howard Hughes, a man torn between desparate seclusion and media spotlight, a man whose legacy and interest in his eccentric life style still are a cause of media interest, not least a Hollywood blockbuster. All these character have attracted media and public interest and Gabriel draws them together into a fantacy parade to reinforce the power of image on drawing people into certain opinions and perhaps actions. Rael, a character of multi personality , decends throught the album into a characture of social unrest and the personalities of this song set a perfect scene for how people are influuenced by external factors.
Marshall McLuhan was Canadian
@harliquin I guess that sirens are the speakers that yale ads in your ear since early morning attracting a buyer, who is a sailor on the ship of his soul. Therefore, according to Joyce and therefore Mcluhan if all ad is pornographic, attracting with instincts, then in can steal your soul and lure it to the rocks of consumerism.