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.
Miller time at the bar where all the English meet
She used to drink in the hills
Only now she drinks in the valleys
Where every road has a name like Beachwood Avenue
or so it seems
A Croydon girl could really hope to find a home
But with a thousand miles of real estate to choose from
You begin to see the value of your freedom...
The moon is bright in the haze above old Hollywood
And deer look down from the hills
And it's three o'clock in the morning
Pill in hand you can hear his golden surfer boys
Crying out, mummy won't come out of the bathroom
And you'd hoped he'd say he's sorry if he hit you
but he's buried in the screenplay of his feature
Screen kiss, one screen kiss
Straight from a film I forget who was in
Screen kiss, one screen kiss
Blue filter lens, a pool of vaseline
But all the rushes look the same
Only there's a movie I wouldn't pay to see again
If it's the one with him in
You and I could be a mile above the earth tremors
Hold to me and we'll climb
You could sneak out while he's sleeping
Suicide in the hills above old Hollywood
Is never gonna change the world
Change the world overnight
Any more than the invention of the six-gun - child
Any more than the discovery of Radium,
Or California tipping in the ocean
Screen kiss, one screen kiss...
She used to drink in the hills
Only now she drinks in the valleys
Where every road has a name like Beachwood Avenue
or so it seems
A Croydon girl could really hope to find a home
But with a thousand miles of real estate to choose from
You begin to see the value of your freedom...
The moon is bright in the haze above old Hollywood
And deer look down from the hills
And it's three o'clock in the morning
Pill in hand you can hear his golden surfer boys
Crying out, mummy won't come out of the bathroom
And you'd hoped he'd say he's sorry if he hit you
but he's buried in the screenplay of his feature
Screen kiss, one screen kiss
Straight from a film I forget who was in
Screen kiss, one screen kiss
Blue filter lens, a pool of vaseline
But all the rushes look the same
Only there's a movie I wouldn't pay to see again
If it's the one with him in
You and I could be a mile above the earth tremors
Hold to me and we'll climb
You could sneak out while he's sleeping
Suicide in the hills above old Hollywood
Is never gonna change the world
Change the world overnight
Any more than the invention of the six-gun - child
Any more than the discovery of Radium,
Or California tipping in the ocean
Screen kiss, one screen kiss...
Lyrics submitted by JpnGht, edited by countrygirljo, RadCon
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The story is set in California, where Dolby was living at the time. He talks about a 'bar where all the English meet' in Hollywood, CA.
She used to drink in the hills, only now she drinks in the valleys. I think this line is a clever way of saying that when she used to drink, she was more upbeat, more of a party girl. Now, she drinks to forget, she is depressed.
The girl in question is from a generally well-to-do large town south of London (Croyton). As England is an island, it's an amazing thing to move to a place like California and have 'a thousand miles of real estate to choose from'. She has means, but money isn't everything...
The lyric above is wrong - it should say, "Pill in hand, you can hear his golden surfer BOYS..."
This suggests that the boys aren't hers, or doesn't seem like they are. Her partner is abusing her, and she's probably taking a pill to calm her nerves. He's 'buried in the screenplay of his feature' - he doesn't even acknowledge her or her hurt.
I think the chorus is a wistful look at how she feels love should have been for her, after all, she is in Hollywood. Blue filter lensing and Vaseline were used to blur the picture for close ups and conceal lines in the actor's faces. Look at movies from the 50's and 60's (and even some TV shows!), and you'll see this effect often. In this context, I think it means she's getting older, perhaps losing her looks.
'Rushes' or 'dailies' are quickly developed, unedited film snippets. When a director wants to see how a scene looks, he calls for that day's rushes - usually with a 24 hour turnaround time. These days, of course, everything is digital, but back then, this is how it was done.
'All the rushes look the same', means that her life is the same film over and over again, every single day.
Dolby is not happy. I think this was a real friend of his and he's saying here that it's a movie he wouldn't pay to see again if it's the one with 'him' in. 'Him', presumably being the abusive husband figure.
He wants to rescue her (hold to me and we'll climb), but instead she commits suicide. He suggests that her death, while meaningless to some, is VERY important to Dolby.
Listening to the surf at the end, the radio reports the PERFECT weather for surfing...
My favorite Dolby song - ever...
Excellent, and my inetrpretation as well, only I think the line about "Mummy won't come out of the bathroom," indicates that the golden surfer boys ARE the woman's sons. HIS golden surfer boys means that this woman's sons were fathered by the abusive partner.
Also, I think the narrator refers to the woman' sons as "HIS --" meaning the abusive fellow's -- "golden surfer boys" because he -- the narrator -- is in love with this woman and feels that he should have been the father of her sons instead of the aggressive lout she's partnered to now
@CuteSparkina I'd not considered those points, and I think your are right about that. I first listened to this song when I was 20, but probably didn't 'get 'it' until I hit 35 or so. 'The Flat Earth' is just one of those albums you couldn't recreate if all the stars and planets aligned just so again. <br /> <br /> Truly a different age... <br /> <br /> Thanks for your comments!
@ctlizyrd that is a magnificent interpretation, my friend. I have been singing this song for decades not really knowing the meaning. Last night I dreamt I was in a karaoke bar helping someone sing it. When I woke up I thought I should look into the meaning and it has me in tears because it is so deep and you have nailed the interpretation. I guess on some level it is like life on Mars which also has the same effect on me.