Others may disagree with me, but as a songwriter who was also on Capitol EMI for a while, I love this song and always have, and this is my take on what it means:
The verses are where the true meaning of the song lies. The chorus is "what suddenly occurred perfectly to Mark Hollis, which came out of his mouth as he and the band were rehearsing it, and the words fit perfectly, whatever their then meaning wasn't. And that may have been it."
The verses are the thoughts or speech of an ambivalent man realizing at last he is in love with a woman or man he saw just as a friend. They've been round each other a long time. This realization is a discovery to him. It's also threatening. How much should he commit himself? Because one half won't do. Once this fellow commits to a woman or man, he's there completely. The lyrics are a wrestling match between his heart and his freedom, because he has ethics, and his personal code tells him once you commit to a person, THAT'S IT.
Measure this against Mark Hollis later completely leaving Talk Talk and stopping touring in order to commit to his marriage and raise his sons. Rather extreme. Simon LeBon and everyone else Colin Thurston produced felt they could be musicians and commit to love and a family at the same time, and at least in Simon's case, they completely succeeded. Hollis on the other hand was unsure he could do this and chose in favor of love over music. That's tough to do. But the clouds were already rolling in ominously in this song.
That's my take. It's just:
"Okay, this is serious. I realize I do love you. But if I go with this feeling, I will need to be with you completely, body and soul, and because I am that way, that decision will end my life as I know it."
Hollis then probably felt about for lyrics for the chorus that would sum up or echo that feeling. "My life... er... hm... something about my life... this being my life... wait, HOLD ON, I'VE GOT IT -- IT'S MY LIFE!"
And when he sang it up into the mic, that struck gold, and there you have it: finished song.
As a songwriter, sometimes a chorus comes to you that has nothing intentional to do with the song, it's just this perfect sudden brainwave that surges up out of you and that's what you sing into the mic and then write down in your notebook to be sent to BMI or ASCAP. Such is the case with "It's My Life" and I am willing to bet on it.
@heatherfer An "extreme" choice? Perhaps. But music was never about fame or riches to Hollis and he knew he could continue to make music while being at home with his family, even if no one ever got to hear it except for his family and friends. I think he wasn't wrong.
Most pop stars and celebrities pretty much phone it in when it comes to parenting, letting their spouses (usually soon-to-be-exes) take over most of the burden of actually raising the children. He made the choice a real man should make, in my opinion. It was...
@heatherfer An "extreme" choice? Perhaps. But music was never about fame or riches to Hollis and he knew he could continue to make music while being at home with his family, even if no one ever got to hear it except for his family and friends. I think he wasn't wrong.
Most pop stars and celebrities pretty much phone it in when it comes to parenting, letting their spouses (usually soon-to-be-exes) take over most of the burden of actually raising the children. He made the choice a real man should make, in my opinion. It was a great loss to the music world, but a huge win for his kids and his relationship with those kids (I'm betting). They were certainly his priority and I doubt he has any regrets.
I liked your analysis/interpretation. Interesting; and it fits nicely. I never know how important lyrics really are to Talk Talk; they frequently seem (especially in later works) to be more about the "sound" than the meaning. That said, I do enjoy the lyrics and think their ambiguity makes it easier for the listener to assign his/her own meaning to each song.
Did you have as much trouble with EMI as Talk Talk did? Actually, did anyone? The record company wanted a pop-band and got... actual MUSICIANS! Oh, the horror!! ;)
@heatherfer I don't think "it's my life" has to be entirely irrelevant, especially if the other person is also doubting whether it's right for the narrator to jump off their previous life. But I really appreciate your interpretation of the verses, which I agree is the main point here.
@heatherfer I don't think "it's my life" has to be entirely irrelevant, especially if the other person is also doubting whether it's right for the narrator to jump off their previous life. But I really appreciate your interpretation of the verses, which I agree is the main point here.
Others may disagree with me, but as a songwriter who was also on Capitol EMI for a while, I love this song and always have, and this is my take on what it means:
The verses are where the true meaning of the song lies. The chorus is "what suddenly occurred perfectly to Mark Hollis, which came out of his mouth as he and the band were rehearsing it, and the words fit perfectly, whatever their then meaning wasn't. And that may have been it."
The verses are the thoughts or speech of an ambivalent man realizing at last he is in love with a woman or man he saw just as a friend. They've been round each other a long time. This realization is a discovery to him. It's also threatening. How much should he commit himself? Because one half won't do. Once this fellow commits to a woman or man, he's there completely. The lyrics are a wrestling match between his heart and his freedom, because he has ethics, and his personal code tells him once you commit to a person, THAT'S IT.
Measure this against Mark Hollis later completely leaving Talk Talk and stopping touring in order to commit to his marriage and raise his sons. Rather extreme. Simon LeBon and everyone else Colin Thurston produced felt they could be musicians and commit to love and a family at the same time, and at least in Simon's case, they completely succeeded. Hollis on the other hand was unsure he could do this and chose in favor of love over music. That's tough to do. But the clouds were already rolling in ominously in this song.
That's my take. It's just:
"Okay, this is serious. I realize I do love you. But if I go with this feeling, I will need to be with you completely, body and soul, and because I am that way, that decision will end my life as I know it."
Hollis then probably felt about for lyrics for the chorus that would sum up or echo that feeling. "My life... er... hm... something about my life... this being my life... wait, HOLD ON, I'VE GOT IT -- IT'S MY LIFE!"
And when he sang it up into the mic, that struck gold, and there you have it: finished song.
As a songwriter, sometimes a chorus comes to you that has nothing intentional to do with the song, it's just this perfect sudden brainwave that surges up out of you and that's what you sing into the mic and then write down in your notebook to be sent to BMI or ASCAP. Such is the case with "It's My Life" and I am willing to bet on it.
@heatherfer Wow. Well said!
@heatherfer Wow. Well said!
@heatherfer An "extreme" choice? Perhaps. But music was never about fame or riches to Hollis and he knew he could continue to make music while being at home with his family, even if no one ever got to hear it except for his family and friends. I think he wasn't wrong. Most pop stars and celebrities pretty much phone it in when it comes to parenting, letting their spouses (usually soon-to-be-exes) take over most of the burden of actually raising the children. He made the choice a real man should make, in my opinion. It was...
@heatherfer An "extreme" choice? Perhaps. But music was never about fame or riches to Hollis and he knew he could continue to make music while being at home with his family, even if no one ever got to hear it except for his family and friends. I think he wasn't wrong.
Most pop stars and celebrities pretty much phone it in when it comes to parenting, letting their spouses (usually soon-to-be-exes) take over most of the burden of actually raising the children. He made the choice a real man should make, in my opinion. It was a great loss to the music world, but a huge win for his kids and his relationship with those kids (I'm betting). They were certainly his priority and I doubt he has any regrets. I liked your analysis/interpretation. Interesting; and it fits nicely. I never know how important lyrics really are to Talk Talk; they frequently seem (especially in later works) to be more about the "sound" than the meaning. That said, I do enjoy the lyrics and think their ambiguity makes it easier for the listener to assign his/her own meaning to each song. Did you have as much trouble with EMI as Talk Talk did? Actually, did anyone? The record company wanted a pop-band and got... actual MUSICIANS! Oh, the horror!! ;)
@heatherfer I don't think "it's my life" has to be entirely irrelevant, especially if the other person is also doubting whether it's right for the narrator to jump off their previous life. But I really appreciate your interpretation of the verses, which I agree is the main point here.
@heatherfer I don't think "it's my life" has to be entirely irrelevant, especially if the other person is also doubting whether it's right for the narrator to jump off their previous life. But I really appreciate your interpretation of the verses, which I agree is the main point here.
@heatherfer it's actually about, if you watch the video closely, and stop trying to read into the worse , animal cruelty
@heatherfer it's actually about, if you watch the video closely, and stop trying to read into the worse , animal cruelty