| Idlewild – (I Am) What I Am Not Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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Given that i interpret the whole album (the remote part) as Roddy's dealings with the concept of identity, i'd do the same with this track. So, to me, this song song is Roddy struggling to define himself as anything other than what he isn't. And in doing so, negating to have an identity that exists on it's own (only in relation to 'not being' other objects). The first verse seems to be about his obsession (maybe too strong a word) with literature, and learning that the alphabet is is just 'made up of words you could never resist to quote'. I think this is Roddy comparing himself against other authors, and never fully being able to emancipate his own writing from the direct influence of others (possibly ties in with why Edwin Morgan is on the album). His own dealings with the idea of literary individuality? When it comes to the chorus, the continual shouts of: "if there's nothing more then i am what i am not" Strikes me as a sort of admission of defeat. That if there is nothing more to the individual than his obsession and difference from others, then he simply exists as a polarity, not as a true identity. I can't quite figure out who the 'I' and 'you' are though... as in: "You learn from the mistakes that I taught you" and "then i doubt it could really have come from you" It almost sounds like a feud between Roddy any someone else, not sure who though. Anyone have any ideas? |
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