| Blue October – Into the Ocean Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
Thanks for updating the lyrics. I still say using flotsam and jetsam is extremely clever. ~M |
|
| Blue October – Into the Ocean Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
The lyrics are wrong. In the second stanza, they should be: Without a life vest, I'd be stuck again Wish I was much more masculine Maybe then I could learn to swim Like 'fourteen miles away' Then at the beginning of the second verse they should be: Where is the coast guard? I keep looking each direction For a spotlight, give me something I need something for protection Maybe flotsam junk will do just fine The jetsam sunk, I'm left behind I'm treading for my life believe me (How can I keep up this breathing?) The use (correct use, I might point out) of flotsam and jetsam shows you just how much goes into one of Justin's songs. Flotsam is the debris left over after a shipwreck (Maybe he can salvage a piece of this mess and save himself?) and Jetsam is everything that was thrown off of a ship while trying to keep it afloat (In this case, he was jettisoned along with the rest and now it's all gone and only he is left). At a Blue October show in Houston, Justin introduced this song with a story about taking a cruise. He said that one night he had gone to the bow of the ship and contemplated what would happen if he were to jump? Would anyone even notice? Then he said, "Y'all would notice." The crowd screamed so loud you'd think the walls would fall in. Then he said, "Y'all give me a reason to live." And the crowd got twice as loud. It was, without a doubt, the most amazing live performance in the history of music. I'm sure you're thinking Mozart rocked the house, or the Beatles at Shea was more impressive (and unlike The Stones at Altamont, nobody got stabbed), but I'm telling you anyone that saw Blue October that night in Houston will swear it was the greatest show ever. Toward the end of the night, Justin asked the crowd, "If you had to, could you support my weight?" The deafening response was YES! He climbed off the stage, up on the first row (all standing) and crowd surfed clear to the back of the house where he was turned around and sent back to the stage (he never dipped once, not even a little). And when he grabbed the microphone, he explained that he hadn't done that since he was sixteen. I'm serious, "The Best Show Ever" ~M |
|
| The Smiths – I Know It's Over Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
That's what makes The Smiths so great. The Beatles were universally liked because they wrote about universal feelings. A closer inspection shows that these feelings were broad but not deep. For example "I want to hold your hand..." Everyone has felt this and it comes and goes without much emotional investment. In this way almost everyone is a Beatles fan, but I've never heard their fans described as a "cult following". The Smiths (or more accurately, Morrissey) write about very specific and highly emotional concepts. Not everyone has felt these things, but for those of us who have, it is a revelation when we hear The Smiths and finally know it isn't just us. Smiths fans are almost always described as a "cult following". So we wind up with a fraction of the fans the Beatles have, but they are exponentially more involved. Interestingly enough, we also see this phenomenon with Apple Computers. When something is made for everyone, it is not going to be perfect. When something is perfect (or as near as possible) it will not appeal to everyone, but those who "get it" will love it intensely. ~M |
|
| Blue October – Overweight Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
This is the part of the album (Foiled) where Justin tries to settle all accounts. The entire song is an apology to all those who had "carried the weight of another" (in this case, him). And he starts off saying that he never wants to forget how bad the bad times were, so he'll "carry a piece of who I was before". First apology is to the Ex (the one who hurt him). He apologizes for the things he's done (but particularly the scene from "Congratulations" where he showed up at her wedding wanting to talk to her but his words wouldn't "come out right". Finally he lets her know that " I'm happy that you're happy / This is no longer about me" and he tells her goodbye. Next is an apology for the hurt he caused (in this case I'm thinking he means to himself, since he seems to be on both ends of the bat) in a physical and emotional way with his "self-destructive" actions and his "guilt of what reality has given me". Next come his friends, for the way he treated them when they cared about (and most likely for) him. He wants them to know that they are dear to him and he keeps them "deep inside my heart". The final apology is the most general and the most personal. Justin is laying out how he wants to live his life, "as an equal" treating "ones who love me with respect" and wanting to offer the whole world - "a piggyback". He's met the love of his life and wants "to kiss a girl, and know I'll never lie again". After some of the things he's written concerning his dad, he wants to call him "and tell him that I care". And of course, anyone whose familiar with Justin and Jeremy (Listen to "For My Brother") knows how much Justin feels he owes his brother for having "saved my life a thousand times", and that throughout the years of bad times Jeremy has "been my friend / Who's always there". I think I backed up the last verse on the iPod over and over because it was so incredible, hearing it live (from just a few feet away) was a really special treat. |
|
| Blue October – Everlasting Friend Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
This is the pivot of the album (Foiled). Justin has laid out the history and this song encapsulates the transition from his old (horribly failed) relationship, to his new (he's now engaged) relationship. The first verse is the old relationship. "An icing drip below your lip" echoes the wedding in "Congratulations" and "we undo the math" is easy enough to equate with the fact that 1+1 doesn't make 2 anymore (more accurately 1 doesn't "+" 1 anymore, if that makes sense to anyone besides me). The second half of the song is the new relationship. A friend who has become more (A sudden slip from where / We used to be a year ago) and has shown Justin that love is worth the gamble (and the effort). "I might crumble, I might take a fall again / But you're my everlasting friend" will make perfect sense to anyone in a really good relationship (I mean soul-mate territory, here). I was told before I got married that, if she's the right one, we would become each others' best friend. That is absolutely true, and finding that is worth the chance that something bad could happen on the way. The story of "Foiled" is that love can happen again with the right person. One of the definitions for foiled means to make something brighter by placing it in the proper, complementary setting, and another is to stop something bad from continuing. Justin is a genius. |
|
| Blue October – Hate Me Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
First, I'm happy to report that Justin's mom is alive and well. (And a very nice lady.) I was at the CD release party in Houston and Mrs. F wound up standing next to me and my wife. We were lucky enough to speak with her over the course of the evening. The guys played 5 songs (instead of the usual 3 they were doing at other release parties) and 4 were from Foiled (Into The Ocean, Hate Me, Overweight, and 18th Floor Balcony) the 5th was Schizophrenia and Justin dedicated it to his Mom. Also, at the end of the song, what is being played in a "degrading" loop is a girl screaming "Hey, Justin!" over and over. The tape is slowed down every time the words are spoken until (if you play it loud, like you should) it starts to sound very indistinct and low. Finally, before it fades out, it sounds sort of like a heart beat. I love this band! |
|
| Blue October – Congratulations Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
This song is the beginning of Justin's rebirth. The entire album (Foiled) is set out as a story of losing the one you love (this girl has been in Justin's songs for a while, can you say HRSA?), not being able to cope, learning how to deal with it, getting past it, getting better, and finally finding love again (maybe really for the first time). I would bet this is a scene that really happened at (we'll call her Ex) Ex's wedding. Justin mentions how he "showed up... so what if I'm the used-to-be" in the song Overweight. Ex is getting married (And now you're Mrs. him), and Justin figures showing up is a good idea. Maybe it was, because it serves some cathartic purpose. The song changes from slow and reflective during the verses, to upbeat and realistic in the chorus. For the entire song, the spirit is trying to rise, but can't quite make it as memories and regrets bubble to the surface. But at the end, after he's had his say, the song positively soars and he realizes he can't change what's happened, take any of it back, or change her mind. He comes to terms with the situation and is beginning to heal. There is a reason this song is after "Let It Go" and before "Overweight". (There are no accidents as far as song order goes on this album, and the sequence is not based on what would sound good next, either.) Justin is telling a story that really happened. |
|
| Blue October – Balance Beam (Other version) Lyrics | 19 years ago |
|
This song is amazingly clever and also very funny. Justin enumerates all of the things important to make her (and keep her) happy. The list is actually a juxtaposition of opposites. You've got to take it kind of slowly/You've got to hurry up and make your move completely opposite, as are: You've got to be the perfect gentleman/To shake the walls, you've got to make 'em bend And the idea that "she's the balance beam" that he keeps falling off of is great. Plus he vividly illustrates that this is "her fairy tale" and he keeps messing is up for her by continuing to fall off. He capably shows just how difficult and contrary a relationship can be when "she" wants everything perfect, even if that means doing opposite things whenever she wants them (forget about being a gymnast, he needs to be a mind reader). I also believe that the line: "There's a heart nearby to cast that shape" is actually "There's a heart nearby to cast that shade" and in this instance, he's alluding to the fact that when he tells her how he feels and she reciprocates, she blushes. |
|
| Pixies – Here Comes Your Man Lyrics | 20 years ago |
|
Just to clarify... Listen closely and you will find that the line is: "Outside the family's tomb" (not stew) I thought it was stew until I turned it up and heard the "M" at the end of the line. It is quite clear (at least on the EP version I bought on iTunes. ~M |
|
| Blues Traveler – Hook Lyrics | 20 years ago |
|
This song is almost too full of meaning to relate all of it. First, Popper is an absolute genius. It is impossible to load up a song with so much and have it be accidental. As stated earlier, "the hook" is a music industry term meaning a special something that a song has to make it "stick" with someone. Popper is toying with his audience. Making fun of the MTV crowd who just likes a song because it's catchy and at the same time delivering a sly message to the fans who "get it". He tells us what his plans are from the beginning and dares anyone to not be hooked by the song. He knows that many of the people talking about his music never "listened" to the words, only "heard" them. As a songsmith and singer/performer, as long as he practices his craft, many will fall under the song's spell even if it is saying nothing (even if he tells us it will say nothing). By making the hook of the song the part about the hook, he has unloaded both barrels (songcraft and performance, what he says and how he says it is perfectly joined) and hit a bullseye. Indeed, our resolve does break and even if you didn't know the rest of the words, you were ready to sing along with the hook the first time you heard the song. He mentions Peter Pan because in the previous line he told us "to confuse the issue" he would "refer to familiar heroes from long ago", and because Peter Pan fits nicely with the entire hook analogy. The way he incorporates this element is why I say genius when I refer to him. The last part of the song, I really feel is "rapped" quickly not because it fits the change in music (let's face it, this song is lyrics, the music is matching what he wants to say), but because he wanted to "sneak" it through (like the fast talk in a car commercial). You have to want to listen to his words in this part (again, this is no accident). This last part of the song is the true commentary on the music business. His advice to "suck it in" if your Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn is priceless. Rin Tin Tin lost his balls so he could perform when ordered to. Anne Boleyn lost her head when the next great thing came along. He has no illusions that the music industry will do both to anyone who has no substance to their work. His contempt for MTV is obvious and well-placed, the line about making a desperate move "or else you'll win" is wonderful. How bad must his views of cookie-cutter pop be to tell us getting to the top is not a good thing? We can only wonder, "How desperate of a move? Maybe write a song about all of this and tell us what your doing, then still pull it off?" He uses deserate(ly) twice in the space of a few lines. He really hopes someone gets his message so he knows his work is more than TRL and "fans" who barely know the words and have no clue of their meaning. It is an amazing song and an amazing feat to create something like this. ~M |
|
| The Smiths – I Know It's Over Lyrics | 20 years ago |
|
I agree with many of the views expressed here (and have felt this way before). The idea that Morrissey can feel the soil falling over his head reveals an utter lack of hope. It makes sense that he would plea to his mother (it's known by military experts that on battlefields, wounded soldiers close to death almost invariably call for their mothers... this phenomenon transcends time and space to be almost universal). "As I climb into an empty bed" The "again" is unspoken but emphasized with the next line... "Oh well, enough said" Complete resignation to the situation he finds himself in. The plaintive wail "Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head" reveals that even if he doesn't answer the "call" of the sea or the knife, he still doesn't stand a chance. That's why he knows "it's over". He's so tired of everything he "clings" and doesn't "know where else (he) can go". And his only loves are in his head (and even they ridicule him). Powerful and moving do not begin to describe the force of this song. Morrissey has tapped into something (emotions, memories) that is almost dangerous to contemplate. A truly beautiful song. And my favorite anecdote is that in the studio the night it was cut, Johnny sat at the board and heard the words for the first time (this was common). Being a musical genius, he knew where Morrissey was taking the words (musically) as soon as he repeated the "Oh Mother..." line. Johnny was quoted saying "I couldn't believe he was going there with it." Morrissey turned in possibly his greatest vocal performance ever... and it was all done on the first take. Anyone who has worked in a studio (i have, actually) will tell you this is so rare as to be amazing. Just makes me love the song more. ~M |
|
| The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead Lyrics | 20 years ago |
|
The beginning of the song sounds like: "Farewell to this land's cheerless marshes" "Hemmed in like a boar between archers" Morrissey was feeling the 'slings and arrows" from his critics and said so. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.