| Sea Wolf – Leaves In The River Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This is one of my very favorite pieces by this artist for the simple fact that the melody is so calming, and the words are so poignant and open to many different interpretations. The title of their entire album is "Leaves in the River," so one can gather that this song sums up the rest of the songs on the CD, and indeed it does. Leaves are a common motif throughout the album, many of the song titles including "leaves" in them. This song sums up many of the themes presented in the rest of the album with a seemingly simple anecdote about a late-night intoxicated-walk with some troubled girl on Halloween. One theme that is illuminated in the speaker's musing about where leaves will eventually end up is the fact that no one really knows where they will eventually end up. The brick house symbolizes the girl's past and childhood. She has been blown away from it, and now returns to visit. The under-emphasized image of the hand print in cement is meant to tell the audience that she is physically connected to this place which she no longer calls home. The hand print is obviously a remnant of her childhood, something she had done a long time ago when the cement was still wet and house still being built. Her confession of someone close to her dying, leaving her with nothing, because she had refused to leave him when he was dying, is something akin to the dialogues in "A Zoo Story." The confessional tone paired with the seeming ordinariness, and yet absurdity of the situation really reminded me of the play. Jerry divulges his life, and consequently reveals life truths and secrets about himself that he did not mean to reveal. The woman in this song also reveals aspects of her life that uncover more than mere facts and are also open to extensive interpretation. For example, why did her refusal to leave this man (whoever it was) lead to her isolation from everyone else in her life? There is so much symbolism in this piece, and yet, my favorite remains the common motif of the leaves. The images of dead leaves blowing away in a late-October wind is common enough to everyone. However, the speaker questions where these leaves will end up. The leaves, of course, symbolize human beings, and their quest for their true path in life. The "suburb yards," "city," or simply landing in the river "just to float away" represent all the different paths one might take in life. In comparing humans to leaves, the speaker also asserts that we are completely helpless to our fate, adopting an Oedipal view of the world. The tear in the girls' costume as she runs away laughing represents yet another aspect of human nature. The costume is symbolic for the facade that everyone wears. Her mask is cracking to let in the comforting presence of this new man (notice that she "turned to me"). This budding romance theory is supported by the promise of a "kiss as soon as we got home." The theme to glean from these lines would be that confessions to someone and letting down the mask can be a source of great relief. The tone of this piece is nostalgic and detached, which is set by the calm, soft instrumentals as well as by the very soothing singing voice. The diction and words themselves are very common, but carry many connotations with them. There are also many words that connotate a certain hollowness. The streets are empty, the people are asleep, it is raining, cold, dark, and the lights in the house are off. The mood is very somber, nostalgic, and slightly hopeful with the last few lines. I really like this piece, not just for the symbolic and metaphorical meanings that I can glean from it, but also for the mood. It has so many meanings on so many different levels, and I discover something new about it everytime I listen. It has many different universal themes that connect to scores of other literary works, and is especially reminiscent of "A Zoo Story" in its character interaction. |
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| Fall Out Boy – Bang the Doldrums Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Thank you "Whohhitsmeagan" for your insight. Now, jumping off your points a little bit... To me, this song is so FULL of emotion, it makes me want to cry. Just the way it's written, the lyrics, the way it's sung, and the instrumentals all SCREAM to me bittersweetness, love, romance, failure, and searching for something all at once. This is my favorite song on this CD. Anyways, back to my points... "I wrote a goodbye note in lipstick on your arm when you passed out, I couldn’t bring myself to call, except to call it quits," [In this stanza, he's clearly establishing characters. He's establishing "her" as someone who likes to get drunk [or what have you] to the point of passing out. As you can imagine, she's the sort of A-typical adolescent that most people can easily imagine. The writing goodbye in lipstick on her arm is very crude. It makes you wonder about him. He can't just leave a goodbye note... on paper? Why not? This tells you that he has a hard time with commitment, facing up, he can't face her in person, and instead says goodbye with lipstick- which is fairly symbolic of the sort of sexual corruption (think prostitutes and their lipstick.) I think the sexual corruption in here is significant. The last line is fairly self-explanatory, and establishes their relationship. It also establishes himself as someone who is not good with confrontation. I also get the sense that he would LIKE to call, but can't.] "Best friends, ex-friends to the end, Better of as lovers and not the other way around, Racing through the city, windows down, In the back of yellow-checkered cars." [This chorus is ESPECIALLY poignant. Now. First he says they're best friends... but that didn't work out... so now they're just ex-friends. Then he goes on to say they're better off as lovers? What I get from this is that they were completely in love, but he can't commit to anything, and/or he doesn't think he's a good thing for her. They broke up and did the whole 'let's still be friends' thing, but they couldn't stand to see each other say, sleeping with other people, so now they're just ex-friends, but they still both know they'd be better off with each other... NOT as ex-friends. Ok, these two lines, I think, go very well together. Lots of imagery. The yellow checkered cars [taxi cabs] and the word "city" gives me the feeling that this is New York City, which is famous for all its taxis, and... well... for being a huge city. From the line "racing... with the windows down" you can really almost feel the night air of the city rushing in at your face. It gives me the sense of freedom, and of heading places... somewhere else. Not there. Which leads me to believe that he's running away from her, because he just can't take their relationship [or lack there of] anymore. He's running away in a taxi cab to start off somewhere new. Also, listen to the music in this part of the song. Doesn't it make you feel bittersweet? Like you're going somewhere new to start over? Like you're leaving something behind? That's what it makes me feel like, anyways. Formulate your own thoughts on this.] "You're all wrong, Are we all wrong? You're all wrong, Are we all wrong?" [To me, this is him second-guessing himself. You know how people will always say "Don't go out with him/her again! You know what happened last time! You just broke up! What do you think will happen this time?" I think this stanza is very important. He's debating with himself, and others, whether or not he should attempt a relationship with her again. He can't decide whether to listen to himself ["You're all wrong"] or everyone else ["Are we all wrong?"]. I think this is a common plight in many teenaged romances.] "This city says; Come Hell or high water, when I’m feeling hot and wet, I can’t commit to a thing, be it heart or hospital," [Here is the city being personified, it seems, as a temptress, or seductress. Listen to his voice as he says this line. I at least get the feeling of a seductress. This is backed up by the next line "when I'm feeling hot and wet" which is extremely sexual. I'm not going to explain that one too deeply. ;) I also love how the "hell" corresponds with the "hot" in his feelings, and the "high water" corresponds with the "wet". *He uses a lot of twisted colloquialisms in this album... it makes me wonder* So here he is, with a very sexualized relationship to the city, which almost makes me think he wants to lose himself to the city, be it in drugs or girls (prostitutes maybe even). That the city is saying more or less "come here no matter what happens" is saying that he really doesn't have much of a choice in the matter. He can't commit to a relationship, or anything like that, and it's inevitable that when he's feeling horny, he's going to go out to the city to find a prostitute or something. At least that's what I'm getting out of it. That he can't commit to a heart, obviously means that he can't commit to a relationship- he's not mature enough, or ready to settle down. But followed up by the line about the hospital makes me think that this is far more serious to his life. Not only does it make me think "drugs" and that he NEEDS to be committed to a hospital, but that he ALSO needs to be committed to a heart. However, when he's horny, only the city will do.] "The tombstones are waiting, They were half engraved, They knew it was over, Just didn’t know the date." [Now this stanza is very morbid. Obviously. Now, I get the sense that this is not the un-happy couple talking, but EVERYONE ELSE. At least, that's what I think. I get this because they're talking here in third person, and also if you listen to the song, the MUSIC of the song completely changes, which leads me to believe that this is like a sort of insert in there- you're getting not HIS side of the story, but everyone else's. Like everyone else knew it was over, they just didn't know when. And now they're all saying things like "I told you it wouldn't work out". I'm going to speak a little more to the tone here... Just from listening to it, and the way Patrick's voice sounds, I get a sort of disgusted-with-them attitude. Doesn't Patrick's voice sound sort of disgusted? This makes me think of a family that didn't approve, and never really did, and sort of influenced him maybe in his decision to run away. I don't know. Just my thoughts.] "And I cast a spell over the West to make you think of me, The same way I think of you, This is a love song in my own way, Happily ever after, below the waist." [Now, this makes me think that this girl maybe doesn't like him as much as he likes her. That he needs to cast a spell. This doesn't really seem to jive with the rest of the song, which makes me wonder if he's not more than a little bitter towards her. Like, he wishes that it could've worked out, but he realizes that she wasn't as into it as him- another common folly in teenage relationships. "The West" has always also been sort of the uncivilized, last frontier. The unknown. Or, perhaps, in this case, California- aka MTV central. Basically, what I think he's trying to say is that he made it big- cast a spell, if you will- in order to make her more in love with him. Because everyone knows that someone is more attractive if they're famous. I could be wrong on this one. But this is my interpretation. Now, the last two lines are beautiful. He's saying that this is the best love song he can do- the only sort of love he knows. Which is really sad if you think about it. This is not really a love song, more of a "Can't have you" sort of song, if you catch my drift. This really illuminates the writer's position on love in general- it's never really worked out for him. Also, he's pointing out that he's really not like other guys. It's a love song IN HIS OWN WAY. Not everyone else's, but his, unique, own special way. The last twist on a famous colloquialism "happily ever after" is quite witty. Basically, what he's saying is that this is a messed up love song, not like traditional ones, but one where everyone's happily ever after because they get some, not necessarily because they end up together. Things don't actually work out like that. They're not going to end up happily ever after, but at least they will end up sexually satisfied- he's got his city prostitutes, and she's got whoever.] *All in all, I absolutely love this song. It still is fairly confusing and contradictory to me, and I would really like to hear what you guys think of my interpretation. (Very long though it may be... I like to be thorough.) Happily ever after below the waist... Love it. |
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| Fall Out Boy – Fame < Infamy Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Thank gawd that someone posted the correct lyrics. That always annoys me when people post the wrong ones because it seriously detracts from the meaning... Anyhow... "I am preacher gift, sweating in the pews For the salvation, I'm bringing you." [It's interesting that he used "preacher" here. He could've used anything else, but instead he uses "preacher". To me, this says that he's working for some greater cause; to save our souls. He's working hard for us, and yet, how do we repay him? With saying "you're not hardcore enough" etc. etc.] "I'm a salesman I'm selling you hooks and plans and myself, making demands" [Now, a salesman is usually pretty crooked. At least, that's what I think when I think of a salesman. He's trying to get us hooked, trying to give us these dreams, and then then he's turning around and "making demands". This, to me, says that he's not just trying to "save our souls" and be a holy preacher, he's also trying to make some money. I don't think this is a bad thing, it's life. You have to make money to live.] "When I'm home alone I just dance by myself And you pull my head so close Volume goes with the truth signing off, I'm alright in bed, but I'm better with a pen The kid was alright, but it went to his head." [Ok, this one is a little more difficult. When he's home by himself, and alone, without her around, he can just dance all alone. This suggests happiness in being lonely- not needing someone [her] to dance with. However, when she's there, and "pulling his head close" I guess you could say, he needs her more than anything. He doesn't want to be alone. "Volume goes with the truth"... I'm not really sure about this line, but I think it has something to do with the truth being drowned out. [?] But it says that the volume goes WITH the truth... so I'm really not so sure. Then next lines, I love. It's saying that he can't really be a super hott porn star between the sheets, but he likes to think he is. However, he admits to himself that he's better with a pen, and the "signing off" part suggests some sort of cybersex, and that he can write all this stuff down, but when it comes down to the real deal, he can't live up to it.] "I am God's gift Why would he bless me with such wit Without a conscience equipped I'm addicted to the way I feel when I think of you 'There's too much green To feel blue' When I'm home alone I just can't stop myself" [Now, the thing that I really find interesting about this album is the use of twisted colloquialisms. Here, he uses the old colloquialism "God's greatest gift to _____" and twists it to his meaning. I think it's interesting that he uses so many of them in this album, and I ask myself why he would do it? Anyhow, getting back on track... So here he's feeling like he's all that and a bag of chips, and he thinks he's especially witty. I think this is quite true, although some may argue that case. However, he feels like he doesn't have a conscience... Like he does all these horrible things. I think this is a very common theme throughout this album- the feeling of doing something wrong, and never being perfect enough, no matter how great you think you are. He can't stop thinking of this girl, but he realizes that it's not the GIRL herself that he's addicted to, but the way he FEELS when he THINKS about her. It's the thought and memories of her, not her herself. I think that this is a very tragic realization. Sort of an admittance that real life is not as great as you wish it would be, and the feeling that real life really doesn't have all that much to offer you anymore. You're tired of it. The color green, here means life. Trees, plants- basically when you see a lot of green you don't think "dead". Now, this is also another colloquialism that he twists. The whole thing about "feeling blue". He feels depressed, and yet he sees all the life around him. However, he's in a deep depression, and can't seem to snap out of it, even though he knows there's no logical reason for him to be in it. The last line it very... confusing. He can't stop himself from what? From calling [her]? From self medicating, perhaps? I think that he can't stop himself from either doing something to perpetuate this depression, or that he can't stop himself from doing something harmful in an attempt to cope with his depression.] *Now let's look at the title...* "Fame < Infamy" [Read out loud it read "Fame is less than Infamy". Infamy, of course, is a sort of fame that is gained from doing something bad, not good. Take Britney Spears for example. She is on the covers of all the tabloids now, but not for good reasons, or because he album is doing well. That is infamy. So here he's saying that fame [doing good things and getting recognized for them] is not as powerful, or as great, as infamy [doing bad things and getting recognized for them]. I think it's a pretty true fact. People that are in the midst of huge scandals are usually more famous than those who just put out a great record. And the way he says it, in the form of a mathematical equation, makes you think that it's not just an opinion, but it is a FACT. That this will ALWAYS be less than this, and this will ALWAYS be greater than this. That's just the way it is, just as 1+1 will always =2.] |
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