| Josh Joplin Group – Camera One Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I first heard this song at an important and very difficult time of my life and in that context; it took on great meaning to me. Songs as abstract as this one have, of course, many meanings. Here’s my analysis. First, the important part of the song is the chorus, not the verse. The chorus contains two critical elements. First, the repeating line “the odds of faith in the face of doubt.” This, of course, is the fundamental question that faces any sentient being. We all have both faith and doubt; faith in our ability to get through our problems, in a promising future, in love, in whatever. In all of us, this faith struggles with doubt, and it’s never entirely clear which will win. The second repeating line is “camera one closes in…you’re playing you now.” To me, this line has a feeling of inevitability. The camera closes in whether you want it to or not, whether you’re ready for it or not. You must play the part, dance the dance (like Siva Nataraj if you will). We’re all the stars of our own lives (hence, all the sandy haired sons (and daughters) of Hollywood, at least potentially), and trapped in our own lives. The lyrics track two individuals (the individual in the first and third and verses are the same), both of whom are examples of lost faith. Their reaction is resignation and despair. The person in verses one and three suicides but doesn’t leave a mess. The person in verse two sits and does nothing. That leaves the guy sitting in his lawn chair by his streets. What’s he doing and who is he to do it? He’s watching people see what they will. I don’t know but I’ve got a feeling he’s God in a Morgan Freeman kind of way. If I was a Christian, I might make something out of the fact that the word “sun” appears in this verse…but I’m not so I won’t. So my analysis leaves a paradox. The lyrics sound depressing as anything but the song never made me feel depressed, quite the opposite in fact. Why? Well, I think the bright, upbeat melody and tempo carry the mood of the piece. The grim stories serve as cautionary tales of the price of loss of faith. The melody and tempo encourage us, reminding us that loss of faith is a possibility not an inevitability. We’ll be alright. We don’t have to be sandy haired sons of Hollywood or trophy wives. |
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