| Joanna Newsom – In California Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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In many ways JN bares her soul more here than anywhere. It seems that her home (being Nevada City, her parents, etc) is an emotional fortress, and how perfectly put: But when you come and see me, in California you cross the border of my heart. JN's strong bond with her father is known, and I most likely he's the subject of this, but who's to say it isn't an older friend: but there is another who is a little older when i broke my bone, he carried me up from the riverside to spend my life in spitting distance of the love that i have known i must stay here in an endless eveningtide I didn't at first get the "goldfish from their sorry golden state" line. It seemed a little lumpen then, (duh!) I recalled California's nickname. |
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| DM Stith – Pity Dance Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Astonishing! One of the best male voices I've heard in a long while. "The body, the body, the body, the body, it waits for obliteration." |
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| Sufjan Stevens – The Child with the Star on His Head Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Oh my, Sufjan's voice! It sounds so weary and mature. Love this song, hopefully a taster of what's to come. Thanks to rainandrev for posting the lyrics. | |
| Joanna Newsom – Bridges and Balloons Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I can't offer an overall meaning, but I like looking at her choice of words. I'm intrigued by how some things are very small, whilst others are very large. Small: a little wicker beetle shell canaries Large: Catenaries. That's a type of bridge where the road is suspended from a cable (a catenary curve), of which her hometown at the time, San Francisco, has a very famous example, the Golden Gate Bridge. Dirigibles. Not simply balloons, but airships. Four fine masts and lateen sails. They are triangular sails on old fashioned ships. Four masts is a big vessel. I'm wondering whether Joanna saw an airship over SF bay, or took a (tourist?) trip on an old sailing ship. Anyone from the bay area ever seen either of these? Brace and bouy the living room A loom of metals warp woof wimble Perhaps she is below deck, comparing the equipment to a loom (of which warp, woof, wimble are parts), alas I'd expect that to be a loom of rope, not metal. |
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| Joanna Newsom – Sawdust and Diamonds Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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"I wasn't born of a whistle or milked from a thistle at twilight no, I was all horns and thorns, sprung out fully formed, knock-kneed and upright" The latter fits well with a deer (or similar) being born, and immediately on the hoof. As poetically obscure as these lyrics might be, the effect is beautiful and touching. It's difficult to express how much I love this song! |
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| Sufjan Stevens – The Friendly Beasts Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This song is remarkable, not least because it dates from 12th century France. Undoubtedly a highlight from Sufjan's Christmas collection, the amateur hour friends-and-family singing combined with Sufjan's musical treatment make this song just ooze with charm... and Shara Worden's wispy lines as the sheep could melt the hardest of hearts. |
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| Sufjan Stevens – Star of Wonder Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This song seems to be about the awesome night sky, and the sense of wonder we can feel whatever our religious beliefs. As a Sufjan fan, I have mixed feeling about this song. Firstly it's not so different in tune and tone from Sister Winter, secondly there's far too much chorus and not enough of the verse. However, in some respects I think this could be Sufjan's best song. The performance and production is far better than Illinois and the main tune is sublime, (if you know your opera it has echoes of Bellini!) Next time I'm up a mountain with a clean view of the milky way, I will be listening to this on my MP3 player! |
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| Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle – Go Leave Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Kate McGarrigle wrote this after her husband Loudon Wainwright III left her (literally holding the baby - Rufus Wainwright!) Accompanied only by her picked guitar, Kate sings one of the most heartbreaking lyrics you'll ever hear. The legend persists that you can hear the sound of tear hitting the strings. True or not, it wouldn't be the only tears shed to this song. | |
| Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle – Blues In D Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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The meaning? It's just a blues song! However, if you want to learn why so many people love this album, this track is a good place to start. Yes, it's a blues song in D, but that doesn't begin to describe the charm and musicality of the performance. |
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| Joanna Newsom – Sawdust and Diamonds Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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The various mentions about bells are interesting, particularly the fear of them falling. Curiously it seems that the bell is spoken of in the first person here. as I crash through the rafters and the ropes and pulleys trail after and the holiest belfry burns sky-high There's actually a condition called "ringing vertigo" that can happen to church bell ringers, and this is linked to a fear of bells falling, and hence their own death! This was something John Bunyan mused on in the 17th century. "Now you must know, that, before this, I had taken much delight in ringing, but my conscience beginning to be tender, I thought such practice was but vain, and therefore forced myself to leave it; yet my mind hankered; wherefore I would go to the steeple-house, and look on, though I durst not ring: but I thought this did not become religion neither; yet I forced myself, and would look on still, but quickly after, I began to think, how if one of the bells should fall? Then I chose to stand under a main beam, that lay overthwart the steeple, from side to side, thinking here I might stand sure; but then I should think again, should the bell fall with a swing, it might first hit the wall, and then, rebounding upon me, might kill me for all this beam; this made me stand in the steeple-door; and now, thought I, I am safe enough; for if the bell should now fall, I can slip out behind these thick walls, and so be preserved notwithstanding. 34. So after this I would yet go to see them ring, but would not go any farther than the steeple-door; but then it came into my head, how if the steeple itself should fall? And this thought (it may for aught I know) when I stood and looked on, did continually so shake my mind, that I durst not stand at the steeple-door any longer, but was forced to flee, for fear the steeple should fall upon my head." Newsom is so good at these multistranded lyrical content, and whilst trying to understand her lyrics won't unlock the meaning of the universe, it's certainly fun exploring and appreciating the possible references. (That's all for now, I have to go push my lover into a tree and bind her buttons with salt!) |
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