| Spoon – Out Go The Lights Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
The cough, the wind, the rain was right I like cough because it reminds me of the signal’s a cough, from “I Summon You", but I've also seen the call, the wind, the rain... Lots of light and ignite references on the last couple albums: “Out Go the Lights“, “I Saw the Light”, “Now the light bulb’s gone out” (Written in Reverse), “Then the place ignite” (Eddies’s Raggae), “Feel like I’m gonna ignite” (I Turn My Camera On), etc. There's a picture of you "I Turn My Camera On” Standing there in my black wig “Black Like Me"? That's a stretch. Looking like, who thinks they know who In terms of this and the black wig and all, I think we are talking about a woman with mechanisms to becomes like that on which her heart is fixed. She is almost just like him, because of this ability, and there is a picture of her, becoming like that on which her heart is fixed. She has black hair, probably long, just like him with a black wig. She's looking at him like "who thinks they know who", and before he knew which was which.... Out with the lights This often happens after a one-two punch. I came here for the noise (?) More into the music than the groupie hookup? You with the one-two punch from Illinois “Chicago at Night”? Never see that counterpoint Also seen “kind of poise", but counterpoint is brilliant. |
|
| Spoon – Eddie's Ragga Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
First, I love love love how the line goes, "Someone that I met but I hardly knew" in reference to the guy who parts ways with diction, and "Someone that I knew but I hardly met" in reference to the girl who made his heart soft and had never been to Texas. I think this play on words may be very telling/meaningful. I believe it suggests that there are different kinds of strangers, and that meeting and knowing someone are two very different things. Second, while we're on the topic of strangers, I find it very interesting that this topic is also mentioned in the line, "Hung up and bent on a stranger," from The Infinite Pet, and "I want to land the part of Eddie in The Stranger Dance," from The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine. I find it double-interesting that this figure, Eddie, shows up in both Valentine and Eddie's Ragga. Third, I find it interesting that the word, "ignite" shows up here as well in the line, "I turn my feelings on inside, Feel like I'm gonna ignite," from I Turn my Camera On. In Camera, I believe the line describes an explosive emotional epiphony, and it's interesting to apply that same meaning in Eddie's Ragga. Putting it all together, I think this song is about someone who has a defective heart (perhaps even someone whose feelings have been, "untouchable for life," to quote Camera, although that may be taking things a bit far), and he receives affection from a girl he felt like he knew (although they'd hardly met) and, "then the place ignite, It's in my face...," because he had an ephiphony of some sort where, "Anyone that I knew woulda called me found". However, although most people get to know the people they meet, this is a story about whether to meet again with someone who he already felt like he knew. In the end, however, it appears the reunion will not occur, because he thinks to himself, "this could be easy or I could face it alone", "and then the place ignite, all out of grace and I'm behind the bassline", because he has opted for the aversive route, perhaps almost as though he were hiding behind the song. I'll be posting a few more comments for Ga^5 and Gimme Fiction songs on this site. Thanks for reading. |
|
| Spoon – I Turn My Camera On Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
One thing I love about Spoon is the way they take lyrics and sentiments about sad/depressing experiences, and turn them into funky, groovy numbers that make you want to dance -- very much a product of Britt's Mo-Town influence, I think. For those who are familiar with the album art, I think the line, "I cut my fingers on the way" may be fairly significant, because the image of a cut finger is part of the cd/record's visual packaging. In my mind, that image represents symbolically cutting through barriers that stand in the way of emotions, inspirations, vitality, alive-ness, etc, much like cutting through skin to get blood. Essentially, I think this song is expressing emotional impenetrability and an inability to feel, although I see two possible interpretations in terms of context. Perhaps it's about someone who meets another person who blows his mind so much that he couldn't possibly have feelings for anyone else ever again, or perhaps it's about someone who has never felt anything deeply for anyone ever in his life, until he meets this person who turns his feelings on -- perhaps more of a chicken vs. egg kind of thing. Interestingly, on Ga^5, Eddie's Ragga has the lines, "And then the place ignite, It’s in my face" and later, "And then the place ignite, All out of grace," which harkens back to the line, "Feel like I'm gonna ignite," in this song. Within the context of these two songs, the word, "ignite," sounds to me like it represents a surge of emotions/feelings that is sudden and nearly volatile. The imagery is also interesting in reference to the pyrotechnic metaphors in You Got Yr Cherry Bomb. I'll be hopping and dropping a few more comments for Ga^5 and Gimme Fiction songs on this site. Thanks for reading. |
|
| Bob Dylan – Mama, You Been on My Mind Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
Very much agree that this is great songwriting because it allows for the listener to impose their own meaning, and my take on the lyrics is a bit different than the prior posts. I see this as someone who isn't ready to be "tied down" or encumbered by a relationship (he's not pacing any floors, and he's not ready to be waking up together with someone in the mornings). He's at a crossroad, but he's choosing his freedom and independance, and will not be sacrificing those privileges for this woman. He won't be settling down with her, and he's not asking her to change, or say yes or no, or demonstrate her fidelity -- he is not looking for ownership of her, as he is also not wanting anyone to have ownership over him -- she has simply just been on his mind. To take it maybe too far, I think the idea is summed perfectly in the final stanza. Although he won't be standing next to this woman when she looks at the mirror in the morning, perhaps the reason he sees her more clearly in it is because her image isn't clouded by his presence and attachment -- and he wonders if she can see herself just as clearly -- as someone who does not own any part of him or his affections, but who is nonetheless admired and on his mind. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.