| The Birthday Party – Happy Birthday Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
I think the song is about the time just before the onset of puberty. And like most of what Nick Cave writes it has references to sex and violence. The initial lines contrast the image of childhood "ice-cream and jelly" with violent imagery "a punch in the belly", it then comes together with "how much can we throw over the walls?". Something that could be childhood competiveness, adolescent vandalism or adult machismo. The child at first receives a bike which is objectified and simplified to being "big" and "red". It is the scale and colour that stimulates the child, it is no longer the bike its self which surprises the child and makes them happy. Treating a mode of transport this way is something that is often associated with adult's who are interested in cars. It is simplified because the narrator is taking the perspective of the child, the stimuli it is interested in is the same as an adult's would be but as they are a child they lack the terminology and knowledge to elaborate. One year on the child is getting closer to puberty - "in 5 years he'll be shaving", this is something that sounds like the child's parents would say. Proud and happy of their innocent child who is yet to hit adolescence. The child receives a sword, this is both violent and phallic imagery and so follows several contradictions in the child's head. A "ninja sword" would put him in the position of assassin, a "samurai sword" would make him an honourable hero. What role will he play? The clearly set out attitudes to evil and good are becoming blurred to the child, they are beginning to subconsciously question defined roles which will come to the forefront in several years time. For the time being the sword is just "metal". And the dog chair? Sexuality. I didn't understand this one till I learnt "fufu" was Australian slang for a vagina. The child is sitting on its sexuality. Sensuous and rampaging, the primal hormones are there but "immaculate" - the realisation of them won't happen for several more years. Until then the child the child will just use its energy running "round and round the house". And here I was thinking it was just a bit silly for ages. |
|
| The Stooges – Gimme Some Skin Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Fantastic song. | |
| The Stooges – Free and Freaky Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| No way does this belong in any worst songs list. Sure its not great but its songwriting genius compared t Nickleback. | |
| The Stooges – Down On the Street Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| The Stooges version is so much better than other versions mainly due to how unbelievably intense it is. This song is about being tripped out on LSD. The lyric isn't "real low mind" its "Real O Mind" which was a drugged out state of nirvanna. Iggy seea "faces shine" and feels like hes "floatin' around". | |
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.