| Parenthetical Girls – A Song for Ellie Greenwich Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I don't know what this has to do with Ms. Greenwich, but the song seems to be about "illicit" sexuality and pregnancy before they were as socially accepted as they are today. Evidence: The discussion of "love" and "lust" in the first part seems to at least raise the issue of sexuality and the (limited) options available in a more sexually restricted time. The "just like me, they long to see..." is delivered and the lyrics sound a lot lot like Karen Carpenter's "just like me, they long to be close to you" -- but once again, not sure what to make of the similarity. The difference between those lines is very different..."on your knees" seems to imply submission, possibly a socially acceptable wifely submission, if the song is really about sex and possibly a pregnancy scare as the final verses seem to hint. They experienced attraction, but not the official, socially sanctioned 'love and marriage' -- "for lack of the words, we called this love / but now they've cynical slurs to define what it was that we have done." This is only enhanced by the fact that one of their mothers talks to them about their actions in a tone that probably isn't positive. "Start[ing] to show" and pregnancy seem directly related. Should the woman in the relationship be pregnant, real issues would soon arise, but it is a "false alarm." So in other words, whoever is in this relationship had a fling that could have 'ruined' them at a time when society was much less forgiving of mistaking lust for love, but there ended up not being any proof (for one reason or another) and it seems like the fact that the issue was even raised ("I found much to distrust in what ushered us through months of hurried hush") causes the speaker (whoever they are) to question the motives of the woman(?) in the relationship. Maybe she wanted to disobey society's dictates about appropriate sexuality? Perhaps wanted to trap the speaker? Not sure. Vague song, but still excellent a year later. |
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| Neko Case – Blacklisted Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I think that this song is about technology and Manifest Destiny -- the latter being the belief held by many individuals in the United States' government in the 19th century and 19th-20th century Americans that the geographic "destiny" of the United States was to spread white American settlements across the North American continent, stretching from the East (Massachusetts) toward the West (California and Washington). This concept is reflected in the first line of the second verse where Neko sings "To smooth place at the end of the line." The Pacific Ocean and the unsettled west ("crackling fires and quiet plains") would be at the end of the line if the song is indeed about westward expansion. This song integrates the concept of Manifest Destiny with technology by focusing on the railroad system. During the 19th century, railroads connected otherwise separated urban and rural communities and shrank the distance between people, so to speak. But the construction of railroads and the building of white communities across the west caused the western landscape to be ravaged in order to support large populations (think: LA and the surrounding desert). The fascinating and unique thing about this song (and all of Neko's songs seem to have a twist like this) is that she asks progress (the train) if nature (the trees) accept it and forgive it. Also, the speaker in the song seems to totally want to go west in spite of any/all of consequences... Mindblowing. |
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