| Wolf Parade – Yulia Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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He was influenced, at least partially, by The Red Stuff, but he mixed his memory of the documentary with an urban legend of the Soviet space program. The portion of The Red Stuff he's remembering is the deaths of the Soyuz 11, which was recounted by a family member. The men were killed by the vacuum of space when a device meant to regulate cabin pressure malfunctioned on the return. The vessel landed safely on earth but all the Cosmos inside were asphyxiated. Dan's combining his memory of this documentary with the (proven hoax) urban legend of a doomed Soviet moonshot hastily prepared to beat the US to it. Legend has it that a miscalculation sent the team of Cosmonauts (or singular Cosmonaut, can't remember) wide of the moon and drifting aimlessly in space to await their demise. Either way, it's an amazing story and a beautiful song, and one of the greatest things Wolf Parade has ever done. |
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| Wolf Parade – Kissing The Beehive Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I like the stanza that reads, "Jonathan, Jonathan Waterfalls are running thin, you know Here's a Holy Grail for you to hold..." The name Jonathan literally translates to "gift of God" from Hebrew. I think the "waterfalls are running thin" bit is a reference to how the advancement of human knowledge has closed the gap between what was previously considered miraculous and/or proof of God, and what is now easily explainable. A waterfall to a man thousands of years ago must have been an amazing sight, and they surely figured that something that massive and beautiful was set there for them by God himself. The Holy Grail bit has to do with the way many people, in lieu of all the evidence to the contrary still cling to their faith. The Holy Grail is the most sought after Christian relic. To find it would insure that there actually was a God. When Spencer says, "Here's a holy grail for you to hold," he's saying, "Here's something that science hasn't explained away yet. Use it to justify your faith." The way it's presented it seems to be spoken from God to his creation, or, Jonathan. But given the nature of the song I think it's more likely that this dialogue represents an internal conversation that one has with himself and misinterpreting it to be a message from God. Honestly though, what a great song. |
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| Man Man – The Fog or China Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Nice Taxi Driver reference. | |
| Man Man – Man Who Make You Sick Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Tanya's right. No boats and fish. "If I told you you're beautiful can I finish in your mouth?" That's MUCH more awesome. |
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| Tom Waits – Buzz Fledderjohn Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This makes an interesting companion to "What's He Building in There?" They're similar pieces, but one from the perspective of a child and one from the view of an adult. You could even argue that the narrator in both pieces is in fact the same character, and that the mystique of Buzz Fledderjohn triggered a natural curiosity/paranoia in him about the people living around him that still manifests itself. |
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| The Flaming Lips – In the Morning of the Magicians Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Whoops, should've proof-read this.. some minor adjustments: I believe this song is more or less the dying thoughts of Sympathy 3000-21. He has been mortally wounded by the girl he had developed emotions for and is pondering the complexity of his newly discovered human emotion and of life itself ("...what is love and what is hate?/ the calculations error") . He surrenders these thoughts at the presence of a bright light, ("As the dawn began to break/ I had to surrender") which is an allusion to the bright light/light at the end of the tunnel that so many people see in near-death experiences. This line seems to also suggest Sympathy's transcendence into Heaven, which would be plausible since he had acquired that which makes man "divine" and separate from all other beings. Any way you look at it, this is one of the deepest and most beautiful songs The Lips have ever composed. Wayne's writing reminds me of Salinger and Vonnegut in the respect that his lyrics are earnest and simplistic but at the same time conveying an idea that is incredibly thought-provoking and deep... I love these guys so much, and can't wait to pick up their movie tomorrow! |
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| The Flaming Lips – In the Morning of the Magicians Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I believe this song is more or less the dying thoughts of Sympathy 3000-21. He has been mortally wounded by the girl he had developed emotion and is pondering the complexity of his newly discovered human emotion and of life itself ("...what is love and what is hate?/ the calculations error") . He surrenders these thoughts at the presence of a bright light, ("As the dawn began to break/ I had to surrender") which is an allusion to the bright light/light at the end of the tunnel that so many people see in near-death experiences. This line seems to also suggest Sympathy's transcendence into Heaven, which would be plausible since he had acquired that which makes man "divine" and separate from all other beings. Any way you look at it, this is one of the deepest and most beautiful songs The Lips have ever composed. Wayne's writing reminds me of Salinger and Vonnegut in the respect that his writing is earnest and simplistic but at the same time conveying an idea that is incredibly thought-provoking and deep... love these guys so much, and can't wait to pick up their movie tomorrow! |
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