| Califone – Bottles & Bones (Shade and Sympathy) Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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This song is about kicking addiction. It seems to be about a girl saved from a whore house where she is addicted to coke and liquor. Bottles = Booze, Bones = Coke. The car reference has to deal with her withdrawal. "china rattles wish cold pacific shallows spells and fits resurrected calls you in, calls you in" She is shaking and cold a common withdrawal symptom, and is having spells and fits, and they make her want to continue with her old habits. But she is also a functioning person. There may be a headlight knocked out, and she may be stained internally from the prostitution, but her engine is still running. She wants her pockets picked because she doesn't want to be able to buy her old habit. If she cant afford it she won't be able to do it. She also needs to kick the glass, or kick the alcohol. As she kicks the bottles away, she pushes them away and they call her back. She has all these things holding her back. Traps for her fingers, fire for her mouth. "Brass for your Jaded" She got arrested for her bad experience. I see that as the only thing that fits. Brass = a police officer, and jaded = the lull after a really bad experience. "Underneath the baking clouds and starless skies" Is just showing the urban setting, the smog clouds that block the stars in a city. "lick your collarbone clean cold pacific shallows spells and fits resurrected calls you in, calls you in" Again another reference to the withdrawal of a drug addict. And kicking a drug habit and also a lifestyle is the "longest goodbye", because she cant quit thinking about it, she keeps on getting withdrawal symptoms that make the goodbye longer. Very beautiful imagery. |
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| Okkervil River – Black Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I didn't read everyone's repsonse but i have two points to make, that will clarify a few things. 1) there is the reference to the door opening then closing and he repeats this over a couple of times. I know okkervill river well enough to know that repitition is not just done for the sake of repition, there is a meaning behind it and it is usually important. what act is performed when something opens and closes, then open and closes, then open and closes? the fact that he says "he can still see" where it opened and closed, alludes to the fact that this is pysical not mental, you don't mentally see things. Any poet knows that word choice is key, there's a reason he said he can still "see" where it was opened. this mental anexity of actually visualizing someone they love being raped could drive anyone to violent acts of rage. 2) the arguments being made are about the superficial qualities of the song. the rape of this girl is the tools for the real message in the song. for one coping. How two people cope to a situation. will sheff shows a violent coping mechanism, sort of cathartic. while ms. moore shows a resentment to herself and an embarassment or depression (supression). typical male vs. female response to aversive stimuli. also that we become selfish in helping others, will wants to be there to help even tho he can't help. and he is more obsessed with it then she is "don't lose me now, let me help you out", he's bringing it up, he can't let it go. the argument and discussion shouldn't be about rape and abandonment, but the psychological and social critiques that he is making. |
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