| The National – Beautiful Head Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I love the cynicism and insecurity of the lyrics juxtaposed with the light and bouncy music. "You're saying things with your mouth to me That I don't recognize You're aware of yourself lately Got a diagram of your associations A strategy You're weighing your options" It seems like maybe his partner is becoming successful in her career. He's seeing an ambitious side of her that he hasn't seen before and it intimidates him. "You're measuring me lately And I can tell And I can tell I'm losing weight" Love that lyric. Blaming your failures on someone else's successes. "Have you found him? Have you told him everything? Does he say he feels bad about all this?" Because he doesn't feel good enough for her anymore, he automatically assumes that she too has decided he isn't good enough and is now cheating on him with someone more her caliber. "Do not tell me I've changed You're just raising your standards Do not give me away I am the same I am the same" It's about having the mindset that change in a person is always bad, when the truth is probably that she's just growing up and he doesn't want to. There's something desparate and sad about the repeating of "I am the same" He feels like he's getting left behind. |
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| The National – Slow Show Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song is about feeling inadequate in every area of your life except your relationship. It's about being in love with the way the person you love makes you feel. "I made a mistake in my life today," "I want to start over, I want to be winning" "I leaned on the wall and the wall leaned away" "I better get my shit together, better gather my shit in" - not being good enough, feeling awkward, not feeling like you're living up to your potential. "I wanna hurry home to you put on a slow, dumb show for you and crack you up so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain god I'm very, very frightening I'll overdo it" But it's all worth it to come home at the end of the day to someone who accepts you for exactly who you are. Even if you don't have any moves... :) She makes him feel smart and sexy, the opposite of how he feels around other people. "I missed you for for twenty-nine years" Gorgeous. It's how The National says "You complete me." |
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| The National – Secret Meeting Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I think this song is about the pressure of finding success as a band. It's an ode to their manager :). "I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses" meaning someone has been working hard to make them a success. "And so and now I'm sorry I missed you I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain It went the dull and wicked ordinary way" He blew off a responsibility or committment or appointment to go relax and get stoned by himself. I think what they are shouting in the background at the end is "Don't draw the ace then fold it" which makes sense in the context of having anxiety about getting famous. Most bands don't get the chance for real success (drawing the ace) - don't throw it away just because it scares you (folding it). |
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| The National – Slipping Husband Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Dear we better get a drink in you before you start to bore us FANTASTIC :) |
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| The National – 90-Mile Water Wall Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song is about abuse, but it is told in a very sympathetic way from the man's point of view. "Well I know that you know that you've become the target of this hand with never even asking" He acknowledges that she doesn't deserve the way he treats her "so how could your hair have the nerve to dance around like that, blowing" But little things that she does and things about herself that she can't control bother him, to the point of anger. "I'm waiting for a 90-mile water wall to take me out of your view I'm looking for a trap door trigger to drop me out of your view" He's ashamed of what he's done, but doesn't have the courage to take responibility for it. It's like he's begging for the cosmos to punish him so he won't have to feel so guilty. "Your looking for that hurt look around my mouth the look of a steep fall" But even though he feels guilty on the inside, he's too proud to admit it to her. "Yes I'm listening I can tell you're serious" She's done, she's leaving him. But this last line is delivered in such a weary way, it's like it's something he's heard before and doesn't believe anymore. Yes, yes, I know you mean it this time, but he knows things will be back the same in the morning. |
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| The National – So Far Around the Bend Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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"I know you're a serious lady" I LOVE that lyric....This was the first song I ever heard by The National and I was hooked in the first six words. I had to run out and buy everything by them after this song. "Nobody knows where you are living Nobody knows where you are" I think this song is about a person he can't figure out, a woman who distances herself from everyone. |
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