| The Decemberists – Burying Davy Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I've heard rural Americans, particularity in the Northwest and in the eastern part of the 'Midwest' (mining and logging areas, as opposed to agriculture) called them ten-pint bowlers'. It's not uncommon. I was thinking that Davy might be a bit of a town bully. No one really cares that he's gone, but they're observing his death with a familiar and almost mechanical formality. For somoene to have a set of widows weeds, or weeping weeds, they would have to be middle class or better. Making do with anything black would be the standard for working class and working poor. Often only the close family would go into mourning in rural communities, borrowing items of black clothing from friends and neighbors. Maybe davy is not even dead. The song never explicitly says that he is, it just says that they're burying him. It certainly seems feasible with the sort of pitch-black cautionary songs that the Decemberists seem to like. |
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| Panic! at the Disco – Behind the Sea Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Call me crazy, but I sort of feel like this song is about one of the World Wars. 'Behind the Sea' Itself could be a reference to either the German front (in either of the World Wars, I lean towards believing this is WWI based off of the imagery in the song) or the Pacific. Since Panic! is an American band, either is plausible. The opening of the song is a little bit difficult. I get the impression of a marionette, which in many ways can also be interpreted as a 'soldier', the 'puppet' of a cause or an ideology. Here we have him 'daydreaming', which to me might mean he's having flashback as he sits in the darkness, lit only by the glow of candles (hence me thinking this is WWI, and we are dealing with someone who is working poor/ lower class. Many homes were lit by gas and some electricity. Poorer families couldn't afford that, so candles would do). "The men all played along to marching drums and boy did they have fun behind the sea" To me, that sounds like a tongue in cheek reference to war. We get the idea that maybe the men are marching along, and they had 'fun' or rather -the exact opposite, and many Panic! songs tend to be ironic in nature- 'behind the sea'. "They sang, So our matching legs are marching clocks and we're all too small to talk to god Yes, we're all too smart to talk to god" Singing and marching is an age-old way for keeping up morale while soldiers march. It is a sort of way to pass the time. The reference to god here could indicate a loss of faith and innocence brought on by WWI, and in some ways, feeling that you're 'playing god' yourself. "Toast the fine folks casting silver crumbs to us from the dock." The visual is someone saying bon voyage, as if it's a leisurely situation. Again, I believe that this is meant to be ironic. 'Toasting the fine folks' could be reference to the 'big-wigs' who chose to send you over 'in their place' Silver crumbs could mean a great deal many things. One idea is that it is confetti, but I don't quite buy that. Silver crumbs might mean that they're loading bullets onto a supply ship with the guys they're sending over. "Jinxed things ringing as they leak through tiny cracks in the boardwalk." The working poor, 'jinxed' by the rich, slipping through the cracks and being sent off to fight for something they're not quite sure they believe in. "Scarecrow now it's time to hatch sprouting suns and ageless daughters." A scarecrow is a dummy or a fake. Something put up to ward off a threat, but isn't actually that effective. This brings me to politics and the rich. The ones who weren't killed in the war get the luxury of offspring. The 'watermelon smiles' part does confuse me a little. One thought I had would be a memory of 'home', of a summer day at home, eating watermelon. This is possibly a representation of youth, which can't 'ripen' into adulthood because the water cut it short. |
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| Dry The River – History Book Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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To me, the entire album 'Shallow Bed' is about childhood sweethearts growing up in the Bible Belt. Their relationship seems to have started off sweet, but gradually lost it's innocence and died off over the years due to his leaving (in spite of his willingness to return to her when things got bad) and her alcoholic parents. It's possible that the couple were married, and she became ill and passed away ('my flower, struck down in sickness' (Shaker Hymns) 'Lion's Den' being the aftermath of her death and 'Family''s 'follow your mother, your father and brother back home'. it's been established that her mother and father were alcoholics and possibly suicidal (lo and behold! your father had drunk all the fuel). Anyway, I feel like 'History Book' is about the relationship between the boy and the girl taking a newer level. Not only are they acknowledging that their love, their relationship, is 'as heavy as a history book can be', I believe that 'In my father's car we came to know. And shivered in our painted clothes and paired like every animal below.' is a reference to them losing their virginity to one another in his fathers car (Captain Obvious, tyvm), but the 'bitterness, could be from her losing it (being in a religious community, she could feel a degree of shame), or it could be the bitterness she has to deal with with alcoholic parents/tough childhood. He's trying to comfort her by saying there will be nothing but sweetness once that goes away and he will always love her. |
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| Dry The River – History Book Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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To me, the entire album 'Shallow Bed' is about childhood sweethearts growing up in the Bible Belt. Their relationship seems to have started off sweet, but gradually lost it's innocence and died off over the years due to his leaving (in spite of his willingness to return to her when things got bad) and her alcoholic parents. It's possible that the couple were married, and she became ill and passed away ('my flower, struck down in sickness' (Shaker Hymns) 'Lion's Den' being the aftermath of her death and 'Family''s 'follow your mother, your father and brother back home'. it's been established that her mother and father were alcoholics and possibly suicidal (lo and behold! your father had drunk all the fuel). Anyway, I feel like 'History Book' is about the relationship between the boy and the girl taking a newer level. Not only are they acknowledging that their love, their relationship, is 'as heavy as a history book can be', I believe that 'In my father's car we came to know. And shivered in our painted clothes and paired like every animal below.' is a reference to them losing their virginity to one another in his fathers car (Captain Obvious, tyvm), but the 'bitterness, could be from her losing it (being in a religious community, she could feel a degree of shame), or it could be the bitterness she has to deal with with alcoholic parents/tough childhood. He's trying to comfort her by saying there will be nothing but sweetness once that goes away and he will always love her. |
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