| Porcupine Tree – Even Less Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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The entire album of Stupid Dream seems to be riddled with Steven's angst over finding meaning in life. In Piano Lessons, he refers to becoming a rock star as a 'stupid dream'. In this song, he seems to be reflecting on how different his life is from his childhood friends. They may have parted over ideas of religion/atheism, or some such difference in ideology. In the full version of the song, one of the last lines he sings is: I had a stupid dream that I could change things But I'm a martyr for even less. And that line hits like a ton of bricks. Its as though he himself is realizing that whatever ideological differences separated him from his now dead friend are basically meaningless in light of the fact they are powerless to change anything. The entire song up until this point has been Steven telling his friend that he chose the wrong path (religion, etc). But this final confession shows just how empty his own path feels. |
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| Porcupine Tree – Drown With Me Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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First off, the tone of this song is so strangely triumphant, as if you are supposed to get the feeling of being freed from something. And the phrasing, 'Drown with me' conjures of thoughts of dying together with someone else, not necessarily murder. The last phrases are especially confusing, because they refer to being drowned in family, and wanting that person to escape that drowning scenario and into the drowning scenario of the singer. Sort of like saying, 'look, you're dying either way. Let's die together'. So it leaves the feeling of, in a dark way, inviting someone else into your own troubling scenario. Or it could be about a serial killer. That interpretation isn't as satisfying, to me anyway. |
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| Porcupine Tree – Piano Lessons Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| It seems appropriate to tie the theme of the song into the opening song on the album, Even Less. For whatever reason, Steven chose to title the entire album after a phrase used in this song - Stupid Dream. It makes me think that Steven was constantly experiencing angst about his decision to try and make it in the music industry, and whether that would provide him with a meaningful life. In the song Even Less, he is criticizing someone for claiming to have meaning in life, but then his turns his criticism on himself, claiming that he is a 'martyr for even less'. The vague images in this song bleed right into that same self-questioning. His piano teacher/early love interest suggesting that he may not have much to offer...can he withstand the feeling of selling out once some semblance of marketing starts to take hold of his music...are his dreams of being a musician getting in the way of establishing a healthy relationship. I appreciate the complex emotions that this song seems to evoke. | |
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