| Vampire Weekend – Walcott Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I know that this song is about a movie that VW wrote a longgg time ago, but really? VW is way too intelligent to be that literal. Well, okay it might be a little literal, but I think that it is merely about a guy that has to get out of his small town! This is one of my favorite VW songs, and I love how the music imitates the sound of running during the instrumental, and then when Ezra sings it gives the impression that Walcott is taking a rest to breathe and begins to think. The narrative of the song seems to be that little voice in your head that is telling you what to do. One voice says THIS IS INSANE, and the other says, hey, Walcott, buddy you gotta freaking get out of Cape Cod man! Haha. And then the other voice says "But your life could be lost! Oh well, it seems that Walcott continues on his journey. Then VW references Hyannis Port which could maybe be a Kennedy reference?? I don't know. But this is where it gets confusing, At this point we do not know why Walcott is on the runs, but the songs states that "Lobsters Claws are as Sharp as Knives" this could insinuate that there are things lurking that are out to get you, and evil feasts upon you. So we know that someone is out to get him, but apparently the Holy Roman Empire Roots for him. This again makes me think of Kennedy because he was a known Catholic. Then the song just going on about him fleeing to new jersey, which is a reference to Ezra's home state. So, by the end of this song I'm super confused. It is either about a small town boy wanting to get out of the town where people have bad intentions or it could be about a man fleeing from the people out to get him, and this goes along with my Kennedy theory. I don't know. Give me your thoughts. | |
| Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don't Stand a Chance Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Ok, I never want to say THIS IS WHAT THIS SONG MEANS.... but this is my interoperation. Basically the gist of the song is about how rich kids get indoctrinated into the aristocratic backstabbing lifestyle. I would know because I've lived in this society for 18 years now. The devastating backstroke, creates a picture of leisure. I think of a man kicking back in his pool without a care in the world, but it says devastating. This devastating backstroke gives me the impression that he is digressing in life. He is moving backwards while looking forwards at France; a place that is known for aristocracy. This man is obviously wealthy, he has shiny cufflinks and shows them off with his shirtsleeves enhancing them. Basically, he want people to know that he is rich. The next verse talks about these "Pin-Striped Men a Mourning", which clearly means that these men who are living this lifestyle are suffering the nasty fate of wealth. Then VW begins with the bed metaphor, for the first time they mention the "bed" is when the lyrics read that these men are dancing in pure egyptian cotton. Havnt you heard of "making the bed that you lie in"? They have created this great future for themselves, and their kids are just going to fall right into this same fate. Then, I think the next verse is describing the "kids" initially feeling towards their parents lifestyle. They are criticizing all their wrong doings, and they do so by "murdering the plants" to me this reads more like "murdering the PLANS" or acting out, not respecting property, and just being a teenager. They are ignoring their family's legacy, their families history, and the expectations of their parents, for this life has denied them romance, love, emotion exc. But then, oh no, the pin stripped men come back, and even though they are living sorry lives and are in mourning of love or whatever, they have 40 million dollars, so i guess the kids don't stand a chance. The kids are way to hypnotized with the glamour of the rich to worry about whats important in life. The next verse is interesting to me because it is in past tense, and seems like it is from the "kids" perspective. The kid says that he didn't like the business of his forefathers, but that was before I felt how comfortable their bed was. Now the pillow is soft, because his head has molded to it ( he has obviously been a part of this life for a while now), and he is justifying himself giving into their lifestyle. Now the last verse says the paper has been shot to pieces, I'm guessing this is referring to him signing the contract to giving into this life, and shot to pieces is an idiom for shot to hell or going to hell. He has sold his soul to aristocracy. The Kids Don't Stand A Chance. |
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| Vampire Weekend – Holiday Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Ok so the first verse, to me, indicates that the subject of the song is being immensely sarcastic and ironic. " the best one of the year". Even the tone of the song is ironic for it is lighthearted and fun, when the songs meaning is serious. The next two lines talk about how he is dozing off and trying to dream of a holiday but at the same time he can not sleep because of the noise of war. And again the chorus talks about the subject of the song imagining a day without war and calling it a holiday. Then the song starts to talk about a republic on the beach, which immediately makes me think of Beirut Lebanon. I don't know of VW intended on the song taking place in Beirut, but the imagery matches Beirut's juxtaposing nature, for it is a city surrounded by partying, youth, and beach life, but is often the victim of air raids and bombs. The next verse talks about a family who had become vegetarian after losing their appetite for meat. The family has realized that people are being killed and treated like animals, and they can not stand the thought of eating any kind of blood during war. The "she" in the song seems to be young and has not experienced war ( like Lebanon in the 80's). And I like the witty reference of the word Bomb being "blown up" to 96 pt Futura, which is a geometric san serif typeface that I beleive is the typeface that VW uses on their logo...it is at least immesely similar. I like the next line too that talks about the A-K's and comparing the destruction to day-glo which is a neon paint. This pain was often seen in tees in the 80's...but all of the history books were turned to gray. This alludes the the fact that history books can not capture the horror of war, and students are almost separated and sheltered from the gruesomeness of war, for pictures and words can not capture what war is really like. Then he talks about contrasting imagry of the beach. He says I have a car, I have bug stray and I have a healthy sense of worth, but on the other hand half of our ocean is filled with gasoline from the war. He can not escape it's harm, even on his day at the beach. That goes back to the original chorus asking " if I wait for a holiday, could it stop my fear?" Back to the idea that this takes place in Beirut. In Beirut, the people have this sense of live for today. Party now worry later. You can have your "Holiday" and endure a war. |
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