| Portugal. The Man – Shade Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Definitely talking about Alaska. "Northern Territories" is a term typically used to describe Canada. This includes the harsh winters and the distinct difference between the north and south of a country that is already pretty cold and dreary. Pretty much describes Alaska. Most of the people live in the south where there are "factories" and low paying jobs "cheap work." A lot of people come into Alaska from the mainland states to work in oil or fishing or build buildings in extreme cold temperatures all to make a buck. It's a lot to these low-skilled workers, but to the average American it's "cheap work." Then when you live so far north, you have very long days of sun and also very long days of night "shade." Where literally in the north of Alaska they have a month of total sunlight and a month of total darkness the "shade." If this is your life, the "shade," would be a common topic on your mind, because it doesn't seem like complete darkness in the day during the winter, but a really cloudy shade. From the people I know who've moved there, people that tend to move to Alaska do so for opportunities (in natural resources?) and to get away for a better life where it's cheap to live and safe. But maybe it's a place where people get stuck. So they go there for an idealistic, natural, winter haven. Then they have kids (the band members) and their children are disenchanted and see it as a boring, depressing place as energy draining as a heavy shade would be on a summer's day. Thus this song. |
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| Portugal. The Man – Colors Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Pretty sure this is about drugs. Alaska has heavy drug use where the band is from. "All the high still get high" then talking about the lows. Drugs give you extreme highs and lows. Probably meth or crack. Then when you do drugs you often aren't "afraid to die." You either will push the limit in the usage or just continue to use regardless of the risk because of the pleasure factor (the colors?). Meth and crack you won't see very many colors, but it could be metaphorical for the comedown when you just see images in your head. "Bits and Bits of cane burning" makes me think crack for sure or it could be smoking heroin, but that's more black. Then people growing could mean people overcoming their addiction and then ending with they aren't afraid to die anymore because they've been through so much with the drug addiction that nothing in else in life will scare them. The way they sing this song in the somber tone makes me believe it's about the desperation of drugs as well. Also they look like they are or once were drug users. |
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