| The Notwist – Pilot Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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My first thought was also Control, but more with regards to self-control. To be or at least to feel an autonomous being under some kind of state, be it mental or societal, that denies this. The first line immediately reminds me of that other Neon Golden track, Off The Rails. A theme emerges. “He's living next to rails”, i.e, not on said rails, or indeed, off them. Which we know to be an expression referring to being out of control. I don't mean to analyse Off The Rails in full here at all, but in two lyrics with such close imagery it seems silly to completely ignore it. They are sister-songs. In Off The Rails to be off the rails is to be inhuman, 'Now we are trains ourselves' - note that in Off The Rails the subject of the lyric is first 'we' and not 'he'. It is inclusive of others, perhaps us too, the listeners. In making this a possibility it seems more likely the oppressive state in Off The Rails is less personal than in Pilot - more societal, governmental, what have you. Accordingly I feel more inclined to believe Pilot describes a combination of oppressive societal and mental states. Staying in the first verse, another section that led me to my conclusion was the second couplet; 'Now he's trying the whole day to switch off time / By causing train-delay'. The subject of the lyric is not a pilot or conductor, as much as he might like to be – so how could he cause the trains to be delayed? The best answer I could come up with was: by throwing himself in front of one. Certainly a way of switching off time, certainly a way of asserting one's self-control when there are no other options, for whatever reason. It goes without saying that to be a pilot is a metaphor for being in control, which the subject does not feel he even has but once per day. The second stanza I feel describes the experience of being unable to explain, well, 'this desperate state'. The subject is not only misunderstood but also inconsolable ('Not a word to compensate' for his lack of control and resulting desperation). That he is moreover unable to even relate his experiences by comparing them to pictures (which after all are supposedly worth a thousand words or so) is telling of the extent to which the subject is detached from his surroundings and/or peers. Finally the symbol of the 'room of opaque air'. The substance is still air, it is still breathable, and yet since it is opaque and not transparent it renders the subject(/s?) blind. Blindness is maybe a metaphor for the mental state that the subject finds himself in, he is blinded by it just as by opaque air, he still functions (can breathe) but without control, or sight. However he does choose to step into the room, and this is at the end of the lyric, so this is perhaps another suicide allusion. We end on desperation, 'if only', and indeed it is suddenly 'we' rather than 'he'. If only. Rather fatal. |
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| Art Brut – Formed A Band Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| There's always sincerity in sarcasm. | |
| Manic Street Preachers – Ballad Of The Bangkok Novotel Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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The song I think most likely relates to experiences abroad touring. If I had to be specific: Manics in Bangkok 1994. The single was released 2001, but the song was likely recorded/written earlier, ('Five years later I'm still shaking', so it was probably written in 2000). I don't usually like to assume a lyric directly relates to the author's own life, but it's pretty plain to see here. Nicky has mentioned that particular tour as being really awful, the start of a downward spiral, that they all came back with some kind of 'bug', etc. The lyrics particularly refer to a number of issues. Quite prevalent is the fear Nicky had of being abroad, in Thailand. He hated the food, didn't eat anything apart from apples reportedly, it was all too weird. The fauna, the customs, the disorientation that comes with being surrounded by things you don't understand in the heat. At this point also he has said that his hypochondriac tendencies were a problem, especially in Bangkok, being preoccuopied with all the unkown food and places. Nicky was said not to leave his room if he could help it. There was an incident to do with disrespecting the royalty which caused some disturbance I gather. They played Repeat, and Nicky followed up with 'Long live the King! May he reign in hell!'. This does not make for good for publicity in Thailand. From this stemmed a paranoia of arrest, by military police. So the basis for the song seems to be the chaos of that time, not helped by tensions within the band. Bangkok saw Richey get given a set of knives by a fan, cut his chest onstage, and get a handjob from a hooker much to the scandal of the British music press. Nicky was not a very happy bunny, so he wrote a song about it five years later. |
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| Clinic – Distortions Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Mostly in agreeance with the idea that the narrator feels a need to have an absolute and complete knowledge of himself. Also: I found it interesting how the first lines 'I'd like to know completely What others so discreetly Talk about-' are taken from the song Candy Says, by The Velvet Underground. Candy Says specifically was written about Candy Darling - a Warhol film star and trans woman who was greatly admired by the band. The song has a similar feeling at points - 'What do you think I'd see / If I could walk away from me'. A wish to objectively view yourself from an exterior point of view, to know how you're thought of by others, see what holds true about yourself without the truth being masked by your own beliefs and ideals. So, from that reference we can assume this song talks about similar ideas to do with seeking objective truth of the self. The 'distortions', in this case I think relate to the misconceptions and falsehoods that everyone has about themselves. Preconceived notions that are quite far from what is true. 'I want to know no secrets' The narrator, then, wants unclouded and complete knowledge of every facet of themselves. I think, also, that the lyrics examine the kind of aloofness and extreme self-involvement that accompanies this kind of obsession. The time and energy is spent in a completely introspective world, so there's a sort of detachment from everything else. They want to know what people think and know about them but: '... when they leave me Not that I notice when they're gone It's eery and so scary I don't know who to worry' So the narrator doesn't actually care for their company at all. Maybe because of the dishonesty involved in associating with others - but that's sheer speculation. With that interpretation the sort of chorus refrain doesn't need much explanation. I'm trying to come up with my own thoughts towards the other sections. In my mind, they seem to have this impression of defiance towards others/everyone. So, in the 'Your sister came to beat me' section, there's no emotion linked to that, even though the usual reaction to being beat (either past-tense or future, either way generally not very pleasant) is some kind of upset. Maybe the tone here is more accusatory, but the absence of knee-jerk emotional reaction could be a form of defiance. Not really caring about the beating because 'I'll love it when you blink your eyes.' The 'I've pictured you in coffins' part also adheres to this. A passive aggresion towards oblivious others. The 'I'll love it when you blink your eyes' line is kinda open, but it feels important to the song. There are a variety of judgements you could make about it. For me, the blinking of the other party's eyes is like a kind of shocked blink. You know, that blink. Shock and anger. I don't exactly know why they'd be blinking like that but I feel like it doesn't really matter. It seems like a kind of 'I'll show you' sentiment. Maybe they plan to enlighten the others in some way, I don't know, but it'll be satisfying to the narrator. They'll just feel as if they're above them, they'll be able to function in a way they feel is 'right' and will overcome the absurd preoccupations of unknowing humanity. |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Donkeys Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Essentially, all the donkeys do is work for their masters. That is their whole life, they're left with no sense of self, room for emotion or objection. They have no choices or say in their situation - they're born into drudgery with no way out. They don't see the 'bigger picture', don't know what they're doing (in the small-scale or the large-scale). They know no real truths. Donkeys could be compared to the working class I suppose, as in other Manics songs where they have indulged in the 'working class anthem'. Most notably Design For Life. There are actually some related lines in both songs. 'No emotion never feel / And drown themselves in whatever' versus 'We don't talk about love / We only wanna get drunk'. The discussion of the subject's lack of dignity, cleanliness, truth, or respect. The plight of the donkey and working class labourer could be comparable - but the song could also apply to disenfranchised others. Almost reminiscent of a particular poem the band cited a few times; Tennessee Williams' 'Lament For The Moths'. The difference being that the moths are written as fragile, beautiful creatures that drop dead seemingly without cause - whereas the donkeys are hardened, submissive and not so elegant. All the same, there are parallels. Donkeys too seems to adopt the tone of a 'lament', for the beautiful or gentle or those taken advantage of / for granted, treated badly or suffering despite all they do. The metaphor of the donkeys has some degree of versatility, I can't say for sure what it's supposed to represent. But that's what I think. |
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| The Cure – Accuracy Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Robert actually says this is about: 'The ease and desire of hurting (not seducing) someone you sometimes love'. If he also said it was the most perfect, I could believe that. His explanation is succinct enough and I think needs little backing. The lyrics reflect the comfort and ease of hurting a loved one, with them being completely unknowing. It's a sense of having power over them, 'I could kill you without trying', knowing you could manipulate them and play with them and hurt them very deeply - choosing not to most of the time, but occasionally succumbing to the desire just slightly. Because you can. To prove you can. maybe. That's accuracy. |
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| The Cure – Primary Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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To take into account Robert's brief explanation: 'Toying with the idea that it may be better to die very young, innocent and dreaming...or even to murder as a gift...' (As already mentioned), we can observe the lyrics with this in mind. Also, if we assume primary and the demo version (cold colours? The first song the band thought they had finished, and then completely overhauled) have the same subject matter, it would help to look at the lyrics for that version. They have been interpreted on the internet — find them if you want. I may refer to them but I'd rather not spend too long trying to get an understanding of those, because I'm not sure if they are correct. They sound right enough with the music, but it's dubious. So we can go through the lyrics with Robert's given premise, of how it may be preferable to live out life as an innocent carefree child and die than to live and see grey, drab adulthood. Because of this the killing of the child, unaware and dreaming, could be seen, as it is put, as a 'gift'. In the context of the Faith record as well, it seems to stand out from the other, more bleak or grave songs concerning God, the church, well, faith as a whole. However, it's place makes sense given another of Robert's insights into the focus of the record: 'I was thinking about how, as a youngster, you're often indoctrinated and encouraged to trust in something 'other'. I wanted to get at different expressions of this trust, to understand why people have it, to find out if it was a real thing for me.' The link between children and the rest of the record is more clear. Robert claimed to come from a religious background; it is possible that as a child he had maybe believed in 'something other'. Seeing as how the rest of the record documents struggles with the idea of faith, trying to understand or attain it in some form, perhaps the sort of envy shown in Primary of the children could relate to a child's ability to believe. Smith claims he 'wanted to feel connected... wanted to feel whatever it was others were feeling. I wanted something to believe in.' so this makes sense. Onto the actual lyrical content. The first stanza could describe the kind of beauty the narrator sees in the dreaming children. The 'dreaming' of the children could refer to the belief and wonder of the world they still hold. The narrator 'slows his steps' — we see as the song goes on that the narrator could in a less figurative sense kill the children, 'as a gift'. The narrator laments over his age, the years having filled his heart. This could mean that age has dulled his capacities to love or experience other such emotions / wonder. The 'further we go' refrain is moderately obvious. It discusses how the onset of ageing seems to increase a person's knowledge and experience, but decrease their honesty or 'feeling'. We can then assume that the narrator values the honesty and innate purity of a child much more than the knowledge of an adult. They think, maybe, that the dry knowledge is worthless without the mentioned qualities. In the third section I am not so sure about in my analysis. Presumably, it is the narrator's experience of the children, perhaps his deliberation over killing them. 'Oh remember / Oh please don't change' reflects the narrator's wishes for the children not to grow into lifeless adult forms. He'd prefer for them to remain as compassionate and pure and true and young, for their sakes, rather than growing up. Again, Smith's imagery in the following stanza I find pretty impenetrable. The children in the lyrics are maybe thirteen years old, in Autumn. So they are on the brink of puberty — which could be perceived as the end of their childhood. 'Another perfect lie is choked' — the perfect lie could refer to belief or religion, or just another invention of a child. Finally, the last verse concludes the lyric. (I always thought the line was 'so lay close together', but my lyrics booklet tells me otherwise also.) If the narrator did in fact kill the children, they can dream forevermore, in their own world, in their perfect state, and still have that belief and wonder outside of the tangible and known universe, rather than losing all of that in regressing to adulthood. As for the title and allusions to colour, the demo lyrics mention colours more. 'Blue is waiting for your brother', 'yellow, green / And other such happy colour ', 'I feel so old and grey'. So it could be explained that the primary colours of the children (simple, vibrant, 'happy') are in contrast to the dull grey that the adult narrator feels. Also, to expand on the core meaning in the demo lyric; there are more allusions to the possible killing of the children. 'Shutting down the light', and the conclusive 'Stop.' as the final line and end of the song. It's difficult to draw much else from the lyrics, they are either indiscernable or too abstract for comment. At least, all that is my own interpretation, based on outside explications and facts. The lyrics could also apply to other such notions as love, probably, but in essence this is what I can affirm from them. |
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| Born Ruffians – Kurt Vonnegut Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think the song mainly addresses the human condition - I wouldn't like to go into specifics though. I think the meaning at heart is clearer without speculating about details, but if you want to do that too that's fine. (Note: this turned out quite a bit longer than it needed to be. Sorry.) It seems obvious that the core meaning of the songs stems from some of Vonnegut's ideas, (particularly those expressed in Cat's Cradle; Bokononism). The lyrics make sense without having a knowledge of the book, but it would probably help. In short, Bokononism is a fictional religion from the novel. I personally would rather describe these principles as humanist than existentialist, but that doesn't matter. The first two verses both explore the tendencies of the narrator towards knowledge and the fear this presents. The narrator wants to learn and know about himself and the world around him, but is scared of what he might find. The lines: 'No one wants to hear the birds sing morning's near' and 'No one wants to hear the boy sing lovesick songs' correspond with each other. A comparison can be drawn between the bird and the boy, (and the boy presumably refers to the narrator). No one wants to hear the birds announce the coming of the morning, because as the next line explains, it'll just be night again soon enough anyway. There is apparently no use in stating the obvious day after day after day. Similarly, no one wants to hear the boy whining, because just like the day-night cycle, he'll come in and out of heart-break and sing lovesick songs each time. To everyone else this is boring/pointless/tedious. So here the lyrics comment on the naivety of human and animal nature, and how oblivious both can be. 'Just keep dancing, keep smiling / Even if it feels wrong'. This statement particularly draws from descriptions of Bokononist ideas in the book. Essentially: small harmless white-lies, or 'foma', can be used to achieve happiness. In Bokononism this is highlighted by a warning at the start of the scriptures telling the reader not to continue, as it is a pack of lies. The song returns to this principle a number of times. Furthermore, 'keep dancing' might reference a Bokonon quote about how unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God. We can take dancing to, in context, to signify play, happiness, and frivolity in life. The third section I am less certain about. Incidentally if you check the official website, the lyrics give is 'Nor that I can't make you mine', but I doubt it matters very much. Either way the narrator and the other party are in an undesirable situation, the narrator knows he can't make the other person his specifically, and this is fine by them and they kiss a bit. I can't be sure, but maybe this is to do with another part of Cat's Cradle. It's not easy to summarise, (spoilers), but the protagonist cannot 'keep' the girl he is in love with his per se, because she is Bokononist. She explains that Bokononists love every person equally, and a person that wishes to have all of someone else's love for themselves is a 'sin-wat'. This is seen as selfish, and not their right. But hey; I might be wrong, maybe I'm looking too far into the parallels between book and song. However, just because it relates to this particular scene does not mean that it describes that exclusively. So this doesn't rule out any further speculation about relationships or other specific experiences of the narrator. The 'Tiger got to hunt' stanza is a direct quote from Cat's Cradle, as one of Bokonon's calypsos (hymns, if you will). It discusses man's instincts being as any other animal's, and that the only way man can rest and recover some comfort, just as the other animals do, is by pretending to have an understanding of it all. This reinforces the idea of 'foma', and it's place in living a content life. The foma are necessary for man to have any comfort - you might say he will never really know anything apart from his own lies. The last stanza may pertain to the book, again, in ways I won't go into detail about due to unavoidable spoilers. It also links back to the idea of possessing a person/all their love as in the section preceding it. I can agree with the notion that 'won't you come outside?' could be another party asking the narrator to stop thinking, (man got to sit and wonder why why why) for a while and experience life the only way he can. So - I think the lyrics discuss a lot of Bokononist ideas from Vonnegut, specifically to do with foma and the human condition, love, and happiness. Do with that what you will. I am not very good at being concise. |
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