| Laurie Anderson – Langue d'Amour Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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It's a story about the Garden of Eden (Island), but as the artist states late on in the song - it's a daydream about the Garden of Eden. ("And this is not a story people tell. It is something I know myself. And when I do my job, I am thinking about these things. Because when I do my job, that is what I think about.") The snake represents perceived evil; temptation and knowledge, to which the woman (Eve) succumbs. After she has spoken with the snake (Devil), she no longer wants to be with the man (Adam), and falls in love with the snake, longing to remain on the island with it - however, the man finds out about their relationship and tells the woman that they must leave the island, in an attempt to keep her for himself, and to shield her from further temptation and knowledge. The most interesting lyric in this song is "Anyway, we got into their boat and left the island. But they never stayed anywhere very long. Because the woman was restless. She was a hothead. She was a woman in love." - which suggests that the artist, in a daydream is either visiting the Island (Garden of Eden) with another party in the tourist sense, or is along with the man and woman (Adam & Eve) indigenous to the Island and either choose or told to leave with them although in a daydream context, the latter is most likely. Great song, one I've heard a thousand times and likely to hear a thousand more. |
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| Pulp – The Fear [the Complete and Utter Breakdown Version] Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| The song *is* the meaning. No need for speculation. | |
| Eels – Railroad Man Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I once wrote a line "I'm the kid with plenty ink, I'm just running out of pages." - somehow, this song is full of lines just like that, not just one that took me twenty years to think up. It's about time, and being out-of-sync with the time. Just because he can't keep up to stay on the train, doesn't mean he can't walk the track instead. It might (and probably will) take him longer to get to where he wants to go - but he'll meet you there, nonetheless. |
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| Belle & Sebastian – Sleep the Clock Around Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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All very decent interpretations here - I just wanted to add, for the benefit of the curious: "And it takes more than milk, to get rid of the taste." This refers to Valium, or Diazepam. The taste is god-awful, imagine a paracetamol and times it by thirty. Source: I was addicted to them - was. |
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| Belle & Sebastian – A Summer Wasting Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This, I think is about being homeless or nomadic after a period of relative security - be that as a student, or otherwise. Let's take a look: "Summer in winter, winter in springtime, you heard the birds say, everything will be fine." I'm almost certain this is a reference to how warm or cold things seem without shelter. 'Summer in winter' seems to refer to an Indian summer, a weather phenomena usually experienced around the end of October, and 'winter in springtime' indicates just how cold the spring really is outside. 'You heard the birds sing, everything will be fine.' refers to the bird songs heard at dawn, the 'dawn chorus'. Behind closed doors and windows you wouldn't normally hear these. "I spent the summer wasting, the time was passed so easily, but if the summer's wasted, how come that I could feel so free?" Wasting could refer to either drug use or nihilism, or time itself. The time was passed so easily, with nothing to do, no one to see or nowhere to go. But, as the singer states; there is a contradiction - if this time was wasted, how could I feel so free, so relaxed? Time to yourself, he concludes, is never wasted. "I spent the summer wasting, the sky was blue beyond compare, a photograph of myself is all I have to show for..." The sky was blue beyond compare, rarely noticed from the confines of a house, or a university, or a workplace - simply because in these arenas our attention is always taken up with something else, which again alludes to the notion that he is outside. The photograph must have been taken during the time highlighted in this song, but it's open to interpretation - was it a passport photo, a NUS card, a mugshot after an arrest, a photo in a newspaper, with a friend? "Seven years of river walkways, seven weeks of staying up all night." Seven years is the usual period of time spent in school and further education, and geographically the 'river walkway' must be very familiar, somewhere in a home town - seven weeks is the usual duration of a summer holiday. "I spent the summer wasting, the time was passed so pleasantly, say cheerio to the books now, the only things I'll read are faces." Again, this alludes to post graduation, saying goodbye to the books. Reading faces or 'people watching' is a common pastime for the homeless and nomadic, as it costs nothing and subjects are always at hand. "I spent the summer wasting, under a canopy of... seven weeks of reading papers, seven weeks of river walkways, seven weeks of feeling guilty, seven weeks of staying up all night." Under a canopy, reading papers - newspapers being the canopy, and I don't believe the singer is talking about reading papers in a literal sense. Feeling guilty, guilty of wasting time, or not working hard enough in school? Anyhow, it's a great song and one open to many interpretations - this is just one of them. |
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| Belle & Sebastian – Ease Your Feet in the Sea Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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jcovarruon has this meaning pretty much nailed down to my mind - with the exception of Verses 3 & 4. I *think* the singer is referring to finding his friend in the process of attempting suicide in Verse 3. "To what it is that you are going through, my boy I let you dry" - possible reference to alcohol here, 'drying out' "The signs were clear that you were not going anywhere, anywhere" - failed suicide attempt "Save for a falling down, save for a falling down" - the rope is cut "Everything's going high" - sensation as he falls to the ground Verse 4 definitely refers to a memory of the same person, but after a successful suicide attempt after they were found trying to hang themselves - "dangling, hovering." Either way, it's a tragically beautiful song and one open to many interpretations - this is just one of them. |
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