| Arcade Fire – It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus) Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
For anyone who doesn't know the Orpheus myth: Orpheus, the most talented musician of his time, falls in love with Eurydice, the oak nymph. Orpheus and Eurydice are wed. During the wedding, a stayr pursues Eurydice. She fights off his advances by running away. During her escape, she steps on a poisonous snake and dies as soon as the snake bites her. Orpheus discovers her body and immediately becomes emo, playing only the saddest songs that make gods, nymphs and men cry. Upon the suggestion of other myths, he goes to the Underworld to convince the king (Hades) and queen (Persephone) of the underworld to free Eurydice. Orpheus played a very sad song for Hades and Persephonre, and softens their hearts to the point where they agree to free Eurydice from death under the following condition: He had to lead Eurydice through the underworld and could not look back to see her until they reached the world of the living. He fails when he grows impatient and turns back to look upon his lover right before they reach the surface. Eurydice is then sucked back into the Underworld and Orpheus has no chance of recovering her again. As a result, Orpheus is forced to live out his tragic life due to his mistake. In any case, I believe this song uses the Orpheus myth to convey the feeling of loss. While we can't always control our loss, (such as the death of a loved one from natural causes, cancer, etc.) everyone experiences loss from their decisions. Orpheus decided to look at Eurydice before they reached the world of the living. As soon as he did it, he lost her forever. This song illustrates the constant pain we feel from that nature of that loss. The feeling that loss is a direct consequence of your actions. This song hints that the pain will go away, but reveals that "It's never over." We have to live with our destructive decisions for the rest of our lives. |
|
| Iron & Wine – Flightless Bird, American Mouth Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
First of all, it's "quick-wit boy," not "quick-wet boy." Phonetics are hard, I know, but "quick-wit" is what he says. "Quick wet" makes no sense. In any case, here's how I see the song: "I was a quick wit boy Diving too deep for coins All of your street light eyes Wide on my plastic toys And when the cops closed the fair I cut my long baby hair Stole me a dog-eared map And called for you everywhere" This stanza, first of all, refers to the intelligence of the narrator as a "quick-wit boy." He was using his wits to make lots of money, at the expense of morality, as evidenced by "Diving too deep for coins." "Too deep for coins," means he was making his coins through sketchy means. The subject (love interest's) eyes were focused on his wealth. (His "plastic toys, as referred in the song.) She loved him for his dirty money. But the cops "closed the fair" by busting his sketchy operation. Presumably, this causes his love to leave him, so he opted to steal a "dog eared" (meaning, common and well-used) map of success to prove to his love that he can once again achieve the same greatness. "Have I found you? Flightless bird, jealous, weeping Or lost you? American mouth Big pill looming " This is him brooding over his current state of his affairs, with the love of his life away from him. He asks himself if he found her... if she's just the jealous, sad, selfish being he thought she might be. He also asks if he "lost her," meaning, is she true as she seemed to be? Is she the same woman he fell in love with? Or will he never see her again due to extenuating circumstances, obviously hopeful that she will eventually be back by his side. It's the ultimate question, but hope presses on. The "big pill looming" is likely how he copes with his current life without her, but could easily be an accusation that she needs to take a pill to live with herself. "Now I'm a fat house cat Nursing my sore blunt tongue Watching the warm poison rats Curl through the wide fence cracks Pissing on magazine photos Those fishing lures thrown in the cold and clean Blood of Christ mountain stream " This stanza represents how much he resents his life since she's been apart of it. He speaks of himself and his environment harshly because he's unhappy. He's a "fat house cat" who gave up years ago. His "blunt tongue" has alienated himself from others. The "poison rats" "curl through the white fence cracks" because he doesn't give enough of a shit to deal with them. "Pissing on magazines" refers to his disdain for pop-culture and "Blood of Christ mountain stream" refers to his disdain for religion. He once again asks: "Have I found you? Flightless bird, jealous, weeping Or lost you? American mouth Big pill looming " But he know his chance at happiness is done. She left him as soon as he was going through a rough time and he never recovered. it's honestly, a tragic story, |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.