| Dar Williams – Are You Out There? Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[gnovi:28262] Not knowing the backstory, I interpreted that line as indicating that at this crucial moment this station, too, was taken over by the corporate machines and was now churning out generic music -- with no thought of listeners like the narrator. | |
| Dar Williams – Party Generation Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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This can be enjoyed as just a fun, light, funny song. But it has a lot more going for it than that. The song has the form of The Hero's Journey, but our hero isn't looking to gain obscure knowledge or save his village. Our hero is looking for something more personal. Trapped in early years of the long grind of adulthood, he's looking to rituals of the past for joy and connection. At first, the outlook is grim, but he commits to his quest ("he heard the sound of laughter and he followed it for fifteen blocks") and he's rewarded. He finds his place and the place finds him. It turns out he's just what this party needed. Maybe by the standards of "34 but who's counting" he's a little immature, but for this crowd he's a mentor. It gets even better with the next verse. Using his special knowledge to take his new friends on an adventure, he faces a moment of doubt. Has he gone too far? Is he about to be punished? He faces what may be his (or any man's) greatest fear: the six "most justified angry ex-girlfriends". But once again, his pursuit and sharing of joy is rewarded. Instead of tearing him apart, the women of his life bestow upon him sweet mercy and understanding. Surely the greatest birthday present any man could have. From there the party becomes the best party ever. [Maybe in real life the six most justified angry ex-girlfriends would never to do this. But that's OK, Dar has done it for them.] In the last verse Dar demonstrates true mastery as a songwriter. The story's over with the second verse, right? In the hands of a lesser writer, yes, but Dar does something transformative with the denouement. She shows how our hero's quest for childhood innocence, joy and (female) connection ("his mom there to help him out") has been fulfilled, and suggests that there are lessons there for the rest of us if we, like our hero, listen. ["Lift your head, lift your head."] It was in the late 1990s when I bought Dar's CD "The End of the Summer", on which this is track 2. I still love this song. God bless you, Dar. |
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| Steely Dan – Fire In The Hole Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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As amusing as JTBcat’s theory is, no, Fire in the Hole is not about farting in public, although it is about bodily functions. The key to understanding this rather obscure song is its link to another song on the album, "Dirty Work". On the back cover of the LP, where the song titles are listed, each song name is followed by a coy or sarcastic comment on the song. Thus, "Turn that Heartbeat Over Again" gets the sarcastic “A solemn prayer for peace”, and "Only a Fool Would Say That" is described as “A message cha-cha”. Three songs get the same comment: “How’s my little girl?” Those are "Dirty Work", "Reelin’ in the Years", and "Fire in the Hole". "Reelin’ in the Years" and "Dirty Work" are straightforward songs, as far as their meanings go. Both are about sexual/romantic relationships gone bad, which, along with the comment after the song title, indicates that "Fire in the Hole" is also about a such a relationship. "Reelin’" is a heartfelt denunciation of an old flame who dumped the protagonist. The protagonist gets back at her by calling her trivial, snobby, and immature in a sizzlingly great pop song. But, as a story, "Reelin’" stands on its own. I suspect that "Dirty Work" has a much stronger connection to "Fire in the Hole". Both songs are the second song on their respective sides of the album, and both songs use workplace imagery in reference to a sexual relationship. In "Dirty Work", the protagonist is providing free (“you’re afraid to pay the fee”) sexual services to a wealthy (she has a maid) woman who is probably married (“when your man is out of town”). The woman holds the power in the relationship, initiating the sessions, locking the door. Rather than bragging about this situation, the protagonist feels cornered, “foresees terrible trouble” and declares in the chorus: “I’m a fool to do your dirty work; I don’t want to do your dirty work no more.” "Fire in the Hole" returns us to that relationship. We have the dominating woman “A woman’s voice reminds me to serve and not to speak.” We have workplace imagery (yellow striping is used on factory floors to warn workers when they are in the proximity of dangerous machinery). And we know from the comment after the song title that this is about a sexual or romantic relationship. So what is going on in this song? The protagonist is embarrassed (“should I hide, or eat my pride”), and would “like to run out now; there’s nowhere left to turn.” Indeed he wishes “someone would open up the door.” And why is that? Well, his “life” is “boiling over” and “it’s happened once before”. Remember mik91’s comment about getting an orgasm from the piano solo? Think about the rhythm of the first notes of that solo. Of the many male orgasms to be rendered in pop song instrumental solos, this has to be the most woeful. It is literally minor key. So now you know, boys and girls, this is a song about the bane of a young man’s sexual existence: orgasming too soon. She’s not there yet, but he’s done: “Don’t you know there’s fire in the hole, and nothing left to burn?” Ouch! I’ll be running now . . . |
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