| The Decemberists – America Made Me Lyrics | 1 year ago |
| Oh god how do I delete the giant essay I accidentally submitted here instead of in the comment submission box?? | |
| The Decemberists – America Made Me Lyrics | 1 year ago |
|
Look at me, first to the party! First of all, this song is flawless in every way. Full stop. Moving on: At the time of writing this, all of the discussion I've found online about the meaning of this song reduces it down to, "this is about a guy who feels like he doesn't belong." Which is... not entirely wrong, but it's just plain ludicrous to believe that this song isn't political. "Come kick my door of the hinges?" COME ON. I won't pretend to have figured out all the subtle nuances of the lyrics. I'm utterly stumped by "Antediluvian lady." The word 'Antediluvian' describes something from before the Biblical flood in the story of Noah. Assumably, this song refers to metaphorical flood, but what? The unprecedented flood of information and misinformation created by the advent of the Internet? The flood of white nationalism that's been rising over the past decade? And the phrase is followed by, "You won't get far in a knockabout with your keel in the ground." Keel? Oh, now we're bringing BOATS into it. Damn, Colin loves boats. This time, I'm pretty confident that the keel, too, is metaphorical. My best guess is it's referring to the Statue of Liberty, since whatever the "flood" is, it's probably a safe bet that it predates whatever flood is being referred to, and it is both on land, and surrounded by water, like a grounded ship. And a keel in the ground is, of course, stuck. "Knockabout" of course means a fight, and our country sure had been in one hell of a 'knockabout' for liberty since you-know-who graduated from reality TV host to president the first time around. So, those who would fight for freedom aren't making any progress - they're "stuck." This might be because of constant infighting and an inability to work together on the left, as leftists seem to only be willing to ally with those who agree with them on EVERYTHING, whereas the right is happy to band together over agreeing on ONE thing. So as far as that verse goes... that's all I got. Okay, I got verbose there. I'll try to abbreviate the rest of my thoughts. In short, I think this song is for the millions of us who feel like we don't belong in what our country has degraded into, from those who have been directly impacted by the social backslide (ie the loss of bodily autonomy for women in the overturning of Rowe vs. Wade) to those who are merely horrified to watch it all unfold. "American" has come to mean something to the rest of the world that it's horrifying to be lumped into. Even if we manage to undo some amount of the damage we're witnessing, how can we ever truly feel at home in this country again, knowing so many of our fellow countrymen were so quick to wholeheartedly accept a presidential candidate who represents the direct opposite of American values? "Feed me something soft and sweet/maybe something that won't keep me from my sleep." This part seems pretty obvious to me. It's referring to feel-good stories in the news and other media distractions that keep us from seeing or thinking of everything happening that otherwise keeps us anxious and afraid, lying awake at night ruminating about it. Anything that keeps us complacent. It's certainly not the first Decemberists song that refers to the dread of watching you-know-who's rise to power (Starwatcher) or American media inundating us with bullshit to keep us from questioning politicians (16 Military Wives). Anyway, it's a lyrically complex song that I'm certain has more nuances than I'll ever figure out on my own, so unless Colin Meloy feeds ME the specific meaning of the whole thing, I shall continue to lie awake at night trying to puzzle it all out. I hope to see more interpretations of this song here in the near future! Edit: OOPS. I accidentally submitted this in the "ask a question" form. Can't seem to delete it down. Oh well. |
|
| The Decemberists – America Made Me Lyrics | 1 year ago |
|
Look at me, first to the party! First of all, this song is flawless in every way. Full stop. Moving on: At the time of writing this, all of the discussion I've found online about the meaning of this song reduces it down to, "this is about a guy who feels like he doesn't belong." Which is... not entirely wrong, but it's just plain ludicrous to believe that this song isn't political. "Come kick my door of the hinges?" COME ON. I won't pretend to have figured out all the subtle nuances of the lyrics. I'm utterly stumped by "Antediluvian lady." The word 'Antediluvian' describes something from before the Biblical flood in the story of Noah. Assumably, this song refers to metaphorical flood, but what? The unprecedented flood of information and misinformation created by the advent of the Internet? The flood of white nationalism that's been rising over the past decade? And the phrase is followed by, "You won't get far in a knockabout with your keel in the ground." Keel? Oh, now we're bringing BOATS into it. Damn, Colin loves boats. This time, I'm pretty confident that the keel, too, is metaphorical. My best guess is it's referring to the Statue of Liberty, since whatever the "flood" is, it's probably a safe bet that it predates whatever flood is being referred to, and it is both on land, and surrounded by water, like a grounded ship. And a keel in the ground is, of course, stuck. "Knockabout" of course means a fight, and our country sure had been in one hell of a 'knockabout' for liberty since you-know-who graduated from reality TV host to president the first time around. So, those who would fight for freedom aren't making any progress - they're "stuck." This might be because of constant infighting and an inability to work together on the left, as leftists seem to only be willing to ally with those who agree with them on EVERYTHING, whereas the right is happy to band together over agreeing on ONE thing. So as far as that verse goes... that's all I got. Okay, I got verbose there. I'll try to abbreviate the rest of my thoughts. In short, I think this song is for the millions of us who feel like we don't belong in what our country has degraded into, from those who have been directly impacted by the social backslide (ie the loss of bodily autonomy for women in the overturning of Rowe vs. Wade) to those who are merely horrified to watch it all unfold. "American" has come to mean something to the rest of the world that it's horrifying to be lumped into. Even if we manage to undo some amount of the damage we're witnessing, how can we ever truly feel at home in this country again, knowing so many of our fellow countrymen were so quick to wholeheartedly accept a presidential candidate who represents the direct opposite of American values? "Feed me something soft and sweet/maybe something that won't keep me from my sleep." This part seems pretty obvious to me. It's referring to feel-good stories in the news and other media distractions that keep us from seeing or thinking of everything happening that otherwise keeps us anxious and afraid, lying awake at night ruminating about it. Anything that keeps us complacent. It's certainly not the first Decemberists song that refers to the dread of watching you-know-who's rise to power (Starwatcher) or American media inundating us with bullshit to keep us from questioning politicians (16 Military Wives). Anyway, it's a lyrically complex song that I'm certain has more nuances than I'll ever figure out on my own, so unless Colin Meloy feeds ME the specific meaning of the whole thing, I shall continue to lie awake at night trying to puzzle it all out. I hope to see more interpretations of this song here in the near future! |
|
| The Decemberists – America Made Me Lyrics | 1 year ago |
|
Look at me, first to the party! First of all, this song is flawless in every way. Full stop. Moving on: At the time of writing this, all of the discussion I've found online about the meaning of this song reduces it down to, "this is about a guy who feels like he doesn't belong." Which is... not entirely wrong, but it's just plain ludicrous to believe that this song isn't political. "Come kick my door of the hinges?" COME ON. I won't pretend to have figured out all the subtle nuances of the lyrics. I'm utterly stumped by "Antediluvian lady." The word 'Antediluvian' describes something from before the Biblical flood in the story of Noah. Assumably, this song refers to metaphorical flood, but what? The unprecedented flood of information and misinformation created by the advent of the Internet? The flood of white nationalism that's been rising over the past decade? And the phrase is followed by, "You won't get far in a knockabout with your keel in the ground." Keel? Oh, now we're bringing BOATS into it. Damn, Colin loves boats. This time, I'm pretty confident that the keel, too, is metaphorical. My best guess is it's referring to the Statue of Liberty, since whatever the "flood" is, it's probably a safe bet that it predates whatever flood is being referred to, and it is both on land, and surrounded by water, like a grounded ship. And a keel in the ground is, of course, stuck. "Knockabout" of course means a fight, and our country sure had been in one hell of a 'knockabout' for liberty since you-know-who graduated from reality TV host to president the first time around. So, those who would fight for freedom aren't making any progress - they're "stuck." This might be because of constant infighting and an inability to work together on the left, as leftists seem to only be willing to ally with those who agree with them on EVERYTHING, whereas the right is happy to band together over agreeing on ONE thing. So as far as that verse goes... that's all I got. Okay, I got verbose there. I'll try to abbreviate the rest of my thoughts. In short, I think this song is for the millions of us who feel like we don't belong in what our country has degraded into, from those who have been directly impacted by the social backslide (ie the loss of bodily autonomy for women in the overturning of Rowe vs. Wade) to those who are merely horrified to watch it all unfold. "American" has come to mean something to the rest of the world that it's horrifying to be lumped into. Even if we manage to undo some amount of the damage we're witnessing, how can we ever truly feel at home in this country again, knowing so many of our fellow countrymen were so quick to wholeheartedly accept a presidential candidate who represents the direct opposite of American values? "Feed me something soft and sweet/maybe something that won't keep me from my sleep." This part seems pretty obvious to me. It's referring to feel-good stories in the news and other media distractions that keep us from seeing or thinking of everything happening that otherwise keeps us anxious and afraid, lying awake at night ruminating about it. Anything that keeps us complacent. It's certainly not the first Decemberists song that refers to the dread of watching you-know-who's rise to power (Starwatcher) or American media inundating us with bullshit to keep us from questioning politicians (16 Military Wives). Anyway, it's a lyrically complex song that I'm certain has more nuances than I'll ever figure out on my own, so unless Colin Meloy feeds ME the specific meaning of the whole thing, I shall continue to lie awake at night trying to puzzle it all out. I hope to see more interpretations of this song here in the near future! |
|
| The Decemberists – I'll Be Your Girl Lyrics | 1 year ago |
|
I interpret this song as a shot at the myth of the "friend zone." The narrator is a guy affirming that he will always be happy to be the woman's friend, even if it never leads to her reciprocating his feelings, and he wants to show her the kind of unconditional emotional support for her that women usually only get from female friends. |
|
| The Decemberists – Cutting Stone Lyrics | 1 year ago |
|
There's some incredibly optimistic interpretations here. Am I the only one who suspects the dying bride was one of the narrator's victims? Maybe he attacked her while the suitor was out of sight, then the narrator waited for him to return to take a second victim. |
|
| The Decemberists – Philomena Lyrics | 1 year ago |
|
Wow, how have these lyrics not been corrected in nine years? Anyway... Love, love, love this song, but I think some of the previous comments are overthinking it a little. To me, it's a pretty straightforward song about an inexperienced teenage boy pleading with a girl (maybe a girlfriend, maybe not) to let him try out oral sex on her. "I'll be your candle, I'll be your statuette," drives home the inexperienced bit. Poor kid's idea of female masturbation seems to be informed solely by porn. Adorable. The one lyric I find really up for debate is "I'll be your lashing loop of leatherette" - clearly describing a whip, which lends some credence to the previous commenter suggesting some BDSM themes, but personally, I think it's just a cheeky play on the phrase "tongue lashing." Still, it's no accident that it happens to conjure other erotic imagery; we are listening to the fantasies of a horny teenager, after all. Last note: St. Philomena was a virgin martyr - clever name for a girl who won't open her legs for him! |
|
| Jonathan Coulton – Nobody Loves You Like Me Lyrics | 1 year ago |
|
In all the interpretations I've read of this song, I've yet to see anyone examine it from the broader context of the album, Artificial Heart. JoCo's albums tend to include several songs that, put together, tell an overarching sci-fi story. This is a lot more obvious in his other album, Solid State, but I see a lot of story in Artificial Heart, too. The title track is about a man who has part of his body replaced with artificial parts - assumably due to terminal illness ("they knew all along that there was something wrong with me"). It's clear that the narrator loses significant amount of his emotions in this process, and he seems to lose his sense of connection to the world around him and finds himself essentially a different person ("once I was him, but now he's me.") It's also implied in Artificial Heart that the narrator has a partner/spouse, and he is going through the motions of a human relationship without sincerity ("You're happy again, I nod and pretend to think it through/I don't need to think at all if I don't care for you"). Several other songs in the album have themes of domestic life and unhappy or failing marriages that illustrate attempts to assimilate back into his old life (I think "Today With Your Wife" is from the perspective of the couple's otherwise uninvolved friend or family member). So, I think "Nobody Loves You Like Me" is the conclusion of the story. The narrator is struggling for control between his present sense of self and the remnants of the person he was before ("I'm all alone but I'm drinking for two/drowning the man that I used to be"). Meanwhile, his partner seems to regret the life-saving procedure that turned him into who he is now, realizing the man she loved died, after all ("out on the fire escape smoking all day/missing someone, now who could it be?") and intends to leave him. Deep down, his human half still loves her, and feels intense grief at losing her while his new, improved mind is struggling to quash those unpleasant, irrational emotions. I think the line "Nobody loves you like me" is fairly literal - the way he experiences love is now warped beyond what a human would recognize as love, a bone-deep sense of need and possessiveness he feels for his partner at odds with a machine heart that is incapable of actual affection or empathy. Nobody else is capable of love in the form in which he experiences it, so of course nobody loves her like he does. As for the end, suicide is the obvious explanation, but I think it's a little more complicated than that. He refers to distractions outside covering "my flight, my hero's retreat." What makes this heroic? My theory is that his machine's half solution to dealing with these uncomfortable emotions is to murder his partner, but the remains of his human consciousness manage to seize enough control to get himself away from her. He tears out the computerized parts that keep him alive at the expense of his humanity ("holes in the bellows and blood on the keys"), ultimately killing himself, not out of despair, but to keep the woman he loves safe. Meanwhile, his partner will never know the sacrifice he made for her, and feels nothing to learn that he’s dead ("you move along/there's nothing to see,"). In his dying thought, the title phrase takes on a new meaning. "Nobody loves you like me" from the perspective of his fully human self, who can die happy with the knowledge he has protected her, even if she won't ever know it. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.