| Beach House – New Year Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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One of my favorites off of Bloom. Lyrics seem to be about a young girl coming of age. The opening line suggests the girl was wanting something for her future during her youth, and that something was big, bold, and meant a lot to her. She was dreaming of something that "comes in colors," perhaps freedom, love, travel; we can't really know. These dreams are vanishing everyday, or perhaps her opportunities to achieve them are fading. She keeps these promises; perhaps she is promising herself that she will have the life she wants, but something's holding her back; her dreams are fading. The chorus, to me, seems to speak to the audience, not the girl. "Can you call it? See it coming? Just enough to tell a story 'bout a portrait of a young girl waiting for a new year?" This isn't atypical; this is a girl who wants out, like many others all around the world, but is being held back. I think I've touched on two big points; hopefully this will guide you in your interpretations, whether they align with mine or not. |
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| Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – All Wash Out Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I read an interview with Alex about this song. He mentioned that the preacher is stumbling away from an institution, likely the Church (for which Alex has demonstrated a distaste), and has realized that what's left to believe in is love. I'll go on further with my interpretation. The preacher, moving away from an institution, is stumbling against all of those who say the Church is the only way; essentially, he's feeling the pressure from society to believe in the Church. Moreover, the preacher is singing this; he thinks it's beautiful, as he's presenting the information in a beautiful way. The narrator feels heavy watching this scene unfold. The preacher is praying by the sea, and although the narrator is saying "love is something to believe in", he's crying it, rather than singing it. There can be a couple of explanations. Considering these few lines, this is something that the narrator does not take lightly; he's not as convinced as the preacher. The interpretation I prefer is as follows: perhaps the narrator, like the preacher, feels so weighted by the Church and its rules that he is crying happily about the realization that "love is something to believe in". The second stanza is a little easier. He's talking to a child with questions, wonder, and imagination galore, and he is saying that "all of his crooked fingers pointing blame," (meaning, all of his distorted attempts, like the Church, to blame others for actions, etc.) should "wash out in the rain" (meaning, let it all go; forget the blame; live happily). The third stanza, again, I believe has something to do with the narrator's old beliefs in the Church He says "drunken focus", which we can take literally (though it presents more challenge), or we can understand that the narrator is referring to his distorted perception that the Church is feeding him. Moreover, all of the people he admires must be living sinfully according to the Church's beliefs. He, once again, wants this to wash away. I'm not sure about the fourth stanza, other than he realizes that he is freedom (from the Church, to worship how he wishes) and love is something he believes in. The last stanza I think suggests that one can find his god (notice how Alex always refers to God as HIS god, not God in general, throughout the Here album) through different means other than worship: music, and a long ride on a gypsy train. |
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| Belle & Sebastian – Piazza, New York Catcher Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think many people have correct interpretations, especially pertaining to the baseball and homosexual references. I do, however, think many people are missing the mark. The male in this song is obviously gay. I think many people are overlooking the female's sexuality. For starters, he calls her his "wayward girl". While this can have several meanings, especially as they pertain to sailing across the world, I believe it is also a reference to her ambiguous, perhaps bisexuality. She's wayward in the sense that she can't make up her mind, or rather that she is attracted to both sexes. Further, he calls her Miss Private. From this we know she isn't married, but also that some part of her life is kept secret to some extent- her sexuality. Now look at the third stanza. Her family, in a friendly yet assertive manner, is telling the male that he will be good for her. Perhaps they know about her sexuality- he will be better for her than another female. What's really important in this stanza, however, is the last line: "Maybe, but not what she deserves." He realizes that he may care for her well, but in reality she deserves someone that can truly love her, and someone that she can truly love as well. He can't give her this. On a different note, look at the very first stanza. "How many nights of talking in hotel rooms can you take?" They've eloped; they're supposed to be madly in love, yet they are simply talking in the hotel room. I think this is a reference to the "pretend" nature of their relationship, in that, while they may care for each other, neither is in it for love. This is further explained in the last line in the fourth stanza, where the bedroom they share is "virginal". Lastly, look at the spelling of "heroine". He is not referring to the drug, which is spelled "heroin", but rather an important, courageous woman: "heroine". More importantly, she is his "heroine pretend", meaning that she is not the love of his life, the woman who has captured his attention, but rather simply a cover-up of sorts. At first I thought this song was about love. Now I believe this song is about a relationship between two individuals, neither heterosexual, who are about to enter into a phony romantic relationship. They still may care for each other and be friends, but they are not truly in love. |
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