This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Ten cent lovers
Beneath the covers Riding on a wet dream Silver tonic free
High stool sweet tarts
Equipped with green cards
Chomp their 401 k's
Semi-chocolate brie
Digging in Los Cruces
For an army drab container Carbon dating clothes for the last time they were washed
Shelby and Sheila
Onomatopoeia
Catch hang nail on Banlon
Shiver Martin Sheen
Preschool mothers
In Technicolor
Are fire bombing Dresden
Stanton, Harry Dean
Feeding line caught tuna to a neutered Bodhisattva Writhing peaches for the President Out on the White House lawn Beating Herbert Hoover With a leather tipped
Pinada Thorn and Katy drink the milk tinted Amerasian Green RETURN, RETURN, RETURN
Beneath the covers Riding on a wet dream Silver tonic free
High stool sweet tarts
Equipped with green cards
Chomp their 401 k's
Semi-chocolate brie
Digging in Los Cruces
For an army drab container Carbon dating clothes for the last time they were washed
Shelby and Sheila
Onomatopoeia
Catch hang nail on Banlon
Shiver Martin Sheen
Preschool mothers
In Technicolor
Are fire bombing Dresden
Stanton, Harry Dean
Feeding line caught tuna to a neutered Bodhisattva Writhing peaches for the President Out on the White House lawn Beating Herbert Hoover With a leather tipped
Pinada Thorn and Katy drink the milk tinted Amerasian Green RETURN, RETURN, RETURN
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think it's pretty much unanimous that this one isn't about anything. In the documentary portion of the "House of Blues" DVD, Kevin mentions that he wrote "Extraordinary" after doing an "eye-spy" game around his room, looking for things to incorporate into the lyric. It's possible that he may have done the same thing here. Of course, the main difference is that "Extraordinary" has a central underlying theme (love) despite the random nature of the words. This one doesn't appear to have any underlying theme at all. Kevin was likely just wanting to have some fun with this one and maybe surprise himself with the final outcome.
ScreenNameNeeded is most likely correct. This song is one of Kevin's infamous exercises in non sequitur. Anyone who's seen a BTE live show will undoubtedly corroborate this, as Kevin is very given to improvisation during sets and sometimes forcing Michael and Tom to indulge in those whims XD
I am amazed at how even his spontaneous drabble writing is creative and strangely eloquent. As another mentioned, his inclusion of 'onomatopoeia', for example. Half of these lyrics seem like they refer to something or stand alone, leading me to believe this song is in fact a hodgepodge of lyrical fragments Kevin had started on separate occasions, but couldn't 'gel' into one cohesive piece. ("Fire bombing Dresden" as a Vonnegut reference; "Ten cent lovers, underneath the covers, riding on a wet dream" is unsuspectingly poetic for a drabble piece and suggestive of 'fuck buddies' whose only relationships in life are purely carnal, and lack the ability to see any other layer of depth in acquaintances or form attachments to others)
The only truly unifying theme here is era. Postmodernism' boom was '20s to '60s, specifically '50s. So a lot of references in the context are reflective of the early-mid 1900's(Herbert Hoover, Harry Dean Stanton, the peak popularity of Technicolor, and again, the Dresden bombings circa WWII; also, Vonnegut was influential in postmodernism). I don't quite know what's with all the subtle military/war references though.
Drugs? Lots of them? I think Kevin Griffin took one from John Lennon's book and wrote a song that made absolutely no sense just for the hell of it. I like how he worked the word "Onomatopoeia" in there though.
i have no idea what this means, but it sounds good.