Advance Cassette

Back in the day when cars had tape players but before CD players were really mainstream, some stereos had an "advance" feature or "next" button that would find the break between songs so you could fast-forward through a track. My mom had that feature in her 92 Cavalier. I had thought it was about that, advancing the casette so he wouldn't have to listen to some song that reminded him of some girl.

Seeing it as an advanced copy of a casette or one of those casettes that record stores used to give out with like 10 songs from different artists would make sense. "Wound me so tight" makes it seem like he's the tape on the reel that's about to break. At the same time, I kind of feel like he's just one song on her casette reel, a sample on the compilation tape of her loves.

hm, finding my own comment, and disagreeing with it.

This is one of my favorite Spoon songs and these lyrics have haunted me since the first time I heard them. I agree with those above who suggest that Daniel is creating an extended metaphor tying the narrator with a cassette that's been tossed out on the highway. The title has always seemed to have a double-meaning to me. The first acknowledges a time when musicians might receive versions of their record to listen to before official release. Perhaps this song didn't make it on to the final record which means the "advance cassette" was the only version of it existed and it can never be recreated, not unlike a relationship. It suggests a paradigm shift too, an actual longing for the days of the advance cassette that are now lost to the past. This whole song is about longing for something that can't be retrieved.

I think the second meaning, suggested above, uses the word "advance" like a verb instead of an adjective. Advance cassette or it's time to move along to the next track or, in this case, phase of one's life.

I also love the desolation suggested by the lyric, "I've been out here for so long that I'm not sure how you ever wound me so tight." All of the original function has been destroyed by neglect.

How has no one commented on this song =( One of my favorite Spoon songs.

Love this song. It seems like he has lost a cassette tape that he really loved, especially "that sad song" (somehow it fell out of the window of his car on to the Texas highway?). He received the tape before its mainstream release, hence "advance" Presumably the album/cd was never released or had a very limited release and he can't find it anywhere. He seems to go back to the highway to look for the tape (I've been out here for so long). But this doesn't explain the beginning of the song. Anyone?

I'm pretty sure it's metaphor, owly jr.

haha, owly jr, 10 points for effort.

i think losing the song is a metaphor for losing the person. maybe he cheated on her (getting caught?) and she left him. or maybe she left for another reason. if he cheated, that doesn't really explain the highway part, so i don't know.

no, i pretty much like to think of this song as being about a tape. metaphors smetaphors :)