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Nuclear Lyrics
This is where the summer ends
In a flash of pure destruction, no one wins
Go nuclear. Nuclear.
The violets in my eyelids goin' red
Sentimental geek
Shut up and go to sleep
The calm, the beach and the remains
Of the bathing suits and Porsches all in flames
Go nuclear. Nuclear.
When I saw her and the Yankees lost to the Braves
Sentimental geek
Shut up and go to sleep
Give me an answer
In a flash of pure destruction, no one wins
Go nuclear. Nuclear.
The violets in my eyelids goin' red
Sentimental geek
Shut up and go to sleep
Of the bathing suits and Porsches all in flames
Go nuclear. Nuclear.
When I saw her and the Yankees lost to the Braves
Sentimental geek
Shut up and go to sleep
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For me as a cultural historian, the line the "Yankees lost to the Braves" indicates a lot more on the connotative level than merely the primary denotation of it being two baseball teams - in this case one in NYC, the other in Atlanta.
If we follow the song's main motive of "going nuclear", i.e. a complete change taken place, I would suggest the line could also mean "a total reverse" of history and therefore all logic of previously experienced crackling apart. This probably works also on the sports metaphor, since the Yankees being a predominant team that is always expected or under the pressure to succeed (and also it could have to do something with his Southern heritage as somebody tried to interpret).
But I think the sports teams could also be allegoric representatives here, rather as an implicit allusion to American Civil War. Meaning the fact of the lyrical I seeing her (like this) made the world of popular logic as we know it go upside down, as if the "Yankees" (Northern States) lost to the "Braves" (= Confederates)...and therefore all previous history doesn't exist, lost in space and time. All logic going nuclear, only the setting of the presence counts.
Overall, a really witty line referring to all sorts of associations that come with it.
Love this interpretation. I'd probably consider braves to be the native americans since their logo is an native American (I think, I am not american nor di I follow baseball). The Yankees are therefor the settlers, the railroad companies, the army, those who fought against against the indians for land, progress and "civilization"...
Love this interpretation. I'd probably consider braves to be the native americans since their logo is an native American (I think, I am not american nor di I follow baseball). The Yankees are therefor the settlers, the railroad companies, the army, those who fought against against the indians for land, progress and "civilization"...
@Shonak: You are even better here than me, I haven't taken a look at the club logo, since I am not American or not heavily into baseball, I left that aspect out. Now we have the perfect interpretation, Shonak. Best wishes.
@Shonak: You are even better here than me, I haven't taken a look at the club logo, since I am not American or not heavily into baseball, I left that aspect out. Now we have the perfect interpretation, Shonak. Best wishes.
First of all, the lyrics are incorrect. It's "They combed the beach and the remains"
Ryan Adams has said himself that this song is about change. It's about meeting somone incredibly intense and it changes your own personality as a result, so much so that there is nothing left of your old self. You go "nuclear".
I agree with you (and ryan adams) dontgetsentimental. I especially love the imagery in this song of porches, swimsuits, baseball games, and all of it going up in flames because of his feelings for the person and the end of the time he has been alloted to spend with (assumingly) her. This song reminds me of an old love of mine who introduced me to Ryan Adams - he said he was my "sentimental geek..." boo hoo hoo barf...
don'tgetsentimental, I like that interpretation.
Wait a minute WAIT A MINUTE!? 3 posts?!!! This his best song!! When I saw her the Yankees lost to the Braves...GENIUS
This song is sad... very sad... it's about change, change for the worse that Ryan seems to claim he'll never get used to. He wrote this song for Carrie Hamilton, his close friend who contributed a lot to the writing on "Demoltion". He was heartbroken and dedicated most of the album and his next two Eps "Love Is Hell pts1 and 2" to her.
i should've been more clear: he was heartbroken we she passed away from cancer...
@ysgwrn Nuclear refers to Carrie's treatment which didn't work, "in a flash of pure destruction" "No one wins" That's what chemotherapy can do to you. As to "when I saw her (last?)" I think is just a time line. Maybe the game was on TV in the hospital. It's truly a great song.
@ysgwrn Nuclear refers to Carrie's treatment which didn't work, "in a flash of pure destruction" "No one wins" That's what chemotherapy can do to you. As to "when I saw her (last?)" I think is just a time line. Maybe the game was on TV in the hospital. It's truly a great song.
To me it's when you feel like you're about to explode with anticipation from waiting for an answer. That's how I felt when I first decided to trace my birth relatives and I was waiting for a response. I had just met with my adoption counsellor and he gave me the "don't call us we'll call you if it's a go" line...I went nuclear for months and decided to stop hoping...but I'm still waiting. My friends say that there must have been a glitch, cause they usually don't leave you hanging like that.
I don't know, but I'm too scared to make waves, maybe my parents got cold feet and couldn't go through with it. I'd rather not know, I'm too sentimental, I can't take the dissapointment. Anyways, that's how I relate to the songs.
I'm a baseball fanatic so I love the line but I think the Yankees lost to the Braves thing isnt even about baseball, I could be totally wrong here but my take on it is Ryan is born and raised in the south but moved to New York (Yankees) and has had a hard time escaping his past (which represents the Braves who are in Atlanta), again I could be 100% wrong
I love the song Nuclear. For some reason I keep coming back and back to it, the comments are right it's the imagery,the beach and the Porsches all in flames. I love the Yankees and Braves part. It's just, haunting, must be one of my favourite songs. I wish I knew what was in his mind when he wrote it. The comments have helped, especially about his friend Carrie. Am suddenly obsessed with Ryan Adams all because of this song.