In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
All of the girls out with their hips asway
And I'm the loneliest man
They're selling incense and sunglasses on Orchard Street
Boatloads of bootleg Sean John
And I'll dream you up in this vast, dark bed
Believe I loved you for each hair upon the back of your neck, and I
Want to kiss you but I can't
Down on the river by the sugar plant
Earrings
Weighing down the lobe and
Nose a lovely slope and the mouth turned down
Shoulders
Pale and beautiful and
Angle of the throat and
Your sweet sad stare
All of the waves that crash upon the shore
Fruitlessly shushing the world
I pledge allegiance to my displacement
My flag of doubt is unfurled
And I'll dream you up on a vast, dark coast
Believe I see you walking toward me, arms outstretched like a Ghost, and I
Want to kiss you but I can't
Down on the river by the sugar plant
And I'm the loneliest man
They're selling incense and sunglasses on Orchard Street
Boatloads of bootleg Sean John
And I'll dream you up in this vast, dark bed
Believe I loved you for each hair upon the back of your neck, and I
Want to kiss you but I can't
Down on the river by the sugar plant
Earrings
Weighing down the lobe and
Nose a lovely slope and the mouth turned down
Shoulders
Pale and beautiful and
Angle of the throat and
Your sweet sad stare
All of the waves that crash upon the shore
Fruitlessly shushing the world
I pledge allegiance to my displacement
My flag of doubt is unfurled
And I'll dream you up on a vast, dark coast
Believe I see you walking toward me, arms outstretched like a Ghost, and I
Want to kiss you but I can't
Down on the river by the sugar plant
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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.
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Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
I don't agree. I am very thankful that he is not over-exposed. I would hate it if everyone knew this music and it was on the radio all the time. Its more special this way.
This song gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. <br /> <br /> While it is fairly self-explanatory, my take on it is as follows:<br /> <br /> In the beginning of the song he makes the observation, "All of the girls out with their hips asway" then makes the comment, "And I'm the loneliest man". He then goes on to notice random happenings on the street, seemingly comparing seeing attractive females to mundane everyday happenings. This seems to indicate that feeling lonely and longing for female companionship has become commonplace and routine in his daily life.<br /> <br /> Later on, he implies that he might be fantasizing about a dream girl or ideal woman: "And I'll dream you up in this vast, dark bed." Some might say that he is thinking of a lost love but I feel that it is more a love he never had but desperately longs for. <br /> <br /> "Want to kiss you but I can't"<br /> "Down on the river by the sugar plant"<br /> <br /> Clearly, he wants to be romantic with this woman in his mind. The river by the sugar plant might symbolize a safe, relaxed, and possibly romantic place in his mind. I envision sitting on the banks of a river shimmering with a purple hue, over a dusky and almost darkened blue-purple sky on some cooling summer eve, surrounded by sugar fields and a sugar plant billowing gray smoke in the distance.<br /> <br /> The next verse goes on to describe the woman in his dream. He is verbose and detailed in his description, implying that he has put a great deal of time and care into constructing this ideal female. This lends validity to the fact that his loneliness is something he has been dealing with for quite some time. While his reason for not being able to fill the void in his life is unknown to us, and it could stem from any number of factors, you get the sense that as his fantasy and loneliness deepen he is becoming more and more dependent on this dream girl and that she might, at some point, even replace the drive to exposing himself to the potential pain and rejection of finding a real companion.<br /> <br /> The third verse is self-recognition of the futility of his actions. Perhaps he is speaking to the "doubt" of finding a woman in his life that meets the criteria of his fantasy woman. "I pledge allegiance to my displacement" seems to be acceptance of his situation. Like a person with untreated depression or an addition, he is starting to define himself by his dominating social situation and might even be beginning to embrace his "displacement" from the norm of society.<br /> <br /> As the song wraps up, the last verse and chorus reiterate his longing for this fantasy woman and his deep desire to be with her, "Down on the river by the sugar plant."
I like your analysis, my only quibble would be that I don't think that the location is symbolic per se. The Orchard Street/bootlegs connection is a reference to Chinatown in NYC (and Mike plays very regularly in and around this neighborhood, and he may live near here, though I'm not sure on that point). From the Manhattan banks of the East River (very close to Orchard Street), you can see a big sign for a now defunct Domino Sugar factory across the river in Brooklyn.<br /> <br /> So, my guess would be that the song's about a woman, either real or imagined, who lives in Brooklyn.