The Build-Up

I must say I signed up on the site just to comment this one song. This is, by large, one of the most meaningful songs of KoC to me and one I find remarkably well written. The imagery evoked by the song, melody supporting it, is unforgettable. I love how it was written so the spinning top, spinning, transforms itself in a train and then again into a very conscious person wondering, as if it could be forgotten, where and when to get off. Emotions in life build up to a point someone who sees himself as a protagonist is forced to withdraw. Imagine him spinning, as if a kid was playing with him, human top, just for the pleasure of seeing it graciously spin. Engulfed in emotions he cannot anymore control, he watches as his momementum fades and just wonders: where should I stop?, when will I settle down? It's been a very influencial song to me since the first time I listened to it. Whatever, this is just what I imagine when I listen to it, I don't mean to be definitive (I don't even think a definition is possibile here). Gotta love it.

Studiolemontree and pdfreires are bang on in my opinion. Those lyrics sung by Feist when related to a relationship are so sad yet so beautiful. Ending a relationship or settling down in the wrong relationship is so confusing and so sad, I feel this song captures that beautifully and eloquently. And right now, faced potentially with one of these options and not knowing which is right, this song never fails to draw a tear.

This song seems very much to be about the unsung hero. When many people have an option of two loves or two relationships, healthy or unhealthy, they try to juggle both and then hurt two people significanly as well as themselves.

Here, we have a hero, the unsung gentleman who realized his only option (other than play two women,) is to flee. He may have waited too long, maybe dabbled in the relationships longer than was healthy, but his brave choice was a long time comming. (lasted for days, weeks, too long.)

(Worn into the vaguely announced) Another way of saying the unsung hero. He's not going to be appreciated for his decision. He's still hurting two people who loved him, but though he loves them too, he will be the true romantic and do what's best for them.

The rest of it gives me the impression that he never expects to have a long relationship. In people who choose music over love, they are forced on the road and give that priority. He lives day by day. The tickets remind him where he's been, the hurt, but it least it's also a reminder that he's not a cheater... the one thing he can glean as a triumph in his life. With this enters the dillema that isn't a dillema. As soon as we realize that at essence he is Not-one-who-cheats, than the idea of choice is gone, he had to leave. He's in an endless loop of making the 'right' decision, but ultimately remaining alone and sad. The ticket has determined it and it tells him what to do, his elusive conscience.

i'm thinking that there was one guy and two girls, and he obviously could not choose between the two of them, so there was a build up of emotion. He ran away, using the train. I LOVE THIS SONG. it is so calming.

I always thought the line was "wanting to vaguely announce" not "worn into.." maybe?

Key is what this song means to "you" so keeping that in mind despite true meaning this song helped me think of a relationship that has run its course, like a train with its ups and downs always going around and around. And your ticket is your own rational mind not your emotional mind reminding you or telling you when to leave when to get off...... It is a really pretty song....

Why would the fact that the song was written quickly turn you off to it? It's still gorgeous.

Pretty straight forward. Bout runnin' from your love troubles.

I also realized that had the artists not intended this song to be meaningful, I find unintentional beauty to be quite remarkable.

The first part of the song is self-explanatory. He couldn't choose between the two, so he lost the chance with both of them.

The second part sung by Feist, is the male trying to get over his lingering emotions of love and loss.

"The spinning top made a sound, like a train across the valley" His affection.

"Fading, oh so quiet, but constant till it passed, over the ridge into the distances." His lingering emotions; constant but oh so quiet.

"Written on your ticket, to remind you where to stop, and when to get off"

When to stop, and move on.

Beautifully sung, and brilliantly written.

This song is about 6 years old as I write this now. Keep this in mind.

This song is creepily paralleled to the movie "Inception".

"Lasted for days, lasted for weeks, lasted too long" -In dreams, things happen much faster than in real life. The main character loses track of how long he and his wife built their dream world for.

"Our hero withdrew" -The main character stops dreaming and building when his wife can't tell the difference between dreams and reality.

"When there was two, he could not choose one" -He is torn between his real wife and the wife that haunts his dreams.

"So there was none" -He's stuck, not sure who his real wife is.

"The spinning top made a sound like a train across the valley Fading, oh so quiet, but constant till it passed" -The main character uses the spinning top as a totem so he can tell whether or not he is dreaming. A train crashes directly through the middle of a city.

"Written on your ticket To remind you where to stop And when to get off" -The main character needs to remember where to "stop" his dreaming and come back to real life and come to terms with his wife's death.

-"You're waiting for a train, a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter - because we'll be together."