Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)

Um...I think it's "boom times went bust," as in a boom/bust pattern in economics.

Anyway, great song, addictive rhythm. I love the last desparate line of the chorus "I sure hope that's it."

In concert in San diego, fiona said that this song was about when you know a relationship is bad, but you keep going back to it to make sure there isn't anything left. And you come away going... yep, still crap.

I think the singsong melody sarcastically contrasts the grimmness of the line "so sick in the head i need to be bled dry to quit". It's a pretty melodramatic statement, and is contrasted by the simplicity of the other option: "or I just really used to love him". haha, fiona, you're so great!

not to sound pompous, but here's the deal: to dissolve the mystery of the title, a "tymp" is a kind of drum (a tom), which is what the boing sound is imitating throughout the song. And, yes, the word in the first line is in fact "boon". Boon means good or favorable, therefore "boon times went bust" means everything fell to shit. "Deep in dutch" is a very old colloquialism and it means "disfavor", therefore if she were to keep in touch it would do her no good, but rather harm her. Nothing economic about all this, Fiona Apple just happens to be wonderfully literate and well versed, and in a very esoteric manner. It is what it is, just words that most of us are unfamiliar with.

I always thought that the "I need to be bled dry to quit" line was making reference to when they used to use leeches suck the blood from people to cure mental illness? I thought it was pretty dark, but did anyone else think that??

I love this part:

The red isn't the red we painted, it's just rust

I think it's about great love, but when you look back, it's not as wonderful as you thought it was that moment you 'painted'.

she's trying to convince herself that she doesn't love him anymore.

i love this song

I think "deep in dutch" means she was smoking a lot of weed. When she was on the cover of EW before Extraordinary Machine was released she talked about how there was a period of time in which she would smoke pot everyday.

"boon times when puts"--well something "boon" is something boon is something to be grategul for or a benefit...either than or Fiona Apple once owned and domesticated a baboon.

And "dried bled to quit"---that's an old method of curing mentally ill people when they got tortured and shit before Dorothea Dix was like, "y0, dude, this shit is inhumane".

AND FINALLY!!!

"Feet of clay" means (from dictionary.com) a weakness or hidden flaw in the character of a greatly admired or respected person: He was disillusioned to find that even Lincoln had feet of clay.

BUT THEM DRYING TO DUST SHOWS HER GROWTH AS A PERSON AND AN ARTIST! YAAAAAAAAH!

This is kinda used ironically because the image of Fiona being this neurotic/emotional/confessional/honest woman would be her "feet of clay" yet it's given a lucrative career. She be like selling mad records, y0.

Obur nd oot.

Yet another great song by Fiona Apple...I love the jumpiness of the song with the effects and everything. I think this song is similar to "Shadowboxer" in that she's falling for someone she used to love or at least thinks she used to love, maybe just making an excuse. But it's been so long that she's starting to forget him or loving him or something to that effect. I just can't stop listening to this song and "Not About Love" on Extraordinary Machine. Great Great Stuff!!!!!

one of my favorite songs by ms apple ..another genius melody

cmh2943, i agree. what a wonderful song. love it.