Last Parade

Fantastic return by Matthew Good. I love this revisit to his "big" style of song. Hospital Music was a great album in many ways, but I am glad he's returned to his epic style of recording.

The songs on Vancouver (the demos so far) feel like a proper sequel to Avalanche.

Unless I'm mistaken, the song seems to be about the inaction of people and someone's trying to convince them not just to do something, but to do something right.

"It's time to fuck or leave", make a damn decision on which one you're doing already.

But at the same time, the song seems to say that there's nothing wrong with being home at the end of a long day...and then that home is in the dirt. Or a grave. And with a burning future in the mountain, it seems like there's no future for the person who's laying in the dirt.

And then, finally, there's the awesome image of people taking pictures of a tidal wave that's about to kill them, while smiling, or grinning. So they don't get that they're in trouble, and they just think that what they're seeing is awesome.

So...maybe the song is about people who just don't get that the future's going to hit them like a ton of bricks unless they pay attention to what the hell they're doing. It's the dead town's last parade, but it feels like just another day, because they're not recognizing the fact that the town's dead.

Inability to see beyond the present and plan for the future. That's my interpretation.

i know i just love matthew good so much. where can u hear these demos??

Riley: I agree with you on that. Not a big fan of "White Light," and "Hospital Music" took a little time to grow on me. This album looks very very good though. He seems to have some more "dramatic"sounding music on this one. I was hoping "Silent Army: would be the first single after he previewed the album version on his website one day but I like this even better.

Stewman: I have the album version of this song. PM me if you want it.

You can find the demos on Youtube. Just search for "Matthew Good explode", and check out The Boy Who Could Explode. Then in the related links (or that user's) you can find a bunch more.

One thing I would note, is that the lyrics above have one mistake I found (could be more). I think it should be "On the shore, grinnin', a hundred feet away." As in, people are taking pictures and smiling at the absurdity of a huge problem, without realizing they impact it's just about to have on them.

I agree Jbuck that Silent Army is a great song. I also expected it to be the single, but Last Parade is a little more upbeat, so I understand why it came first. Not that I am disappointed!

On the shore, gridded a hundred feet away?

Fuck. On the shore; grinning a hundred feet away. God damn.

Dead towns last parade, btw. I'm way too high to figure out how to efit atm.

To me it strikes a chord to the veteran in me. Having served in the forces and watched fellow troops come home, it's like a song that talks of that "last parade" before they're buried forever.

The entire song can relate to being overseas at war.