Laughing Stock

I'm having a hard time interpreting this one. I'm thinking it might be about getting on the road again after playing a live show ("we'll trade the strings for the old 110"), and probably a show that didn't go too well ("everyone's cracking up but we don't care".) Any other thoughts?

Also, this song really has to be listened. It's beautiful, moving, it's like a little journey. Plus, I absolutely love the "bleep" sounds that make up its rhythm base.

I love this song so maybe I'm the laughing stock here!

I've always had a bit of a dark view about these lyrics. The music itself builds in intensity and has a huge impact on the listener (on me anyway) emotionally and even physically.

I think the lyrics are alluding to the effect of the song itself, that music ...and Grandaddy as a band...has the power to move a stranger in such a powerful way. Yet ultimately where is the meaning...even with the ability to illicit that sort response in another human what is the achievement, the satisfaction? Ultimately all human endeavor is futile and in vain...all actions have the same result within a finite life.

That's what I always took from the lyrics anyway...truly amazing yet utterly soul destroying song...the sort of dark beauty that I love finding in the world....thank you Grandaddy!

It's about an outcast, eg laughing stock, who uses music to drown out everyone else.

Laughing stock is an album by Talk Talk, I'm pretty sure the song's a bit of a homage to them and the album. When I listen to Laughing Stock (the song) I think I feel how Jason must've felt listening to Laughing Stock (the album). I like to think that that was his intention. A wonderful song!

I used to work for Grandaddy as a graphic artist via their management company, 3am. I believe the reference to "110" is referring to an old synthesizer. "This time we'll trade the strings for old 110." I could be wrong, but I love this song and I've thought about it's meaning for a long time. I think the comments made by Seifyr are mostly correct, that it's about a song, but I believe it is specifically about the very song you're hearing, as you're hearing it.

To me this song is about happily "coming up" on a drug, either a downer (heroin/opiates, and according the band's Wikipedia page, Jason is no stranger to pain killers), or perhaps a psychedelic (shrooms/acid). You start to stop giving a shit about what's around you, and are so happy to be escaping your surroundings and anxieties, without really going anywhere.

"Whisper the cymbals right on in" Here we go, kicking in. "This time we trade the strings for old 110" Someone mentioned 110 being a name for a synth. That works. You can't play the strings, but the keyboard has can mimic it. Maybe you're having trouble finding contentment, but (synthesized) drugs will help.

The last verse's final line, "The crowd fades and overture begins", is when you hit your peak and are no longer bothered by your surroundings.

how is there only one comment on this song? this song is amaaaaaazing. i never really listened to grandaddy much until recently and they are pretty great, but this song has stuck out to me...it's melody, and spacy sounds...so calming and smooth..simply beautiful.

The band have an important moment when they all come together in profound agreement about a creative issue, setting them proudly against a scoffing outside world. They can’t do the orchestral thing right now but what they can do is this song, a wonderful expression of their musical togetherness and shared aesthetic.