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.
You go in that team
I go on this team
Divide everything
A flag or a number
Make 'em opposites
So there's a reason
Stigmatization
OK now we can fight
Divide everything
Just put it all flat
Justification
OK now you can fight
It is abhorrnet and reasonable
I go on this team
Divide everything
A flag or a number
Make 'em opposites
So there's a reason
Stigmatization
OK now we can fight
Divide everything
Just put it all flat
Justification
OK now you can fight
It is abhorrnet and reasonable
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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.
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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,
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
During World War I Yper (flemish) or Ypres (french) was the site of some of the most intense battles between the German and allied forces. The city was almost wiped from the surface of the earth ("Just put it all flat"). The first time the Germans made use of poison gas was at Yper. During the Third Battle of Ypres alone about half a million men were killed on both sides.
sports as a socializing construct to promote war and nationalism...and adversarialism in general just compare the orientation of a battlefront to that of a football game
This is a song about a break-up. The inevitability of having to split up possessions. It's a mutual decision in this song, but they are looking for reasons to be mad at each other so that they can feel more justified in their decision to split.
I'm sorry malachi but you have no idea what you're talking about. This is about nationalism, Stereolab are deeply socialist... they sing in French, they're very very liberal. This song shows just how irreverent "national lines" are. They say that we are human that should be enough for us to get along. The idea taht we can't work together but rather "stimagatize" our national identities and try to coerce our nation's citizens into thinking that those not of our country are different, wrong, and opposites. Then we fight over the land, the goods, the wealth. When they say justification they mean that our countries' leaders justify any type of imperial duties for the benefit of our nation. I'm a pretty conservative guy, but the pure simplicity of this song really do make me think...
I agree on this in part, but also I like to extend it to all groups (a flag or a number) and collectives not just nationality. The idea of making groups and categories by creating an own group identity and an external opposite.
i think it can also be about ethnocentrism
All of the above.
i agree with youeatpoop
this song is my ringtone, just the instrumental intro.
Great Song!
I like both possibilities but does anyone else hear "Making more posits" rather than "Make 'em opposites" ? Both make sense