This song starts off with pretty standard emo imagery, "crack my ribs and repair this broken heart," from a broken hearted boy commited to a relationship to the bitter end and willing to do anything to save it. but it goes on in a way that i think is pretty original for emo lyricists - with the introduction of the female vocalist, "I feel I must interject here," we hear the motivations of the heartbreaker, the calculated, realistic, departing female speaking up in her own defense. I think this rarely seen point-of-view makes this song powerful. we can see the complications of romantic relationships, the conflicts that occur when one partner is seeing everything through rose-colored glasses and another is trying to map out issues of the heart as if they were math functions. it helps us to sympathize for the heartbroken lover who is attempting to do anything to hold on by combating cold, pessimistic discontent with heartfelt idealism. What does the dialogue do for you? Does it make you hate the girl for being so heartless? Does it make you think about how complicated love can be? Does it make you wanna say "get over it!" to the overly emotional broken-hearted? Please tell me what it makes you think...
I like that you asked a question instead of just merely stating what you thought. In my mind, the best lyrics/songs make us ask questions of ourselves...or have multiple levels of interpretation.
I like that you asked a question instead of just merely stating what you thought. In my mind, the best lyrics/songs make us ask questions of ourselves...or have multiple levels of interpretation.
I'd have to say a little of each, as it would be between any two complicated human beings, each probably is in the wrong AND in the right. He probably sees things as too rosy...but has every right to try to keep it together. She probably is being too calculating...but shying away based on some very important reasons.
I'd have to say a little of each, as it would be between any two complicated human beings, each probably is in the wrong AND in the right. He probably sees things as too rosy...but has every right to try to keep it together. She probably is being too calculating...but shying away based on some very important reasons.
Right now for me, I sympathize...
Right now for me, I sympathize with the guy. I feel like my recent relationship was ended abruptly for no real reason...actually I would have appreciated if he would have pulled out some "charts and graphs" so I could actually have a reason to let go.
Well. Replying nearly 9 years later... This feels odd, as though I've stepped into a time machine or something.
Well. Replying nearly 9 years later... This feels odd, as though I've stepped into a time machine or something.
It makes me think exactly what you said. The girl is trying to state that she sees beyond all of the rose, puffy-paint, lovey-doveyness of the relationship. She sees beyond the beauty and attraction and chemistry and is telling him that being with him means she can't overlook all of the times that she's felt like leaving him. That his memory of her is comprised of gaps... and those gaps are all of the times that their relationship went wrong.
It makes me think exactly what you said. The girl is trying to state that she sees beyond all of the rose, puffy-paint, lovey-doveyness of the relationship. She sees beyond the beauty and attraction and chemistry and is telling him that being with him means she can't overlook all of the times that she's felt like leaving him. That his memory of her is comprised of gaps... and those gaps are all of the times that their relationship went wrong.
I think...
I think neither of them are wrong or anything in any way. It's a song to illustrate the sheer beauty of interpreting love in different ways. What is a functional, deep, soulmate-like love for one human being is torture and confinement to another.
This is my second favorite The Postal Service song. Possibly it may become my first.. We'll see. Obligatory note to illustrate that this is my favorite "band" int he universe. Something about The Postal Service makes me feel alright. The music makes me feel okay for having feelings. Okay for feeling awkward. Their music is so unbelievably fragile and delicate that it's breathtaking.
And with that digression, I must remind whoever is reading this that the parent comment and my comment are 9 YEARS APART. WHOOOA.
This song starts off with pretty standard emo imagery, "crack my ribs and repair this broken heart," from a broken hearted boy commited to a relationship to the bitter end and willing to do anything to save it. but it goes on in a way that i think is pretty original for emo lyricists - with the introduction of the female vocalist, "I feel I must interject here," we hear the motivations of the heartbreaker, the calculated, realistic, departing female speaking up in her own defense. I think this rarely seen point-of-view makes this song powerful. we can see the complications of romantic relationships, the conflicts that occur when one partner is seeing everything through rose-colored glasses and another is trying to map out issues of the heart as if they were math functions. it helps us to sympathize for the heartbroken lover who is attempting to do anything to hold on by combating cold, pessimistic discontent with heartfelt idealism. What does the dialogue do for you? Does it make you hate the girl for being so heartless? Does it make you think about how complicated love can be? Does it make you wanna say "get over it!" to the overly emotional broken-hearted? Please tell me what it makes you think...
I like that you asked a question instead of just merely stating what you thought. In my mind, the best lyrics/songs make us ask questions of ourselves...or have multiple levels of interpretation.
I like that you asked a question instead of just merely stating what you thought. In my mind, the best lyrics/songs make us ask questions of ourselves...or have multiple levels of interpretation.
I'd have to say a little of each, as it would be between any two complicated human beings, each probably is in the wrong AND in the right. He probably sees things as too rosy...but has every right to try to keep it together. She probably is being too calculating...but shying away based on some very important reasons.
I'd have to say a little of each, as it would be between any two complicated human beings, each probably is in the wrong AND in the right. He probably sees things as too rosy...but has every right to try to keep it together. She probably is being too calculating...but shying away based on some very important reasons.
Right now for me, I sympathize...
Right now for me, I sympathize with the guy. I feel like my recent relationship was ended abruptly for no real reason...actually I would have appreciated if he would have pulled out some "charts and graphs" so I could actually have a reason to let go.
Well. Replying nearly 9 years later... This feels odd, as though I've stepped into a time machine or something.
Well. Replying nearly 9 years later... This feels odd, as though I've stepped into a time machine or something.
It makes me think exactly what you said. The girl is trying to state that she sees beyond all of the rose, puffy-paint, lovey-doveyness of the relationship. She sees beyond the beauty and attraction and chemistry and is telling him that being with him means she can't overlook all of the times that she's felt like leaving him. That his memory of her is comprised of gaps... and those gaps are all of the times that their relationship went wrong.
It makes me think exactly what you said. The girl is trying to state that she sees beyond all of the rose, puffy-paint, lovey-doveyness of the relationship. She sees beyond the beauty and attraction and chemistry and is telling him that being with him means she can't overlook all of the times that she's felt like leaving him. That his memory of her is comprised of gaps... and those gaps are all of the times that their relationship went wrong.
I think...
I think neither of them are wrong or anything in any way. It's a song to illustrate the sheer beauty of interpreting love in different ways. What is a functional, deep, soulmate-like love for one human being is torture and confinement to another.
This is my second favorite The Postal Service song. Possibly it may become my first.. We'll see. Obligatory note to illustrate that this is my favorite "band" int he universe. Something about The Postal Service makes me feel alright. The music makes me feel okay for having feelings. Okay for feeling awkward. Their music is so unbelievably fragile and delicate that it's breathtaking.
And with that digression, I must remind whoever is reading this that the parent comment and my comment are 9 YEARS APART. WHOOOA.