Agreed. If you write a song, you can take credit for it regardless of the band you played it with. Esp bands that are put together with individual artists.
Anyway, this is what I think. Take it for what it is.
"Oh, hello Mr. Soul,
I dropped by
to pick up a reason:
For the thought that I caught
that my head
is the event of the season.
(I see this first part to mean that he is sitting and thinking, probably in a very interspective way. Like talking to himself. And he is saying "I had this thought that I am a big time event and people want to know what I have to say (songs), but give me one reason why I should think I am that important")
Why in crowds just a trace
of my face
could seem so pleasin'?
(Now he is thinking "Why is it that just seeing me in a crowd of people or on the street would make others so happy to see me")
I'll cop out to the change,
but a stranger
is putting the tease on.
(Not really sure here, but I think maybe he means he will just give in to the fame but now strangers are coming on to him or being overly friendly and he is not sure if talking to them is selling out and playing the game or just being himself: Like should he really go along with fake kindness)
I was down on a frown
when the messenger
brought me a letter.
(He was sitting around kinda depressed from all of this when he gets a letter)
I was raised by the praise
of a fan
who said I upset her.
(Some fan sent him a letter saying he "upset her". I think this means that his music was able to make someone change the way they think and her praise "raised" him or lifted his spirits)
Any girl in the world
could have easily
known me better.
(obviously, he is saying she was a complete stranger to him)
She said, You're strange,
but don't change,
and I let her.
(I think he is saying she loved his music and although it made her challenge herself she wouldn't have it any other way so he should not change: But just her saying that changed the way he thinks about himself and fame)
In a while will the smile
on my face
turn to plaster?
(Am I always going to be so happy with this fame or am I gonna grow weary and irritated with it?)
Stick around while the clown
who is sick
does the trick of disaster.
(Stay and watch me be famous and do my thing, but take note: I am not well (mental or drugs) and eventaully all this fame is gonna be bad for me)
For the race of my head
and my face
is moving much faster.
(things are moving so fast and his well being and state of happiness are on the line while all these forces race to decide his fate)
Is it strange I should change?
I don't know,
why don't you ask her?"
(Is it bad that fame makes me change if I am aware of it? Will it ruin my art and make me a different person or will it increase my art make people love me more. He doesn't seem to have an answer for himself and is saying only the fans can answer that question)
@mrMojoRisen Good analysis. I was just thinking how I've heard this song hundreds of times but never really thought about what the lyrics might mean, just getting caut up in that driving beat and Neil's voice.
@mrMojoRisen Good analysis. I was just thinking how I've heard this song hundreds of times but never really thought about what the lyrics might mean, just getting caut up in that driving beat and Neil's voice.
@mrMojoRisen Normally when I come upon the curiosity of the meaning of a song I will visit here. Fascinating to read the opinions. It’s illuminating and it’s a relatively calm and peaceful place here.
@mrMojoRisen Normally when I come upon the curiosity of the meaning of a song I will visit here. Fascinating to read the opinions. It’s illuminating and it’s a relatively calm and peaceful place here.
I also generally prefer when the song is written here that it’s entirety is written about as a whole vs line by line. With that said, your write up above was a GREAT READ!!
I also generally prefer when the song is written here that it’s entirety is written about as a whole vs line by line. With that said, your write up above was a GREAT READ!!
It encapsulated the overall theme of the song; being on the threshold of perhaps FAME, there are so many emotions; Joy, excitement, fear, indecisiveness, and relationships both personal and...
It encapsulated the overall theme of the song; being on the threshold of perhaps FAME, there are so many emotions; Joy, excitement, fear, indecisiveness, and relationships both personal and the music business? Neil’s song catalog is near the top and what a prolific talent.
Liked the Line by Line assessment too. Happy I saw this today and THANK YOU. I hope this reply about 17 years to the date connects with someone like your writing connected with me.
Agreed. If you write a song, you can take credit for it regardless of the band you played it with. Esp bands that are put together with individual artists.
Anyway, this is what I think. Take it for what it is.
"Oh, hello Mr. Soul, I dropped by to pick up a reason: For the thought that I caught that my head is the event of the season.
(I see this first part to mean that he is sitting and thinking, probably in a very interspective way. Like talking to himself. And he is saying "I had this thought that I am a big time event and people want to know what I have to say (songs), but give me one reason why I should think I am that important")
Why in crowds just a trace of my face could seem so pleasin'?
(Now he is thinking "Why is it that just seeing me in a crowd of people or on the street would make others so happy to see me")
I'll cop out to the change, but a stranger is putting the tease on.
(Not really sure here, but I think maybe he means he will just give in to the fame but now strangers are coming on to him or being overly friendly and he is not sure if talking to them is selling out and playing the game or just being himself: Like should he really go along with fake kindness)
I was down on a frown when the messenger brought me a letter.
(He was sitting around kinda depressed from all of this when he gets a letter)
I was raised by the praise of a fan who said I upset her.
(Some fan sent him a letter saying he "upset her". I think this means that his music was able to make someone change the way they think and her praise "raised" him or lifted his spirits)
Any girl in the world could have easily known me better.
(obviously, he is saying she was a complete stranger to him)
She said, You're strange, but don't change, and I let her.
(I think he is saying she loved his music and although it made her challenge herself she wouldn't have it any other way so he should not change: But just her saying that changed the way he thinks about himself and fame)
In a while will the smile on my face turn to plaster?
(Am I always going to be so happy with this fame or am I gonna grow weary and irritated with it?)
Stick around while the clown who is sick does the trick of disaster.
(Stay and watch me be famous and do my thing, but take note: I am not well (mental or drugs) and eventaully all this fame is gonna be bad for me)
For the race of my head and my face is moving much faster.
(things are moving so fast and his well being and state of happiness are on the line while all these forces race to decide his fate)
Is it strange I should change? I don't know, why don't you ask her?"
(Is it bad that fame makes me change if I am aware of it? Will it ruin my art and make me a different person or will it increase my art make people love me more. He doesn't seem to have an answer for himself and is saying only the fans can answer that question)
@mrMojoRisen Good analysis. I was just thinking how I've heard this song hundreds of times but never really thought about what the lyrics might mean, just getting caut up in that driving beat and Neil's voice.
@mrMojoRisen Good analysis. I was just thinking how I've heard this song hundreds of times but never really thought about what the lyrics might mean, just getting caut up in that driving beat and Neil's voice.
@mrMojoRisen Normally when I come upon the curiosity of the meaning of a song I will visit here. Fascinating to read the opinions. It’s illuminating and it’s a relatively calm and peaceful place here.
@mrMojoRisen Normally when I come upon the curiosity of the meaning of a song I will visit here. Fascinating to read the opinions. It’s illuminating and it’s a relatively calm and peaceful place here.
I also generally prefer when the song is written here that it’s entirety is written about as a whole vs line by line. With that said, your write up above was a GREAT READ!!
I also generally prefer when the song is written here that it’s entirety is written about as a whole vs line by line. With that said, your write up above was a GREAT READ!!
It encapsulated the overall theme of the song; being on the threshold of perhaps FAME, there are so many emotions; Joy, excitement, fear, indecisiveness, and relationships both personal and...
It encapsulated the overall theme of the song; being on the threshold of perhaps FAME, there are so many emotions; Joy, excitement, fear, indecisiveness, and relationships both personal and the music business? Neil’s song catalog is near the top and what a prolific talent.
Liked the Line by Line assessment too. Happy I saw this today and THANK YOU. I hope this reply about 17 years to the date connects with someone like your writing connected with me.