As for the lyrics, I think maybe some of you are trying to take these lyrics a little too literally? Avey's early lyrics were always very metaphorical and it takes a lot before they even come together to one meaning. Hell, his lyrics up until quite recently have been very abstract- look at his songs on Sung Tongs and a lot of them are even stranger than this.
I mean, we don't have Avey on here so none of us really know what it's about, but here's some ideas I've come up with about the song:
-for one, I really don't think Alvin Row is literally about a baby. It makes a lot of the lyrics about being old and dying a little difficult. I think if Alvin even is a character- which might be a stretch itself- then Avey is maybe trying to describe a person's entire life through the medium of them being a baby.
-secondly, the song doesn't even cover one lifetime. The references are often ancient or historical (just yesterday you wore a sword, it's hard to be Ben Franklin). Considering a lot of these are in the past, then we could consider that he's using the past in a very exaggerated way. If that's true, then Alvin isn't even a person- he could be a nation or empire, which would make the personal references like "new year's evening" interesting- in that case he's either describing a nation in terms of personal landmarks or a person in terms of national ones.
-thirdly, I don't think Alvin is even the same character throughout the story. Sometimes he seems like the narrater's son (baby in your cradle, look at me), next the narrater's lover (baby love me), next a friend, next a lost one (I remember the day that I walked away). I think these ambiguities really emphasise that fact that Alvin represents something rather than actually exists as any person in the song.
So overall, the song doesn't really adhere to any strict plot or timeline: Alvin isn't one age, he doesn't exist in any one lifetime, and he doesn't even exist as one person. Which I suppose means that Alvin represents some kind of influence, or factor, in Avey's life- or anyone's, really.
I couldn't possibly guess what that is, but although it seems a cop-out to say "it's drugs!", this song was written right at the time Avey was on a cocktail of different drugs and some of the lyrics seem to fit that interpretation (Watch your new years evening wash away/alvin all these visions are mine/they are figments of your mind/I remember I watched a man crying his weird chant/she only likes it when i beg so i expect she's waiting/words slip by when i'm silent i have to let so many people down) which imply a combination of hallucinogenics, addiction and guilt.
But at the same time, all the ancient references seem to point towards Alvin being something far more ancient and long-standing, which complicates things a bit. Maybe Alvin represents the Muses, which were both known to create hallucinations and inspire, and were certainly ancient. Well, it's an idea, at least.
So good I named my band after it!
As for the lyrics, I think maybe some of you are trying to take these lyrics a little too literally? Avey's early lyrics were always very metaphorical and it takes a lot before they even come together to one meaning. Hell, his lyrics up until quite recently have been very abstract- look at his songs on Sung Tongs and a lot of them are even stranger than this.
I mean, we don't have Avey on here so none of us really know what it's about, but here's some ideas I've come up with about the song:
-for one, I really don't think Alvin Row is literally about a baby. It makes a lot of the lyrics about being old and dying a little difficult. I think if Alvin even is a character- which might be a stretch itself- then Avey is maybe trying to describe a person's entire life through the medium of them being a baby.
-secondly, the song doesn't even cover one lifetime. The references are often ancient or historical (just yesterday you wore a sword, it's hard to be Ben Franklin). Considering a lot of these are in the past, then we could consider that he's using the past in a very exaggerated way. If that's true, then Alvin isn't even a person- he could be a nation or empire, which would make the personal references like "new year's evening" interesting- in that case he's either describing a nation in terms of personal landmarks or a person in terms of national ones.
-thirdly, I don't think Alvin is even the same character throughout the story. Sometimes he seems like the narrater's son (baby in your cradle, look at me), next the narrater's lover (baby love me), next a friend, next a lost one (I remember the day that I walked away). I think these ambiguities really emphasise that fact that Alvin represents something rather than actually exists as any person in the song.
So overall, the song doesn't really adhere to any strict plot or timeline: Alvin isn't one age, he doesn't exist in any one lifetime, and he doesn't even exist as one person. Which I suppose means that Alvin represents some kind of influence, or factor, in Avey's life- or anyone's, really.
I couldn't possibly guess what that is, but although it seems a cop-out to say "it's drugs!", this song was written right at the time Avey was on a cocktail of different drugs and some of the lyrics seem to fit that interpretation (Watch your new years evening wash away/alvin all these visions are mine/they are figments of your mind/I remember I watched a man crying his weird chant/she only likes it when i beg so i expect she's waiting/words slip by when i'm silent i have to let so many people down) which imply a combination of hallucinogenics, addiction and guilt.
But at the same time, all the ancient references seem to point towards Alvin being something far more ancient and long-standing, which complicates things a bit. Maybe Alvin represents the Muses, which were both known to create hallucinations and inspire, and were certainly ancient. Well, it's an idea, at least.
What do you guys think?
Thats sucks! I was gona name my band after it. You beat me to the punch. We'll I was thinking the living toys, or penny dreadfuls anyways.
Thats sucks! I was gona name my band after it. You beat me to the punch. We'll I was thinking the living toys, or penny dreadfuls anyways.
I read somewhere that this album was about a tribe of cannibals in India. Maybe not India. It might be the Aghori. I'm not to sure about that though.
I read somewhere that this album was about a tribe of cannibals in India. Maybe not India. It might be the Aghori. I'm not to sure about that though.