This song has two parts - the first part is very critical of uncle alvarez. A couple of people have said that Liz is saying that the family is ashamed of uncle alvarez because he told lies. I don't think that's why they are ashamed of him. Here is a story of a man who traded his role as a father and a husband for the role of a provider. He travelled the world doing amazing things - but, there is irony in this song, just like there is most liz phair songs - the reason she calls these "imaginary accomplishments" is not because they weren't real, but because how can anyone observe, or experience an accomplishment if they aren't there - i.e. if a tree falls over in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? That's why she uses that description. Imaginary because Uncle alvarez was gone, and the accomplishments were always conveyed via phone or post cards.
Then the song starts becoming sentimental and more understanding of uncle alvarez's plight. She feels bad that he gave up so much to be a good provider. Basically a sweet, talented, hardworking man who made a choice that caused alot of loneliness and pain and this was the price that uncle alvarez had to pay.
The next part of the song she is addressing someone teetering on the brink of making the same choice as uncle alvarez and so the song becomes cautionary as she sings with the message that any accomplishment is meaningless if you don't have anyone to share it with.
Its really a sad song - one of my favorites for sure.
@Dogma72 well said. The line about once being a beautiful dancer seems to imply a whole lot. Like maybe he romanced the mom's sister and won her heart by being a beautiful dancer. Or maybe he's the mom's brother and he was such a smooth dancer that he fooled some other woman into betting her future on him. And she married him, then had to live with the heartbreak of the under-employed confabulator he turned out to be.
@Dogma72 well said. The line about once being a beautiful dancer seems to imply a whole lot. Like maybe he romanced the mom's sister and won her heart by being a beautiful dancer. Or maybe he's the mom's brother and he was such a smooth dancer that he fooled some other woman into betting her future on him. And she married him, then had to live with the heartbreak of the under-employed confabulator he turned out to be.
This song has two parts - the first part is very critical of uncle alvarez. A couple of people have said that Liz is saying that the family is ashamed of uncle alvarez because he told lies. I don't think that's why they are ashamed of him. Here is a story of a man who traded his role as a father and a husband for the role of a provider. He travelled the world doing amazing things - but, there is irony in this song, just like there is most liz phair songs - the reason she calls these "imaginary accomplishments" is not because they weren't real, but because how can anyone observe, or experience an accomplishment if they aren't there - i.e. if a tree falls over in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? That's why she uses that description. Imaginary because Uncle alvarez was gone, and the accomplishments were always conveyed via phone or post cards.
Then the song starts becoming sentimental and more understanding of uncle alvarez's plight. She feels bad that he gave up so much to be a good provider. Basically a sweet, talented, hardworking man who made a choice that caused alot of loneliness and pain and this was the price that uncle alvarez had to pay.
The next part of the song she is addressing someone teetering on the brink of making the same choice as uncle alvarez and so the song becomes cautionary as she sings with the message that any accomplishment is meaningless if you don't have anyone to share it with.
Its really a sad song - one of my favorites for sure.
@Dogma72 well said. The line about once being a beautiful dancer seems to imply a whole lot. Like maybe he romanced the mom's sister and won her heart by being a beautiful dancer. Or maybe he's the mom's brother and he was such a smooth dancer that he fooled some other woman into betting her future on him. And she married him, then had to live with the heartbreak of the under-employed confabulator he turned out to be.
@Dogma72 well said. The line about once being a beautiful dancer seems to imply a whole lot. Like maybe he romanced the mom's sister and won her heart by being a beautiful dancer. Or maybe he's the mom's brother and he was such a smooth dancer that he fooled some other woman into betting her future on him. And she married him, then had to live with the heartbreak of the under-employed confabulator he turned out to be.