sorry about the question marks. i've only heard one version of this song, and while i know he is dropping two allusions in those places, i can't tell what they are--it's difficult with proper nouns and shitty-quality recordings.
there are so many things i love about this song. but the last 3 verses are the best. the neophyte charm is like a priest's secret fetish. it reminds me of "v for vendetta," when natalie portman dresses up like the little girl for the priest. the fact that she's getting all gussied up in an attempt to look attractive, but she only comes off to him as a "common whore," that's fucking powerful. he liked her the best when she wasn't trying, when she kept it simple. and the image of drinking something traditionally more classy like wine in a "pink plastic cup" reminds me of the death cab song "champagne from a paper cup," though in that song it's ridiculing the idea and in this one he's sort of praising it as simplistic and cute. or quirky. the first two lines of the last verse are so basic and so effortless that they are even more powerful. but my favorite part is the very end, at least on my recording, because he says "happy birthday to you, i sure hope it's not true" (as in, we haven't talked in a really long time, but i know it's your birthday and i've heard things along the grapevine) "even though i don't miss you that much." what i like about this is, on my recording, which i got from the airborne site, some guy in the audience says something that sounds like "yeah he does!" just as the clapping starts after the song. it's funny, because if that is what he said, then i inferred that as well, that mikel is saying something but implying something else, and if that guy said that it's really interesting. i like it anyway.
sorry about the question marks. i've only heard one version of this song, and while i know he is dropping two allusions in those places, i can't tell what they are--it's difficult with proper nouns and shitty-quality recordings.
there are so many things i love about this song. but the last 3 verses are the best. the neophyte charm is like a priest's secret fetish. it reminds me of "v for vendetta," when natalie portman dresses up like the little girl for the priest. the fact that she's getting all gussied up in an attempt to look attractive, but she only comes off to him as a "common whore," that's fucking powerful. he liked her the best when she wasn't trying, when she kept it simple. and the image of drinking something traditionally more classy like wine in a "pink plastic cup" reminds me of the death cab song "champagne from a paper cup," though in that song it's ridiculing the idea and in this one he's sort of praising it as simplistic and cute. or quirky. the first two lines of the last verse are so basic and so effortless that they are even more powerful. but my favorite part is the very end, at least on my recording, because he says "happy birthday to you, i sure hope it's not true" (as in, we haven't talked in a really long time, but i know it's your birthday and i've heard things along the grapevine) "even though i don't miss you that much." what i like about this is, on my recording, which i got from the airborne site, some guy in the audience says something that sounds like "yeah he does!" just as the clapping starts after the song. it's funny, because if that is what he said, then i inferred that as well, that mikel is saying something but implying something else, and if that guy said that it's really interesting. i like it anyway.