Can you be sad and happy at the same time? Worried but full of hope? It is this strange state of mind that is depicted by First Aid Kit in their song "My Silver Lining".
First Aid Kit tie up to ideas about faith (or better: disbelief), eternity and what life is all about, expressed in earlier songs like "Hard Believer" or "Heavy Storm" ("I wish I could believe in something bigger..."). They try to push away these big questions by distracting themselves with conviviality, music and laughter.
Who would not associate the third line with the famous slogan: "Live fast, die young" (from Faron Young's 1955 song, Paul Henreid's 1958 film, or the James Dean biography)? If you live too fast, life might be over before you really come to know it. If you live too slow, life may become boring. You may live longer, but what's the use then, if your life in empty?
"Bittersweet" has always been First Aid Kit's hallmark, but this song creates a special tension by the use of contrasts, antitheses or contradictions in almost every line: "dying - living", "too fast - too slow", "right - wrong", ... "shackles - to be free". "Can't worry 'bout what's behind you or what's coming for you further up the road" boils down to the resolution to live for today.
"Road" is a metaphor for the path of life, while "silver lining" obviously means the expectation that things will become better in the future. The repeated appeals to "keep on keeping on" and the fast, continuously rolling beats create the imagination of driving down an endless highway through vast plains. Kind of a road movie cast into a song...
Health warning: First Aid Kit music is addictive. From the moment I had bought the CD "The Lion's Roar", I had it on repeat. I could not bear hearing any other music for about one year. I'm afraid the same will happen when "Stay Gold" appears.
Can you be sad and happy at the same time? Worried but full of hope? It is this strange state of mind that is depicted by First Aid Kit in their song "My Silver Lining". First Aid Kit tie up to ideas about faith (or better: disbelief), eternity and what life is all about, expressed in earlier songs like "Hard Believer" or "Heavy Storm" ("I wish I could believe in something bigger..."). They try to push away these big questions by distracting themselves with conviviality, music and laughter. Who would not associate the third line with the famous slogan: "Live fast, die young" (from Faron Young's 1955 song, Paul Henreid's 1958 film, or the James Dean biography)? If you live too fast, life might be over before you really come to know it. If you live too slow, life may become boring. You may live longer, but what's the use then, if your life in empty? "Bittersweet" has always been First Aid Kit's hallmark, but this song creates a special tension by the use of contrasts, antitheses or contradictions in almost every line: "dying - living", "too fast - too slow", "right - wrong", ... "shackles - to be free". "Can't worry 'bout what's behind you or what's coming for you further up the road" boils down to the resolution to live for today. "Road" is a metaphor for the path of life, while "silver lining" obviously means the expectation that things will become better in the future. The repeated appeals to "keep on keeping on" and the fast, continuously rolling beats create the imagination of driving down an endless highway through vast plains. Kind of a road movie cast into a song...
Health warning: First Aid Kit music is addictive. From the moment I had bought the CD "The Lion's Roar", I had it on repeat. I could not bear hearing any other music for about one year. I'm afraid the same will happen when "Stay Gold" appears.
@Pinguin59 I teared up at your analysis, I'm really happy I got to read something like this. And I definitely agree with you
@Pinguin59 I teared up at your analysis, I'm really happy I got to read something like this. And I definitely agree with you