People seem to think this one's about childhood or young love, though I see this as more a paean to independent musicians & amateur music scholars obsessed with their art.
For me, the imagery of playing guitar and making art late into the night immediately identifies the voice of a passionately creative person. They're not watching sports or out cruising for chicks, they enjoy their free time noodling on the guitar and doodling at home. They're done by 10, which implies they have to get up at a respectable time for work or school. Or work at school - Bob worked as a teacher for a number of years.
The line about watching "hardcore UFOs" paints a portrait equal parts crackpot, dreamer, outsider, and punk rocker. Also a possible reference to Hüsker Dü's "Books About UFOs" wouldn't be lost on fans of pre-Nirvana and pre-streaming independent music.
When Pollard asks "Are you amplified to rock? Are you hoping for a contact?" it's both evocative of being different & alienated, and wanting to use your music to find other likeminded people - E.T. trying to phone home - and an artist hoping to make industry contacts that could maybe lead to their part time band turning into a real job. Maybe this is a GBV fan giving Bob their demo.
"I'll be with you, without you, again" could be about music, how when you listen to a song, the artist is there with you, though not in person.
In this context, the angel calling becomes the muse of music and creation. The "falling" up and down / back and forth, through "broken down buildings" could be the fan listening to music from different eras, of bands no longer together, styles no longer in fashion?
Then the line "please don't bother at all"... Is this all futile? Countless days have been wasted, to "build a playground in your head". Is this devotion to the art futile? Until they've "made it", what does the songwriter have to show for it, except something that only exists in their head?
The final line, "you know why I left you for so long" implies that this all is an explanation for some type of neglect. Either the author has been physically gone for some time - maybe on tour with their band trying to break big, or they just spent all their time making music and listening to records instead of socializing and giving their attention to their friend / family or other aspects of their life.
So that's an alternate interpretation of "Hardcore UFOs"!
People seem to think this one's about childhood or young love, though I see this as more a paean to independent musicians & amateur music scholars obsessed with their art.
For me, the imagery of playing guitar and making art late into the night immediately identifies the voice of a passionately creative person. They're not watching sports or out cruising for chicks, they enjoy their free time noodling on the guitar and doodling at home. They're done by 10, which implies they have to get up at a respectable time for work or school. Or work at school - Bob worked as a teacher for a number of years.
The line about watching "hardcore UFOs" paints a portrait equal parts crackpot, dreamer, outsider, and punk rocker. Also a possible reference to Hüsker Dü's "Books About UFOs" wouldn't be lost on fans of pre-Nirvana and pre-streaming independent music.
When Pollard asks "Are you amplified to rock? Are you hoping for a contact?" it's both evocative of being different & alienated, and wanting to use your music to find other likeminded people - E.T. trying to phone home - and an artist hoping to make industry contacts that could maybe lead to their part time band turning into a real job. Maybe this is a GBV fan giving Bob their demo. "I'll be with you, without you, again" could be about music, how when you listen to a song, the artist is there with you, though not in person.
In this context, the angel calling becomes the muse of music and creation. The "falling" up and down / back and forth, through "broken down buildings" could be the fan listening to music from different eras, of bands no longer together, styles no longer in fashion?
Then the line "please don't bother at all"... Is this all futile? Countless days have been wasted, to "build a playground in your head". Is this devotion to the art futile? Until they've "made it", what does the songwriter have to show for it, except something that only exists in their head?
The final line, "you know why I left you for so long" implies that this all is an explanation for some type of neglect. Either the author has been physically gone for some time - maybe on tour with their band trying to break big, or they just spent all their time making music and listening to records instead of socializing and giving their attention to their friend / family or other aspects of their life.
So that's an alternate interpretation of "Hardcore UFOs"!