| Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton – Mostly Waving Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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But what does being depressed at a party have to do with the lines, "Get, get the line down?" Even if you don't take it as literal interpretation of song-writing, you must admit that the singer is struggling to articulate something but she's having a hard time which is why she repeats "get the line down". Another explanation could be the difference between writing songs for Metric and writing more personal songs like she does for this solo project. She's just trying to get the line down, but she's afraid her fans or the general public won't get it, hence someone urging her to use her "baby talk" instead. Not to rip on Metric, because I love them, but the songs she has written for that band are definitely not as heavy or as personal than the songs on this album. She wants to express her grief, to write the song, to get it out, but she's worried it's too much. I agree with your point on blue not being blue at all but brown. I wonder if this has anything to do with "this fog"? Metric has a lot of songs about the "blues" but this feeling is more intense than the blues - it's brown. I like to think of it as a leaf in the fall that turns brown and brittle, but that's probably because at first I thought she sang "this fall" instead of "this fog." :) |
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| Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton – Eden Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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The most interesting aspect of the Garden of Eden story as told in Genesis, is that Eve, even though she is later portrayed as a Jezebel who ate the apple and made Adam join her in her wickedness, actually exercises far more intelligence and dignity than Adam. The serpent goes to Eve, because it knows that (unlike stupid Adam), she is more likely to question God's decree and think for herself. When she is certain she will not die from the fruit and that wisdom is desirable, she eats the apple and shares it with her mate. She does not convince him to join her - the Bible simply states that she brought it to her husband and he ate it. It's what happens next that makes the story (and this song) so interesting: God asks Adam, "Where have you been?" Adam says, "Well I was naked, so I went to hide and cover myself." God replies, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the forbidden tree." Adam, frightened, says, "Yes, I did. But! It's all Eve's fault. Because the woman you gave to be with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." Implied, of course, that had Eve not deceived HIM, he never would have sinned. Eve, of course, defends herself and blames the serpent for convincing her. Even so, Eve gets the brunt of the punishment with her child-bearing woes and the assertion that she will be ruled over by her husband, the same husband who was too naive and stupid not to question the apple and why his wife wanted to share it with him. We all know the outcome. Banished from the Garden. Sent out to toil in the soil and suffer. Mortal now. Obviously, this has already been mentioned, but "When I'm pushed, call it a fall and lay all the blame on me" is most likely a statement about how Eve was pushed into her fall from grace by the serpent, who appealed to her curiosity and convinced her to think for herself. But Adam, and later, a majority of men and priestly figures, will blame Eve for the fall of man, as if ignorance is really better than suffering because you must decide for yourself the distinction between good and evil. "From where I'm standing, it's a long way down Up here, at the top of a building Top of a mountain, top of a crowd Watching all the people moving down there in their clothes It's like they're hiding, but there's nothing left That everybody doesn't already know" From "where I'm standing" it seems like the narrator is standing from a high place both physically and spiritually - possibly from the Garden of Eden, although "top of a building" and "mountain" might be references to the Tower of Babel or Mt. Sinai - both sites in which conversation with God is possible or at least the goal. Again, clothes is a reference to the nakedness that Adam and Eve realize upon eating the apple. They are hiding from God, like Adam, because they are ashamed. Yet they are clothed. Is it shame about what's under the clothes - under the skin - their souls? But "there's nothing left that everybody doesn't already know." This last line is hard for me to figure out. Is it a comment of the fact that humans, because of man's fall from grace, have knowledge? But I don't think this song is necessarily a revenge song about how Eve will remember what Adam did to her. Maybe the singer is upset with God? Perhaps she's asking God, as she's standing from his perspective (which of course is not the perspective all the "people moving down there" have), can you see me, your child, who you created to be a companion to lonely Adam (and if you notice there are two different accounts about how woman was made --- one says she was made from Adam's rib - the other claims they were made together equally in the image of God --- both imply that Eve is God's opus of creation - the final thing he gives birth to)? Can you see me, your child, who you created, and then cast out of paradise because I wanted to have eyes of my own - knowledge and a perspective to decide for myself what to make of the world? God wanted to protect Adam and Eve - didn't think they could take knowing what's right and what's wrong unless He told them. How could you call it a fall? The snake told me you lied to me - that the apple wouldn't kill me, and it didn't. So how could you blame me? You were the one who put the snake there. You were the one created the tree. Because the singer wants to remember what happened in the garden, but can't, it seems to me that she thinks God does not help guide his children - only tries to send them on detours. Hence the deal with the garden, since he purposely created the very things that led to the fall of man. Also, the lines: "I'm looking over miles and miles of highway signs Do you know how to get out when you run out of reasons" She is looking at signs, but still can't find a way out, and asks God, but he won't tell her. And she can't remember it for herself, because it has been a long time since Eve was in the garden of Eden. A complex song - more complicated than it looks at first. One of my favorites. Hope I provided some insight or at least got ppl thinking about the song... |
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| Bat for Lashes – Tahiti Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This is my favorite song. It reminds me of the author Jean Rhys for some reason. | |
| Bat for Lashes – Trophy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I wonder at Apriltime's analysis of the song... the trophy does indeed seem sexual to me, but the part about "creatures of mercy" kind of trips me up. At first, I thought the song could be about rape. The trophy "fell into the wrong hands and in truth was sold." That part seems clear. Yet the next verse is about adoration and mercy. And justice. Mercy this and mercy that Let justice prevail But I just want my trophy back It's not for sale To me, this suggested rape. They all talk about mercy and letting justice prevail, kind of like a victim who is coerced into taking legal action. So justice happens, but the victim does not get her dignity (trophy?) back still. Still, I'm not sure why court jesters would be clapping about this. When I got my trophy back It took some time To polish it to gold from black And shoot the lioni When I put it back inside And locked the door A trophy of mercy Is a trophy no more ^That verse seems to support my reading, but I'm still not really sold. I might just be thinking about this song too much. :) |
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| Kate Bush – L'Amour Looks Something Like You Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| I can't believe no one else has commented on this song. This song is what sold Kate Bush for me. I really love this CD, but this track will always stand out to me. It's so God damn beautiful/sexy. | |
| Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton – The Lottery Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I think this song is nostalgic because it speaks of simpler times. Before bras burned. Even though it changed things for the better, it was much easier to do and want what everyone else did/wanted. Also, i think the lines: When our underwire radio tears into their international airwaves, Boredom will die, ears will bleed And all they'll desire is to give, and to please... could be about Emily's music career and how in the past it was so naive and simple- she'd play her music, people would be won over, and all she would do was give her songs and aim to please her audience. Maybe things changed when she was sick of not getting anything back, or maybe she was holding herself back in order to please the audience? |
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| Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton – Mostly Waving Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song to me speaks about two things: The first obviously being her father's death, and the second is directed to the lines that seems to throw everyone off: Get, get the line down Get the line down Get the line down Don't elaborate like that You frighten off the frat boys, Use your baby talk. Frighten off, frighten on Emily is having trouble writing about such a difficult subject (her father's death) "get the line down." One of my favorite poets said it took her 20 years before she could write something "good" about her mother's death. The second part of the verse- the frat boy part- I think is a stab at the fans who don't "understand" her lyrics. She feels like she has to make it easier to understand so she doesn't scare off others. Young, thought as I was- this could be about losing a father so early. Certainly she didn't expect it, and perhaps she felt that she was too young for one of her parents to die. Then when the death did happen, it aged her. "Done, thought as I was"- this could also be about how she thought she was over the grief- but she wasn't. My favorite part of the song "The blues are brown" I take to be about death- a vibrant color like blue suddenly turns to brown- waking her to the fact that he father is gone and she had been "missing and mostly waving". I think this song is about having difficulty saying good-bye to someone you loved that has died. But that's just what I think. :-) |
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| José González – Crosses Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I agree with the interpretation of an accident of some sort- but the "crosses" don't necessarily have to represent ambulances. Have you ever driven down a highway and seen crosses along the way- crosses marking where the accident has been? "Crosses all along the boulevard" could mean the memorial of a person killed in an accident- I also get vibes that Gonzalez is somehow responsible for said accident, or at least was there to witness it: "Returning nightmares, only shadows." or "The sirens inside me waiting to step forward" And also that things are only all right "for now." If not a car accident, I could see how this could be about another traumatic event- especially rape. The lyrics seem to hint at wanting to side-step the issue, or perhaps Gonzalez doesn't really know how to address it and instead tries to comfort her. My last interpretation makes more sense with the first couple of lines: "Don't you know that I'll be around to guide you. Through your weakest moments to leave them behind you." I also think this song could be about a relationship- how he hurt someone, and he knows it and is haunted by it, but they don't address it. Instead they "cast some light and it'll be all right." But not all right forever- for now. |
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| Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton – The Last Page Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I actually think this song could be about suicide, too, specifically the lines: Lights out to midnight. Sleep all day (yeah, yeah, yeah) (Sha la la la) Dark and quiet, only the owls are watching, Only the sky is up and I'm leaving for a place (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) From Another time, just to be near you, just to be near you, just to be near you (sha la la la la la la la la..) Not to mention "death is absolutely safe." Perhaps it's less about the actual act and more about the ideation of suicide. |
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| Dave Matthews Band – Grey Street (Busted Stuff version) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I actually heard this song was written about the famous American poet Anne Grey Sexton- hence the title. She suffered from extreme depression and ended up killing herself in the 70s. I can see this, actually, especially with the references to prayer and religion- Anne became increasingly more religious as her depression grew and she felt that God didn't listen to her. |
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| Peter Gabriel – Mercy Street Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The poetry references are well done. I agree with pretty much everything there. But, though I appreciate the input of Miranda, she is wildly misinformed. "Anne Sexton was sexually abused by her parents." This has actually been denied by every member of Anne's family. Even Anne's own psychiatrist believes that she made up the fact that her father sexually abused her, though it's been included in her biography because her therapist thought it was "real to Anne." "When she was in her 20's she tried committing suicide with a piece of "broken glass" and went to see a psychiartist not long after." Actually, this couldn't be more wrong. Yes, she did attempt suicide, but with pills after she gave birth to Linda and not a "piece of broken glass." The broken glass is more likely a reference to the dreams she sees that are now broken. "I think I read somewhere that her parents died while on vaction. Their boat tipped over and they drowned..."let's take the boat out, wait until darkness."- Ummm... whoever wrote that needs to be smacked. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Anne Sexton's parents deaths are well documented in her poetry. Her mother died of breast cancer- and her father died from... something wrong with his brain not too long after if I remember correctly what she said in her poems. "Nowhere in the corridors of pale green and grey" refers to her looking for mercy in her house in the "suburbs." -I see this as more of a reference to institutions. "It said in the biography that I took from the library that her parents urged her not to tell anyone about the things that happened at home. After they died, she felt like she could finally let everything out." -What biography did you read?! This is insanely inaccurate- not even close. "She went to a church and confessed to a "a priest--he's the doctor, he can handle the shocks." The shocks are referring to the cruel things her parents did to her." -Actually this is a dual reference: to shock treatment and to the poem "The Kiss" in which she likens sex to ECTs, which makes sense. She told her shrink that the only good thing she could do with her life was to become a prostitute and make men feel powerful. The priest reference is a reference to how much faith she put into the practice of psychiatry. "Dreaming of the tenderness, the tremble in the hips, of kissing Mary's lips"...Mary is Anne Sexton's mother. -While yes, this is true, this is most likely a reference to the virgin Mary. Anne, as she grew older, became increasingly more religious, even writing letters to a clergy man who fell in love with her. Sorry, I just needed to clear that up... As for my personal interpretation, I think this is probably documenting what happened right before Anne died. After she divorced her husband, who was a large part of her life, she realized that she was alone, one of her biggest fears. "looking down on empty streets, all she can see are the dreams all made solid are the dreams all made real" She is looking back on what she used to have... looking back on what she tried desperately to create. Still yearning for Mercy Street, a place that she thinks she can find only in death. So, she kills herself and finally ends that "Awful Rowing Toward God" by joining her father who was abusive, yes but not sexually, emotionally (she had an acute case of acne growing up and he often expressed disgust at her appearance), but who she wanted to love her. |
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| Sonic Youth – Superstar Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| This song is a cover by the Carpenters. If you watch the video, it's all about Karen Carpenter. Thurston and Kim have some weird obsession with her life. Which is understandable. Her story is amazingly poignant. | |
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