| Billy Bragg and Wilco – Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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taking a biographical approach, i would say this song is about woody gutherie's mother (gutherie being the writer of all mermaid avenue songs) woodys mom had huntingtons disease and ended up being placed in a mental institution. growing up, the disease would cause her erratic and violent behavior. she accidently killed one of his sisters by burning her and she badly burned his father. however, she was woodys introduction to music. in the book "this land was made for you and me" by elizabeth partridge she quotes woody as saying "she began to gaze out our window and follow her songs out and up and over and away from it all, away over yonder in the minor keys" the actual town he lived in was called okemah, but you can see the connection. the speaker is blaming himself somehow (the ugly boy), talking about the beatings he got from his mother (the tree part), yet still drawn to her. he loved her and was crushed that she reached the point where she couldnt even recognize him. yes, she was crazy, and abused him, but no one can sing like her... fascinating. by the way, read about woody gutheries life, he lived an amazing one. |
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| Wilco – What Light Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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in my opinion, this isn't a fuck you i can do whatever i want song, its a fuck yeah anyone can do anything they put their mind to. i think the placement in the album and the general mood of the album match it nicely, and this rolls into on and on as if to give you two last messages of hope to hold onto. i feel this album is very mature, very domestic (songs about doing the dishes), and above all hopeful and optomistic. hence, this song just rocks. |
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| Badly Drawn Boy – Don't Ask Me I'm Only the President Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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obviously this is about w... in concert he said: "i kinda consider this a sister song to the last one (a minor incident) because its the same chords. only this one is a b side because its shit. its not a good song, but seeing as we're in the capital of the us, i think i should play it." |
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| Badly Drawn Boy – Born Again Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| its a song about his kid being born. | |
| Elliott Smith – Division Day Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I agree with everyone who says this is a suicide song. It is also about dealing with your "demons", and I think the key part of understanding that is the transition between the first and the second verse from 3rd to 1st person. The switching between 3rd and 1st person can be taken to mean the same person, with the 3rd person used as a means of explaining it. The grown man dying from fright is revealed to be the speaker (presumably Elliott), the crazy delusional fantasy life has driven him insane. That's what leads him closer to division day, and leads him to look over the bridge like he has so many times. Trying to muster the courage to kill himself. Division Day (in my opinion) refers to a sort of final judgment. People divided into heaven and hell or what have you. The suicide (flying to fall away from you all) is "over" (of division day). Elliott knows "I don't belong with you on division day" and is destined for somewhere else. Beautiful and sad division day. |
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