| Sarah Harmer – Basement Apartment Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
It's about living marginally, in her case in university in Kingston, but it applies anywhere, and how that is in and of itself a burden, constricting your horizons and trapping you, both figuratively and metaphorically. I knew Sarah when we were both at Queen's (she was Arts '94, I was Sci '96) - not well, but enough to say hello to. Great school (equal to or better than many of the Ivies), but most of the students live in a horrible neighborhood off campus, also known as "The Ghetto". Despite the distinct lack of charm there, a lot of very promising and intelligent people seem to hang on for months or years in Kingston, unable to surpass the diminished expectations of basement apartment life. She did an interview with Shelagh Rogers of CBC Radio a few years ago, who also went to Queen's, and they had an interesting little discussion about this song. Totally impermeable to anyone who didn't go, of course. |
|
| Sarah Harmer – Go To Sleep Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Best break-up song, ever. It's pretty obvious, of course, but it's about the phase of a relationship just before or just after a break-up, when you're about to part ways but haven't quite, where there's still some forlorn hope, when you're hoping that your soon-to-be-ex will join you and fearing that they never will again. |
|
| Radiohead – 15 Step Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
120 steps is a standard quick march, but (british & commonwealth) riflemen march at 140. Not sure about its utility as an explanation given how left-wing Radiohead are. But thanks for the trip down memory lane. Much more useful as an explanation: 15 steps (steps in UK english = stairs in US english) is the approximate height of a long-drop gallows. This provides the guiding metaphor for the song (repeated mentions of 'cut the string', 'soft as your pillow' being the hood, 'silence is golden' and 'one by one in procession' being the death march, and of course '15 steps then a sheer drop' being the main event. Now, what's it about other than the metaphor? About love and possibly betrayal, I'd say. You love someone, perhaps take them for granted, then they pull the trapdoor on you and you're on your ass and stunned and single again. Not too tough an interpretation if you speak the language. No brits on this board? |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.