| The Beatles – Blackbird Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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A sweet anthemic gem. A bird with broken wings, black feathers against the bleak backdrop of a coal black night, yearning to break free. And that funny little paradoxical refrain - "...into the light of a dark black night." The mental image is a sliver of moon or winking stars, but really I take it to mean that no matter how metaphorically dark your surroundings, there is always a dim glimmer to be found. We all have our blackbird moments, and broken wings or not, it's up to us to hobble our way towards the light. |
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| Regina Spektor – Human of the Year Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I had a very similar impression to Snail's. I imagine an older schizophrenic gentleman standing in a near-empty cathedral where he is swept up in a sudden delusion of religious grandeur. The song starts with this repeating minor refrain over which is layered a trepidatious 'hello?', reminiscent of the paranoia and anxiety of a schizophrenic delusion. Further, the invocation is intensely personal, addressing the character by name. These sorts of personalized delusions are a common facet of paranoid schizophrenia with sufferers commonly subjected to disembodied voices addressing them directly, or via television or radio. Then the music leaps into a major key and describes this grand and, as Snails perfectly describes, rather surreal awarding of 'Human of the Year'. The songs lapses back into that minor pattern, describing the character's fear and the 'icons whispering to [him]', again mirroring the paranoia and distrust of reality to which schizophrenics are unfortunately subject. Finally, the song enters into a sort of angelic crescendo, describing the cars 'beeping in his honor' and 'all mankind are now your brothers' - a perfect rendition of the sort of delusional fugues often associated with bipolar mania and schizophrenia. Regina Spektor is so incredible in every way. |
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| Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I've just recently been introduced to Regina Spektor's music, and I have to say, I am absolutely stunned by both her musical and lyric originality. I've read through a bunch of comments on this board and find the insights fascinating. When I listen to this song (as I am right now) I picture a middle-aged couple in bed, settled into the long-matured routines of their mutual love. The woman, cast as Delilah, is reflecting on the sacrifices that they have made to one another over the course of their relationship. She refers to 'Samson' as her "sweetest downfall" -- denoting the duality of human relationships -- the sweetness that we gain also comes at a price of personal freedom, our downfall. Samson also has sacrificed for his love. He allows Delilah to cut his hair, a metaphor for taking away his strength and independence as a man. His hair is long when they first met. And yet, Samson loves Delilah more once this sacrifice is made - he tells her that she's 'done alright and kisses [her] to the morning light'. Every relationship demands this push and pull, a loss of a measure of our freedom to gain the fruits of love. When she sings 'He ate a slice of Wonderbread and went right back to bed" she casts this superhuman Samson in a mundane light. His superhuman qualities in state of dissolution, he is reduced to a regular schmo snacking on crap whitebread in the middle of the night, much like any of us modern mortals. And yet, she loves him still. The line about the stars ('Beneath the stars came falling on our heads, but they're just old light') seems like Delilah is trying to reassure this middle-aged ex-Samson about dreams and opportunities forgone. The stars are stand-in's for their once grand mutual aspirations which have since fallen from the sky. But they're just old light, she reassures him, just bygone fantasies that have gone by the wayside. I take the lines about the bible, columns and history books in a similar vein. They may have once aspired to a sort of tandem grandeur, but they will not be immortalized as once hoped. Instead, they remain ensconced in their cocoon of mutual love, personal shortcoming and all. |
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