| Cat Power – Silent Machine Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
word salad, William S. Burroughs 'cut up' technique Using chance words, feelings, emotions, not logical sense or story. Silent Machine revolves around an idea of a loving mother, a religious father, and a child that accepts without regret the role of the 'sinner', which the adults around him are drooling to discover. The mother strives to show this abstract emotion 'love', with her prayrs and personal martyrdoms, the father is a punishing figure - a silent machine - which regards the child as an objective other. Teachers, priests, what have you, all encounter a child "Charlie" who fulfills the whipping boy role. All of this behavior is to get the attention of the silent machine, the father, which (as a machine) is incapable of noticing him. Personal interpretations aside, for the most part I think the song is an experiment in automatic writing. |
|
| Sneaker Pimps – Tesko Suicide Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
"Tesko Suicide" is about methamphetamine, a drug that anyone could make from ingredients at a convenience store, like Tesco in England. Sneaker Pimps made two major mistakes in 1996, one was not knowing how they would present themselves. Essentially, they were Nine Inch Nails, the producer Liam Howe being the main creative force and the tag-along Chris Conner providing the high fives. The second 'mistake' was hiring Keli Dayton, with both a gorgeous voice and gorgeous image, quickly overshadowing brosef Chris which was not quiet on the subject but oblivious to the inevitable reality that a LEAD SINGER might be presented as the face of any music project. Same problem with the backroom fights of No Doubt and any band that isn't all women or a vehicle for a female vocalist. The idea was probably the same as Depeche Mode, but if they wanted to go in that direction, they should have hired a man. Instead, they hired Kelli, who sang these obscure "collaborative" and mostly meaninglessly vague lyrics for pay and was quickly fired after she had got them famous. The public wasn't buying Sneaker Pimps without the voice, so it all crashed and Liam moved on to working with Marilyn Manson. Still, some of the lyrics make more sense than others (which I hesitatingly attribute to Liam) and this is one of them. It's about methamphetamine, a drug dealer, the lifestyle of hanging up pay phones, making the martyr pose in the back of a limousine while your typical meth addicted girl descends into a spiral that ends with her being 'used goods' like chewed bubble gum and told by her dealer to get a story, get a life, before she comes back to trade sex for free crystal. Meanwhile the dealer is busy 'buying defenses" solicitors (lawyers) and thugs. Perhaps the lyrics were meant to help explain Keli's presence, give her a 'story', or maybe it's based on a vague idea Liam once had about suicide kits, but paired with 6 underground and some of the other songs, it feels like this one is about a hard life won through favors for favors and inevitable self destruction. |
|
| Arcade Fire – Intervention Lyrics | 10 years ago |
|
not many people here seem to be familiar with the context, perhaps never grew up this way or saw people grow up this way. To me the song is near literal: about people who actually donate all their time/money/effort to some church. No, churches typically don't require you to throw your life away for them, to give them every single penny to the point your children starve, but at the same time they won't refuse it, either. It's quite common in the bible belt and small towns of the south, to find someone who's mom or dad sold all their furniture to the church and have to sleep on mats in the living room, or where grandma decided to give her whole welfare check to the church because of some tragedy she saw on the news and the vague promise it was going to help people. She eats cat food until the family finds out what happened and has to intervene. It's tragic, but the churches will never refuse these people, they enable it, and people do it even when their friends and family try to tell them they're hurting everyone around them. I've even heard of parents getting divorces, hiding their children's toys because the other parent will try to convince the kids to donate them, or come home and find out the car was sold or instead of paying the electric bill, the dad or mom was giving the check directly to a pastor. It's a self destructive addiction no one talks about because it goes against the narrative of an all benevolent western church tradition. |
|
| Arcade Fire – My Body Is a Cage Lyrics | 10 years ago |
|
Fame. The body of work, the music, the perception of it, the performer on stage, the inability for audiences to understand it, the ability for certain people to comprehend being blocked by the incessant voices and mumbling, shifting and pushing away from the stage, trying to own the source of the expression, not trying to connect, being to narcissistic to even comprehend the purpose of getting on stage, despite all the fear, and yes "social anxiety", when you are on stage you are actually the center of attention, sometimes for thousands of people all far more interested in drinking/smoking/shouting at their friends. The body of work/performance is a cage which prevents an artist from really connecting with anyone worth connecting to (the one I love), but the artist can work around it if they struggle, think, work out the problem. It's true that even when it's a 'hollow play' the mindless masses tend to 'clap anyway', But if you've forgotten that original purpose, it doesn't mean you'll forgive yourself if you keep up the charade. The media/age/critics may laugh at sincerity, especially when you've already 'made it' and should be focusing on merely making money and listening to the people shout your name, but you'll notice when you get backstage there is no one there who really cares about what you had to say. If you keep sharp, keep pushing the boundaries, keep trying -even and especially because you don't have to- people will attempt to know your mind, which unlocks the cage, letting the spirit of your words/music free. And you'll dance with the people you wrote all those songs for. In my opinion, it's about music and how the artist feels close to accomplishing something real, but must persevere through being misunderstood and singing songs that aren't quite there yet. Reminds me of Tool's Patient and strangely, Tenacious D's Tribute to the Greatest Song Ever Written. |
|
| Arcade Fire – (Antichrist Television Blues) Lyrics | 10 years ago |
|
you're absolutely right about the subject matter, but unfortunately Joe Simpson isn't the ONLY person who failed at life and then pushed that desire for redemption on his own child, the same could be said for *Lady Gaga* Stephanie Germanotta's dad. All these narcissistic little shits pushing fame/glory on their kids and giving them the classic Mozart 'trained monkey' syndrome. The problem is that consumers don't care about the quality of their existential fix, the abused child who sings on demand is just as good as the person who authentically rips themselves inside out for an audience. This is one sad song, that sad reality of no choice and no alternatives: either you abuse people and survive, or stick to your principles and die. |
|
| Arcade Fire – Reflektor Lyrics | 10 years ago |
|
Nice catch with Bowie, Arcade Fire seems to constantly homage various acts in their recent albums, I heard Brian Wilson/Beach Boys in Suburbs, and even Violent Femmes with Normal Person, it feels as though, like Bowie did with Dylan and countless other rockers, James Murphy seems to shamelessly and unapologetic-ally reflect his knowledge and place in time (instead of, like many modern acts, pretending that past music and influences never happened). This whole album is far more critical and spiritual than the previous, part of me wonders if the influence of Haitian music goes beyond mere sound and drum beats, perhaps recognizing the power of polytheism and the way traditional African/Native American religion survived the Catholic church. There are some aboriginal beliefs, such as the camera stealing your soul, and the idea that heaven without music doesn't make any sense (as it wouldn't for African cultural spirituality). Also, like the Bowie song in Ziggy Stardust, there are all kinds of love, reflecitons of love, and I think Murphy is presenting the same sentiment: I thought I was this kind of spiritual, but now I find I'm this other kind, I thought I was in love with this girl when I was younger, but are we still even friends now? Great album, great song. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.