In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil,
Donne l'idee do jeu et do mystere,
Un spectacle intime donne l'idee do jeu et de l'humour,
Spectacle qui rime, qui suscite dans les yeux un eclair,
Une decouverte, une idee qui peut jouer des tours,
Une muse, certes, donne l'idee do jeu et do mystere,
Un spectacle intime.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Miss Modular
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil,
Gives the idea of the game and the mystery,
An intimate spectacle gives the idea of the game and the humor,
Spectacle that rhymes, that arouses on the eyes a flash,
A discovery, an idea that can play tricks,
A muse, admittedly, gives the idea of the game and the mystery,
An intimate spectacle.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil,
Donne l'idee do jeu et do mystere,
Un spectacle intime donne l'idee do jeu et de l'humour,
Spectacle qui rime, qui suscite dans les yeux un eclair,
Une decouverte, une idee qui peut jouer des tours,
Une muse, certes, donne l'idee do jeu et do mystere,
Un spectacle intime.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Miss Modular
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil,
Gives the idea of the game and the mystery,
An intimate spectacle gives the idea of the game and the humor,
Spectacle that rhymes, that arouses on the eyes a flash,
A discovery, an idea that can play tricks,
A muse, admittedly, gives the idea of the game and the mystery,
An intimate spectacle.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
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Tracy Chapman
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Here's a not very good half self-translation in English:
On the cardboard box a trompe loeil Readily confesses that it is trompe loeil. On the cardboard box a trompe loeil Readily confesses that it is trompe loeil, It gives off the notion of a game and a mystery, A quiet spectacle gives off the notion of a game and humour, A Spectacle that rhymes, that arouses on the eyes a flash, A discovery, an idea that may play tricks, A muse, certainly, that gives off the notion of a game and a mystery, An intimate spectacle.
On the cardboard box a trompe loeil Readily confesses that it is trompe loeil.
On the cardboard box a trompe loeil Confesses willingly that it is trompe loeil
One thing I know is that "trompe l'oeil" literally means "trick the eye", in other words a trick/fool of the eye (later fooling the eye) or something deceptive. Although many of their songs do have socialistic meanings, I don't think this one is really. Having said that, I don't really know what it's talking about...
Dear Donny (and anyone else who thinks like Donny),
Art is not obligated to make any sense to you in particular or the audience at large. It’s the abstract (re:”vague”) nature of art that makes it beautiful. If you want something literal, read a newspaper or take a photograph. Art serves a completely different purpose. And Stereolab certainly were not doing it for the money — anyone who knows the first thing about them know they did not like money and capitalism. Stereolab was / is a masterful band and I would not change a single thing about their work to fit some banal expectation of accessibility to the lowest common denominator.
That being said, I do not know exactly what the song is about (and that’s okay), but “trompe loeil” means “optical illusion”. Combined with the other translation, the song is about someone pretending to be something it’s not. It’s plain to everyone that the person or thing is not genuine, as it’s plainly written on the box, yet everyone is dazzled by the show regardless and like to pretend it’s real.
Knowing Stereolab seems to put their extremely socialistic songs in french, I kind of suspect this is a song about socialism.
Kudos to them if it is.
it is simply about the music product --
Guy Debord
I hate it when artists try to be vauge and arty with their song lyrics. Now a trend is to put ... for left out on purpose lyrics. And the fact that the words aren't universal sucks to me. But if you want to stay poor, break-up and then not get remembered when you show a lot of potential otherwise be my guest. Also in the case of Stereolab I suspect that the French woman in SL couldn't sing and play the keyboards at the same time. And since they are keyboard driven songs- that killed live performances. But when the lyrics make sense they are GREAT to me like the Milkyway song about Andy. I fall in the category of HATING artists burying vocals way in the background although on a sidetone "Brown Sugar" by the Stones is SO racist that they had to do it. How did they get away with that one? But so I love and hate SL at the same time. The New Pornographers are the same range of this live performance problem plus lyrics made so they can't be understood by us. I just think that's like constantly sticking the finger super hard at the fans. Artists reading this- don't be an A-hole like that. Be universal, clear in singing your vocals and artistic as you want to be all the same time. While Barnet Newman can get 45 million + for his Blue with white stripe painting, music doesn't seem to work that way.
I hate it when artists try to be vauge and arty with their song lyrics. Now a trend is to put ... for left out on purpose lyrics. And the fact that the words aren't universal sucks to me. But if you want to stay poor, break-up and then not get remembered when you show a lot of potential otherwise be my guest. Also in the case of Stereolab I suspect that the French woman in SL couldn't sing and play the keyboards at the same time. And since they are keyboard driven songs- that killed live performances. But when the lyrics make sense they are GREAT to me like the Milkyway song about Andy. I fall in the category of HATING artists burying vocals way in the background although on a sidetone "Brown Sugar" by the Stones is SO racist that they had to do it. How did they get away with that one? But so I love and hate SL at the same time. The New Pornographers are the same range of this live performance problem plus lyrics made so they can't be understood by us. I just think that's like constantly sticking the finger super hard at the fans. Artists reading this- don't be an A-hole like that. Be universal, clear in singing your vocals and artistic as you want to be all the same time. While Barnet Newman can get 45 million + for his Blue with white stripe painting, music doesn't seem to work that way.
I hate it when artists try to be vauge and arty with their song lyrics. Now a trend is to put ... for left out on purpose lyrics. And the fact that the words aren't universal sucks to me. But if you want to stay poor, break-up and then not get remembered when you show a lot of potential otherwise be my guest. Also in the case of Stereolab I suspect that the French woman in SL couldn't sing and play the keyboards at the same time. And since they are keyboard driven songs- that killed live performances. But when the lyrics make sense they are GREAT to me like the Milkyway song about Andy. I fall in the category of HATING artists burying vocals way in the background although on a sidetone "Brown Sugar" by the Stones is SO racist that they had to do it. How did they get away with that one? But so I love and hate SL at the same time. The New Pornographers are the same range of this live performance problem plus lyrics made so they can't be understood by us. I just think that's like constantly sticking the finger super hard at the fans. Artists reading this- don't be an A-hole like that. Be universal, clear in singing your vocals and artistic as you want to be all the same time. While Barnet Newman can get 45 million + for his Blue with white stripe painting, music doesn't seem to work that way.