Lisztomania

"The term "Lisztomania" was coined by the German romantic literary figure Heinrich Heine to describe the massive public response to Liszt's virtuosic piano performances. At these performances, there were allegedly screaming women, and the audience was sometimes limited to standing room only."

I love this song. I'm thinking its about dealing with fame and handling the constant changing public interest. Lisztomania means how popular Franz Liszt was, and how there would be women screaming at his shows, which is pretty impressive, considering he was a classical composer. Thats an interesting scene to imagine. Him on stage in some classical opera house, with women in classical dresses screaming like a 13 year old girl at a Beatles concert.

They are basically using that as there example of the ultimate fame and fan adoration. The chorus is talking about how fame can grow very quickly, and fade very quickly, and you have to know how to deal with both. The verses seem to be about someone gaining fame, then looking back when he loses it and wondering if it could have been different and feeling very sorry for himself.

Hey,

I find it hard to believe nobody here has considered Franz Liszt love with Princess Carolyne.

I think this is simply a song of loving someone and not being able to be together because of the "WORLD" ways, in this situation because of society nobles not allowing a marriage of love. I think it is an uplifting song too, while we can't be together, we live, we move on, we grow, we burn the pictures, we know what happened- happened, WE DO IT! Let’s go slowly, discouraged but its not a song about one person leaving the other because the love was gone. Its a song about hope to those that can and can't live with the love of their life. For those that are in love, its a song of joy knowing that it could be done. And to those who can't marry its a song to grow. I don't think it s a song about breaking up.

I did some research and Franz was suppose to get married:

It was planned that the couple would marry in Rome, on October 22, 1861, Liszt's 50th birthday. Liszt having arrived in Rome on October 21, 1861, the Princess nevertheless declined, by the late evening, to marry him. It appears that both her previous husband and the Tsar of Russia had managed to quash permission for the marriage at the Vatican. The Russian government also impounded her several estates in the Polish Ukraine, which made her later marriage to anybody unfeasible.

Also- Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (February 8, 1819 — March 9, 1887[1]) was a Polish noblewoman who pursued a 40-year liaison/relationship with Franz Liszt.

This makes sense of the words...

*** "This love’s for gentlemen only, That’s with the fortunate only" So who can get divorced in those times "Gentlemen Only" he was blocked to marry his true love. I think that's what the lyrics mean.

***"Now I gotta be someone else" - Franz after not being able to marry went to the church. Liszt afterwards announced that he would retreat to a solitary living. He found it at the monastery He became increasingly plagued by feelings of desolation, despair and preoccupation with death–feelings which he expressed in his works from this period. As he told Lina Ramann, "I carry a deep sadness of the heart which must now and then break out in sound."

I always think they say "like a rhi- like a rhinooooo, not easily offended!" Hahaha...

Franz Liszt?

i think it's about how you sometimes have to find yourself when you come out of a relationship...you can't discuss it, you can burn the pictures, the memories might still be fresh, but in the end it's something that has to be born out of the ashes and you don't quite know what it is until you take a look at yourself and you realise you are somehow different. anyway, i can relate. the thing i really like about this song is that phoenix manage to capture something indefinable about time and relationships changing, maybe stopping to think that it's not as easy as it seems to be. "from the mess to the masses" maybe it's about indifference, like "yeah i don't care. do whatever." please, more people write about this, i'd like to know what you think.

just to let you know, phoenix themselves posted these lyrics on facebook :)

I've always consider that this song is about being with someone, like just going out, but being really trying to make things happen, and the fight, making a list of pros and cons, and just going with it, and when things go wong, next day it's another day and you try because you don't wanna go to the outside world (masses) and feel better with the mess

The term "Lisztomania" was Franz Liszt's super-stardom as a touring performer in Europe. He would do things like throw his silk gloves into the audience and women would fight over them. He made a lot of money from these performances and he donated much of it to charity. Sometimes he would give all profits from a concert to charity.

This song is about the dichotomy between wanting to appear indifferent and laidback so that the other person will find you interesting but in reality the singer is eager for affection and romanticism but he doesn't want to appear needy.

The opening verses we see him neurotically fighting himself to exteriorize his feelings as little as possible. He's trying to be someone else. This love's for gentleman's only. He must remain as calm and contained as he can. Think the cold parade of nightclub narcissism.

In the chorus he finally explodes and demands himself and the people in the room to let go and show their real feelings.