this album was created as a story. it tells the story of jonny and jenny throughout all the songs. the entire thing is told in incredibly cryptic poetry, however, and can be really tough to interpret. i spent a lot of time a few years back finding the lyrics and interpreting them as best i could. it begins with this song setting up the story. jenny and jonny were two musicians with a message. they became more popular than air and ended up selling out. they had a daughter named tuesday, which explains that song. the themes and metaphors stay the same through the entire album. angels refer to jonny's dependence on jenny and rainbows refer to his increasing dependence on drugs. there are more, but i havn't listened to the songs for a while and they escape me.
and maggot brain, jenny wore black is near the end of the album just after jonny overdoses. it explains about her being in a constant state of flux between severe grief and fervent denial. she is losing her mind because she can't cope with her grief. 'jenny was here she was almost in time' i think means that she had arrived just too late to find and save jonny. 'jenny concealed all but her smile' is her shielding over her emotions and hiding them from her friends and family with outward happiness. the next song is walk on water, which goes back to the beginning when they were stars. 'they said that we could walk on water' and 'they said we were the second coming' the band was loved so much that people thought that they could do anything. this 'walking on water' sets up the final song where jenny drowns herself in the ocean. 'as we walk through the sea to the sand' and 'floating waist high in tendrils of green' are some of the most moving lyrics i've ever heard. and while it's such a sad ending, you can still take some comfort in knowing that somewhere, the two of them are together again, waiting for the end of the world, when we can all meet them again.
this album was created as a story. it tells the story of jonny and jenny throughout all the songs. the entire thing is told in incredibly cryptic poetry, however, and can be really tough to interpret. i spent a lot of time a few years back finding the lyrics and interpreting them as best i could. it begins with this song setting up the story. jenny and jonny were two musicians with a message. they became more popular than air and ended up selling out. they had a daughter named tuesday, which explains that song. the themes and metaphors stay the same through the entire album. angels refer to jonny's dependence on jenny and rainbows refer to his increasing dependence on drugs. there are more, but i havn't listened to the songs for a while and they escape me.
and maggot brain, jenny wore black is near the end of the album just after jonny overdoses. it explains about her being in a constant state of flux between severe grief and fervent denial. she is losing her mind because she can't cope with her grief. 'jenny was here she was almost in time' i think means that she had arrived just too late to find and save jonny. 'jenny concealed all but her smile' is her shielding over her emotions and hiding them from her friends and family with outward happiness. the next song is walk on water, which goes back to the beginning when they were stars. 'they said that we could walk on water' and 'they said we were the second coming' the band was loved so much that people thought that they could do anything. this 'walking on water' sets up the final song where jenny drowns herself in the ocean. 'as we walk through the sea to the sand' and 'floating waist high in tendrils of green' are some of the most moving lyrics i've ever heard. and while it's such a sad ending, you can still take some comfort in knowing that somewhere, the two of them are together again, waiting for the end of the world, when we can all meet them again.