Oh, you know, it's December, so a Decemberists song seems fitting. As usual, the lyrics are a tapestry, woven into allegories with likely deep and significant meaning... but I'm not going to try to break this one down for you. Songmeanings.net has some interesting efforts at deconstruction in the comments... check it out, if you're so inclined.
This one is somewhat reflective and somber, recalling love's labours lost, or something like that...
Being a bit of a nerd, I considered a post related to the date (11/11/11), but nothing fitting came to mind, except for "Konstantine" by Something Corporate... "I always catch the clock, it's 11:11 and now you wanna talk..." but I already posted that one.
So you're getting a tune that doesn't really have anything to do with math nerdery, or veterans for that matter. (Side note: if you live in America, hug a veteran today! No, our country isn't perfect, and no, our wars aren't necessarily always just, but there are a lot of things we enjoy today that were protected by the efforts of folks like my grandfathers, or someone you know that served.)
Here's a fairly sardonic take on the hipster / hippie lifestyle, with a heavy dose of tongue-in-cheek wit. Or maybe they're completely serious; I'm really not sure. Either way, it's a great one to blast with the windows down, or up if it's chilly and there are snow flurries like today in Pittsburgh.
(WARNING: music video is rated PG-13; think Titanic level. If you have sensitive eyes, use the second "video", which is just the lyrics)
My cousin posted this on Facebook the other day (yes, Facebook is evil, but we're in too deep at this point... discussion for another day.) The song is rife with intricately woven metaphors drawn from Homer's "Odyssey" - 'Ulysses' is the Latin version of the Greek name 'Odysseus'. If you've read the Odyssey, seen a film adaptation, or are otherwise at least familiar with the tale, you'll catch the aspects of the epic tale... storms, shipwrecks, and sirens.
The lyrics about being tied to the mast and pointed home resonate. If you don't know of the "Siren song", it was an irresistible melody sung by the mythical creatures which lured many sailors and their ships to doom, smashed on the rocks of the Sirens' lair. Odysseus had his crew plug their ears so as to not be lured by the song and lash him to the mast so he could hear the song but not act on the temptation to seek it out. Thus, he heard the beauty of the song without succumbing to the trap.
You know by now that I'm a piano guy, and I love the album version which is piano-driven, but I just might love the acoustic guitar version with no other instrumentation even more. That's the version I heard first, and it lets the emotion in the vocals really shine through... let me know which you prefer.
Album Version:
Live in NYC:
"So tie me to the mast of this old ship and point me home…"
This is the leadoff track from an intriguing quasi-concept album described by the band as telling "the story of a young couple who must flee a United States governed by fascist faux-Christians." The album is chock full of Biblical references used to paint the picture of the tyrannical government. As a Christian myself, lyrics like these are challenging, because while I believe Christianity isn't intended to result in this sort of tale, it (and other religions) have often been twisted and corrupted to further political gains. I don't want to get into politics on this site, but it's obvious that "Christian" politicians have used that as leverage to further personal and party agendas that don't really jive with the faith they purport to hold.
Whether The Thermals were intending to directly call out Christianity or were merely using themes of the Flood and other Biblical stories as a backdrop for their commentary on present-day politics is not clear. However, even if you or I don't agree with what they're saying, what I love about songs (and albums) like this is that they challenge you to think. Don't just accept what's spoon-fed to you, whether it's religion, politics, music, or anything else. Engage your mind, do your research, and come to your own conclusions.
Plus, the music just rocks.
Album version:
Live version (lame crowd, but it actually makes for a good youtube vid as you can hear the band clearly):
"God told his son, 'it's time to come home
I promise you won't have to die all alone I need you to pay for the sins I create' His son said, 'I will, but Dad, I'm afraid!'"
Here's a catchy and hopeful song for the summer solstice. By the way, have you ever stopped to think that from the first day of summer (i.e. - today, unless you're one of the fine folks from the Southern Hemisphere who checks out my blog) on, the days are getting shorter? Summer is actually the waning of the days... so every day of your summer is less awesome than the last. What a downer, eh?
But anyway, the song. It's about the hope of moving forward to a new place and starting a new life. I think a listener could apply it to starting a new phase in life, as well; you don't have to be immigrating to a new country or anything to draw meaning from the song...
"We'll build our walls aluminum We'll fill our mouths with cinnamon..."
The Thermals have some really fun songs, but they're also pretty good at coupling the upbeat punkish stylings with pretty profound lyrics, as well as occasional witty wordplay. The Portland-based band has caught my ear over the last year or so, and I like them a lot. Already used my favorite track back in January, but here's another good 'un:
I'm fairly surprised I went almost three months without putting a Decemberists track up here. This one's the leadoff track from their 2006 album "The Crane Wife", which I highly recommend. The entire album is chock full of weighty tracks (lyrically) which will make you think long and hard if you let them, but are also spectacular to just listen to and let the music take you on a journey. Much of the album is based on historical events, literature, or in the case of the titular trilogy, folklore. Wikipedia has some great information on this track and others from the album; it's well worth a few minutes to read the paragraph on "The Crane Wife" to understand the story which inspired this song.
It amazes me that Colin Meloy and co. are able to craft a song that resonates so deeply with regret and sorrow, and yet comes off with a hopeful tone...
"Each feather, it fell from skin, until threadbare, she grew thin; how were my eyes so blinded? each feather, it fell from skin..."
