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Phones
Aug 13, 2009 12:47:24 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 13, 2009 12:47:24 GMT -5
Been occurring to me more and more the prevalence of phones in Kevin's music/Lyrics.
Just off the top of my head there are lines from Another permanent address , S.O.S. theres a song called Please Hang up. Lines from Astronaut down. It seems phones are sprinkled throughout the DAFR and YGN then not so much in GYMH ...
Disclaimer::i dont know about the first OSI album too?? i never listen to it, prolly ranks as my least favorite of his albums, even tho i love Looks like Rain...
However then we see phones return with a vengeance on Free, taking over the album cover and title track!
By the way was anyone else a little confused about why the lyrics are "dial 1 800 YOU'RE FREE" rather than "1 800 YOU FREE" I am sure they must have considered this(as its actually a 7 digit number this way) and am curious why they chose the alternative. Atleast they could have written it this way in the official lyrics even though singing the 'RE might sound better...i just dont know...
But then not so much for the rest of the album unless i am missing something.
Then intriguingly Phones make a classic style return in Radiologue
and perhaps elsewhere on the album blood?
Anyway i really love the phone lyrics and i hope Kevin doesnt see this thread or other people analyzing it and feel self conscious about them. That is the last thing i would want. I just love the way it blends the modern world in with sort of nature. For example :
this is almost like a nature haiku and the effect of the last line with the phone is amazing to me.
What do other people think about this theme?
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Phones
Aug 13, 2009 12:53:34 GMT -5
Post by Mebert78 on Aug 13, 2009 12:53:34 GMT -5
Off the top of my head, other phone referrences are in:
Undertow ("Kick the phone off the side of the bed.) Kicking ("Point that phone at the floor.")
I think phone symbolizes communication for Kevin, and as Zonder said Kevin is not the most communicative person. Notice in "Kicking," the phone is like a weapon. He says to "point the phone at the floor" as if it's a gun. And in Undertow, he's kicking the phone. He is not a fan of communicating.
Reagrding "Free," I think they could've wrote the lyrics as: 1-800-URE-FREE.
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Phones
Aug 13, 2009 13:08:04 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 13, 2009 13:08:04 GMT -5
o yea URE that would have been great!! were they worried someone would actually get called?? Fascinating point about Kicking--i had totally overlooked that line!! ANd great that you have found a connection with the songs Undertow and Kicking!! man. Bravo! Its a connection in that the line from "Udertow" gives us a reference for the title of the track "kicking" "point that phone at the floor" never thought of it as if it were a gun. interesting perspective Mebert. lots to think about lots to think about here Edit: I really love the way Kevin highlights this subtle relationship we all have with "the phone". It usually stays in our subconscious i think but its there. There is this whole Phone thing we all have, your talking on the phone to someone. You go into a phone booth, your first dealing with that. Our life is filled with so many of these types of moments these days.
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Phones
Aug 13, 2009 15:09:44 GMT -5
Post by Mebert78 on Aug 13, 2009 15:09:44 GMT -5
Now that you mention "phone booth," vivace, i just thought of another "phone" lyric. This one is from "Another Permanent Address":
"Standing in a phone booth, waiting for the punch line. Trying not to call you, just like the last time."
Again, the phone is a source of pain for Kevin. It's hurtful and makes him feel like a "punchline" in a joke. In "Undertow," he kicks the phone. In "Kicking," it's a weapon.
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Phones
Aug 13, 2009 15:19:20 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 13, 2009 15:19:20 GMT -5
EDIT:: yea that line from Another Permanent Address is one of my favorites. Actually i interpreted it a little differently. I had an image of him standing in a phone booth trying to prepare something entertaining to say to someone whom he might not think is going to be particularly thrilled to pick up his call.
But what do you think of the S.O.S lines
cry blackbird cry over the waves i hear you coal covered clouds white snow there they go ice on your wings songless he sings i hear you nowhere is home go alone there's a phone
is it a source of pain here? The imagery is kind of a blackbird on an endless journey perhaps who is told you cant stay but you can use the phone.
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Phones
Aug 13, 2009 20:46:35 GMT -5
Post by jessbrew on Aug 13, 2009 20:46:35 GMT -5
Interesting.
In Get Back in the Car:
"Yeah I saw the way you talk to your cell phone.." and later "and now you never answer your cell phone."
Edit: I don't know enough about Kev to analyze yet, but the connection with poor communication, not liking to have to communicate, so using phones as weapons/objects eliciting violence, makes a ton of sense.
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Phones
Aug 14, 2009 21:57:56 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 14, 2009 21:57:56 GMT -5
i dont know. I mean i think its definitely an interesting idea but i dont think the phone theme is a hatred towards them or communication. I see it more like Kevin recognizing them as part of the landscape he is painting.
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Phones
Aug 17, 2009 15:03:10 GMT -5
Post by ZeppelinDT on Aug 17, 2009 15:03:10 GMT -5
Don't forget about Mouse! The most blatant use of a phone of them all.
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Phones
Aug 17, 2009 18:46:44 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 17, 2009 18:46:44 GMT -5
I just love that song Zep but where does it mention a phone Edit: O i see the intro part. Yea hes on the phone telling someone about the "fucking mouse" yea interesting!! Good call!! Edit: actually the mouse lyrics are very interesting. The stream stuff could be very significant.
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 9:01:22 GMT -5
Post by ZeppelinDT on Aug 18, 2009 9:01:22 GMT -5
The whole song is based on an answering machine message one of Kevin's friends had. Apparently this guy had a mouse loose in his apartment or house or whatever, and he got so frustrated that he couldn't catch it that he decided to record an answering machine message complaining about the mouse. I guess Kev liked it so much he made a song out of it. Supposedly the sample used at the start of the song is the actual original message. (I forgot where I read about that, but the story has stuck with me).
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 12:02:34 GMT -5
Post by wiche on Aug 18, 2009 12:02:34 GMT -5
The whole song is based on an answering machine message one of Kevin's friends had. Apparently this guy had a mouse loose in his apartment or house or whatever, and he got so frustrated that he couldn't catch it that he decided to record an answering machine message complaining about the mouse. I guess Kev liked it so much he made a song out of it. Supposedly the sample used at the start of the song is the actual original message. (I forgot where I read about that, but the story has stuck with me). directly from old CK site:
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 13:24:32 GMT -5
Post by Mebert78 on Aug 18, 2009 13:24:32 GMT -5
In "Lie":
"Your town, I'm all alone And I just can't stare at the phone."
Nothing substantial here, just another phone referrence!
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 13:28:16 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 18, 2009 13:28:16 GMT -5
The whole song is based on an answering machine message one of Kevin's friends had. Apparently this guy had a mouse loose in his apartment or house or whatever, and he got so frustrated that he couldn't catch it that he decided to record an answering machine message complaining about the mouse. I guess Kev liked it so much he made a song out of it. Supposedly the sample used at the start of the song is the actual original message. (I forgot where I read about that, but the story has stuck with me). This is hilarious!
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 15:24:48 GMT -5
Post by ZeppelinDT on Aug 18, 2009 15:24:48 GMT -5
In "Lie": "Your town, I'm all alone And I just can't stare at the phone." Nothing substantial here, just another phone referrence! I just came into this thread to list exactly that line! (Was listening to Lie and it made me think of this thread). Guess you beat me to it.
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 15:34:16 GMT -5
Post by Mebert78 on Aug 18, 2009 15:34:16 GMT -5
Wow, just noticed another phone lyric from "Before You Started" on CK's GMH:
"Before you started calling I'd walk to the phone Now I never never walk 'cause I know you're never home
(No one's home, I guess No one's home, ring ring)"
Damn, I definitely did not realy how frequently the phone appears in Kevin's lyrics. It's everywhere. I bet you he'd be surprised too!
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 16:49:32 GMT -5
Post by wiche on Aug 18, 2009 16:49:32 GMT -5
actually... "Before You Started" is one of my favorites songs on GMH... maybe 'cause it describes a little bit my relationship with Fer... =P!
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Phones
Aug 18, 2009 17:25:51 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 18, 2009 17:25:51 GMT -5
actually... "Before You Started" is one of my favorites songs on GMH... maybe 'cause it describes a little bit my relationship with Fer... =P! Its one of my favorites too. I love the Sketches of Spainesque ending.
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Phones
Aug 19, 2009 10:05:08 GMT -5
Post by Mebert78 on Aug 19, 2009 10:05:08 GMT -5
Shit, just got another phone referrence. This time from "America (the Video)":
"Had to choose between the Bible and the phone book."
That is a huge line if you ask me. We were asking about Kevin's religious background and this line bring the two themes together - religion and communication.
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Phones
Aug 19, 2009 10:07:52 GMT -5
Post by Mebert78 on Aug 19, 2009 10:07:52 GMT -5
Wow, another phone referrence. This one from "Astronaut Down":
"You look so mysterious but you sound so serious you should have told me on the phone."
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Phones
Aug 19, 2009 12:07:31 GMT -5
Post by vivace on Aug 19, 2009 12:07:31 GMT -5
i know they are really all over the place. Its quite fascinating.
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