Lyrics Decoded - Pyramid Song

This blog has always been about the feelings music instil in you. I have already looked at songs without singers - showing where music begins at words' ends - however, lyrics also provide a great poetry unrivaled by any other medium. I have decided to purely decode a song based on what I, personally, got from it - looking deeply into the background of why I see it in a certain way, and hopefully opening your minds to another view. Everyone's take on a song's lyrics are equally valid as I believe the listener has just as much weight on meaning as the artist does.

Pyramid Song - Radiohead

I jumped in the river and what did I see?
Black-eyed angels swam with me
A moon full of stars and astral cars
All the things I used to see
All my lovers were there with me
All my past and futures
And we all went to heaven in a little row boat
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt

I jumped into the river
Black-eyed angels swam with me
A moon full of stars and astral cars
And all the things I used to see
All my lovers were there with me
All my past and futures
And we all went to heaven in a little row boat
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt

There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt

I thought long and hard about what I would choose to decode first. I eventually chose this because it seems to hold more weight lyrically to me than any other song I have been pleasured with hearing. It doesn't just resonate with me on a physical level - instead it seems to encapsulate my religious and philosophical beliefs more than any organized religion or outdated philosopher ever has.

One aspect I got from this was musings on an afterlife. What is so beautiful about this, to me, is this afterlife doesn't exclude. Radiohead's words are ones of togetherness. 'all my lovers were with me/ all my past and futures/we all went to heaven in a little rowboat/and there was nothing to fear, nothing to doubt'. This song seems to bind together humanity in such a simple way. The imagery of a little rowboat is crucial - we have to move it. We all must come together to row this little boat in order to get to our destination. 'Heaven' here can be subjective. Is heaven actually an afterlife? Or is it an earthly bliss - a world of peace. Either way, it works wonders. We must come together in order to get to heaven. Everyone's personal heaven will be different, but the beauty here lies in togetherness. My personal view on this IS of an afterlife, but of one that transcends all religion. A sort of collective unconscious that pools together a shared knowledge - ultimate togetherness. I came to this conclusion after reading a lot of Carl Jung, who described this theory as: “The third level [of consciousness], the innermost core, is what we are now calling the superconscious mind... [it] houses our real identity, augmented by the subconscious which contains the memories of many….”. Once listening to this song after reading Jung's theories, I began to see the world in a whole new light.

I also found a sense of great comfort from this song. Most hear the drawling piano and decide this song is 'depressing', but this always saddens me. Here is a perfect example of how lyrics can transform a song. The melancholy vocals of this track have the juxtaposition of an isolating comfort. They seem to remove you from the 'real world', having a strange, disconnected sensation with every listen. However, they also seem to envelop you - I fidn myself not caring or feeling lonely in the isolation. Instead, I truly begin to believe 'there is nothing to fear/nothing to doubt'. I don't find this song depressing at all. Instead, I find it strongly comforting and bursting with hope. 

I do hope you enjoyed my viewpoint, and would love to hear any of your takes on the song. I reiterate - there are many ways to view this. This is just a personal discussion, that I think everyone must get involved in when listening to any song.

2012 - My Personal Year in Music

Some might say this past year has not been the best for music. With hits such as Gangnam Style's coordinated spasms, and Carly Rae Jepson's stalker sensation 'Call Me Maybe', these past twelve months seem to have been littered with musical mishaps more than they have marvels.

But for me personally, I will always remember 2012 to be the year music mattered to me. Don't get me wrong, before now I have of course called myself a music lover - I mean, who doesn't? But, this year was the year I actually discovered its merit. Before now, I used to be a straight-up rock girl (in a phase I would affectionately call the 'grunge monkey' days), turning up my nose at genre's such as country, folk or jazz. It was this year that my eyes (or more appropriately, ears) were opened. Mostly through my vinyl collection I have been slowly building since January, but some through the different musical individuals I have met over the course of this year. Whether it be a record store owner that puts on free gigs to whoever has the time to listen, the people that play there, or a duo of intelligent musicians who wanted to tell the story of a Blank Room - I have been shown what music means. And more than that, what music can do.

So yes, Muse has brought out a new album that I loved, Adele has written a Bond theme I actually like, and Gotye got me singing to the radio every so often with his hit 'Somebody I Used to Know'. However, I think these artists have had enough coverage, especially with the nostalgic new year reviews littering the television. No, I want to shed light on some of the independent artists I have come to enjoy this year.

Brandall/Tyrrell - Blank Room





Here are some personal friends of mine that have decided to try to bring something new to the musical spectrum - something that seems to hardly happen nowadays. A far cry from the pointless lyrics and robotic voices of this year's hits, Blank Room creates a complex picture of entrapment and solitude. Here, we can hear intelligent lyrics that still seem to hit your heart, and music that actually transform your surroundings. When listening to this EP, I find myself in that Blank Room. This is so transcendent, you feel in a state of being that is both solitary and comfortable, being helped along the way by the friendly vocals of the rapper. It's hard to define this genre as rap, as I find it a spoken word masterpiece that transcends any genre, and is rather worth a listen.

Since this EP has been announced to be only half of a full album (the rest supposedly coming some time next year), it is available for free download on Bandcamp, and streaming on soundcloud (both links below).

Soundcloud

Bandcamp

Jack Carty - Break Your Own Heart
 I am aware that acoustic singer-songwriters aren't scarce today - you can find one in your nearest Grill'd on a Saturday night. Jack Carty, however, speaks to me like poetry. His song given the most coverage, She's Got A Boyfriend, seems to have picked the most accessible out of the bunch - in this case showcasing the weakest song on the album. When I saw him back when I first started this blog, the simple guitar arrangement and honesty in the vocals affected me deeply. This wasn't just music - this was a man's feelings and poetry put forward in musical form.

The best song that expresses this seems to be Travelling Shoes. To me, it conveys an honesty that isn't found in the poppy styling of She's Got A Boyfriend. Below is Jack himself just singing it as I first heard it, live with just a guitar.

So, my year in music sure has been an interesting one. I would like to thank those who made me come to the realizations that I have this year, and also those who have stuck with this blog since the beginning. I hope in the next year to come, I will find many more interesting artists with something new to bring to the table.