searching for a former clarity

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:50 am

I think the beginning is a shot at the healthcare system.

No the doctors didn't tell you,
that you were dying.
They just collected their money,
And sent you on your way.

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:24 pm

This song isn't about AIDS or health care in my mind, it's about being accused of selling out.

"Doctors-->on your way" refers to the fans of his band (doctors) who, without warning abandoned him (he's dead) after "taking" everything from him; his honesty, creativity, passion, and just plain old entertainment.

"But you knew-->till the end" means that he was trying to ignore people taunting him, insulting him, he wanted to keep his head down and write music for the people that still cared and pretend the detractors weren't bothering him... but they were.

The journal section refers again to what was taken from him: his stories, his confessions, his honest passion for what he does. The fact that it's now beside his bed instead of wide open symbolizes that he is "once bitten twice shy" and afraid to open himself up again to a community that now shuns him.

"Will everyone,
you ever meet or love,
be just a realationship based,
on a false presumption."

This obviously means that he thought he was part of a community, that he was making music for friends and peers who respected him; this was not an accurate assessment.

"Despite everyone,
you ever meet or ever love.
In the end,
will you be all alone?"

Despite playing hard, singing honestly, and meeting thousands of people, he's been abandoned by the people that he cared about and thought cared about him.

"As the disease-->spotted your skin" means that the problem is getting worse. At first there were few detractors and it wasn't bad, he could cope, but now the disease is getting worse, there are more people attacking him and it's hard to ignore, it's hard to function. He is suffering mentally (coherence and alertness) and he is no longer able to function in his normal capacity; he no longer wants to open up, to write personal things, to be a part of that community with those people. He is afraid of being a fake and having to "phone it in."

"As you fell to your knees-->hope was finally lost" means that he has given everything for this band, and all the fans are interested in is being entertained by his downfall. He is using the literal image of dying on stage for entertainment purposes (ticket price). This represents both him "giving it his all" and working so hard, being so honest, and also his "giving up" and just accepting his death and the loss of his community of peers.

"Adrenaline-->forgiven" means he wants out. He doesn't want to do this anymore. He doesn't want to open up, to write personal songs, to be attacked, or to be part of the community. He just wants the old people that shunned him to leave him alone.

I think it's worth noting that when this album came out is when Tom departed from the DIY scene, pulled his album from PIX, and stopped writing personal songs about his ideals. New Wave is pretty devoid of the old style of Tom's writing and I don't think that's an accident.

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 4:57 pm

holy shit well done

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:03 pm

I love it when people pick apart songs like that, and you did so amazingly.

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:04 pm

Zedeff, well played. That's a fantastic interpretation.

Either you're good at reading things or you're the man himself.
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Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:07 pm

Zedeff is most likely Gainesvillianiteoan for Tom Gabel.

Because Gainesville has their own language...

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:59 pm

wow. that was a very in-depth interpretation.
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Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:19 pm

not to be rude or anything cause that was pretty good and well thought out. but picking apart a song that much... who knows that could be exactly how tom meant it. but maybe it was just literal, and not so cryptic, although alot of it is likely cryptic. but again this is only one young persons opinoin.

have you ever just listened to a song without caring about the meaning. although i liked what you did, you justified it. i tend to ramble.......
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Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:21 pm

Honestly, no. I always like to dissect the lyrics. If I don't like the lyrics to a song, I don't like the song, period. This is at the root of my undying love for Jawbreaker.

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Mon Jul 07, 2008 10:01 pm

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:34 am

To be fair though, this song didn't require dissecting. This interpretation is what came to me when listening to it. To write out the interpretation above, I actually had to look up the lyrics to double check that my instincts weren't way off.

Some songs do require dissecting. For example, 10 Tonn Jiggawatt by None More Black.

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:24 am

god i hope this song isnt another about the industry.
god i hope its about aids. (that was always my assumption*)
i'll love AM! till the end, even should they have a dramatic genre change to polka.
but more on music bitching may instigate a lovers quarrel on my part...

*when i first heard SFAFC, i distinctly remember linking this song and pretty girls.
the aids case really hits home with pretty girls i think.
personally, it seemed at the time to mean that tom had aids.

case and point:

"But if she says yes know what intentions might be.
If one thing leads to another and there's some chemistry.
You cannot lie, you have to tell the truth.
You have to explain why this could never be, because
There are things that cannot be undone.
There are mistakes that will never be forgiven."

"I just want to be young, I want to live.
I want to be healthy,
I don't want this problem.
You wouldn't think something like irresponsibility,
would complicate something like asking for some company"

"There are truths you must learn to confront."

cant ask for company because of aids, a product of irresponsibility.
a truth confronted when a former clarity is reached???!!

maybe not.

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:01 am

Why does it have to be AIDS? He also couldn't have sex if he was high on coke, or married, or drank too much, or had a show early the next day, or if SHE was married...

AIDS only gets chosen because it's the dramatic-limelight choice that pops into peoples minds, but it leaves the song far too vague.

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:44 pm

if either of the two was married, he wouldnt ask for her company -- defintely sounds like a date,
tom said in his original blog that he had an instance with a groupie where they were both drunk.
in the post, he said he gave it a shot though, cause hes badass.
i dont know a guy that would turn down nookie whether they had to work in the morning or not,

thats what sick days are for Smile

Subject: Re: searching for a former clarity Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:49 pm