Post by suicainekid on Jun 25, 2004 8:40:40 GMT -5
The 'best anthem' and 'Achin to Be' threads over in general discussions both discussed my all time favourite song - Left of the Dial - and got me thinking about what is it about that track that just floors me everytime. Too many things is the short answer (I'll do a very long list some time).
But one thing that strikes me about it is that its one of only two real 'road songs' in Paul's catalogue - that kind of American classic where the protagonist is on some highway somewhere reflecting on things ('Passin' through and it's late, the station started to fade, picked another one up in the very next state'). The other real road song is of course 'Someone Take The Wheel' (I'm excluding 'Takin a Ride' and 'Red Light' - they're more about driving real fast just for the sake of it. Can't Hardly Wait hints at a journey though not necessarily of the highway kind). Contrast that with that other amazing American songwriter Bruce Springsteen whose characters are never far from some lonely interstate.
But, if the highway is the key place that Bruce's songs and characters are based, what is the key location or scenery in which Paul's songs are set? When it comes down to it, the predominant environment in Paul's songs is domestic - i.e. his house (with the odd trip into his yard). And this just ain't something that comes with his settled down family life. The very title 'Sorry Ma, forgot to take out the trash' implies someone who can't even bothered to go out the front door. And for all the beer and whiskey drenched state of the early Mats, there seems to be more house parties than drinking in bars (although that of course means going to other people's houses). But the frequency of the domesticated homebody in the songs has probably increased since All Shook Down/14 Songs. E.g. Once Around The Weekend, the dinner table heartbreaker in Self Defense, Boring Enormous and loads more on Stereo.
In fact, there is barely a household item or domestic appliance Paul hasn't included in lyrics. He's had ovens, beds, fridges, toilet bowls, table cloths, faucets, floors he's gotta sweep and lampshades.
I could just be stating the obvious here - most people spend alot of time in their homes so inevitably a songwriter is going to write from that location. But with Paul I'd say its more dominant than with other songwriters and accords with what we know about him, i.e. he prefers to mess about in the safety of his basement, hiding his insecurities and sadness from the cruelties of the outside world.
Other honorary mentions though to airports and airplanes (Portland, One Wink, What A Day For A Night) and hospitals and ambulances (Take Me Down To The Hospital, One Wink, Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out).
But one thing that strikes me about it is that its one of only two real 'road songs' in Paul's catalogue - that kind of American classic where the protagonist is on some highway somewhere reflecting on things ('Passin' through and it's late, the station started to fade, picked another one up in the very next state'). The other real road song is of course 'Someone Take The Wheel' (I'm excluding 'Takin a Ride' and 'Red Light' - they're more about driving real fast just for the sake of it. Can't Hardly Wait hints at a journey though not necessarily of the highway kind). Contrast that with that other amazing American songwriter Bruce Springsteen whose characters are never far from some lonely interstate.
But, if the highway is the key place that Bruce's songs and characters are based, what is the key location or scenery in which Paul's songs are set? When it comes down to it, the predominant environment in Paul's songs is domestic - i.e. his house (with the odd trip into his yard). And this just ain't something that comes with his settled down family life. The very title 'Sorry Ma, forgot to take out the trash' implies someone who can't even bothered to go out the front door. And for all the beer and whiskey drenched state of the early Mats, there seems to be more house parties than drinking in bars (although that of course means going to other people's houses). But the frequency of the domesticated homebody in the songs has probably increased since All Shook Down/14 Songs. E.g. Once Around The Weekend, the dinner table heartbreaker in Self Defense, Boring Enormous and loads more on Stereo.
In fact, there is barely a household item or domestic appliance Paul hasn't included in lyrics. He's had ovens, beds, fridges, toilet bowls, table cloths, faucets, floors he's gotta sweep and lampshades.
I could just be stating the obvious here - most people spend alot of time in their homes so inevitably a songwriter is going to write from that location. But with Paul I'd say its more dominant than with other songwriters and accords with what we know about him, i.e. he prefers to mess about in the safety of his basement, hiding his insecurities and sadness from the cruelties of the outside world.
Other honorary mentions though to airports and airplanes (Portland, One Wink, What A Day For A Night) and hospitals and ambulances (Take Me Down To The Hospital, One Wink, Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out).
