IANADOAC - lyrics discussion thread (now with added lyrics!)

I think it's 'the first full spectrum of time'.

I struggled to hear this but after several plays it seems like 'the first, full, firm, spectrum of time'.
It's a wonderful track.
 
It's like Ordinary Boys, it's him looking at ordinary life (in ordinary houses) & rejecting it.

Although Dagenham Dave does suggest he's quite envious of it. Never having to question or fight a single thing.

From what I can make out, & without the benefit of the actual lyrics, I think he's being critical & making life & societal observations in this song. I'm imagining the narrator stood on the pavement across the road from a block of flats, or a council estate, in Manchester or Sheffield for this one, wondering WKOPLITH? I think he actually knows so he's just telling a story on what he sees or thinks.

One of the things he's observing is in relation to the current fashion trend amongst younger elements of society for wearing torn jeans (he includes trousers but don't know why, maybe because it conveniently rhymes with blouses). So the people he's observing are influenced by fashion & pack mentality, maybe not able to think for themselves, so they're following the herd.

Also he's referring to the types of people who are influenced by their previous generations (their parents, & their parent's parents) certainly in respect of how they vote politically...'they vote the way they vote, they don't know how to change because, their parents did the same '(I'm reading something along the lines of we've always voted Labour & always will without question, for example). This sort of attitude smacks of certain elements of society.

Maybe he's also suggesting they are a generation unable to think for themselves, influenced by the herd, & by television which they consider true reality, when it's not. It's reflective of current society, & he's wondering where they'll end up, or where they'll be in life in 10 year's time.
 
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Ah! I did briefly think maybe it was cigarettes but then when it mentioned hearts securely stacked if wondered maybe if it was another Vinyl reference that it was stacked with his and hearts being their shared love of music or something. But smokes make sense too, thanks

Yeah I mentioned this in an earlier thread somewhere; there were 2 popular (because they were cheap) brands of cigarettes back in the day - players no.6, and players no.10.
 
We've sifted through the details of the 3 'instant grats' recently, but please feel free to mull over any potential inspirations and ideas behind the album's lyrics.

My own offering:
In My Hurling Days Are Done the only real reference out there in the world to '...but soon it explains what it means by the Funky Alfonso'
is the first 6 seconds of this:




Which would be pretty obscure for even Moz, but...
The link here is Joe Chiccarelli - who worked with Zappa (recording / mixing 7 albums).
So, maybe an in-joke - unless anyone has any other ideas?
Regards,
FWD.


St. Alphonzo is the Patron Saint of Smelt Fisherman (of Portuguese extraction). I suggest you do NOT eat the pancakes that he makes, despite being the finest in the town.

I LOVE Zappa.

Father O'Blivion is part of the Yellow Snow suite and must be listened to as such. For any Zappa fans out there, the related "Farther O'Blivion" is a jewel, and prime evidence that the ZFT is handling his legacy quite well.
 
In a general sense, I get the feeling that the "not so good" lyrics such as "elephants and lions" are being used like a MacGuffin to distract the people who don't think too much about lyrics.

When it comes to pop music I usually categorize songs into "Hank Williams" style vs "Bob Dylan" style. Present-Moz is writing in a "Jay-Z" style, niggaz.
 
Well, it is not about the lyrics, but What kind of people really sounds like Maladjusted era song.
 
I was half expecting to hear the word 'vestibule' somewhere in What Kind Of People.... it had that kind of Lifeguard... vibe.
River Clean has bits that almost echo J-M. Jarre in places - mild, but enough to notice.
Regards,
FWD.
 
I was half expecting to hear the word 'vestibule' somewhere in What Kind Of People.... it had that kind of Lifeguard... vibe.
River Clean has bits that almost echo J-M. Jarre in places - mild, but enough to notice.
Regards,
FWD.

Interesting, wrt Hug a Pillow, I don't know why but I got a slight whiff of Bowie's Laughing Gnome (the trumpet part); bizarre but true, so I've convinced myself it's about Bowie.
 
From what I can make out, & without the benefit of the actual lyrics, I think he's being critical & making life & societal observations in this song. I'm imagining the narrator stood on the pavement across the road from a block of flats, or a council estate, in Manchester or Sheffield for this one, wondering WKOPLITH? I think he actually knows so he's just telling a story on what he sees or thinks.

One of the things he's observing is in relation to the current fashion trend amongst younger elements of society for wearing torn jeans (he includes trousers but don't know why, maybe because it conveniently rhymes with blouses). So the people he's observing are influenced by fashion & pack mentality, maybe not able to think for themselves, so they're following the herd.

Also he's referring to the types of people who are influenced by their previous generations (their parents, & their parent's parents) certainly in respect of how they vote politically...'they vote the way they vote, they don't know how to change because, their parents did the same '(I'm reading something along the lines of we've always voted Labour & always will without question, for example). This sort of attitude smacks of certain elements of society.

Maybe he's also suggesting they are a generation unable to think for themselves, influenced by the herd, & by television which they consider true reality, when it's not. It's reflective of current society, & he's wondering where they'll end up, or where they'll be in life in 10 year's time.


It's an interesting theme that we also can find in Teenage Dad On His Estate in addition to the mentioned Ordinary Boys.
 
It's an interesting theme that we also can find in Teenage Dad On His Estate in addition to the mentioned Ordinary Boys.

Glamorous glue as well at least with the voting and being unable to think independently
 
‘Once I saw the river clean’ is probably my favourite song, lyrically. There’s a few lines I find interesting,

“The queue will queue? for me’ a reference to his success/career?

And “I grow easier on the eye” which I took as a reference to his good looks. Which I found interesting because we’re all assuming this is autobiographical and another seemingly autobiographical song in ‘Late night, Maudlin Street’ there’s a lyric about him being so ugly that the world would turn and gag. I just thought that was an interesting contrast, all these years on.
 
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‘Once I saw the river clean’ is probably my favourite song, lyrically. There’s a few lineS I find interesting,

“The queue will queue? for me’ a reference to his success/career?

And “I grow easier on the eye” which I took as a reference to his good looks. Which I found interesting because we’re all assuming this is autobiographical and other seemingly autobiographical song in ‘Late night, Maudlin Street’ there’s a lyric about him being so ugly that the world would turn and gag. I just thought that was an interesting contrast, all these years on.

I couldn't tell you where, but I thought I remembered seeing somewhere that Morrissey once admitted that Maudlin Street wasn't actually autobiographical.

Either way, if it is, its not surprising I guess. Especially all these years on ... young people often have less confidence in their looks only to reach later years and look back at themselves and think "wow I actually didn't look too bad back then ... compared to now". Or just the idea that some days you feel good, others you don't ... especially since in Maudlin Street that line always felt pretty tongue in cheek.

But agreed, its my favourite song on the album lyrically for sure.
 
I couldn't tell you where, but I thought I remembered seeing somewhere that Morrissey once admitted that Maudlin Street wasn't actually autobiographical.

Either way, if it is, its not surprising I guess. Especially all these years on ... young people often have less confidence in their looks only to reach later years and look back at themselves and think "wow I actually didn't look too bad back then ... compared to now". Or just the idea that some days you feel good, others you don't ... especially since in Maudlin Street that line always felt pretty tongue in cheek.

But agreed, its my favourite song on the album lyrically for sure.

Yeah I guess you’re right we all have those moments. There’s one quote that always sticks out, I think it was either in the Smiths days or early solo day. Moz was talking about his one and only experience with drugs. And while high, he looked in the mirror and for the first time he actually saw someone attractive looking back.
 
‘Once I saw the river clean’ is probably my favourite song, lyrically. There’s a few lines I find interesting,

“The queue will queue? for me’ a reference to his success/career?

And “I grow easier on the eye” which I took as a reference to his good looks. Which I found interesting because we’re all assuming this is autobiographical and another seemingly autobiographical song in ‘Late night, Maudlin Street’ there’s a lyric about him being so ugly that the world would turn and gag. I just thought that was an interesting contrast, all these years on.

I thought it was "I grow pleasing to the eye"???
 
Does anyone know the lyrics to Darling, I Hug A Pillow? Particularly this verse:

Why can't you bring [?]
Roasted in passion and saltine voice
No longer keeping a secret of your secret plays
 
Does anyone know the lyrics to Darling, I Hug A Pillow? Particularly this verse:

Why can't you bring [?]
Roasted in passion and saltine voice
No longer keeping a secret of your secret plays

Why can't you bring figs all [?] and moist
Roasted in passion and saltine voice
No longer keeping a secret of your secret place
 
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