Ok...I'm starting to understand this whole Romeo and Juliet idea...especially in BYWY. (I'm not giving up! lol)
J. is singing BYWY to the girl about their relationship and his choice to commit suicide. He's feeling like he made the wrong choice, but it's too late. I get this image of him being a ghost and sitting right next to her.
He sings: "We take our cradles to the grave, but even then we're never safe from danger" - here he's referring to his choice to kill himself, but then he's still in danger because heaven didn't want him and he got sent back to Earth as a ghost, where it's still a dangerous place.
He also says: "I'll never get a second chance. Whatever" -- another line that points to him being dead/ a ghost.
The "If you ever need me call, I will be there waiting when you fall" part is J. trying to tell her that he's going to be there for her waiting "on the other side" when she dies. Maybe she's about to kill herself? (Sorta like Juliet did)..."I'll take the breath away from your sighs."
Maybe? lol.
I like this. Surely this time we've got it right, or closer to right.
Ok...I'm starting to understand this whole Romeo and Juliet idea...especially in BYWY. (I'm not giving up! lol)
J. is singing BYWY to the girl about their relationship and his choice to commit suicide. He's feeling like he made the wrong choice, but it's too late. I get this image of him being a ghost and sitting right next to her.
He sings: "We take our cradles to the grave, but even then we're never safe from danger" - here he's referring to his choice to kill himself, but then he's still in danger because heaven didn't want him and he got sent back to Earth as a ghost, where it's still a dangerous place.
He also says: "I'll never get a second chance. Whatever" -- another line that points to him being dead/ a ghost.
The "If you ever need me call, I will be there waiting when you fall" part is J. trying to tell her that he's going to be there for her waiting "on the other side" when she dies. Maybe she's about to kill herself? (Sorta like Juliet did)..."I'll take the breath away from your sighs."
Maybe? lol.
yes. i like this very much so!
i can just see u laboring over the only lyrics u've got to go on... and obviously NOT giving up!
LOL. I know. How sad do I look? :P But honestly, this is like one of my favorite things to do. I love to analyze lyrics and poetry. (Even if I'm wrong most of the time, lol). That's the great part about this album though, and Travis' music in general. You can make it whatever you want to make it, or, like Fran said, take the songs individually or as a narrative.
I just hope Fran doesn't reveal his order of the songs or an explanation before the rest of us outside the UK have an opportunity to listen. However, the hints are helpful. :O)
Ok...I'm starting to understand this whole Romeo and Juliet idea...especially in BYWY. (I'm not giving up! lol)
J. is singing BYWY to the girl about their relationship and his choice to commit suicide. He's feeling like he made the wrong choice, but it's too late. I get this image of him being a ghost and sitting right next to her.
He sings: "We take our cradles to the grave, but even then we're never safe from danger" - here he's referring to his choice to kill himself, but then he's still in danger because heaven didn't want him and he got sent back to Earth as a ghost, where it's still a dangerous place.
He also says: "I'll never get a second chance. Whatever" -- another line that points to him being dead/ a ghost.
The "If you ever need me call, I will be there waiting when you fall" part is J. trying to tell her that he's going to be there for her waiting "on the other side" when she dies. Maybe she's about to kill herself? (Sorta like Juliet did)..."I'll take the breath away from your sighs."
Maybe? lol.
I like this. Surely this time we've got it right, or closer to right.
Bloody hell! I come back from work to find people discussing ghosts, mothers and what nots! Im surprised nobodies thrown in an alien anywhere! lol!
With regards to BYWY, from what i remember of an interview with Fran (my memories pretty crap so dont fully quate me on this) the songs about J.Smith finally realising that hes done wrong or gone wrong and personally i think he wants to put things right but realises he cant or its not assmimple as that, especially if hes dead. Or is he dead if, as Fran said, he got sent back to Earth as Earth is he;ll to him. It makes sense when you listen to the lyrics especially the chorus and it is intially what i thought when i first heard it. I still couldnt make the title add up (and i thought i was being thick but obviously its not only me who its baffled) but i could only make it add up if i was to consider J.Smith singing the first verse to their child and how their relationship was in the early days before the child was born...now you guys have made my brain work overtime after a stressful week, i blame Nikki and minnmiss myself:P
Chinese Blues - I thought along the end of the song it has "there was nobody keeping him here" so was this the part where J started to feel the need of getting away from this world? He felt a part of a big crowd who were "waiting on somebody just to give them a hand" and they didn't understand, that may be a bit linked to religion? The snow might represent how it is killing the plants and the trees and so on and how J is thinking of the end?
J. Smith - As in Before You Were Young the radio is in this song. In Before You Were Young it is the morning and the sun is rising and all was well back then, J here is entering death by drowning the radio in the bath, significant of his own death and the death of his relationship and so on.
Something Anything - Is this possibly saying how J needs something or someone? Maybe the girl, he needs to be with her. Or might it be about religion again? Did the girl die as in "my memory there's a part of you that's gone away" and he's depending on religion to get him through?
Long Way Down - Is he caught between life and death, maybe an out of body experience? "The people look so small sliding off the wall getting dizzy as they fall in the gutter" - I'm thinking they are drunk? And J is watching all this. Or I just thought is J on Earth looking down at hell, it's a long way down?
Broken Mirror - "Inside tolls the bell, outside all is well", J is looking into himself, Inside he is broken but outside people can't see this. I think it is about him feeling lonely because someone, maybe the girl has gone away?
Last Words - "Try to shine a light into the dark corners of the mind and of the heart" He's looking deep into himself for something he knows is inside of him but he can't find it, is he writing a note to say he is leaving and starting over, he rips it up and starts again and turns all his enemies to friends. Is it actually an apology note before he leaves/dies? He may be lonely because he has lost everything due to something he has done? What he may be looking deep inside himself for are the words to express his feelings. I think it may be the writing of the note to the girl and his child.
Quite Free - Is this a song about J, it's not actually him singing it? It is about J recovering, he's in a padded cell. The girl may be the girl he loves? It's a song about things that people can't help, they are held back and not free to do their own thing due to certain habbits. J is in a padded cell, which may mean he's dangerous? The girl has a dirty mind which she can't free herself from. This may be when J and the girl meet, they meet due to their habbits?
Get Up - He's trying to decide, he's "gotta wake up to the situation" and trying to find out "just which way to go". I think he is lonely again as it says in the opening about he's looking for someone to write him a song, tell him a story, give him some love, and somebody old? This somebody old may be a guardian/parent figure?
Friends - Well as mentioned earlier Friends seems like a happy little tune but it has a hidden meaning, it's from the girl, she's bitter to J for something he has done and how he treats her badly.
Song To Self - Does the girl break with J due to this thing that has heppened between them and how he treated her? However from the girl's point of view she is lonely and missing J? At the back of the mind is a memory of the good times, they weren't in fact all bad times but maybe after some incident he began treating her in such a way and changed for the worst and made her want to get away from him?
Before You Were Young - Is this J after death? The radio again as in J.Smith? Is it about communication, there were communication problems? Or is it J talking to his child about how things used to be good but the child never saw this as J and the girl ended up splitting and going along a rocky road? It may even be what he has written in the note and the girl or his child are reading what J has said.
I could be entirely wrong here but it was great fun having a go at seeing what I could make from it lol.
I was going to put the order I think but I've absolutely baffled myself now! So I think I'll have to stop there lol.
ppftt. dont blame me (if i am in fact minnmIss). I have provided absolutely no insight. I just comment on other's comments :)
And to avoid work on this friday afternoon before a long weekend.
Ok...I'm starting to understand this whole Romeo and Juliet idea...especially in BYWY. (I'm not giving up! lol)
J. is singing BYWY to the girl about their relationship and his choice to commit suicide. He's feeling like he made the wrong choice, but it's too late. I get this image of him being a ghost and sitting right next to her.
He sings: "We take our cradles to the grave, but even then we're never safe from danger" - here he's referring to his choice to kill himself, but then he's still in danger because heaven didn't want him and he got sent back to Earth as a ghost, where it's still a dangerous place.
He also says: "I'll never get a second chance. Whatever" -- another line that points to him being dead/ a ghost.
The "If you ever need me call, I will be there waiting when you fall" part is J. trying to tell her that he's going to be there for her waiting "on the other side" when she dies. Maybe she's about to kill herself? (Sorta like Juliet did)..."I'll take the breath away from your sighs."
Maybe? lol.
so, BYWY is like the answer to friends?
J. treated the girl like shit, and never said sorry, never said goodbye. and she tells "but i'm glad, you're better now, but i'm sad you're no around" he's dead, but she's sure he's beter now.
But dunno, maybe she's not abotu to kill her self, but maybe she's about... however, J.'s waiting for her, until that day, but then.... is J. on heaven again in the end? is he finally got a new better life?.
I'm still thinking, after he suicided, he started a new life (reencarnation)And i don't know, maybe in that life he had to get up, be strong. But J. and the girl, are apart. nd don't know certainly if J. remember her.
I'm confused haha, 'cause, how can someone return from the death? he suicided, or it was just a try of doing it. And how does he suicided? 'casue some thing are telling me, J.'s not there, and it's not closer to that girl anymore, and if he returned to his own life, he could go and see that girl to say sorry, but i don't think is the case.
Bloody hell! I come back from work to find people discussing ghosts, mothers and what nots! Im surprised nobodies thrown in an alien anywhere! lol!
With regards to BYWY, from what i remember of an interview with Fran (my memories pretty crap so dont fully quate me on this) the songs about J.Smith finally realising that hes done wrong or gone wrong and personally i think he wants to put things right but realises he cant or its not assmimple as that, especially if hes dead. Or is he dead if, as Fran said, he got sent back to Earth as Earth is he;ll to him. It makes sense when you listen to the lyrics especially the chorus and it is intially what i thought when i first heard it. I still couldnt make the title add up (and i thought i was being thick but obviously its not only me who its baffled) but i could only make it add up if i was to consider J.Smith singing the first verse to their child and how their relationship was in the early days before the child was born...now you guys have made my brain work overtime after a stressful week, i blame Nikki and minnmiss myself:P
LoL! Sorry. We'll take the blame. You're right though. Even if BYWY is about J. singing to his girl about feeling sorry for killing himself (and possibly about her following him to the other side)...that still doesn't really explain the "before you were born" bit. That's how the whole thing about the J.'s mother an/or girl singing to her baby she had with J. made sense. But if it's J. singing, then those two theories are out the window. Before WHO was born???? lol. Fran, you're killin' me!
ppftt. dont blame me (if i am in fact minnmIss). I have provided absolutely no insight. I just comment on other's comments :)
And to avoid work on this friday afternoon before a long weekend.
:P I was only messing lol! We all need someone to blame for our messed up heads and Frans god on this site so i cant blame him! But what i want to know is what the hell has J Smith done to this women, i mean, women are hard work at the best of times! :P (only messing im not sexist) The invisable boy has brought up some good points but we need a timeline to split these songs up before the suicide and after to make better sense of them
ppftt. dont blame me (if i am in fact minnmIss). I have provided absolutely no insight. I just comment on other's comments :)
And to avoid work on this friday afternoon before a long weekend.
:P I was only messing lol! We all need someone to blame for our messed up heads and Frans god on this site so i cant blame him! But what i want to know is what the hell has J Smith done to this women, i mean, women are hard work at the best of times! :P (only messing im not sexist) The invisable boy has brought up some good points but we need a timeline to split these songs up before the suicide and after to make better sense of them
no worries. i was just joking too.
And i agree, we chicks are hard work, lol. I'm pretty low maintance and yet still, i will admit it: We are a complicated bunch! That is why you love us.
Blame away!
Chinese Blues - I thought along the end of the song it has "there was nobody keeping him here" so was this the part where J started to feel the need of getting away from this world? He felt a part of a big crowd who were "waiting on somebody just to give them a hand" and they didn't understand, that may be a bit linked to religion? The snow might represent how it is killing the plants and the trees and so on and how J is thinking of the end?
J. Smith - As in Before You Were Young the radio is in this song. In Before You Were Young it is the morning and the sun is rising and all was well back then, J here is entering death by drowning the radio in the bath, significant of his own death and the death of his relationship and so on.
Something Anything - Is this possibly saying how J needs something or someone? Maybe the girl, he needs to be with her. Or might it be about religion again? Did the girl die as in "my memory there's a part of you that's gone away" and he's depending on religion to get him through?
Long Way Down - Is he caught between life and death, maybe an out of body experience? "The people look so small sliding off the wall getting dizzy as they fall in the gutter" - I'm thinking they are drunk? And J is watching all this. Or I just thought is J on Earth looking down at hell, it's a long way down?
Broken Mirror - "Inside tolls the bell, outside all is well", J is looking into himself, Inside he is broken but outside people can't see this. I think it is about him feeling lonely because someone, maybe the girl has gone away?
Last Words - "Try to shine a light into the dark corners of the mind and of the heart" He's looking deep into himself for something he knows is inside of him but he can't find it, is he writing a note to say he is leaving and starting over, he rips it up and starts again and turns all his enemies to friends. Is it actually an apology note before he leaves/dies? He may be lonely because he has lost everything due to something he has done? What he may be looking deep inside himself for are the words to express his feelings. I think it may be the writing of the note to the girl and his child.
Quite Free - Is this a song about J, it's not actually him singing it? It is about J recovering, he's in a padded cell. The girl may be the girl he loves? It's a song about things that people can't help, they are held back and not free to do their own thing due to certain habbits. J is in a padded cell, which may mean he's dangerous? The girl has a dirty mind which she can't free herself from. This may be when J and the girl meet, they meet due to their habbits?
Get Up - He's trying to decide, he's "gotta wake up to the situation" and trying to find out "just which way to go". I think he is lonely again as it says in the opening about he's looking for someone to write him a song, tell him a story, give him some love, and somebody old? This somebody old may be a guardian/parent figure?
Friends - Well as mentioned earlier Friends seems like a happy little tune but it has a hidden meaning, it's from the girl, she's bitter to J for something he has done and how he treats her badly.
Song To Self - Does the girl break with J due to this thing that has heppened between them and how he treated her? However from the girl's point of view she is lonely and missing J? At the back of the mind is a memory of the good times, they weren't in fact all bad times but maybe after some incident he began treating her in such a way and changed for the worst and made her want to get away from him?
Before You Were Young - Is this J after death? The radio again as in J.Smith? Is it about communication, there were communication problems? Or is it J talking to his child about how things used to be good but the child never saw this as J and the girl ended up splitting and going along a rocky road? It may even be what he has written in the note and the girl or his child are reading what J has said.
I could be entirely wrong here but it was great fun having a go at seeing what I could make from it lol.
I was going to put the order I think but I've absolutely baffled myself now! So I think I'll have to stop there lol.
Some interesting points here, nice one. I never really made the connection between the radio in J. Smith and BYWY, and it being symbolic of something along the lines of family/love/relationships. Perhaps these things, and/or lack of these things, drove him to kill himself.
Also you made me think of the connection between Quite Free's "padded cell" and Friend's "Glad you're better now". Seems J had a breakdown or something.
I take back what I said about J. singing BYWY to the girl, lol! He's still a ghost and all...but it makes more sense that he's singing it to the child he had with the girl about their relationship before the child was born, like Lizzie said. Only difference is I don't think he can come back and be a good father or anything like that because he's dead.
I remember Eledh told me that the sound of voices at the beginning of BYWY can also be heard on another track. For those with the album, which track is it? Maybe there's a connection there...
I remember Eledh told me that the sound of voices at the beginning of BYWY can also be heard on another track. For those with the album, which track is it? Maybe there's a connection there...
