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20462046 Posted Wed 30 Apr, 2008 7:40 AM |
After saw the lyrics of chinese blue,i can not figure out why the title is called chinese blue,seems nothing was related to chinese?
i have heard that travis will hold a concert in Hongkong in july?Is it real???
wish <<ode to j smith>> a great success |
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Nikki Posted Wed 30 Apr, 2008 2:27 PM |
I could be completely wrong here...but when I first heard the song and then read the lyrics, I immediately thought of The Tiananmen Square Massacre, in China in 1989. "It's the knife in your back, it's the heart attack, it's the way you look back before you step out" could represent an authoritative government. The most famous picture from that incident was the "tank man" - who I've always been fascinated with because he was so brave and no one knows what happened to him. He's the unknown man...sort of like J. Smith.
I've only heard the song once, but from what I remember, the piano solo almost sounded pentatonic and very Asian-inspired. Maybe... :P
Anyway, that's my wild guess!
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weirdmom Posted Wed 30 Apr, 2008 7:39 PM |
| Nikki that's a very interesting theory. I'll have to hear it to see if I get the same feeling from the music. |
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Chiito-chan Posted Wed 30 Apr, 2008 8:29 PM |
Nikki wrote: I could be completely wrong here...but when I first heard the song and then read the lyrics, I immediately thought of The Tiananmen Square Massacre, in China in 1989. "It's the knife in your back, it's the heart attack, it's the way you look back before you step out" could represent an authoritative government. The most famous picture from that incident was the "tank man" - who I've always been fascinated with because he was so brave and no one knows what happened to him. He's the unknown man...sort of like J. Smith.
I've only heard the song once, but from what I remember, the piano solo almost sounded pentatonic and very Asian-inspired. Maybe... :P
Anyway, that's my wild guess!
That's very interesting Nikki. |
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Florencia Posted Wed 30 Apr, 2008 11:30 PM |
Nikki wrote: I could be completely wrong here...but when I first heard the song and then read the lyrics, I immediately thought of The Tiananmen Square Massacre, in China in 1989. "It's the knife in your back, it's the heart attack, it's the way you look back before you step out" could represent an authoritative government. The most famous picture from that incident was the "tank man" - who I've always been fascinated with because he was so brave and no one knows what happened to him. He's the unknown man...sort of like J. Smith.
I've only heard the song once, but from what I remember, the piano solo almost sounded pentatonic and very Asian-inspired. Maybe... :P
Anyway, that's my wild guess!
Does it really have something to do with politics?
I could be wrong, but the guys just don't seem like they are interested in political issues though.
My guess it might because the rhythm is a litte bit Chinese style?
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BenFilbert Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 12:19 AM |
| That's interesting Nikki. I wonder what Fran would think if he reads all that? "Oooh clever girl" or "what is she going on about?!" Haha. With all the information Fran (and Dougie) have been giving, maybe we'll find out one day. I'm awful at working out what songs and lyrics mean, so I wouldn't have a clue! Haha. |
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maryhill_johnny Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 12:20 AM |
12 Mems was pretty political but then that was probably a product of its time.
I like Nikki's theory but not sure of fran's meaning.
Question: can the listener give a song its meaning? |
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BenFilbert Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 12:28 AM |
Surely only the writer of the song can give its true meaning, unless the listener knows it. I don't think one can simply make up a meaning. :)
EDIT but the listener can interpret a song in their own way of course. Edited to avoid confusion. |
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I Came in Through the Bathroom Window Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 2:23 AM |
BenFilbert wrote: Surely only the writer of the song can give its true meaning, unless the listener knows it. I don't think one can simply make up a meaning. :)
I agree up to a point. The writer gives the song its "true" meaning, but the cool thing about music, literature and art in general is that you can take what another person wrote/composed/painted and give it a meaning of your own. Of course it'd be pretty stupid if I said... I don't know, that WDIAROM? is about eating a banana in a park. But you can take the song and relate it to your own experiences or something like that, and it might not necessarily be the same situation Fran was thinking about when he wrote the song.
People often give songs meanings of their own, it's inevitable.
I hope what I wrote actually means something. I just got home after a terribly long day of work and my brain is not cooperating much (you can see that clearly in the example I gave).
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Florencia Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 2:33 AM |
| I agree. Listeners can interpret the song by their own understandings. :-) Hope Fran will explain his inspiration though. |
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Nikki Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 3:37 AM |
Florencia wrote: Nikki wrote: I could be completely wrong here...but when I first heard the song and then read the lyrics, I immediately thought of The Tiananmen Square Massacre, in China in 1989. "It's the knife in your back, it's the heart attack, it's the way you look back before you step out" could represent an authoritative government. The most famous picture from that incident was the "tank man" - who I've always been fascinated with because he was so brave and no one knows what happened to him. He's the unknown man...sort of like J. Smith.
I've only heard the song once, but from what I remember, the piano solo almost sounded pentatonic and very Asian-inspired. Maybe... :P
Anyway, that's my wild guess!
Does it really have something to do with politics?
I could be wrong, but the guys just don't seem like they are interested in political issues though.
My guess it might because the rhythm is a litte bit Chinese style?
Well, "Beautiful Occupation" was rather political. And I also mentioned that about the possibility of an Asian-inspired sound....or like I told Anne on PM earlier today, maybe Fran was just eating some really yummy Chinese food when he wrote the song. :P
Ben, I'm guessing that if Fran read my theory he'd probably say "what's this crazy girl going on about?!" But like I said, it's just what came to my mind after reading the lyrics. I've always loved figuring out the symbolism in poetry and songs. I agree with Juli though -- it's going to mean something different to everyone.
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weirdmom Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 3:39 AM |
If you share your art with the world (in whatever form) you have to accept that people will put their own interpretation on it. Otherwise, keep it locked up so it won't be "misunderstood."
But to me the beauty of art is that it can make different people think/feel/see different things.
From a conversation I had with Fran after the Austin show last year he was interested in hearing my interpretation of some lyrics from "My Eyes". He then explained what they meant to him but then seemed to indicate that they could mean whatever I wanted them to for myself.
I mean it's not like he or any other artist has control over that anyway, right??
I'd love to be able to write something so deep that it could mean tons of different things. |
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I Came in Through the Bathroom Window Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 4:11 AM |
weirdmom wrote: If you share your art with the world (in whatever form) you have to accept that people will put their own interpretation on it. Otherwise, keep it locked up so it won't be "misunderstood."
But to me the beauty of art is that it can make different people think/feel/see different things.
From a conversation I had with Fran after the Austin show last year he was interested in hearing my interpretation of some lyrics from "My Eyes". He then explained what they meant to him but then seemed to indicate that they could mean whatever I wanted them to for myself.
I mean it's not like he or any other artist has control over that anyway, right??
I'd love to be able to write something so deep that it could mean tons of different things.
Yes, what Anne said. Thanks Anne! xD |
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20462046 Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 5:50 AM |
Nikki wrote: I could be completely wrong here...but when I first heard the song and then read the lyrics, I immediately thought of The Tiananmen Square Massacre, in China in 1989. "It's the knife in your back, it's the heart attack, it's the way you look back before you step out" could represent an authoritative government. The most famous picture from that incident was the "tank man" - who I've always been fascinated with because he was so brave and no one knows what happened to him. He's the unknown man...sort of like J. Smith.
I've only heard the song once, but from what I remember, the piano solo almost sounded pentatonic and very Asian-inspired. Maybe... :P
Anyway, that's my wild guess!
so allow me to call it a polite humiliation to me and my motherland
since different governments with different political intentions and interests report one thing by different means and extent to serve their respective perposes,we can hardly know the truth below the history.
As the political situation was not stable at that time in china,when put it in the long run,something minority have to be sacrificed to ensure the peaceful living of majority.
I could be completely wrong here...but if the title of this song is called American blue,i think the first picture appearing in my brain is the discomposure in New York caused by undue Iraq war
here i do not wanna talk too much about Tiananmen Square Massacre,maybe Tiananmen Square riots exactely.
music should have no relations with politics,even you have this weird imagination,keep it yourself as this imagination is sensitive and unpolite to some fans
anyway,i agree with your piano solo conjecture and i do not think the friendly fran compose chinese blue by that unfriendly inspiration
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spid Posted Thu 01 May, 2008 9:01 AM |
Hmmmm, how to kill a sensible disscusion in one foul swoop.
Nobody was trying to insuuate anything or insult anyone or there country even politely.
There comes a point when a country has to hold up its hands and say 'we were wrong' - ENgland has done it over slavery, Australia dna NZ over Aboriginal and Moari rights, USA over Native American Indians and slavery. If every country refused to listen to the condemnation of the international world then we would have many more M'gabe's (sp, I know)and Amin's. What happened in Tianemin Square was an incident acknowledged internationally and everyone has a right to comment on it from their cultural point of view without being slated as country bashing. Sometimes you just have to stand up and be counted. CHina has a lot of issues (tibet included) and saying that the minority has to be sacrificed for the majority just doesn't wash it nowadays - otherwise you may as well say Hilter was right! And we all agree that isn't true! Genocide is never right no matter how 'good' a government may say it is.
CHinese Blues is a song - nothing more and nothing less - a person's individual reaction to a song is theirs and their right to have. The theory was good and in no way intend to offend.
Wind your neck in pal, it's far too exposed! |
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