Sunday, August 22, 2010

Been listening to Pond again

There is something about this song called Tree which by the way i learned by ear. Also if your looking for tabs there are no tabs.


www.chrisnj.com/archive/pond/lyrics/tree.html

Anyway I put the link if you want to read the lyrics or if you are like me ponder them. Its kinda like Blink 182's Adam song in that there is both a legend there and actual meaning. Anyway back to Pond the music is very somber slow and driving and moving at a marching pace as to say slow down and just think the lyrics start with a cast of depression over them and possibly a thought. The opening lyrics "Mama Mama I have fell! Slipped into the wishing well paid my price I'm now in hell." As the reader or listening some people consider themselves more focused on music or lyrics. Myself I like the music more. To prove this I started listening to this particular album at least a year ago by the way Pond's self titled album is a great album filled with experimental music that sets them apart from music of the time so i highly recommend it. Anyway back to my point I didn't notice the depth of the lyrics until listening to this album at least a couple of times but eventually the lyrics started to weigh on me. The opening lyrics say it all remember a time when you came running to your parents when you had a problem well this opening line. Further on the lyrics read "Tuck me in read a story." These lyrics again forum a security net of childhood or a time of no worries. Than the song continues " It's a life of daily grind forget what all our hopes and dreams are." These lyrics suggest a struggle of dealing with the real world and not having a safety net as an adult. The lyrics continue going back to the thought of drowning because you can't swim but once again the safety net is there hints the " Papa, Papa!" stated by the writer again brings up the fact of the safety net. Another noticeable dynamic in the song is the difference in singers Charlie Campbell and Chris Brady take turns on vocals. The song starts in a lower register and starts with the parts about the safety net than the more angsty voice takes over when confronted with the adult life transition this shows the depression of thinking back at easier times and the anger and frustration occurring at the current time in life. The singing concludes with the singer asking " Am I last tree standing" this is not found in the lyrics but is in the song. This is a metaphor oh and how I love metaphors about feeling alone almost as a question am I really alone. People may ask how do you get this from a song that is layered in Eastern sounding guitar and slightly out of place lead guitar parts coupled with a primal beat and pulsing bass. The answer is the band is doing something to disguise the lyrics. I mean would you really want to put up with a song that is so depressing the answer is surely no. Exactly why the band made the song catchy to soften the blow of the lyrics. So this is my best attempt at understanding the song hey let me know what you think after all I like discussions on dumb songs lol. I spend way to much time thinking about the meanings of songs.