Wednesday, November 11, 2009

How I Almost Made State Champ

Singer/Songwriter/Violinist/Whistler/Guitarist/Genius Andrew Bird has been a staple in my life from the first time I heard his Bowl of Fire debut, Thrills, in high school. All of his work is fantastic and highly recommended if you are not already a fan. It seems like his fanbase is growing at an incredible rate. He, this year, had two sold out shows here in New York. The first at Carnagie Hall and the second, shortly after, at the even larger Radio City Music Hall.

His always-changing sound, no matter what it was--gypsy jazz, russian folk, Radiohead-esque experimentation, Ravel influenced neo-classical melodies--has always resonated with me. His lyrics, too, are incredibly insightful. He fixates often on certain themes that I take great interest in: the thin line between insane and genius, fixations on biology, drifting within weather systems. The beauty of any great lyricyst, poet, author, filmmaker, artist is that you can always revisit his or her work and find new meanings and how it relates to your life. The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Mr. Bird's second solo album is one of my all-time favorite albums. I've listened to it more times than I can count. After recently acquiring it on vinyl, I gave it a virgin spin last night and related in new ways his songs. Most notably "Mx Missiles." I a found literal and metaphorical meaning from his words. I won't say why or how, or assign the interpretation I got. I'll simply post. I recommend actually listening to the song, as Bird's melodies and vocal stylings give an extra layer of depth and humor to the song.

"Mx Missiles" by Andrew Bird

And now as i would judge and say you're aloof
but you know the truth is a seed
you know what you need is a conflagration
cause when i see the blood
and the bits of your broken tooth
it gives me the proof that i need
it's the proof that you bleed
it's a revelation
yeah it's a revelation, it's a revelation

I thought you were a life-sized paper doll
propped up in the hardware store
propped up on the front lawn watching the parade
of those legionnaires with two-by-four's
as they're marching off to war
yeah they're marching off to war

I didn't know what you were made of
the colour of your blood, what you're afraid of
are you made of calcium or are you carbon-based
and if you're made of calcium i'll have to take a taste
cause, listen, calcium is deadly tender to the tooth
and it's one sure-fire way to know if you're
MX-missile-proof, oh no, or if you're just aloof

You were in the ground in late november
when the leaves in earth are down
did you, did you think they would remember
how you almost made state champ
cause when you're running for the game against alfonso
and you fell upon the ground and chipped a tooth
oh no, listen, i really have surprised her
to learn that you are really MX-missile-proof

Oh, i thought you were a life-sized paper doll
and you're propped up in the hardware store
you were propped up on the front lawn watching the parade of those legionnaires with two-by-four's
as they're marching off to war
yeah they're marching off to war
oh they're marching