^no, Cadaques, north of Barcelona

I love your passion, Spamlet. I have enjoyed your earnest lyrical analysis through the years, so I like this debate with you. I hope I'm not annoying you or the other readers because over-analysis can sometimes spoil a great thing.

I think there can be multiple interpretations of everything, depending on one's frame of reference. I see that you have a very romanticized interpretation and I actually would prefer your lens. I'd like to play devil's advocate, though, and present some alternate interpretations, based on my study of human nature.
This is a very lofty analysis and could be his intention. Alternately, although he says "eyes," a cynic could read "thighs." A manger could also be interpreted as one's animalistic nature. In a physical relationship there is no "emotional" danger, which feels safer. It is a common excuse by those who stray from their devotion. What I meant by common.

It is often said that once you add "...but," you negate the first part of the sentence. So in context, the "but" reads as flippant and trivializes the devotion of the first part. I like what Wheels said about water and waterfall being symbolic of time and life. As time passes through life, if you let the need for fun negate every other aspect of the relationship, it is surely doomed.

I agree with you on this part and do not think this can be debated. I think the lyrics of this song indicate someone who struggles with that balance.

I think this is a great song where he is revealing his internal conflict. It reveals his love/resentment, his passiveness/aggression, his struggle to find the right words... He knows he messed up, but he hasn't let go of his anger. Everything he says could be interpreted as such:
1) Does "no matter how far/well, i can go before you" mean he's leading for her to follow, establishing dominance and superiority?
2) Does "and if ever you need someone/well, not that you need helping/but if ever you want someone/know that i am willing" mean that he knows he is implying that she needs him, but knows he shouldn't say it?
3) Does "i can feed this real slow/if it’s a lot to swallow" mean he's going to shove his need to make amends down her throat, even though she's not ready? Does the fact that it's slow make it more palatable?
4) Does "if you want me to let this go/well, i’m more than willing" mean I'll give up, but in a passive/aggressive way?

It's a work of art because it is so complex!

For IDWTCY, the movements are odd, so it may be played in reverse and edited (intentionally) in a choppy way.

^ yeah, that's not what i meant though. I think they skipped some frames, as someone suggested.
(I'm a graphic designer and i study photography, so i work with and look at images a lot.)
The perspective and the depth of field look odd to me. But I'm probably wrong. It might be the lens.
Also in MFFF the contrast between light and dark is different from what I would expect.
I really hope that I'm wrong though. :)

I think you're right. The frames don't all seem to be in the same sequence, which messes with perspective. Maybe it will smoother in the full version or they are intentionally trying to distort perspective. It would go with the song, in many ways. Or, it could just be an artsy presentation.

carrroline, I just saw your landscapes and concert pics via your signature links. They are beautiful! The landscapes are so moody and the concert pics use color and light so well. You are very talented!

The place in MFFF is, indeed, real. Coincidentally I was in Cadaqués the same week it was released and -yeah, okay, creepily- looked for the window where it could've been shot and I am 99% sure I found it... Same perspective on the church view, same blinds... That's where I took the instant pic on my avatar!

I agree, it might be intentionally, it creates a strange enigmatic atmosphere.

Thanks :smiley9:
I'm still learning and practicing every day :)


That's not creepy, that's just normal curiosity :)
Thanks for sharing!

Yes, Carrroline, great photos! I'm a medical photographer and your pictures inspire me to get back out into the world with my camera again.

The IDWTCY video reminds me of the camera tricks in the horror movie The Ring, dropping frames to make the scary little girl come at the screen faster. This is sort of the opposite effect I guess. I like it, it adds some edges to such a smooth sounding song.

Thanks… (all this praise is making me feel a bit shy :) )
yeah, go explore! your camera should get some fresh air once in a while ;)

Damien and horror movies... strange combination :D
(Although his name always reminds me of the boy from 'the Omen')
'the ring' isn't exactly what I had in mind, but I can see what you mean.

ID,

My arguments are always firmly based in the text because the most convincing tend to be the ones that have the most evidence behind them in order to support what's being asserted. Anyone can interpret anything in any way they want, but credibility is another issue altogether. For example, saying a writer used the word "black" because he really meant "white" (ironically?) isn't likely to be met with much consensus. I definitely have no problem with it, though, especially if it's just to play Devil's Advocate or for fun.

Like Damo, I'm just as much cynic as I am a romantic so I feel no need to force a "lofty" message onto a song that's not already there. True, I mentioned earlier that there was internal conflict and that he does want to change her but I see too much cumulative proof in this one that the narrator's looking for much more from her than just sex. He's undoubtably written several songs in which the interpretation you seem to be lending this one could fit. Having studied the bulk of them (none of us have heard every single thing he's ever written yet), his signature trait has always been unrepentant honesty, often to the detriment. When he's bitter it's anything but passive.

I think I finally get this song.
Here's what it means to me... (You don't have to agree, but it seems to fit to me :) )

The 'manger' (especially in combination with 'stranger') is a strong reference to 'the stranger song' by Leonard Cohen ('He was just some Joseph looking for a manger') (if you don't know the song, you should find it, it's one of my personal favourites).

By using this reference he portrays himself as a restless soul, wandering from one safe haven to another. But when the safe haven turns into something real, something more, he feels compelled to run away. ("If love is not for fun then it's doomed")

He can't help making the same mistakes all over again, just like water can't help going down the waterfall (it even accelerates, when it gets closer), it's part of his nature.

This also changes the meaning of "i don't want to change you" into "stop trying to change me" (which is a bit passive aggressive)

So how do you account for the verses? He's making all the requests to be close since it doesn't sound like she's already looking for that from him.

Leonard Cohen songs are epic stories. I've never heard that song before, so thanks for the reference.

I once read a musical artist (I can't remember who) say that he intentionally doesn't print lyrics because he wants listeners to find meaning in their own individual ways. I kinda like that, even though I always want to decipher lyrics when I hear a song.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Spamlet. Are you interpreting that the stranger is his object of affection, whom he doesn't/does want to change?

Compared to O, it's slightly more produced. The sound is richer, for good or bad.
Very distinct strings... ok. But also for the guitar. For us, who love Damien for his rawness, we may tend to say overproduced.
"I don't want to change you" is not overproduced for me, like some arrangements ruins the song or something like that.

I don't know who else it would be. They're really the only two people in the song.

So, is IDWTCY supposed to be a proper single or just a teaser like MFFF? It looks like it's not really gaining much traction, his performance of it on Jools was kind of bland - almost uncomfortable - and he didn't even play it at the SF show. I don't get the feeling that this song is his or for that matter anyone else's favorite. :smiley24:

just added to bbc radio 2 playlist

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps56d1c02e.png

as expected bbc radio 1 has ignored the song, Damien is too old, but has been just added to the radio 2 c-list. I see US radios like kcrw are also playing it.

ps the Jools performance was good, you´re biased cos you don´t like the song

Could be. ;) Saw very mixed reviews of the performance on Twitter though.

Btw, so far MFFF has been played 1.2m times on Spotify, IDWTCY only 300.000. I don't know is that's any indication, maybe it'll pick up. I don't know if IDWTCY is even supposed to be a proper single, promotion seems to work so differently these days. I kind of expect TGB to be released as well in the lead up to the album release.

I was noticing that on Spotify too; I kind of wonder if it's the effect of him releasing the one song and everyone going "OMG DAMIEN RICE HAS NEW MUSIC!!!" and maybe forgetting to keep looking for more?

at least 10,000 of those 300,000 are probably me though i am completely in love with this song.

MFFF was a buzz track, Change You is the lead single everywhere, promo has just started with Jools and from this week on is on the bbc2 playlist. At this stage in Damo's career, that's the audience that matters cos they buy albums.

Change You has just been added so no plays yet. MFFF has had a few spins, so I guess that´s why it´s doing better on Spotify. Using "comparemyradio" I see only bbc radio is playing Damo...

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps848c41be.png

IDWTCY is suddenly #12 on UK Itunes :) guess it´s an instant gratis just released today for uk people and got so high cos of the preorders of the album

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps59270951.png

Well, I've listened to MFFF on Spotify more because I like that song far more than Change You.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=gmHErczxpUk

Does anyone know what the lyrics to the additional verse of I don't want to change you in this version are? Starts at 5:45

Just realised that the official video for this song has been up on his website for a couple of weeks! I think the location is beautiful, and it looks like he is talking right to someone, except I don't really understand the significance of the falling in water and resurfacing and the water droplets going back on his face, or even the weird moves he does before falling into water. All seems slightly absurd, or maybe I am missing a very obvious visual allegory. Anyone knows?

^^ It's kind of like the reverse of Little Bird.
Haha :p

Haha, could be. But I don't think was the intention really, because most of his songs have a sea/water connection too. He looks extremely distraught and they keep showing him getting out of water, and that weird dance (?) just before he falls in also seems so absurd!

irish water this time