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I used to not think much about this song when I was youngerā I thought it was very repetitiveā but then I watched Aftersun, and I actually listened to the lyrics for the first time. If you take the verses at face value, they seem disjointed, as if multiple ideas are being thrown together into a single song. Funnily enough, that's exactly what unifies them.
There are multiple interpretations out there about the meaning of this song, but for me, it's about the pressures people feel when seeking acceptance in a world preoccupied with conformity and maintaining a certain status quo. The very things that force people to "fit in" are also the things that tear us apart by allowing us to lead with fear and hatred of the unknown.
Pressure
Pushing down on me
Pressing down on you
No man ask for
Under pressure
That burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
In the end, that pressure can only be relieved by caring and loving people for being themselves.
'Cause love's such an old-fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Anyways, this song has a newfound place in my heart and never ceases to give me goosebumps whenever I hear it now. Give it a listen, like really listen to itā it may just stir something in you too š«
Sep 26, 2024
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Feb 23, 2025
I finally figured out how to play this on guitar instead of piano as it's constructed here (it's in a different tuning -- drop C, CGCFAD which is also what Nirvana's "On a Plain" is in)
I think it's Faces' greatest song, from among many candidates -- Rod Stewart basically isn't on it, he's barely on this album TBH -- it was written and sung by Ronnie Lane.
You might read this if you want a deep dive/interpretation: https://oneweekoneband.tumblr.com/post/3776097665/faces-glad-and-sorry-when-they-reconvened-to
āCan you show me a dream/Can you show me one thatās better than mine/Can you stand it in the cold light of day/Neither can I.ā
This is the bit that really gets me, everytime. "Even when we try our best to share each otherās dreams, bare our souls, give up our inmost thoughts, even when we intend to stand shoulder to shoulder and face the world, building something new togetherāthereās always a point at which it falls apart, and despair creeps in, and itās all gone past recovery... Itās that cold, hard recognition as the morning dawns and all my stupid fantasies of achievement, of desire, of love, scurry away into the shadows. Another one gone, how many more left to live?"
Songwriting is magical and this one has "it."
May 2, 2025
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example // in sufjan stevensā itās your own body and mind off of a beginners mind,(the formatting choices here are completely arbitrary) he angelically sings:
sheās gotta have it
sheās gotta dream
(sheās got a dream)
and she'll make it a habit
of doing her own thing
as so graciously told to me by genius, (this link does not redirect to anything I simply like to imagine it looks fitting) this song is based off of spike leeās sheās gotta have it, and is an ode to self actualization, autonomy, and love.
HOWEVER, when I heard this song it became:
sheās god of heaven
sheās gotta dream
(sheās got a dream)
and sheāll make it of heaven
as so woefully malformed by my brain,
the song became a tale of a woman who is āgod of heaven.ā I derived that sufjan had put a woman on the pedestal of all pedestals claiming her a god of heaven aka: God,(for those who practice)ā(sidenote: what are you practicing)ā(double sidenote: this is a joke) or even surpassing God. I figured that i was listening to a song about infatuation and rose-tinted perspective, much similar to his song impossible soul off of the age of adz (i could write pages upon pages about this 25 minute long masterpiece and the cover of the album talking to me while on mushrooms but alasā¦seek ye treasure (pirate reference)) in which he sings āwoman tell me what you wantā and āyou are the lover of my impossible soul.ā so sue me for thinking lover boy stevens was back at it.
i do think there is a beauty in misunderstanding lyrics that can show you what is at the forefront of your brain without you even realizing. when listening to the song i was thinking of my girlfriend, (god of heaven. obviously.) and my brain jumped to connect that dot. i find that this happens very often and it usually suggests something more interesting and provocative than a simple yanny and/or laurel mishap (green needle for my enthusiasts). if you have any similar experiences do feel free to share!
May 15, 2025
Top Recs from @verygoodvalentina
I adore finding a random video from like 2005 and reading through the comments the way a historian would examine an old manuscript from the 1700s. Are these people still active YouTube users? Or are they forgotten accounts? What did @jjlwis mean by "awww im gonna miss rob too!!!" ? Who even is Rob?? Anthropology in the digital age... so many questions... it's fascinating.
The important thing for me is not to add new comments. I feel like I'm disturbing an old archeological dig site and my sticky modern commentary will make the video crumble away into oblivion. More importantly, I don't want the algorithm to suggest the video to a bunch of people who will spam the comments sectionā major yuck š¤¢
Jan 25, 2024
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with social media being this pervasive entity that has weeded its way into our daily routines for the past 20ish years (plus a global pandemic that really solidified those habits), many young adults today have spent a large amount of their lives living online. it has become the new norm and iām not gonna pretend iām above any of this because itās so easy to fall into it (i am literally writing this rec on my phone whilst itās a perfectly sunny day that i should probably go out to enjoy).
with that being said, in the larger scheme of life, being in your 20s is still in a weird way the beginning stages of your life. itās a period to try new things, make mistakes, learn from them and develop an identity thatās independent from the environment and people who raised you. though you can learn to do some of those things online, they donāt hold a candle to actually experiencing those things for yourself in real life.
all in all, the best way to not sleep thru your 20s is to prioritize in-person experiences that allow you to get a better understanding of yourself and your values. whether that be getting your first tattoo, moving to a new city or country, exploring your personal style or taking up hobbies you couldnāt or wouldāve never done as a kid, this is an important formative time to venture out and get a sense of who you truly are.
Sep 30, 2024
early 80s to early 2000s truck models are the perfect sizes imo. current trucks are transformer-sized behemoths that could easily crush normal vehicles into smithereens upon impact and i legit donāt know how those things are even street-legal. also, idk if itās their design, reliability or the nostalgia factor per-se, but thereās a certain sazĆ³n those older trucks have that newer ones donāt.
2024 Ford F-150? š¤®š¤¢
1980 Ford F-150? š«¦š«¦
Feb 9, 2025