blathering nonsense (about) lyrics

I've spent the last 13 hours trying to reintegrate the family into our normal life after our latest mini-trip, but I've got priorities you see. Even with all the craziness of unpacking, doing a gazillion loads of laundry and caring for several very over-tired children, I still have the stamina to get up my oh-so-important BNL post. Why? Who the heck knows, but it's Wednesday, so here I am, writing a post for myself.

We're up to album number five this week, Maroon, and at first glance, I thought that it would be challenging to pick out a few songs from this one since I tend to think of them as all very similar in nature... but then I started relistening to the CD, and I found myself struggling (again) to pick ones to highlight. Like last time with number four, this release sounded a bit more 'radio-friendly' than some of their earliest ones, but unfortunately there were only one or two singles that had measurable success here. One of those is Pinch Me, which I highlight not because it's one of my favorites musically or lyrically. It was the biggest hit from this album ("I just made you say underwear!"), and I include it here because it was released shortly after JAM was born, and I spent many, MANY a late night watching them perform it as they did their rounds on talk shows, rocking around the room with a wailing and colicky JAM on my shoulder. I so appreciated their presence on the TV during those more-than-difficult nights! As always, there are a plethora of songs on here that portray their delightful way of playing with words, and the lyrics of Go Home, Conventioneers, and The Humour of the Situation all make me absolutely giddy. It's actually a toss-up for my favorite on this album, but since I already shared my feelings about Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel back in my very first BNL post, I'll have to choose another as the top pick for this post.

So, here we go:

Album: Maroon
Year of Release: 2000
Song: Off the Hook
Words & Music by Steven Page and Ed Robertson

All around the room your things are placed
And next to you he fills the space
And so it seems your saving grace is only saving face
The pictures of the two of you on holiday, on honeymoon
You thought that he was wanting you,
But he was only wanting you to
Let him off the hook

He was your imaginary friend,
You were partners til the end
Then something bends, and then it breaks, your worst mistake
Accepting enemies on bended knees; a litany of tragedies,
You're vexed, it seems you're hexed and after sex he expects
You'll let him off the hook til
Something that you heard while you were sleeping left you
Shaken while he stirred. When you awaken you will
Make him eat his words right off the hook
Hook and line, every time

The credit card receipts, the dirty sheets
The souvenirs of men who cheat
It all makes sense - with each offense
You wanted to believe him
He could get away with murder one,
And you would clean the smoking gun
With every crime, you bought each line,
But not this time, you'll make him
Eat his words cause

Something that you heard while you were sleeping left you
Shaken while he stirred
When you awaken you will
Make him eat his, make him eat his
Words while he's alone,
Cause you won't be around and
From now on the phone stays off the hook
Hook and line, everytime

(Okay, maybe there's a theme going here, but it seems that their most powerful songs are about failed relationships... hmmmm...)

I can't really articulate what it is about this song that appeals to me. There's a musical quality to it that I don't have the knowledge or language to describe- but the internal rhymes in the middle of lines as well as at the end just make this song seem like there are linguistic connections flying everywhere. The beat seems to pound home the message of realization and determination for the character who is simply done with this deadbeat partner. But truly, it's the usage of words (AGAIN!) that is so brilliant to me with this song. It seems like every other line is one that I want to quote, so I'll refrain, but I know I can't be the only person out there whose jaw drops at some of these turns of phrase. It's like every important phrase in each passage has a double meaning, effectively increasing its power. Once again, I find myself flummoxed in trying to articulate my admiration for Steve and Ed's songwriting abilities, which also again leads to my lamenting the dissolution of that partnership. Ugh.

Alrighty, enough blabbering and blubbering. Until next time, I am in full BNL adoration,