I believe that when he wrote that song, he was identifying himself as a “celibate bisexual.” Anyway, Morrisey has certainly had relationships with, and written about, women. A friend of my future-ex-wife’s said she believed that the song meant that “some girls are more powerful than others.”
I said, “I see. So by the same token, some girls’ mothers are more powerful than other girls mothers. Hence Antony and Cleopatra. And the crate of ale. It all makes perfect sense to me now.” Unfortunately, my voice betrayed me and she realized that I was making fun of her.
I guess we forget that even as late as the 80s people were still coy about being all the way out of the closet, it was still mostly wink wink nudge nudge. Heck, I remember seeing an interview with BOY GEORGE in the 80s were he wouldn’t come out and say he was gay.
I remember the school disco, aged 15. I’d gone with A as my girlfriend. I kissed C outside about half past nine. At ten o’clock the slow songs came on, and I was back dancing with A. My feet were guilty that night - and I was treading on her hopes and dreams! And her feet to be honest.
Hey, I can, and could then, sashay quite convincingly on a dancefloor. The thing that brought my performance down was the absolute red neck that I had with C staring at me. Guilty feet. and possibly a new pair of boots, but c’mon I was only a child.
It’s gibberish. It’s gibberish that’s supposed to sound like real Italian. Some say in response to The Beatle’s Sun King in which Lennon wrote gibberish Spanish.
Let me take a stab at interpreting this song. A “reflex” is something you do without conscious thought. With that in mind, clearly this is a song about masturbation.
Let’s break it down by stanza with [my comments]
You gone too far this time
But Im dancing on the valentine
I tell you somebodys fooling around -
With my chances on the dangerline
Ill cross that bridge when I find it
Another day to make my stand, oh…
High time is no time for deciding
If I should find a helping hand, oh…
[So, this fellow has a distasteful relationship and ponders a break-up, but ultimately puts that off until tomorrow. In the meantime, the protagonist considers the merits of self-gratification as an alternative.]
So why dont you use it
Try not to bruse it
Buy time dont lose it
[Bored and lonely, a frenzied session of self-gratification ensues, which the protagonist attempts to prolong.]
(chorus)
The reflex is an only child, hes waiting in the park
The reflex is in charge of finding treasure in the dark
And watching over lucky clover isnt that bizarre
Every little thing the reflex does leaves you answered with a
Question mark
[Faced with the shame of succumbing to base desires, the protagonist redefines his actions as a “reflex”, something he had no control over. In the serene afterglow, he turns inward and re-examines his life.]
By the way, the WTF song I first thought of when I saw this thread was Jesus, Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood. But upon further cogitation, I have an explanation for that one as well: the song is about a very stupid woman.
This song is jam packed with WTFitude. The story goes that Angie, who listens to the radio obsessively, finds some peeping Tom freak climbing into her room and they both drop the brown acid. No? Well,
“…she turns the volume down
he’s getting smaller with the sound.
It seems to pull him off the ground.
Toward the radio he’s bound…never to be found.”
What else could’ve happened? Did he get sucked into the radio? But wait,
The headlines read that a boy disappeared
and everyone thinks he died.
'Cept a crazy girl with a secret lover who keeps her satisfied.
Okay, so maybe the radio black hole was all in her imagination, but where does that leave the evil-minded neighbor peeper? Does it mean she actually stashed him somewhere and then… :eek: Probably best not to think about it.
I am totally with the OP on Escape. I’ll admit (with a guilty smile on my face) to having it on a mix Mp3. But every time I hear it, I play out a totally different ending in my mind.
I will also comment that just about every song Paul Simon has ever written has been a big WTF to me. I’m convinced he’s mistaken obscurity for depth.
I’ve never been able to figure that one out even remotely, and the things the band has said aren’t helpful, either. “It’s about rumors ruining things.” But…huh? What are the rumors? I don’t get it!
My WAG is that the narrator is a very stupid man who can’t grasp lesbianism.
Listen to the voice of buddha
Saying stop your sericulture
Little people like your offspring
Boiled alive for some god’s stocking
Buddha’s watching, buddha’s waiting
Allright nobody’s going to check this song out so i will post the lyrics.
Mommy, where’s daddy?
Mommy, where’s daddy?
It’s really an innocent song, but somehow the way he says “Give daddy a kiss girl” is a little disturbing. And the way she responds “Oh dad”, again a little disturbing.
