...And It Was All That I Needed
First things first...
If you've got 40 minutes to burn NPR did a really good interview with both stripes recently here.
Second. An effort to save you from the sarcasm syndrome.
I am not sure as to what specifically you are referring to, but I assume you mean the song, "Take, Take, Take" from the new album. In that song Jack speaks of a fictional meeting with Rita Heyworth. At first, he is contented with simply getting an autograph, but then it progresses into a photograph and then he wants some of her air (her words perhaps?) and then she leaves to go to bed. The narrator of the verse says that if only he were to receive a kiss on the cheek, he wouldn't wash it for a week; it was all that he needed.
However, the escalation of wants/needs that the singer sings of are either a. An indictment of his demanding fans or b. An exploration of what it means to be vicariously famous. That is, the fame that is associated with telling your friends that you have met such and such celebrity in order to receive their accolades.
I think that song specifically is type b. an exploration of what is really taking place when one asks a celebrity for an autograph. As we learned in Contracts, a signature is sometimes a very important thing, but in these types of situations the autograph is nothing but a memorial, a testament to the meeting actually taking place. For what reason? So it may sit in a book or on a shelf and the owner of the signature may be proud of the fact that they have been in the presence of someone who a large number of people know about. Isn't that silly? I think that is what the song is about. Not so much his bemoaning of celebrity as a exploration of the other side of the photograph/autograph. Similar to the wonderful song "Stan" by Eminem.
Aside from this, if you are speaking of an actual article or quote than it might help for you to post it. I have never heard anything but gratitude from Mr. White towards his fans. However, I have heard him gripe about the record industry. Their music was on a compilation entitled, "Sympathy for the record industry". The fans are an intricate part of that industry and a quote may have been taken out of context in order to inflame some "fans".
Now, as to all celebrities who don't like to be celebrities, or, that they act like they think it is too "cool" to be cool with celebrity that does get on my nerves. When a Britney Spears type is complaining about how she is unable to have a private life I don't have much sympathy. But when an artist is honestly complaining about not wanting to be approached in a restaurant or a bathroom I kind of understand. Not to be crass, but you must admit it would suck not to be able to take a piss in public without being bothered.
Other songs about how the road sucks, or "is sucky" to revive the term, would be something like "Turn the page" which I believe Metallica covered. I'm curious as to why you would feel "silly for simply enjoying the music". I don't think that's what these types of songs are condemning. I don't think any artist (back me up Kelly) would say that you could love their art too much. (Not to get into the moral realm of loving something created more than the creator or the Creator of the creator).
I wouldn't say I know Meg enough to comment about her future or even her stake in this whole thing, but to me, it seems as though she is the most grounded, most sane, least likely celebrity to go "Courtney love". When the Whitestripes are done it is my belief that she will settle down, have twelve kids, and gain 80 "happiness" pounds.
Your comment seems to make her out to be superfluous to the band, but I truly believe (as Jack has commented) that she is the cog that makes this band what it is. Had she been a male. Had she been less shy. Had she been more “drumatically” (to invent a word) inclined the Whitestripes simply would not work. They are in a word, winsome. Without her childlike creativity behind a kit, Jack becomes another run of the mill blues bar musician. Songs about elementary school, candy canes, ghosts or little rooms simply don't make sense anymore. She is the baby face that makes his scruff scruffier. She is the innocence behind his Rickenbocker. Her absence of blues makes his blues visible. Either way, I like their music, and I think their new album is great. I'm glad they returned to their roots. I'll end with a song quote from them.
Little Room
"When you're in your little room,
and you're working on something good
but if it's really goodyou're gonna need a bigger room
and when you're in the bigger room
you might not know what to do
you might have to think ofhow you got started
sittin in your little room"
And that's all I have to say about that. How's that for an incomprehensable rant?
If you've got 40 minutes to burn NPR did a really good interview with both stripes recently here.
Second. An effort to save you from the sarcasm syndrome.
I am not sure as to what specifically you are referring to, but I assume you mean the song, "Take, Take, Take" from the new album. In that song Jack speaks of a fictional meeting with Rita Heyworth. At first, he is contented with simply getting an autograph, but then it progresses into a photograph and then he wants some of her air (her words perhaps?) and then she leaves to go to bed. The narrator of the verse says that if only he were to receive a kiss on the cheek, he wouldn't wash it for a week; it was all that he needed.
However, the escalation of wants/needs that the singer sings of are either a. An indictment of his demanding fans or b. An exploration of what it means to be vicariously famous. That is, the fame that is associated with telling your friends that you have met such and such celebrity in order to receive their accolades.
I think that song specifically is type b. an exploration of what is really taking place when one asks a celebrity for an autograph. As we learned in Contracts, a signature is sometimes a very important thing, but in these types of situations the autograph is nothing but a memorial, a testament to the meeting actually taking place. For what reason? So it may sit in a book or on a shelf and the owner of the signature may be proud of the fact that they have been in the presence of someone who a large number of people know about. Isn't that silly? I think that is what the song is about. Not so much his bemoaning of celebrity as a exploration of the other side of the photograph/autograph. Similar to the wonderful song "Stan" by Eminem.
Aside from this, if you are speaking of an actual article or quote than it might help for you to post it. I have never heard anything but gratitude from Mr. White towards his fans. However, I have heard him gripe about the record industry. Their music was on a compilation entitled, "Sympathy for the record industry". The fans are an intricate part of that industry and a quote may have been taken out of context in order to inflame some "fans".
Now, as to all celebrities who don't like to be celebrities, or, that they act like they think it is too "cool" to be cool with celebrity that does get on my nerves. When a Britney Spears type is complaining about how she is unable to have a private life I don't have much sympathy. But when an artist is honestly complaining about not wanting to be approached in a restaurant or a bathroom I kind of understand. Not to be crass, but you must admit it would suck not to be able to take a piss in public without being bothered.
Other songs about how the road sucks, or "is sucky" to revive the term, would be something like "Turn the page" which I believe Metallica covered. I'm curious as to why you would feel "silly for simply enjoying the music". I don't think that's what these types of songs are condemning. I don't think any artist (back me up Kelly) would say that you could love their art too much. (Not to get into the moral realm of loving something created more than the creator or the Creator of the creator).
I wouldn't say I know Meg enough to comment about her future or even her stake in this whole thing, but to me, it seems as though she is the most grounded, most sane, least likely celebrity to go "Courtney love". When the Whitestripes are done it is my belief that she will settle down, have twelve kids, and gain 80 "happiness" pounds.
Your comment seems to make her out to be superfluous to the band, but I truly believe (as Jack has commented) that she is the cog that makes this band what it is. Had she been a male. Had she been less shy. Had she been more “drumatically” (to invent a word) inclined the Whitestripes simply would not work. They are in a word, winsome. Without her childlike creativity behind a kit, Jack becomes another run of the mill blues bar musician. Songs about elementary school, candy canes, ghosts or little rooms simply don't make sense anymore. She is the baby face that makes his scruff scruffier. She is the innocence behind his Rickenbocker. Her absence of blues makes his blues visible. Either way, I like their music, and I think their new album is great. I'm glad they returned to their roots. I'll end with a song quote from them.
Little Room
"When you're in your little room,
and you're working on something good
but if it's really goodyou're gonna need a bigger room
and when you're in the bigger room
you might not know what to do
you might have to think ofhow you got started
sittin in your little room"
And that's all I have to say about that. How's that for an incomprehensable rant?
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jon:
Hardly incomprehensible. Convincing, rather. I vomited and you kindly cleaned up the mess. Dios le bendiga, hermano.
A literary janitor? Ok! :)
Do you remember when we were looking over Sergei's cover letter and you said you found a site that said how to do it properly?
Could you post a link to that?
Thanks Dog.
I would agree with the statement that no artist would believe that someone could love their art too much, but I also see why they would want their privacy.
Yes, Metallica did cover "Turn the Page," definitely Seger's best and most heart-felt song. Their video for the song, however, puts a new spin on the meaning of the song--I don't know if you've ever seen the original version (before MTV censored it) but it is quite possibly the video with the most emotional impact of any video ever created, their video for "One" included. If you've never seen it, you should look it up, or I can play it for you off my computer sometime.
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