Sinister: Warning: reasonably serious post

[Alasdair Cook MS1996]

OK, I'm sure no-one's at all interested anymore, but here's my
contribution to the whole doom laden B&S low self-esteem discussion
thingie.

First of all Ailsa said:

> Maybe they're not low-self-esteem "I
> hate myself and I want to die" stuff, but as a long-term bullying victim
> with chronic self-esteem problems I identify far too much with certain
> lyrics, especially "Mary Jo", "the one thing that I learned when I was
> still a child was to take a hiding, if there's one thing that I learned
> when I was still at school was to be alone", parts of "She's losing it"
> and "Expectations", OK, maybe not what you'd all call low self esteem
> music but I see myself in a lot of (especially earlier) Belle and
> Sebastian lyrics and that's part of why I started to listen to them. 
> I'm pretty sure there must be a couple more people who see them that way
> too? Yes? No? I mean there are a million other reasons I love them
> too, but that's my view on the low-self-esteem thing anyway.


Then Nicholas Das(tardly)toor said:

>  There's
> something about the observational, third person nature of most of Stuart
> Murdoch's lyrics, along with the smallness of his voice and the fragility of the
> music that makes all the tales of persecution and awkwardness that Ailsa
> mentions so bloody affecting.


And then Robin popped in with:

> I agree. I reckon the best thing about Stuart's lyrics is that 
> they're always pretty detached, even when they're written in the 
> first person, so they're never self indulgent. I think B + S are 
> about the people who don't wave their hands and shout "look at me I'm 
> soo miserable"

Yes, I also like the third person view, when you can look at someone's
life from a distance, but sometimes wonder how much is simply made up
and how much is a reflection of the songwriter's life. Or is any of it
made up? I mean they always tell you to write what you know, but I
suppose it depends on how good your imagination is. On the other hand I
am also a great fan of first person lyrics, such as Bob Wratten's, which
are a great deal simpler but even more effecting for me if done well.

Also, as a sufferer of occassional mild bullying, but mostly just being
ignored by 'cool' people at school, I can identify to some extent with
lyrics/themes. It was the Fannies who said "Don't always look for
comfort in a song" but I don't see anything wrong with it (finding
comfort in songs, that is).

But but but, for me it's a lot to do with just being able to appreciate
the beauty in things ("If the sun going down can make me cry, why should
I not like the way I am?" etc) and wanting to hear music that makes me
feel happy, sad, everything, and my favourite B&S song is "Get me
away..."  which has that kind of theme in parts of it ("I could kill
you, sure, but I could only make you cry with these words").

It isn't about lyrics all the time either, as I found myself pulled
apart (not literally, like by a tractor or anything) while listening to
the Goodspeed You Black Emperor EP the other day, and certain Mogwai
tunes have the same effect.

In the end it doesn't really matter what you listen to or how you
interpret things, as long as you get something out of it (no, not a free
gift), and you're passionate about whatever it is you choose to stick on
your stereo. Otherwise stop listening and take the CD back to the shop.
Or become a ned (no, actually, don't do that).

Bloody hell, that was far too serious a post. Must go and watch The
Simpsons. 

Bye for now

Alasdair xx
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