Sinister: What's it all mean?

[JAMES GILMER]

Hello Sinister kids,

With all the madness going on, and the fact that the country seems to have 
crawled up its own arse, I thought a little discussion of *gasp!* Belle and 
Sebastian was in order.

I'm finally settling back in after returning from my trek out west with a 
fellow Sinister person. When you're stuck in a car with someone while 
driving across the states and your MP3 player batteries go dead there's only 
one thing to do; talk.

So after discussing the Ethical Structure of the Universe and The Meaning of 
Life, talk naturally turned to everyone's favourite band...but enough about 
N'SYNC...no, no I'm just kidding. The band in question was of course Belle 
and Sebastian.

Between the many talks about the menaings behind certain songs, and the 
identities and tracking of the different characters (Mary Jo, Judy, Lisa, 
etc) the word TWEE was mentioned.

This drew a bit of a reaction from me.

I don't think Belle and Sebastian are TWEE at all, at least, I don't think 
their songs are very twee.

Why? Here's my answer as I said it somewhere on the plains of Wyoming: "How 
the heck are songs about rape, depression, sexual abuse, and suicide TWEE?"

Because, I think, there's a bit of a dismissal of the songs by calling them 
twee, as if they were lighthearted, childish things (obviously, not are 
their songs are about *bad things*, but for this discussion I'm looking at 
the unhappy ones).

Let me give a few examples:

"Rhoda" - With her freckles and SCARS on her arms (self-mutilation? Suicide 
attempt?) and use of medications to calm her down.

"Expectations" - Oy, not exactly a happy song is it?

"We Ruled the School" - 'Why did she do it was she scared, was she pushed?' 
- I always thought this was a song about a girl's suicide, and at the very 
least it isn't a very happy song, is it?

"Mary Jo" - Sounds like a bit happier song, until you realize the singer is 
pissed it's all in Mary jo's head.

"She's Losing it" - Abused girl

The fast version; String Bean Jean sounds like she has an eating disorder, 
Lazy Jane isn't happy and is having lots of sex looking for love (Jane's not 
a prostitute, she knows someone who is though), 'Slow Graphetti's about a 
guy this time, and an unhappy one at that, and there are plenty of other 
songs with male protags in pain.

I could go on, but I won't. That isn't to say these aren't happy songs, I 
love them and they rarely depress me at all, but I wouldn't call them twee 
just because they have some strings and flutes in them.

I remember talking to someone who was so shocked at 'Chalet Lines' and I 
think the reason some were shocked by that song was that they didn't realize 
that Stuart's been singing about the same things since he started out. With 
Chalet Lines the language was clear enough and the story direct enough that 
it wasn't cloaked inside the verses and double meanings.

I don't think Stuart's twee at all, I think he's doing what any good writer 
(songwriter or otherwise) should do, he's reporting on the world around him 
and what he sees.

That's what makes B&S special to me, the pure honesty that runs through the 
songs (as well as the excellent melodies and arrangements of course).

Because I've known girls like Rhoda and boys like the narrator of "Mary Jo" 
and I've been the narrator of "She's Losing It".

Stuart's telling us about these people with a whole lot of love and humanity 
and warmth...and manageing to entertain the piss out of us in the process. 
Not many bands could come close to what Belle and Sebastian quietly 
accomplishes each time out.

There are layers to the songs, and many alternate ways they could be taken 
(I don't think my takes on the songs are definite, just what they seem like 
to me) and this too is part of the beauty of their simplicity.

So let's talk, discuss all that rubbish I wrote up there, tell me (and the 
list) what you think B&S songs are about, or what they mean to you.

Oh, and you should all check out:

http://www.oateshouse.org.uk/chrismorris/

Click on 'pixies' for the greatest Pixies pisstake ever, simply stunning, I 
nearly fell off my chair laughing. The others are equally as good, 
especially the phone call to Piers Morgan.

So, let's give the list a bit of a kick, what's Belle and Sebastian mean to 
you?

Jim

P.S., I'm quite sorry to have missed the meet-ups, though I did meet a few 
of you without knowing it. Rachel will remember me as the bloke who tried to 
catch Stuart so he could sign her baseball after the San Fran show, and some 
others might remember me sitting near the head of almost all the lines 
before the shows. Short bloke with sometimes spiky hair and black glasses, 
stupid grin on his face, that would have been me.

I would have made the Seattle meet-up if only I had managed to find computer 
access in this bloody country. *sigh* I miss the UK and europe where you 
couldn't go a block without tripping over a net cafe or kiosk.

_________________________________________________________________
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