Quote:
Originally Posted by Sappys Curry
I always wondered about the song Spoonman. Obviously, he is singing about heroin use (right?).
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obviously??
It never occurred to me in a million listens that spoonman was about heroin. I don't think that's the obvious or even sensible conclusion.
Karl's lyrics are like his paintings. They're not depictions of literal figures and places. They're intentionally abstract, which allows the listener/viewer to overlay a subjective experience. I mean clearly he knows what he's thinking when he's writing lyrics but I guarantee if you asked him what a particular song meant his answer would be stubbornly evasive.
I remember some dirty radio show they did back when OWB came out and someone in the chat room asked what they lyrics were during the bridge on "crocodile.". His answer was to mumble the melody for that part and move on without answering. Because he doesn't need you to know, and he doesn't intend for you to know. The vocalization without immediate meaning is part of the musicality.
The lyrics aren't puzzles to be teased apart for their hidden meanings. They're mostly meaningless, which is what makes them uniquely meaningful to each listener.