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[Sappys Curry]

I always wondered about the song Spoonman. Obviously, he is singing about heroin use (right?). Did he try it one time? Or is he talking about heroin addicts? I mean, it is possible to try heroin without getting an addiction, it is just that you have a much higher chance of getting addicted right away.

[khouri]

The thing I've loved about Karl's lyrics is how nonsensical they are. I've no doubt they mean something to him, but I believe the artistry lies in how the words are arranged so vaguely that they can conceivably mean something different to every person who listens.

I never once thought about "Spoonman" having anything to do with heroin, for example.

[TheBang]

Also Karl said he hasn't done drugs. Alcohol was his addiction.

[Sappys Curry]

Originally Posted by khouri

The thing I've loved about Karl's lyrics is how nonsensical they are. I've no doubt they mean something to him, but I believe the artistry lies in how the words are arranged so vaguely that they can conceivably mean something different to every person who listens.

I never once thought about "Spoonman" having anything to do with heroin, for example.

Well, 'Spoon man' is slang for a heroin junkie. And then he says "transfusion, penetration" in the song (penetration meaning a drug needle puncturing skin). Then at the end of the song we have the lyrics "Into the blood" repeated many times.

[cacophony]

Originally Posted by Sappys Curry

I always wondered about the song Spoonman. Obviously, he is singing about heroin use (right?).

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.

[cacophony]

Originally Posted by khouri

The thing I've loved about Karl's lyrics is how nonsensical they are. I've no doubt they mean something to him, but I believe the artistry lies in how the words are arranged so vaguely that they can conceivably mean something different to every person who listens.

I never once thought about "Spoonman" having anything to do with heroin, for example.

You said it more concisely than I did.

[Sappys Curry]

Originally Posted by cacophony

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.

...

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.

That is why I put (right?) in there, because maybe it isn't obviously about heroin use.

However, read my post above yours. I give reasons why I think it is about heroin addicts.

And I know most lyrics by Karl are nonsensical and poetic. And I love that about him and Underworld's music. It is a significant component of what I find appealing in a lot of their songs, even.

[khouri]

Originally Posted by Sappys Curry

Well, 'Spoon man' is slang for a heroin junkie. And then he says "transfusion, penetration" in the song (penetration meaning a drug needle puncturing skin). Then at the end of the song we have the lyrics "Into the blood" repeated many times.

That's a perfectly reasonable reading. You associate those words in that way and came to that conclusion and you may well be right with respect to the author's intent, but I think the lyrics are still designed to function as tools for the listener to create their own meanings.

[Sappys Curry]

Originally Posted by khouri

That's a perfectly reasonable reading. You associate those words in that way and came to that conclusion and you may well be right with respect to the author's intent, but I think the lyrics are still designed to function as tools for the listener to create their own meanings.

That last part you said is basically what the lyrics are about for most UW songs with lyrics; as you have basically said yourself in an earlier post. I agree with that analysis. So, then, are there any UW songs that actually have a message that can be clearly interpreted? It is hard to come up with some off the top of my head. At the least, ALAF from Barking seems like a love song (seems like it, at least).

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Sappys Curry

So, then, are there any UW songs that actually have a message that can be clearly interpreted?

The message in Ansum is the clearest of the lot...