Piece of Dirt
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The soothing sound of loneliness.
There are times when I’ve listened to this song while falling asleep at night and it always sounded so soothing while somehow also making me wonder if I was going to relate to the kind of realizations of loneliness and isolation that John Flansburgh is singing about. The 7th track on They Might Be Giants’ Lincoln album is a song called “Piece of Dirt.”
This is an understated piece of music with few instruments that slowly get added into the mix one by one, starting with a simple beat and an accordion. We are sung a tale of a man feeling isolated and stranded in life as if all he has to stand on anymore is a mere piece of dirt; much of how I feel while trying to write about this song. Piece of Dirt is not a banger which is not to say that the song does sound good or hold significance through its lyrics but more often than not, I find myself skipping this track unless I’m in a particularly somber mood.
Lyrics that haunt.
To feel as though you’re entire life exists on nothing more than a piece of dirt speaks volumes about what may be going on with the subject’s mental health. The magic and wonder of the world is gone. Slipped Away. He is at a place in his life where, if given the opportunity, he would climb the highest mountain if only to throw himself off the top. To fly away.
What I’ve always found most interesting about Piece of Dirt is the lyrics that sing:
“I find myself haunted by a spooky man named Me.”
Next week, I’ll be writing about a favorite track of mine called “Mr. Me.” Is this lyric referencing the same Mr. Me that is sung about in that song or is Flansy saying he that finds himself haunted by his own existence - Himself? Both songs are slanted in a nautical direction as well. What does it all mean??? I’ll think about it next week.
So, the big question remains: have I ever felt isolated, alone, and haunted by my own disdain for existence? Oh, absolutely I have. Let’s run down the list:
Chase’s Most Memorable Moments of Despair and Isolation
Recovering from my knee surgery and being bound to a couch for weeks.
Waiting for my knee surgery and would be almost immobile if not for the aid of a cane in small bursts over short distances.
That time my home burned down and I moved into a motor home parked at my dad’s house temporarily. I don’t know if it would have been worse to just end up back in my childhood bedroom. Honestly, both options sucked.
That one relationship I was in for some 16-odd years.
Trying for two weeks to write THIS post about this song.
Yes, I am familiar with feeling trapped in an ever-decreasing magicless world while resigning to the defeat that comes along with complacency. My question for you is, have you?