I loved this post. I’ll take your request that people share their experiences seriously and offer mine, but it is very similar to your interpretation. I used to walk around my neighborhood as a kid as a way to listen to music without being bothered, and even hearing this song in my head evokes a heavy nostalgic sadness for me. It’s a nostalgia for something I never had. I grew up between two households - my parents had been married for years and had several miscarriages, I somehow made it during the very last try. My dad was already seeing my future stepmother on the side when I was conceived. So while they divorced after I was born, I have no memory of them being together, the only thing I remember is their divorce in real-time and of course I had none of this info at any point in my childhood. This song always made me think of the fact that I was forced to have two “birthdays” every year, two “Christmases”, because my parents couldn’t even make peace to both celebrate my birthday with me at the same time. I had to pretend it was my birthday once a year when it wasn’t, I only had one real actual birthday. It honestly fascinates me to consider what my reaction to this song would have been otherwise. Thanks for this post and sorry if this seems like a trauma dump — I’m good, don’t worry lol — but you actually caused me to stop and realize that’s why this song has always had such aa deep resonance with me
Lyrics that reinforce a dark sad feeling while being cheerful enough to sing that they keep the heart protected might be one of the best descriptions of tmbg lyrics I’ve ever read.
Thanks for sharing this Heath. I know it was long ago but I’m sorry your childhood had these complications you didn’t create but had to navigate and deal with. I was also a “take walks with my music” person so I relate to this activity very much.
(the lyrics about not being able to change anything natural, e.g. rain falling without my consent, reinforced this dark sad feeling of not being able to change any of the laws of my own nature, but they also were cheerful enough to sing that they kept my heart protected.) another thing is I could never quite learn the tabs for this one back when I was learning to play as many TMBG and other songs on guitar as I could as a teenager. Complex and interesting chords (mixed with the easy ones I could already pull off) drew my interest even more.
I loved this post. I’ll take your request that people share their experiences seriously and offer mine, but it is very similar to your interpretation. I used to walk around my neighborhood as a kid as a way to listen to music without being bothered, and even hearing this song in my head evokes a heavy nostalgic sadness for me. It’s a nostalgia for something I never had. I grew up between two households - my parents had been married for years and had several miscarriages, I somehow made it during the very last try. My dad was already seeing my future stepmother on the side when I was conceived. So while they divorced after I was born, I have no memory of them being together, the only thing I remember is their divorce in real-time and of course I had none of this info at any point in my childhood. This song always made me think of the fact that I was forced to have two “birthdays” every year, two “Christmases”, because my parents couldn’t even make peace to both celebrate my birthday with me at the same time. I had to pretend it was my birthday once a year when it wasn’t, I only had one real actual birthday. It honestly fascinates me to consider what my reaction to this song would have been otherwise. Thanks for this post and sorry if this seems like a trauma dump — I’m good, don’t worry lol — but you actually caused me to stop and realize that’s why this song has always had such aa deep resonance with me
Lyrics that reinforce a dark sad feeling while being cheerful enough to sing that they keep the heart protected might be one of the best descriptions of tmbg lyrics I’ve ever read.
That’s the best compliment I’ve received in quite a long time - thank you, Chase!
Thanks for sharing this Heath. I know it was long ago but I’m sorry your childhood had these complications you didn’t create but had to navigate and deal with. I was also a “take walks with my music” person so I relate to this activity very much.
(the lyrics about not being able to change anything natural, e.g. rain falling without my consent, reinforced this dark sad feeling of not being able to change any of the laws of my own nature, but they also were cheerful enough to sing that they kept my heart protected.) another thing is I could never quite learn the tabs for this one back when I was learning to play as many TMBG and other songs on guitar as I could as a teenager. Complex and interesting chords (mixed with the easy ones I could already pull off) drew my interest even more.