| Author | Message | ||
     Cassiel |
This is from Horsebreaker Star -- one of the best songs off a flawed yet intriguing album, I reckon. I've always imagined it's about The Gob's, even a sort of plea to Robert Forster to reform. Many interesting lines, references to Go-Go girls, some one called rachel who burned her hand and moved to Roma (I don't have a lyric sheet, so this might not be spot on) 'Really loved the one about those LA freaks/ Did it take a day to write, or was it weeks?' Is he referring to 'Draining the Pool?' And the chorus: 'Will you pull me up/ Drop a line down the hole/ Coming up for air/ Playing that jazz called rock n' roll' I interpret that as a come and get me to Robert, Grant perhaps realising that the whole GW thing, the solo stuff, was not as strong as their past work. Of course, I'm probably wrong and he's imagining life as a guitar-playing fish | ||
| RJ |
I have never has much time for the HBS album. I can remember being very dissappointed by the album when it came out. I have always felt that the musicians Grant got to play on this records where accomplished but left the whole thing sounding flat and lifeless. On top of this it has above the usual quota of songs in said flat and lifeless style. Compare HBS to In Your Bright Ray and it really does fall down. IYBR was Grants best but least promoted solo album -from Dave Nichols book it seems that he recorded it then lost interest -did not show for the mixing-as the GBs reunion was just happening so solo album went down on the list of priorities which was a shame -it is a really great record his best solo effort by far. | ||
| carl |
I always (either correctly or not) related `the one about those LA freaks`, to Forsters `Drop` - `I`ve seen LA burn..` | ||
| Cassiel |
Er, was rather hoping this wouldn't turn into yet another yawn-inducing debate on Grant's solo career, and would instead concentrate on the song. As i said, Horsebreaker is flawed though that doesn't mean every song on it need be dismissed. Re 'Drop', wasn't that a reference to LA riots? Not sure Grant would refer to rioters as 'freaks.' Surely that would be a term more apposite for shallow movie-types as described in 'draining the pool?' Perhaps not | ||
| RJ |
whoops just has to say it no yawn inducing intended. | ||
| Cassiel |
My CD of this album is buggered and have no lyrics to it. Can someone post them if they have the time? I seem to remember a few other lines, one was something like: 'I know i can get sentimental my friend/ But i just listened to those songs you sing' (which just has to be a Robert reference). The other is something about a night filled with wine, a burning car and someone being left with the scar, which could be a Robert reference, a drug reference, or, even, and there must be some somewhere other than when he dedicated Watershed to her ('Sweetpea'), an Amanda reference. | ||
| rdo |
the words, maybe: Coming up for air I know that I can get sentimental my friend but i just listened to those songs you sent really love the one about those L A freaks did it take a day to write or was it weeks Chorus will you pull me up drop a rope down the hole coming up for air playing that jazz called rock and roll we put an ad in the paper for a volunteer i havent seen a go go girl in years well rachels burnt her hand and moved to roma ah we found this town in a coma Chorus some times i think about that night 2 actors full of wine and a burning car you said we would take this land I said that I agreed but i am the one left with the scar remember when you talked about a legacy how you went through pride, relief to liberty its just so hard to name your next of kin too many red flags and safety pins Chorus | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 20 Registered: 09-2006 |
I just always assumed he was talking about "Draining," because of the line "Your interest in freaks...," though the line "I just listened to those songs you sent" could be taken to mean it's a new solo song he's sent for Grant to hear. Because I agree it's a pretty autobio kinda song, and he's singing to Robert. | ||
| Michelle M Member Username: Michelle Post Number: 15 Registered: 09-2004 |
I have no idea what the first couple of verses are about but I have idea about the last 2. It probably isn’t helpful for those wanting to know whose songs were sent to him though. When Grant was at uni he had female friends. I was a friend who happened to be female. Not a “girlfriend” mind. We met in an English tutorial in 1977 and when we both enrolled in the follow-up subject we arranged to be in the same tutorial again. We did spend quite some time together at uni and later I’d visit at the Toowong music shop. In late 1978 we decided to go out for a drink together. I picked him up from the shop and we went to a wine bar in Queen St. Wine bars were the trend back then. When we got back to the car so that I could drive him home, I grabbed the steering wheel dramatically and said (jokingly) something like “Let’s just drive off and keep driving.” The words in the last verse are a paraphrase of something I had written to him. I identify as a creative writer and I told him that I had given myself permission to stop writing and it left me feeling very free. It is an isolating and antisocial activity especially when you have a young family. Nowadays I organise the local writers group and I set up blogs for them etc. I write this for 2 reasons. Firstly because it brought back a memory of him in the passenger seat of the car on one occasion (late 1978 maybe even the same day) and he had a used A4 manila envelope in his hand and he had been writing song lyrics. It was a song about Joni Mitchell. Unfortunately the only line I remember is “she sent the teachers back to school” because that was a line he read out to me a couple of times to gauge my reaction. Secondly, I wanted to say that Grant is (his work lives on) a creative writer. Not everything is strictly autobiographical. Writers hate it when people assume that everything they write is autobiographical. Like all creative writers he has taken memories, snippets of conversation, current events (at times) and various vivid emotions and expanded upon them to create a different scenario, world etc. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 22 Registered: 09-2006 |
Well said, Michelle, and most wholeheartedly agreed. If I wanted to sound lame I could say that when I said it was a "pretty autobio kinda" song that "pretty" and "kinda" were indicators that I didn't think it was strictly autobiographical, but I think I'll just plead sloppy writing  . And while keeping that in mind, I do still stand by thoughts as to the bits in the song I mentioned. | ||
| Michelle M Member Username: Michelle Post Number: 17 Registered: 09-2004 |
Hi Allen, while I am here, may I say that I wasn't directing anything in that above post to you personally AT ALL! Sorry if it came across as if I did. I need to learn to use emoticons or something. I was just ranting on, in general, as I usually do when people say that lyrics are about drugs and personal experiences when, I am sure, it is much more than that, more contrived and creative. Especially when the writer has the ability to play with words and images and manipulate themes. I am sure a search on this site would confirm my past rants, unfortunately. Having said that, I agree that your thoughts are valid when you say that the "songs" must and do relate to someone, quite possibly a songs by Robert, I have no idea. |