27-06-2013

Kiss Your Language?

Can I just get this out there now? Ever since I listened to Squirtgun's Fade To Bright for the first time (which is, like, 5 years ago), the first song on side B, Kiss Your Language, has always fascinated me. Lyrically. Written by Matt Hart
Here, have a listen and take a look:
When the whales came up to
breathe the sunlight in
they rolled on their stomachs

in the sand.
And when I rush like lava, too,
eardrums crashing, you were

choking, eating oranges
from my hands. 
My attention shivers. Here's a ship
it's in a bottle and a fist of frozen flowers,
maybe I could kiss your language
 
You said "why not" like a
sweating fire engine,
cartoon, presidential
perfect May.
 
I'm a born neurotic
horn concerto
wrapped in whale fat.
Will you speak to me today?
 
My attention shivers. Here's a ship.
It's in a bottle and a parrot giving lectures.

I'm ashamed. I won't go dancing.
All the landings strips are frozen.
Maybe I could kiss your language.
Isn't that just the weirdest songtext you've ever read/heard?
Let's start with the title lyric: Maybe I could kiss your language. Is language a metophorical/metonymical term for mouth? As in language = tongue = actual tongue = mouth = face = person? I mean, most pop punk songs are about wanting to kiss someone, so it would make sense. But then again, we're talking about Squirtgun and they're definitely not 'most pop punk bands'. They do write a fair deal of love songs, but not necessarily. Is it just nonsense? Or does he actually want to kiss an abstract thing like a language? I don't get it.
My most plausible hypothesis is, however, that the song is about almost kissing someone and just losing your mind over the tension or something. Let's look at the rest of the lyrics.

Cause let's face it, that chorus line is the least weird of all. Whales rolling on the beach breathing in sunshine? What is that? Well, it must be some kind of imagery of an epic entrance by or encounter of someone who is literally or, more likely figuritavely, big. Or maybe it is just absolutely nonsense. Am I reading too much into it?
This song is wrinkling my brain.
And then there's a fist of frozen flowers, which, I think, could make sense as an implication of his cold hands (maybe an analogy to cold feet?). But what is the bottled ship doing there? What does that mean? It's like half of the song could make some sense if you try to make sense of it, but the other half is just plain nonsensical. But maybe it's not. This is seriously driving me nuts. Cause, you see, some things are possible valid metaphors, but things like a horn concerto wrapped in whale fat are simply not physically or mentally possible.

There is another party mentioned twice in this song, apart from the kiss your language part. You said "why not" and Will you speak to me today? both imply a sort of pursuit, be it romantic or not, I don't know. The chorus suggests his attention is shivering, so he's flustered, which explains an entire song worth of flustered sentences and phrases.
But it doesn't explain the exact sentences and phrases.
Is this poésie pure, like they used to do in the 20s? Just nonsensical lines that sound good?
Are these metaphors? There's a couple explicit similes (rush like lava, like a sweating fir engine) but most of it is just some sort of mental portrayal without distinct referential value.

So, although I'm clueless about, say, 60% of these song lyrics, I think they are about seeing a girl he likes, going up to her at some sort of event (a dance or party - hence I'm ashamed. I won't go dancing.) and asking her to dance or go out or something (you said "why not"). The protagonist is super nervous and start blabbering/imagining and weird phrase structures come out or go on in his mind. Everything is pretty weird and the only things he has to offer the girl are a bottled ship and some flowers that he can't let go cause he's startled and can't move or something (All the landing strips are frozen.). He asks her for a kiss andwhen she says okay his nervous mind starts boggling and things take an awkward turn (Will you speak to me today? and I'm ashamed. I won't go dancing).

See, I'm pretty sure that I am wrong in this analysis, but the song is just so odd and fascinating. I'm actually happy I can't make anything from it, cause that would perhaps ruin the song.

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