There are certain songs that just resonate with you. Whether that song recreates a moment in time or is just one that you really like, these songs are the songs that helped create the person you are and were a constant companion in the journey called life.
Today we continue exploring those songs in my life and what they mean to me. This is Those Certain Songs. Today, We Will Become Silhouettes.
The Song:
Title: We Will Become Silhouettes
Artist: The Postal Service
Album: Give Up
The Lyrics:
Filtered water and pictures of you
And I’m not coming out until this is all over
And I’m screaming at the top of my lungs
Pretending the echoes belong to someone
Someone I used to know
Silhouettes when our bodies finally go
And feel something constant under my feet
But all the news reports recommended that I stay indoors
Our cells divide at an alarming rate
Until our shells simply cannot hold
All our inside’s in and that’s when we’ll explode
And it won’t be a pretty sight
Silhouettes when our bodies finally go
Silhouettes when our bodies finally go
Silhouettes when our bodies finally go
Silhouettes when our bodies finally go
We’ll become
We’ll become
I will become, I will become
What it means to me:
I am not sure what it is about this song but, the first time I heard it, I was mesmerized by both the music and the lyrics presented by Ben Gibbard and James Tamborello. Here was a very simple tune depicting a pre/post apocalyptic environment where the air itself is a danger to humanity. It is so dangerous in fact that people literally explode upon contact to it. Kind of a strange parallel to what we are facing at the moment isn’t it?
I write these pretty far in advance to avoid adding ‘I didn’t write an article for tomorrow’ to my stress pile, so when I went back to make sure everything I had written for this week was current I found myself in shock of how topical this song really was now. With so much of us in isolation and quarantine right now in a way it does feel like the very air outside will kill us.
To me, this experience of being ‘shelter in place’ really give this song some more meaning than before. It’s painfully clear that the singer is alone and wishing that the world would go back to normal so that he can enjoy the simple things he would take for granted, like a walk down the street for instance. Sure, for the most part we can go outside but to be able to safely go to a movie, or out to eat with friends, or even have some people over for a game night, that is something to be missed. Human’s are a social species and when we separate from one another for too long…well…we kinda get weird. Hopefully this won’t last too much longer. I mean, I don’t expect this to end by Easter by some miracle but if we all do our part we can certainly make it through this without screaming at the top of our lungs at people who aren’t there.
As someone who deals with Anxiety and Depression on a fairly regular basis, the thing that really stood out in this song was the subtle sense of longing the singer has about joining the rest of the world but can’t, because well… he’s stuck inside. Even when things are relatively normal, there are days when my anxiety about mundane things is so strong that I have a hard time stepping out the door. I am able to defeat this sense of dread every time it shows up, in part with the support of my wonderful wife, but it’s there waiting to make my body explode. It could be anything, it could be work related, it could be about current social events (which honestly do not help) or even just a vague sense of dread. The fact of the matter is, like the song says, I find myself expecting to explode the moment I step outside. Not literally, but emotionally, mentally and otherwise. No, I don’t have agoraphobia, but anxiety is a kissing cousin.
When this madness is over, I know it is going to be a mixed bag returning to everyday life. As a member of Gen X, I was fairly mentally prepared for keeping ‘to myself’ for a time. We grew up in a time where the internet didn’t exist so entertaining ones self was what we did. However, returning to ‘normalcy’ will be awkward for a while, things will be strange. Some of us will return like nothing happened, but some of us might have to relearn how to interact with people, with society. Give us time. We’ll get there. Eventually.
The song itself is a gorgeously produced tune from the 2003 album Give Up. I wrote about this album some time ago and, to this day it remains one of my favorites. There is something about Gibbard and Tamborello’s work that just really resonates with me and, today’s track is one that to this day evokes a sense of wonder and gives word to my trepidation toward my personal fear and trepidation.
Plus, on a lighter note, one of my other favorite bands, the Shins, produced a cover of their own that is simply perfect. check it out.
Till next time,
Late to the Game 4/4/2020
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed Those Certain Songs. If you would like to read more about music you can find my Music Reviews Here.
Additionally, I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and also check out some retro tv goodness with the ongoing series Retro TV Reviews.
As always, please feel free to comment below and share your experiences with these movies as well. If you just happened by, tell me what you think! Don’t Forget To Follow us if you like the blog!
Late to the Game Blog 