-FUPPETS- House Band, SONIC YOUTH, are known far more for their skronkalicious ear-assaults than for their lyricism, but that does not mean that they are lacking in that department. A discussion on the mighty Sonic Youth Gossip Forum regarding Thurston Moore's lyrical style got -FUPPETS- attention.
The single longest song on any SONIC YOUTH album is the Diamond Sea, which clocks in at twenty minutes, much of it an internal noise framework. The lyrics to this song seem plainly simple, maybe even childlike in their sentiment, but things are never so obvious when it comes to SONIC YOUTH. Here is -FUPPETS- analysis of the lyrics to The Diamond Sea. The lyrics are in white.
The Diamond Sea
Time takes its crazy toll
and how does your mirror grow
you better watch yourself when you jump into it
'cause the mirror's gonna steal your soul
(-FUPPETS- takes this to mean that one has "grown-up", and time has taken it's toll. The mirror represents our self image, and it grows as we grow, and as we get older we become that which we pretend to be)
I wonder how it came to be my friend
that someone just like you has come again
you'll never, never know how close you came
until you fall in love with the diamond rain
(As one gets older love seems more dim, yet more surprising when it does come again. The third line -FUPPETS- thinks means one never knows how close despair and loneliness were until one has the comfort and companionship of a true marriage/union)
throw all his trash away
look out he's here to stay
your mirror's gonna crack when he breaks into it
and you'll never never be the same
(This is from the woman's/other's POV. When two people come together it is usually the lady's tastes that dictate what items that are owned by either are kept, and the men usually have a lot of crap/old furniture/junk that the woman desires be tossed aside, disposing of something to make something else permanent, for the guy is "here to stay". His tendencies got him the stuff that is being disposed of, so look out because he will gather the same up again later. The mirror/self image is busted because in a true marriage/union one must present the real self, not the mirror self. Once that is done there is no turning back to the old you.)
look into his eyes and you can see
why all the little kids are dressed in dreams
I wonder how he's gonna make it back
when he sees that you just know it's make-belief
(In every man is a little boy, sometimes well-hidden , sometimes not. That little boy is the dreamer, and exposing that is tough to a lot of men, which is why the question is asked, for when he knows that you know his true core, you will see his "mirror" is also just make believe.)
blood crystalized as sand
and now I hope you'll understand
you reflected into his looking glass soul
and now the mirror is your only friend
(Sand implies the passing of time, hourglass style. Blood is life. The joining of two people takes place through time and in time. Understanding this is very important in a true marriage/union for it is not about the NOW anymore, as it is about the ever after. One sees oneself through the eyes of one's lover, and that is why she is reflected in his looking glass soul, magnifying her because of him. The only mirror that exist now is each other, and that is your "only friend" or only true soulmate/partner/spouse)
look into his eyes and you will see
that men are not alone on the diamond sea
sail into the heart of the lonely storm
and tell her that you'll love her eternally
(This is not unique. It happens to all. The lonely storm is ourselves, and marriage/union requires that we enter each others storms, suffer each others hardships and travails. One must see this honestly and be ready to "love her eternally")
time takes its crazy toll
mirror fallin' off the wall
you better look out for the looking glass girl
'cause she's gonna take you for a fall
(Time does take it's crazy toll. The mirror/false image is falling off the wall, to break, to become useless and unnecessary. The second two lines point out how a man sometimes feels overwhelmed, for he sees himself in her just like she sees herself in him, and there is always the chance that chaos may ensue.)
look into his eyes and you shall see
why everything is quiet and nothing's free
I wonder how he's gonna make her smile
when love is running wild on the diamond sea
(Understanding each other without words, understanding nothing is easy and nothing is free. Love is work. marriage/unions are work. The question remains, how are they going to make each other happy? The eternal question.)
Here is a shortened version of the Diamond Sea for your enjoyment.
SONIC YOUTH - The Diamond Sea
Here is a clip from a webshow called New York Noise and a segment where they play videos for little kids and get their reactions. This is what they thought of Diamond Sea.
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