matt’s music blog

To be honest, this song is not so much about the instruments for me – a laid back jazz kit for percussion, a nice plucky meandering banjo line, supporting deep strings, that’s not what’s important here. What’s important is the incredible well written lyrics:

So you quote-love-unquote me
Well, stranger things have come to be
But let’s agree to disagree
Cause I don’t believe you
I don’t believe you

The last two lines for each verse (excluding the one bridge) will always be “I don’t believe you, I don’t believe you,” so I’ll skip them after this – but what a way to start out strong: “So you quote-love-unquote me.” It’s an incredibly literary way of expression sentiment – the concept of someone “loving” someone else and the implications of those added quotation marks is delightful.

You tell me I’m not not cute
Its truth or falsity is moot
Cause honesty’s not your strong suit

Intentional use of double-negative also racks up points, and the complicated phrasing in “Its truth or falsity is moot,” is great – what it means it, “Although your statement might be true, it doesn’t matter because you often lie.”

You tell me of what once was
And all about Buck, Butch, and Buzz
How they were not like me because…

Alliteration in ‘Buck, Butch, and Buzz’, but otherwise not quite as interesting as the other verses. And now, for the bridge:

I had a dream and you were in it
The blue of your eyes was infinite
You seemed to be
In love with me
Which isn’t very realistic

It’s a nice little way to break up the otherwise strict AAABB-rhyming format of the verses, and somewhat droning instrumentation – and if you look closely at the bridge, can you see what it is? It’s a limerick: AABBA, with an almost identical rhythm. Neat, huh? Also, the bridge literally straddles the center of the song – three versus, one bridge, and then another three verses.

You may sing me “They Were You”
And I start crying halfway through
But nothing else you say is true

Like ‘Butch, Buck, and Buzz’, this verse isn’t as intricately crafted, although “They Were You”, from The Fantasticks is an interesting reference to make – I’m not really familiar with the play at all.

You may set your charm on stun
And say I’m delightful and fun
But you say that to everyone

Star Trek (or possibly Star Wars) reference with ‘on stun’, which is always appreciated, and finally -

So you’re brilliant gorgeous and
ampersand after ampersand
You think I just don’t understand

Remember the “quote-love-unquote me” line in the first verse? This last verse closes the loop with “So you’re brilliant, gorgeious and ampersand after ampersand,” – once again, it evokes visions of typography, which is incredibly unique – I can’t think of many other songs where this happens. You’re brilliant & gorgeous & & &. It’s like another way of saying ‘et cetera’.

Anyway, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Daniel Handler (also known as Lemony Snicket) is involved with The Magnetic Fields – although as far as I know Stephin Merrit writes the lyrics.