Elise: But don't you see? The so-called "Perfect Boy" is actually a jerk. That response of his, is sort of mocking her feelings of destiny and fate.
She's in love, thinks it's their destiny to be together, but he just wants to fuck, and be gone by 3. He's not buying into the "kismet" thing. He's just using it to get laid.
been busy working and getting ready for school. but i've had time for chain of flowers since 2004. it's just this year i've been into it a lot more and posting and chatting and talking to new fans. it's such a social place to be.
Just a question: in the thecure.com Lyrics we have "WERE ON THE EDGE OF A BEAUTIFUL THING", in COF Lyrics there is "we're on the edge of a beautiful thing" I know it's just an apostrophe, but the sense is different...
ALSO: why would this be the perfect anniversary song for RSX* and Mary, given the song's content as interpreted by Craig (an interpretation with which I concur). I am confuzzled.
I still love the lyrics though.
*I did not get the COF memo about the use of RSX, and therefore am exempt from any rules regarding its usage.
PS HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING COUPLES EVER. :-)
Yep. Just re-read the lyrics, and it makes sense. I think as of now I'll always see Without You as an answer to the never happy disgruntled fans. Genius.
Wow to the lyrics to TPB & WY! They are lovely lyrics and the "LAUREL KISMET HARDY THING" line is great! I've heard the songs on-line already! They just might be the best of the 4 singles/b-sides in the whole lot! Thanks to The Cure once again for some great music!
Can't wait to get my CD copy soon! I completely forgot to pre-order once again but I will order it tonight!
The Laurel Kismet Hardy line seems, to me, to be a combination of Laurel and Hardy, and 'Kismet, Hardy', which is often [wrongly] quoted as being Horatio Nelson's last words. Kismet meaning fate, from the Arabic qismah.
It shows the flippance that the boy has for the relationship and the girl's ideas of fate.
Fantastic song and wonderful, inspiring lyrics. Best of the bunch I think! Really warming up to "without you" now as well. Great lyrics to that and a wonderful melody as well. Happy anniversary to Robert and Mary!!
Agreed that both songs are very odd choices for an anniversary release...
So, perhaps there is a message there as well, but the romantic in me wouldn't dare to speculate on that...
And while I do tend to agree with Craig's priceless interpretation (I’ve always kind thought the same thing, but loved the song inspite of all of that), the romantic in me is again inclined to believe in the more hopeful sensibilities of destiny and fate...
The antagonist of the story does seem to be a bit of a cad...but he is who she desires.
And the Horatio Nelson connection is quite interesting as well, although I do believe his words, while not his last, were "Kiss Me, Hardy."
And wasn't that Laurel and Hardy imagery utilized in the "Friday, I'm in Love" video?
These 2 songs are great, and the mastering is partly responsible for this. Just compare "The Only One" to "The Perfect Boy" in your favourite sound editor (Audacity for example), and look at the waveform. "TOO" is completely off the chart, you can't see the peaks at all. "TPB" mastering however is much more dynamic, though still a little too loudly mastered. All the singles are mastered very badly apart from "TPB".
Interesting Helicon. I am basically a technophobic dork, so I am not at all versed in these things, but for me FS is the most dynamic of the mixes.
However, more and more the vocal effects on TPB are starting to make sonic sense. And none of it would matter if I didn't have the live version to compare it to.
You know, in thinking about this a bit more, even though the antagonist is being a bit of a cad, at least he's being honest in his mockery,
and she desires him anyway,
despite all of that...
perhaps only hearing what she wants to hear and only seeing what she wants to see,
because, after all, it's a destiny thing...written in the stars...until 3am that morning anyway!
and I think, in some small way, she IS aware of his detachment/motives...almost trying to convince him (and herself) that even though she may get hurt in the end, and that he may not really be the Perfect Boy, she's willing to try it for "a while"...just in case...especially when she says...
and i don’t want to get innocent but i would love you to take my time we're on the edge of a beautiful thing” she said “come on… let’s stay here for a while”
Hopeful optimism...despite the crushing circumstances...
*clockwise cat* Mastering wise, FS is probably the worst offender of the lot. I think it sounds more dynamic because of the relatively simple song structure. However, turn up the volume and it becomes a painful mess. I've uploaded an image to show the soundwaves, the top one is TPB with FS below it.
Again, I'm loving the new verse. He's still got it imo. I was especially taken with Without You; phrases like
IF ALL THAT YOU WANT IS HOW IT COULD BE YOU MAY AS WELL GO NOW THERE’S NO WAIT AND SEE…
and
SO ANYTHING AT ALL BUT YOU KNOW I WON’T CHOOSE IF ALL YOU COULD WIN IS ALL I WOULD LOSE
are especially delicious.
As for The Perfect Boy (and the 'Laurel Kismet Hardy' bit in particular), sounds like he's mocking the notion of fate, twining souls, etc. Pretty sardonic if you ask me; not exactly his most romantic verse!
"THE PERFECT ANNIVERSARY SINGALONG?!!" Depending on the state of affairs, I can see how this might work. :-\
Re: the production values, I just hope that the album doesn't sound too slick. There's a lot to be said for the purity of the notes as they are generated. Too much tweaking and it might come off sounding over-produced. This coming from someone who doesn't play or sing, and who has never even been in a recording studio... here's the salt cellar -- keep it handy. ;-)
She sounds like an innocent, inveterate romantic lost in fantasies of pure and perfect love, someone who never learns, or perhaps can't help but fall for the same delusion over and over again. He sounds like a cold, artless horndog who endeavors to dispel such fantasies before indulging in the only thing he wants -- 'the big bang'...
Yes, I've become quite the cynic in my old age. ;-)
"Elise: But don't you see? The so-called "Perfect Boy" is actually a jerk. That response of his, is sort of mocking her feelings of destiny and fate.
She's in love, thinks it's their destiny to be together, but he just wants to fuck, and be gone by 3. He's not buying into the "kismet" thing. He's just using it to get laid.
At least that's the way I see it. : )"
On second blush, maybe not quite the same... Craig, I'm hearing a guy tell her whatev, tonight I'll fuck your brains out and then bail (by 3(AM?)), leaving you alone and used. (RS does have a fascination with that number, doesn't he?) I don't really get that dude is applying guile. What say you?
7bluestars: In my interpretation, the guile is in the "perfect boy"'s mention of kismet. He knows what the girl believes and wants to capitalize on those beliefs to convince her to sleep with him then and there. I read what he's saying as, "If you're so sure we are destined to be together, then why not fuck me now? Why should we wait and waste time if we're 'meant to be'?" He of course does not believe in or care about these notions and just wants to get laid, but he sees that he might be able to convince her to give in to his wishes if he presents his proposition in those terms.
Simply put, the "perfect boy" is a manipulative bastard! :)
Elise: Thank you, but I don't know...I don't think anyone's ever accused me of being succinct before. Didn't you know that "V" stands for "verbose"? ;) If only I could more efficiently and eloquently express my thoughts! :)
i am loving reading all the interpretations of TPB, and they are great lyrics, but i must say i am disappointed that there was not this much deconstruction of FS lyrics. to me those are the most intriguing of the entire lot - DU lyrics close behind.
RSX has never, i repeat NEVER lost his lyrical prowess. he has actually HONED it over the years.
Even if there isn't a Cure tour next year *holds breath*, I am still planning on coming to the US - so we would definitely have to organise a CoF catch up!
The Las Vegas thing sounds like a great idea elise! I've got an Uncle who lives there & he could get me great tickets anytime! Wishful Thinking! It would be cool if it did happen. Maybe he could hang out with Wayne Newton in his spare time?? But I don't see Vegas being a town RS would want to hang out at year around.
The accepted account now is that Nelson's last words to Thomas Hardy [which weren't his actual last words] were "God bless you Hardy", just after Hardy kissed him. It was during the Victorian-era that the previously believed "Kiss me, Hardy" was changed to "Kismet, Hardy", likely by public school teachers who thought it would be an unmanly and dangerous thing to teach impressionable young boys. His last words after Hardy left, recorded by the Chaplain and Surgeon, were "Thank God I have done my duty", although it's more likely that his last words were "Rub, rub... fan, fan.... drink, drink", since he repeated that many times during his final hours, as those three things provided him some comfort.
/end history lesson.
Heh, sorry, history is a bit of a favourite topic of mine... back to The Perfect Boy...
Ah, I would love to come to a Cure fangurl sleepover party!!! How can I get invited??? It would be so much fun. I really miss that month of following them around, I had the time of my life! And I really miss bonding with other Cureheads.
Okay, chillun, let's keep this deconstruction going! :-)
“Yeah ME AND YOU ARE A WORLD” HE SAID “BUT NOT THE ONLY ONE I NEED THE TWO OF US IS NEVER ALL THERE IS THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN FOR REAL IF IT WAS MEANT TO BE US IT WAS MEANT TO BE NOW DON’T SEE THE SENSE IN WASTING TIME IF YOU’RE SO SURE ABOUT THIS LAUREL KISMET HARDY THING YOU KNOW TONIGHT YOU’RE MINE”
“AND I DON’T WANT TO GET OBVIOUS BUT I HAVE TO BE GONE BY THREE WERE ON THE EDGE OF A BEAUTIFUL THING” HE SAID “SO COME ON… JUMP WITH ME”
If dude was really trying to scam her, why would he say that she's not enough before feeding her a line about kismet? Also, saying "Laurel kismet Hardy thing" isn't exactly an endorsement, you know; it's as if he's saying it's comical. I really think he's mocking any notion she has of a lasting relationship, and saying that sure, we can make some magic tonight, but that's it, bitch. Let's bang and then I'm outta here.
aussietiger, thanks so much for the history lesson. I was unaware of that reference! :-) I got this when I googled (see http://www.phrases.org.uk):
According to the contemporary accounts, Nelson last words were:
"Take care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy, take care of poor Lady Hamilton". He paused then said very faintly, "Kiss me, Hardy". This, Hardy did, on the cheek. Nelson then said, "Now I am satisfied. Thank God I have done my duty".
The later story, that Nelson's last words were "Kismet [fate] Hardy", aren't supported by any contemporary evidence. In fact, 'kismet' isn't recorded as being in use in English to mean fate until as late as 1830, a quarter of a century after Nelson died. That euphemistic version of events is thought to be a later invention that attempted to avoid embarrassment by covering up the supposed homo-erotic imagery of men kissing. That was misguided in more ways than one, not least because platonic kisses between men at times of great emotion weren't viewed in the way in 19th century England.
Cool!
Now, about parties in ATL, I presume, dear Cat, that should there be reason to believe that another Cure tour is in the offing, the 4Tour invitation shall remain valid and in full force? ;-) (Alas, I'm too old to be a kitten; perhaps I could be designated a COF fusty feline?)
v & elise -- I LOVE the avatar! Well done! :-)
Craig, dear, do you by any chance own any Axe products? ;-)
I'm not a big fan of this song. The premise reminds me too much of Bloodflowers.
The girl says this. The girl says that. Basically she thinks its true love.
The guy says this. The guy says that. Basically he really isn't all that into it.
The guitar sound also reminds me too much of the sound of the dread 2004 album.
Sleep When I'm Dead is still my favorite of these new singles.
By the way. What is with 3:00AM? Perfect Boy mentions 3:00. One of the WMS songs mentions it "A prison in PVC at a minute after three". I forget which song it was, they all had such generic song names. Lets Go To Bed. "You think you're tired now but wait until three". Then the song "Before Three". There's probably some others I missed.
da, I'm also intrigued by his frequent use of the number 3. I realize that it's good for rhyming, but surely there's more to it than that. It has both spiritual and cultural importance, but how this might factor into the RS versifying phenomenon is, as far as I know, a well-kept secret.
Hmmmm... maybe it is simply a rhyming thing. ;-)
As for Bloodflowers, it's one of my faves (song and album). I agree that there are thematic similarities, but since I love said song/album, it works for me. :-)
7bluestars: Oh, I agree he's not endorsing the kismet thing - he's totally mocking it with the way he says it. :) But I still argue that he's mentioning it in an attempt to manipulate her. He's not going to buy into all of that crap, but he'll let her (and even encourage her to) believe whatever she wants to if it means he's going to get some!
And I think he tells her all of those things at the start because here's this girl talking about how he is her world and they're meant to be and so on, and he wants to make it clear that he's not making any commitments to her. But then he sees an opportunity to use her feelings about him and their alleged destiny to his advantage, and he takes it! He's already made his disclaimer that he doesn't believe in it, so he's off the hook, but that's not going to stop him from trying that angle on her! :D
On a different note, glad you like the avatar! Elise's COF Kitten drawing made my day when I got it in the mail the other day, especially after thinking it was lost forever for the past two months!
Man, though, I am gonna have a packed house if this really happens. Bring your sleeping bags! Hope no one is allergic to cats... if so, you're welcome to slumber on the rusty swing in the backyard. ;-)
Dumb Anguish: I agree about the Bloodflowers kinship - but that is one of the reasons I do love it so. Bloodflowers is one of my favorite Cure songs and albums.
HOWEVER: the songs are only similar in lyrical STRUCTURE. Content-wise, they are touching on different themes. Bloodflowers, as I read it, is touching more on the transience/permanence of things - the ephemeral nature of life and how this impacts us emotionally.
TPB of course dwells more on the theme of unrequited love - or, rather, the contrast between different styles of amorous attachment. The boy and girl are stock characters - the girl dreams for a utopian romance, and the boy just wants a quick fix as it were.
BTW, I am LOVING reading all these different insights. You all are a massively intelligent bunch.
I am going to add my own TPB review to my Cure blog pretty soon. You all have really helped me hone my ideas about the song. :-)
v, I see your point (and that of your mirror Craig (ain't he just the cutest thang?! ;-)). Dude does seem to be conceding in the name of, how shall I put it,... expediency? As for the avatar, Elise is truly talented! (Glad kitty finally made it to her new home!)
Cat, this ole dumbass ;-) respectfully disagrees. I think the songs are indeed thematically similar; in both, and please forgive a really wretched job of paraphrasing, she says it will alway be this glorious utopian sort of affair, while he says nope -- it's transitory and we will be history at some point. She fantasizes that he's 'The One'; he knows that it can never be his perfect union, and that he will leave, maybe even flee (although I do see the union in Bloodflowers as being much longer, and terminated for one of several reasons, including death). In short, "You give me flowers of love... I let fall flowers of blood." could apply as well in 2008 as it did in 2000.
@Craig: *ROFL* Craig, my sweet, I ask only because I thought I detected a whiff of said fragrance over the internets tubes. It's that manly-man virtual mien of yours that did it! ;-) Seriously, I know you've got way too much class to use that stuff! :-D
*7bluestars will be mortified if she learns that while stateside, Robert was spotted buying Axe products during one of his Walmart sprees.*
T: Okay, maybe they are more thematically similar than I am conceding, but frankly I never really saw BF as a song about romance; I took it to be more about the cosmos, and the ephemeral nature of things. TPB to me is much more concretely about romance and the different approaches to it that the protag/antag display - i.e, the girl being naively romantic, and the boy being jaded about the notion of eternal love. Anyway...who knows? I love both songs. :-)
Cat, I see your point. I didn't mean to imply that I thought them identically themed. Imo, Bloodflowers has greater depth, probing the essential nature of existence itself; also, it delves into the intricacies a relationship that seems significant and relatively long-term.
Elise, I think you need to give yourself more credit! <3
honey, the Walmart bit was a tongue-in-cheek reference to an assertion (perhaps said in jest) by one of Robert's detractors -- something about shopping at Walmart while in the US during the last tour.
WOW - i have really enjoyed reading all these interpretations. I agree with you guys - when i finally read the words - it was very obvious that it was about a naive girl and as Craig said "the perfect jerk"! LOVE THAT CRAIG!
and i think WITHOUT YOU is becoming my favorite B Side of the four.
How does RS NOT run out of beautiful lyrics? How does he DO THAT!!
Morris/Elise: Told you it was kismet. : P
ReplyDeleteHey Amazon users, again feel free to help out the rating of The Perfect Boy by pimping my glowing review with "helpful" points.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/AVQZOFV1QYZPD/ref=cm_rna_own_review_more?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview
It's there at the top. Thanks all.
okay I'll bite.
ReplyDeleteLaurel Kismet Hardy thing? huh?
Craig - yes, you were right - but seriously, I don't think any of us would have called "Laurel Kismet Hardy thing" - WTF?
ReplyDeleteElise: We didn't. But "hearty" and "hardy" was pretty close too. Oh, and we had "thing" right too. : )
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt most certainly is a destiny thing...written in the stars!
ReplyDeleteKismet or serendipity...who can be sure...I'm just delighting in the new release.
Thank you Craig et al for posting the "official lyrics" and congrats to RS & MP on their 20th wedding anniversary!
Cheers!
since i was 15 robert & mary have been my dream ideal couple. they're so romantic. i wish i had met g 10 years before 10 years ago.
ReplyDeletehappy anniversary, r & m!
xo
Craig "I'm pretty sure I know, but I can't tell you. : )"
ReplyDeletehuh?
What if Robert just copies and pastes what we put on COF and just corrects the parts we don't know?
ReplyDeleteAndy: Not possible. We don't post in ALL CAPS. : )
ReplyDeletehappy anniverary mary and robert!
ReplyDeleteElise: It was in response to a post that has now been deleted.
ReplyDeletewell, we probably should start. it'd save him the trouble from switching from our page and back to his text editor on TheCure.com
ReplyDeleteK....
ReplyDeleteI like that TPB is a Kismet/Destiny thing.
Kinda like the friends I have made thanks to COF and the 4Tour :D
Elise: But don't you see? The so-called "Perfect Boy" is actually a jerk. That response of his, is sort of mocking her feelings of destiny and fate.
ReplyDeleteShe's in love, thinks it's their destiny to be together, but he just wants to fuck, and be gone by 3. He's not buying into the "kismet" thing. He's just using it to get laid.
At least that's the way I see it. : )
Craig - I get that - but I am always the girl who has the romantic dreams.
ReplyDeleteAnd the last verse says it all.
Craig - in regards to the 65Dos Site update a few posts back. why didn't anyone mention the picture?
ReplyDelete65Dos
and
The Cure
Elise: So am I. Just switch the girl to boy. : )
ReplyDeleteCraig - and you're living the dream at the moment :)
ReplyDeleteElise: No comment! And still innocent! : )
ReplyDeleteElise: btw, I loved your COF Kittens drawing!
ReplyDeleteCOF Kitten drawing?
ReplyDeleteandy - good to see you around here!
ReplyDeletei thought the reference was really cute :)
Elise: In the original shipment that you sent to V. The one we thought was lost.
ReplyDeletebeen busy working and getting ready for school. but i've had time for chain of flowers since 2004. it's just this year i've been into it a lot more and posting and chatting and talking to new fans. it's such a social place to be.
ReplyDeleteOMG! That was so long ago. I had totally forgot that I had even attempted to draw a kitten ;)
ReplyDeleteI love that V now has 2 koala's called "Si".
ReplyDeletehello jo
ReplyDeleteHi Andy,
ReplyDeleteHow are you? Are things on the improve in your world?
Elise: But how does she know which one is Si, and which one is Si? : )
ReplyDeleteElise: Check out my profile pic! ;)
ReplyDeleteAre the koalas different,v?
ReplyDeleteV: I just sent it to her. : )
ReplyDeleteOMG - what 8 year old drew that picture? LOL
ReplyDeleteyeah, i think things will be fine soon. thanks for asking.
ReplyDeletehow's life down under?
i met someone from australia today at McDonald's where I work.
:)
thought of you.
Elise: We thought it was very cute.
ReplyDeleteCraig: Did you send her the pic of Si-Si, too?
ReplyDeleteElise: If he didn't, you can see it here. :)
V: No, just the drawing.
ReplyDeleteLife Down Under is OK.
ReplyDeleteI just live for the times where I get to catch up with my buddies on COF, meebo and Skype.
Bloody Australians - travel to America and eat McDonalds....... why isn't that me?
And TimTam is still my profile pic. : )
ReplyDeleteJo rocks! And is so sweet to all of us.
Don't you love it when twins dress differently to try and pretend they don't look the same :-)
ReplyDeleteawww. shucks - thanks Craig.
ReplyDeleteI tend to be more evil than sweet in the real world, but in COF land, I can pretend to be someone else ;)
Elise: Do you mind if I keep your drawing as my profile pic?
ReplyDeleteV - i love Si-Si! *hugs them both*
ReplyDeletei will have to draw you a portrait of them! in crayon :D
DJ: Please do!! That would be great. :)
ReplyDeleteV - are you an artist? OMG, and I sent you a second grade drawing of a cat. LOL
ReplyDeleteLMAO elise!! i love your cat :)
ReplyDeleteV and DJ - sorry I confused my letters.
ReplyDeleteV - of course, you can keep it as your profile picture (not sure why you would want to though)
Elise: No, I'm not an artist at all. :)
ReplyDeleteElise: It's so cute! And it's a true COF Kitten!! :)
ReplyDeleteCOF Kittens rule!
ReplyDeleteV: But you are quite the writer! : )
ReplyDeleteDJ - thanks for laughing at my cat :D
ReplyDeleteJust a question: in the thecure.com Lyrics we have "WERE ON THE EDGE OF A BEAUTIFUL THING", in COF Lyrics there is "we're on the edge of a beautiful thing"
ReplyDeleteI know it's just an apostrophe, but the sense is different...
fmjews - I suspect that COF is actually correct - it makes the most sense that "we're on the edge" than "were on the edge".
ReplyDeleteelise - yes there is more sense, but in this last lyrics there are some no-senses lines ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL, I love those two pics Andy posted. :D
ReplyDeleteOh, and happy anniversary to Robert and Mary!
ReplyDeleteLaurel Kismet Hardy thing.. I know Laurel and Hardy.. what am I missing with the Kismet?
ReplyDeleteI feel dumb.
ALSO: why would this be the perfect anniversary song for RSX*
ReplyDeleteand Mary, given the song's content as interpreted by Craig (an interpretation with which I concur). I am confuzzled.
I still love the lyrics though.
*I did not get the COF memo about the use of RSX, and therefore am exempt from any rules regarding its usage.
PS HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING COUPLES EVER. :-)
Cat - I don't get the link between Laurel and Hardy AND Kismet either.
ReplyDeleteAnd, while I am in an agreeable mood - I don't understand how this song can be considered as an anniversary song.
How wonderful!
ReplyDeleteKismet being like destiny..? Laurel and Hardy being destined to be together...? Laurel and Hardy being like opposites attract?
ReplyDeleteI miss the pony/bunny confusion. A bit easier to dissect. :-)
PS UTS is a much more appropriate RSX/Mary Anniversary song.
...i knew what i thought was LOVE didn't sound right. The YouTube comment was my last gasp! : )
ReplyDelete:bows to Craig and V:
: )
Morris - do you want me to book you in at the hearing specialist at the same time as me :)
ReplyDeleteWithout You is a message to disgruntled fans, IMO. I could be off base.
ReplyDeleteAnd Laurel Kismet Hardy - definitely the boy's mockery of the girl's idea of destiny.
20 Years, I Love It.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary!
HI CAT!!! O.o
ReplyDeleteI like your interpretation of Without You, Cat!
ReplyDeleteCould be!
Yep. Just re-read the lyrics, and it makes sense. I think as of now I'll always see Without You as an answer to the never happy disgruntled fans. Genius.
ReplyDeleteWow to the lyrics to TPB & WY! They are lovely lyrics and the "LAUREL KISMET HARDY THING" line is great! I've heard the songs on-line already! They just might be the best of the 4 singles/b-sides in the whole lot! Thanks to The Cure once again for some great music!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to get my CD copy soon! I completely forgot to pre-order once again but I will order it tonight!
And Congratulations Robert & Mary!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY!!!
Here's to 20 more fabulous years to come!!! Cheers to them both! :) :) :)
The Laurel Kismet Hardy line seems, to me, to be a combination of Laurel and Hardy, and 'Kismet, Hardy', which is often [wrongly] quoted as being Horatio Nelson's last words. Kismet meaning fate, from the Arabic qismah.
ReplyDeleteIt shows the flippance that the boy has for the relationship and the girl's ideas of fate.
That's how I see it, anyway.
horatio nelson! you really learn something interesting every day.
ReplyDeletewhat a sexy day!
Fantastic song and wonderful, inspiring lyrics. Best of the bunch I think! Really warming up to "without you" now as well. Great lyrics to that and a wonderful melody as well. Happy anniversary to Robert and Mary!!
ReplyDeleteAgreed that both songs are very odd choices for an anniversary release...
ReplyDeleteSo, perhaps there is a message there as well, but the romantic in me wouldn't dare to speculate on that...
And while I do tend to agree with Craig's priceless interpretation (I’ve always kind thought the same thing, but loved the song inspite of all of that), the romantic in me is again inclined to believe in the more hopeful sensibilities of destiny and fate...
The antagonist of the story does seem to be a bit of a cad...but he is who she desires.
And the Horatio Nelson connection is quite interesting as well, although I do believe his words, while not his last, were "Kiss Me, Hardy."
And wasn't that Laurel and Hardy imagery utilized in the "Friday, I'm in Love" video?
Hmmmmm…very interesting, indeed!
These 2 songs are great, and the mastering is partly responsible for this.
ReplyDeleteJust compare "The Only One" to "The Perfect Boy" in your favourite sound editor (Audacity for example), and look at the waveform.
"TOO" is completely off the chart, you can't see the peaks at all.
"TPB" mastering however is much more dynamic, though still a little too loudly mastered.
All the singles are mastered very badly apart from "TPB".
Interesting Helicon. I am basically a technophobic dork, so I am not at all versed in these things, but for me FS is the most dynamic of the mixes.
ReplyDeleteHowever, more and more the vocal effects on TPB are starting to make sonic sense. And none of it would matter if I didn't have the live version to compare it to.
You know, in thinking about this a bit more, even though the antagonist is being a bit of a cad,
ReplyDeleteat least he's being honest in his mockery,
and she desires him anyway,
despite all of that...
perhaps only hearing what she wants to hear and only seeing what she wants to see,
because, after all, it's a destiny thing...written in the stars...until 3am that morning anyway!
and I think, in some small way,
she IS aware of his detachment/motives...almost trying to convince him (and herself) that even though she may get hurt in the end, and that he may not really be the Perfect Boy, she's willing to try it for "a while"...just in case...especially when she says...
and i don’t want to get innocent
but i would love you to take my time
we're on the edge of a beautiful thing”
she said
“come on… let’s stay here for a while”
Hopeful optimism...despite the crushing circumstances...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete*clockwise cat*
ReplyDeleteMastering wise, FS is probably the worst offender of the lot.
I think it sounds more dynamic because of the relatively simple song structure.
However, turn up the volume and it becomes a painful mess.
I've uploaded an image to show the soundwaves, the top one is TPB with FS below it.
http://img392.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tpbandfstj7.jpg
Did someone in the cure camp finally realise that they'd ruined the preceding singles with this awful mastering?
Again, I'm loving the new verse. He's still got it imo. I was especially taken with Without You; phrases like
ReplyDeleteIF ALL THAT YOU WANT
IS HOW IT COULD BE
YOU MAY AS WELL GO NOW
THERE’S NO WAIT AND SEE…
and
SO ANYTHING AT ALL
BUT YOU KNOW I WON’T CHOOSE
IF ALL YOU COULD WIN
IS ALL I WOULD LOSE
are especially delicious.
As for The Perfect Boy (and the 'Laurel Kismet Hardy' bit in particular), sounds like he's mocking the notion of fate, twining souls, etc. Pretty sardonic if you ask me; not exactly his most romantic verse!
"THE PERFECT ANNIVERSARY SINGALONG?!!" Depending on the state of affairs, I can see how this might work. :-\
Re: the production values, I just hope that the album doesn't sound too slick. There's a lot to be said for the purity of the notes as they are generated. Too much tweaking and it might come off sounding over-produced. This coming from someone who doesn't play or sing, and who has never even been in a recording studio... here's the salt cellar -- keep it handy. ;-)
sugar*girl -- nice points.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like an innocent, inveterate romantic lost in fantasies of pure and perfect love, someone who never learns, or perhaps can't help but fall for the same delusion over and over again. He sounds like a cold, artless horndog who endeavors to dispel such fantasies before indulging in the only thing he wants -- 'the big bang'...
Yes, I've become quite the cynic in my old age. ;-)
I now see that I said the same thing Craig did -- I just used different words. Damn, do I rock or what? :-D
ReplyDelete"Elise: But don't you see? The so-called "Perfect Boy" is actually a jerk. That response of his, is sort of mocking her feelings of destiny and fate.
ReplyDeleteShe's in love, thinks it's their destiny to be together, but he just wants to fuck, and be gone by 3. He's not buying into the "kismet" thing. He's just using it to get laid.
At least that's the way I see it. : )"
On second blush, maybe not quite the same... Craig, I'm hearing a guy tell her whatev, tonight I'll fuck your brains out and then bail (by 3(AM?)), leaving you alone and used. (RS does have a fascination with that number, doesn't he?) I don't really get that dude is applying guile. What say you?
This is still my favourite single. Any song that can include "Laurel Kismet Hardy thing" in the lyrics has to be good, doesn't it?
ReplyDelete7bluestars: In my interpretation, the guile is in the "perfect boy"'s mention of kismet. He knows what the girl believes and wants to capitalize on those beliefs to convince her to sleep with him then and there. I read what he's saying as, "If you're so sure we are destined to be together, then why not fuck me now? Why should we wait and waste time if we're 'meant to be'?" He of course does not believe in or care about these notions and just wants to get laid, but he sees that he might be able to convince her to give in to his wishes if he presents his proposition in those terms.
ReplyDeleteSimply put, the "perfect boy" is a manipulative bastard! :)
V: I agree 100%...as usual. : )
ReplyDeleteV - you have put that very succinctly.
ReplyDeleteCraig - I am assuming you agreed ONLY because v is right ;)
Elise: Are you implying that there could be other reasons? ; )
ReplyDeleteCraig - As if I would ever imply anything ;)
ReplyDeleteElise: Thank you, but I don't know...I don't think anyone's ever accused me of being succinct before. Didn't you know that "V" stands for "verbose"? ;) If only I could more efficiently and eloquently express my thoughts! :)
ReplyDeleteE = Enthusiastically
ReplyDeleteL = Loves
I = Insightful
S = Succinct
E = Explanations
i am loving reading all the interpretations of TPB, and they are great lyrics, but i must say i am disappointed that there was not this much deconstruction of FS lyrics. to me those are the most intriguing of the entire lot - DU lyrics close behind.
ReplyDeleteRSX has never, i repeat NEVER lost his lyrical prowess. he has actually HONED it over the years.
anyone disagreeing can kismet my ass.
v, i love when you post. can you post all the time? tx.
ReplyDeleteAwww, sure I can, Cat. Just for you. :) Hey, did you see my profile picture?
ReplyDeleteOMFG
ReplyDeleteI LURVE IT
you ROCK so MUCH
the KUTEST KAT ever
muchos besos
Sadly, I can't take credit for it. The artist behind the cute COF Kitten is none other than our very own Elise! :)
ReplyDeleteCat/V - That particular piece comes from my "Art by a Second Grader" collection.
ReplyDeletewell, it's damn better than anything i can do.
ReplyDeletev and elise: you two alone are the cof kittens. the rest of us just bask in your gleaming presence.
Cat - Get Out!!!!! Without any word of a doubt, you are one of the original CoF Kittens. You are NOT allowed to renounce the title.
ReplyDeleteYeah, wtf ever! There ain't no COF Kittens without Cat!!!
ReplyDeleteElise: Guess what - I am nibbling on a Cherry Ripe. ;) (Why does that sound so dirty?)
ReplyDeleteawwwwwwww
ReplyDeleteit's just that you and v are the coolest kindest kittens ever
i am not being self-pitying, i am being sincere
:-)
V - it does sound slightly rude. Did I send you some Caramello Koala's as well? Do you like?
ReplyDeleteCat - You are one of the founding members of the COF Kitten club. Only the best of the best were admitted.
Aww, Cat. :) You are so sweet!! Elise and I are lucky to be COF Kittens alongside you!
ReplyDeleteElise: Yes, you sent me some Caramello Koalas, and I loooovved those. They were my favorites, after the Tim Tams, of course. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and Cat!!!! I'm so happy you've come around on TPB! :) It's fucking great, indeed!
ReplyDeleteya'll RULE. period.
ReplyDeletewhen the cure play atlanta again (SOON?!?!?!), you're both invited to stay with me.
be warned that i've invited some others as well, so my humble bungalow might be rather packed.
but a Cure sleep over would be a blast, no? all us giddy fangirlzzzzzzz in one domicile....
Cat - It's a date!!!!
ReplyDeleteEven if there isn't a Cure tour next year *holds breath*, I am still planning on coming to the US - so we would definitely have to organise a CoF catch up!
hellz yeah muthafuka!
ReplyDeletecof partaaaaaay in hotlanta!
or wherever... i'm there regardless :-)
but the cure.. the cure GOTTA come back.. they will, right?
actually, maybe i don't need to see the cure ever again. it just destroys me emotionally when they leave.
why can't they play every weekend or something?
i needs my cure fix CONSTANTLY
anyway, can't wait for the cof soiree.... wherever it may be
As tacky as it sounds, a permanent Cure show in Vegas is kinda appealing.
ReplyDeleteI could move to LV and become a cocktail waitress to support my Cure addiction.
Or perhaps, I could put my pole-dancing skills to good use ;)
LOL!
ReplyDeleteYour pole dancing and gangsta rap bootay shakin' skillz!
Yeah, I'm thinkin' the Cure need to ensconce themselves somewhere quaint and just play shows like, all the damn time.
CURE owns the damn universe. PERIOD.
It's fun to be a sychophant. :-)
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ReplyDeleteThe Las Vegas thing sounds like a great idea elise! I've got an Uncle who lives there & he could get me great tickets anytime! Wishful Thinking! It would be cool if it did happen. Maybe he could hang out with Wayne Newton in his spare time?? But I don't see Vegas being a town RS would want to hang out at year around.
ReplyDeleteThe accepted account now is that Nelson's last words to Thomas Hardy [which weren't his actual last words] were "God bless you Hardy", just after Hardy kissed him. It was during the Victorian-era that the previously believed "Kiss me, Hardy" was changed to "Kismet, Hardy", likely by public school teachers who thought it would be an unmanly and dangerous thing to teach impressionable young boys.
ReplyDeleteHis last words after Hardy left, recorded by the Chaplain and Surgeon, were "Thank God I have done my duty", although it's more likely that his last words were "Rub, rub... fan, fan.... drink, drink", since he repeated that many times during his final hours, as those three things provided him some comfort.
/end history lesson.
Heh, sorry, history is a bit of a favourite topic of mine... back to The Perfect Boy...
Ah, I would love to come to a Cure fangurl sleepover party!!! How can I get invited???
ReplyDeleteIt would be so much fun. I really miss that month of following them around, I had the time of my life! And I really miss bonding with other Cureheads.
MGG - there couldn't BE a Cure fangurl sleepover party without you there!!!!
ReplyDeleteOkay, chillun, let's keep this deconstruction going! :-)
ReplyDelete“Yeah ME AND YOU ARE A WORLD”
HE SAID
“BUT NOT THE ONLY ONE I NEED
THE TWO OF US IS NEVER ALL THERE IS
THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN FOR REAL
IF IT WAS MEANT TO BE US
IT WAS MEANT TO BE NOW
DON’T SEE THE SENSE IN WASTING TIME
IF YOU’RE SO SURE ABOUT THIS
LAUREL KISMET HARDY THING
YOU KNOW TONIGHT YOU’RE MINE”
“AND I DON’T WANT TO GET OBVIOUS
BUT I HAVE TO BE GONE BY THREE
WERE ON THE EDGE OF A BEAUTIFUL THING”
HE SAID
“SO COME ON…
JUMP WITH ME”
If dude was really trying to scam her, why would he say that she's not enough before feeding her a line about kismet? Also, saying "Laurel kismet Hardy thing" isn't exactly an endorsement, you know; it's as if he's saying it's comical. I really think he's mocking any notion she has of a lasting relationship, and saying that sure, we can make some magic tonight, but that's it, bitch. Let's bang and then I'm outta here.
aussietiger, thanks so much for the history lesson. I was unaware of that reference! :-) I got this when I googled (see http://www.phrases.org.uk):
According to the contemporary accounts, Nelson last words were:
"Take care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy, take care of poor Lady Hamilton". He paused then said very faintly, "Kiss me, Hardy". This, Hardy did, on the cheek. Nelson then said, "Now I am satisfied. Thank God I have done my duty".
The later story, that Nelson's last words were "Kismet [fate] Hardy", aren't supported by any contemporary evidence. In fact, 'kismet' isn't recorded as being in use in English to mean fate until as late as 1830, a quarter of a century after Nelson died. That euphemistic version of events is thought to be a later invention that attempted to avoid embarrassment by covering up the supposed homo-erotic imagery of men kissing. That was misguided in more ways than one, not least because platonic kisses between men at times of great emotion weren't viewed in the way in 19th century England.
Cool!
Now, about parties in ATL, I presume, dear Cat, that should there be reason to believe that another Cure tour is in the offing, the 4Tour invitation shall remain valid and in full force? ;-)
(Alas, I'm too old to be a kitten; perhaps I could be designated a COF fusty feline?)
v & elise -- I LOVE the avatar! Well done! :-)
Craig, dear, do you by any chance own any Axe products? ;-)
I'm not a big fan of this song. The premise reminds me too much of Bloodflowers.
ReplyDeleteThe girl says this. The girl says that. Basically she thinks its true love.
The guy says this. The guy says that. Basically he really isn't all that into it.
The guitar sound also reminds me too much of the sound of the dread 2004 album.
Sleep When I'm Dead is still my favorite of these new singles.
By the way. What is with 3:00AM? Perfect Boy mentions 3:00. One of the WMS songs mentions it "A prison in PVC at a minute after three". I forget which song it was, they all had such generic song names. Lets Go To Bed. "You think you're tired now but wait until three". Then the song "Before Three". There's probably some others I missed.
I don't get it. What happens at 3AM?
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ReplyDeleteda, I'm also intrigued by his frequent use of the number 3. I realize that it's good for rhyming, but surely there's more to it than that. It has both spiritual and cultural importance, but how this might factor into the RS versifying phenomenon is, as far as I know, a well-kept secret.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm... maybe it is simply a rhyming thing. ;-)
As for Bloodflowers, it's one of my faves (song and album). I agree that there are thematic similarities, but since I love said song/album, it works for me. :-)
7bluestars: Oh, I agree he's not endorsing the kismet thing - he's totally mocking it with the way he says it. :) But I still argue that he's mentioning it in an attempt to manipulate her. He's not going to buy into all of that crap, but he'll let her (and even encourage her to) believe whatever she wants to if it means he's going to get some!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think he tells her all of those things at the start because here's this girl talking about how he is her world and they're meant to be and so on, and he wants to make it clear that he's not making any commitments to her. But then he sees an opportunity to use her feelings about him and their alleged destiny to his advantage, and he takes it! He's already made his disclaimer that he doesn't believe in it, so he's off the hook, but that's not going to stop him from trying that angle on her! :D
On a different note, glad you like the avatar! Elise's COF Kitten drawing made my day when I got it in the mail the other day, especially after thinking it was lost forever for the past two months!
T: OF COURSE the invite still stands, DUMBASS.
ReplyDeleteMan, though, I am gonna have a packed house if this really happens. Bring your sleeping bags! Hope no one is allergic to cats... if so, you're welcome to slumber on the rusty swing in the backyard. ;-)
Dumb Anguish: I agree about the Bloodflowers kinship - but that is one of the reasons I do love it so. Bloodflowers is one of my favorite Cure songs and albums.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER: the songs are only similar in lyrical STRUCTURE. Content-wise, they are touching on different themes. Bloodflowers, as I read it, is touching more on the transience/permanence of things - the ephemeral nature of life and how this impacts us emotionally.
TPB of course dwells more on the theme of unrequited love - or, rather, the contrast between different styles of amorous attachment. The boy and girl are stock characters - the girl dreams for a utopian romance, and the boy just wants a quick fix as it were.
BTW, I am LOVING reading all these different insights. You all are a massively intelligent bunch.
I am going to add my own TPB review to my Cure blog pretty soon. You all have really helped me hone my ideas about the song.
:-)
7blue: Axe products? Not in a million years! That seems like the sort of thing "the perfect jerk" would be wearing in this song. : )
ReplyDeleteI was going to respond to your post about the lyrics, but V has beaten me to it, and has summed it up perfectly. She always does. ; )
v, I see your point (and that of your mirror Craig (ain't he just the cutest thang?! ;-)). Dude does seem to be conceding in the name of, how shall I put it,... expediency? As for the avatar, Elise is truly talented! (Glad kitty finally made it to her new home!)
ReplyDeleteCat, this ole dumbass ;-) respectfully disagrees. I think the songs are indeed thematically similar; in both, and please forgive a really wretched job of paraphrasing, she says it will alway be this glorious utopian sort of affair, while he says nope -- it's transitory and we will be history at some point. She fantasizes that he's 'The One'; he knows that it can never be his perfect union, and that he will leave, maybe even flee (although I do see the union in Bloodflowers as being much longer, and terminated for one of several reasons, including death). In short, "You give me flowers of love... I let fall flowers of blood." could apply as well in 2008 as it did in 2000.
@Craig: *ROFL*
Craig, my sweet, I ask only because I thought I detected a whiff of said fragrance over the internets tubes. It's that manly-man virtual mien of yours that did it! ;-) Seriously, I know you've got way too much class to use that stuff! :-D
*7bluestars will be mortified if she learns that while stateside, Robert was spotted buying Axe products during one of his Walmart sprees.*
T: Okay, maybe they are more thematically similar than I am conceding, but frankly I never really saw BF as a song about romance; I took it to be more about the cosmos, and the ephemeral nature of things. TPB to me is much more concretely about romance and the different approaches to it that the protag/antag display - i.e, the girl being naively romantic, and the boy being jaded about the notion of eternal love. Anyway...who knows? I love both songs. :-)
ReplyDelete7BS - Thanks for the kudos on the avatar - but I think the recognition should go to the "How to Draw a Cat" website ;P
ReplyDeleteCat, I see your point. I didn't mean to imply that I thought them identically themed. Imo, Bloodflowers has greater depth, probing the essential nature of existence itself; also, it delves into the intricacies a relationship that seems significant and relatively long-term.
ReplyDeleteElise, I think you need to give yourself more credit! <3
Can I ask about what all the references to Wal-Mart are about?
ReplyDeletehoney, the Walmart bit was a tongue-in-cheek reference to an assertion (perhaps said in jest) by one of Robert's detractors -- something about shopping at Walmart while in the US during the last tour.
ReplyDeleteWOW - i have really enjoyed reading all these interpretations. I agree with you guys - when i finally read the words - it was very obvious that it was about a naive girl and as Craig said "the perfect jerk"! LOVE THAT CRAIG!
ReplyDeleteand i think WITHOUT YOU is becoming my favorite B Side of the four.
How does RS NOT run out of beautiful lyrics? How does he DO THAT!!