Longshot album Love is for Losers

[Beerjeezus]

7 hours ago, Christian's Inferno! said:

Ftfy 

You will have to fight me now 

[Christian's Inferno!]

1 hour ago, Jane Lannister said:

You will have to fight me now 

21CB > AI > Stop, Drop & Roll > RevRad > Dos > Tré > Uno > LIFL

[Beerjeezus]

54 minutes ago, Christian's Inferno! said:

21CB > AI > Stop, Drop & Roll > RevRad > Dos > Tré > Uno > LIFL

I like your list but LIFL would go in front of the Trilogy on mine

[Otis Big]

I love Love is for Losers

[Virginia Lot Lizard]

On 11/1/2018 at 10:13 AM, hym.jarred said:

I love Love is for Losers

Me too! Chasing a Ghost and Love is for Losers are my favorite on the record. I also like Soul Surrender and Turn Me Loose a lot. And a ghost is mentioned in Soul Surrender too “I swear I think I saw a ghost”. I like the characters on this record. They’re sad and heartbreaking but really interesting. I love the songwriting for the Longshot. 

P.S. You guys were right. I tried looking up the lyrics on different sites. They’re horrible. Who transcibes these things? So bad!

[Otis Big]

5 hours ago, Virginia Lot Lizzard said:

Me too! Chasing a Ghost and Love is for Losers are my favorite on the record. I also like Soul Surrender and Turn Me Loose a lot. And a ghost is mentioned in Soul Surrender too “I swear I think I saw a ghost”. I like the characters on this record. They’re sad and heartbreaking but really interesting. I love the songwriting for the Longshot. 

P.S. You guys were right. I tried looking up the lyrics on different sites. They’re horrible. Who transcibes these things? So bad!

Yeah, I like how the sound of the verses in Chasing a Ghost kind of comes back in Soul Surrender with the drums and raw guitar. The songs really mirror each other in the way songs on AI-RevRad do. I also agree with your favorites. I love Body Bag and Kill Your Friends a lot too. Body Bag is great because it's able to carry on the tradition he's started with beginning a song on a lot of his albums with "She" I think if fits way better on the album than Devil's Kind.

[Otis Big]

I also like how the guitar intro to the Love is For Losers is totally inspired by the song Long Time Gone that he covered

[Otis Big]

22 hours ago, hym.jarred said:

I also like how the guitar intro to the Love is For Losers is totally inspired by the song Long Time Gone that he covered

It's kind of fun to listen to those guitar intos back to back.

[PleasedToMeetMe]

Really love the style of The Longshot. Very mature but fun and playful, I honestly enjoy it more than the trilogy. It's got a real Paul Westerberg/Replacements kind of vibe, wouldnt mind Green Day going more in that direction for their next album. Love the production too, everything sounds so pure.

[IcyMoffatt]

After the shitty sunday I had this weekend and since yesterday morning I was closed to the only store in Montreal that sells the Longshot album, I wanted to buy it just to cheer me up. But the store lost the only copy available. 

[UNICORN VOMIT]

11 hours ago, IcyMoffatt said:

After the shitty sunday I had this weekend and since yesterday morning I was closed to the only store in Montreal that sells the Longshot album, I wanted to buy it just to cheer me up. But the store lost the only copy available. 

Smoke one.

[solongfromthestars]

Discussing the meaning of Turn Me Loose in the Random GD Thoughts thread got me thinking about how I could write essays about most of the Longshot songs. I have time today and I love them, so why not? Here are my personal interpretations (just based on my own feelings and not necessarily correct), with some doodles inspired by them to break it up:

The Last Time

I think this one is pretty simple and doesn't need to be taken apart line by line, because it's all essentially saying the same thing. The narrator has upset his lover, they're giving him the silent treatment, he doesn't really understand why or if there's even a valid reason, but he's promising it'll be the last time in desperation to keep them. It's like a prequel to the following songs about lost love.

Taxi Driver

Summary: a metaphorical song about jumping in a taxi to anywhere but here to escape his misery. It's frantic like actually trying to get an urgent taxi in New York City during rush hour.

"I got a suitcase in my hand, don't even know just where I am, so take me to my destination" - the narrator is carrying his emotional baggage, unsure where he even is in his mind and asking the metaphorical taxi driver to take him to a destination he doesn't even know. It's like literally running away with just a suitcase in his hand, not even knowing where he is in desperation to escape. "Don't want a ride, I need a lift, so drop me to the late night shift, somewhere out of your jurisdiction" - he doesn't want a ride, he just needs a lift to anywhere but here. "Late night shift" could refer to the musings and anxiety of sleepless nights.

"Are we alone or are we all we've ever known? Taxi driver, I'm rolling like a stone" - he's posing questions about life that a taxi driver could never answer, because in this moment, the taxi driver is everything as he takes him away from his misery. His thoughts are rolling like a stone and he feels like he's triumphantly rolling as he gets away.

"So take me down the motorway, the highway to another day, I'll take the side street out of vision" - he's metaphorically out of town, on the highway to another day with the taxi driver he's expecting way too much of, taking the side street out of vision from the misery he's escaping. This may be reading way too much into simple word choices, but I like it - "motorway" is British English, "highway" is American English and the contrast feels representative of confusion and how far he'll go with this metaphorical taxi driver just to get away.

"Give me a sign, give me a home," asking the taxi driver, currently representative of fate to him, to give him a sign if what he's feeling is right and a home at the end of his journey; "damned if I do, damned if I don't" - damned if he stays and accepts his misery, damned if he doesn't because "oh taxi driver, what's the mission?" - he doesn't even know what he's doing.

"I wanna get around, I wanna get a new ride, I gotta get along so when the hope comes I'm all go!" - he wants to be ready in case he suddenly finds the answer to all these questions he's asking about life, and in case hope for his situation to improve suddenly presents itself. That could be in the form of hope for his relationship working out, rediscovering love he's lost, or just for feeling better about life in general.

As a total side note, hearing everyone scream "TAXI DRIVER!" in perfect unison when it was played live was really something. It isn't most people's favourite song but the crowds still responded like it was, like we were all on this crazy journey to be anywhere but where we were together.

Chasing a Ghost

Summary: chasing the ghost of a lost love.

"Piss stains and cigarettes, this party's getting dull, I'm looking for a bump and a love to call my own" - I'm not 100% sure what those latter two lines ("bump" / "love") actually are, but anyway, the former two imply the narrator is partying to take his mind off how he's "chasing a ghost," but without that person it's getting dull and his feelings are getting harder to ignore.

"I'm feeling like a moron, bitter and withdrawn" - his feelings about the dying relationship are making him bitter and withdrawn, which he feels like a moron for; "standing in the shadows with all the good times gone" - he's retreating into the dark, where he's miserable and feels like all good times are in the past.

"I've got the tears oh baby, crying in my soul" - the narrator is putting on a brave face but crying inside; "hang from the chandelier from a long long time ago" - hanging from the chandelier is probably referring to wild sex or fantasies they shared (which could in turn be referring to ¡Dos!), but the way it's sung is sensitive and emotional rather than crude. It's a long, long time ago but he's still reminiscing about it. He's "chasing a ghost" because he's desperately chasing his memory of someone, even though they're little more than a ghost.

"Everyone is happy and everyone is gay, feeling the spirits and twisting the night away," refers to a party or show, one that the song's subject is also at. They could be someone he only sees at events, which could tie into Brutal Love with "dance forever, under the lights" and the trilogy's forbidden love themes. Perhaps he's never even been in a relationship with them but just wonders if, as he sings in Stay the Night, they could be "the one that got away." That would also fit with them being a "ghost" because he can't actually have them. Or maybe it's none of that and he just happens to be seeing them at this event. "But when the thrill is gone and I'm staring at my phone," is a beautiful depiction of modern day longing and disappointment, when the party's over and he tells the subject "thanks for the company but I'm still standing alone," because even though the short time they spent together was thrilling, they're still not together. Instead, he's aimlessly staring at his phone, as we all have at some point. The party could be a metaphor for how exciting and thrilling the subject's company is too. Lots of interpretations there!

"And it ain't the same, ain't it a shame?" - whatever he shares with the subject is no longer the same and he's lamenting that in both this line and the following "here's to the painkillers, oh yeah, on a Saturday night." Saturday nights are associated with fun, partying and letting go for a night, but instead, the narrator is alone taking metaphorical painkillers to numb the pain of his lost love.

"So if you see her tell her that I said hello" - he's given up hope that he'll even see her again to say hello, but feels no animosity towards her; "I miss the times we spent and now I gotta go" - whatever they shared, he misses it but now he has to move on, whether because their love was forbidden or just didn't work out; "she was my last hurrah and always got me stoned" - she was his last thrill, his last love and he enjoyed his time with her so much it was like drugs that left him stoned; "thanks for the sympathy and the punch in the nose" - thanking her, whoever is listening, for the sympathy and sarcastically "thanking" her, or the circumstances that prevent their love, for the "punch in the nose" as a metaphor for heartbreak.

The "ghost" could be a real person and in that case, most likely the same one the trilogy is about. It could also be the imaginary girlfriends Billie talks about and refers to in Razor Baby. I don't personally think it's about drugs, but that's just because I find it super relatable to my own relationship.

In San Francisco Billie introduced it with "one more for you lonely motherfuckers!" which was funny. I love this song though. One of my favourites for sure and I'm so grateful I eventually had the chance to see it without fans onstage.

Body Bag

Summary: feeling like his relationship leaves him dead in a body bag.

"She knits me a pastel purple sweater" - she does sweet things for me; "I'm staring blank into the sky, alright" - maybe he's left staring blank into the sky as he revels in those sweet things, or perhaps he's doing so because he has to look away, knowing those sweet things won't last, either because of his own mistakes or hers; "she reads me like a scarlet letter" - she sees through me and won't take my shit; "she holds my heart and hopes to die, alright" - she holds my heart, keeping me in love with her, while holding me to account if I hurt her and even sometimes when I don't.

"Sometimes it ain't so bad, like a soul lies on the slab" - sometimes it doesn't hurt so much, though that seems sarcastic, because even when it's not so bad it's still as if his soul has been thrown down on a slab; "this is my life in a body bag" - this is how he lives his life, feeling dead and abandoned in a body bag.

"She's got a diary of madness" - perhaps referring to his lover's own issues, or if considered from a forbidden love angle, a diary she keeps of their love that feels like madness because they can't truly have it; "she is a murder mystery, oh yeah" - referring back to how her love makes him feel like a dead man, but also how he doesn't really understand her and is romanticising her as a mystery; "she dumped me in a brand new address, with a brand new sweater made for me, oh yeah" - she sugarcoats her ruthlessness with sweet gestures.

If I compared it to another song, I'd probably pick Wild One. He's almost afraid of the subject of Wild One, because she's manic, ruthless and he's put her on a pedestal as someone ethereal, but he can't help but give in to her anyway; Body Bag feels like a more tired, toned down portrayal of the same subject.

Love Is For Losers

Summary: sarcastically dismissing love as being for losers because he's been left longing for a love he's lost.

"I'm riding shotgun in a car that's broken down" - the narrator is being dragged through a love that's broken down; "nowhere to run and this city's like a ghost town" - there's nowhere to run to avoid facing his feelings and the truth. He feels so alone as his lover has deserted him that the entire city feels like a ghost town. "And I'm feeling like a stranger, and I'm standing in the dark" - he feels like a stranger to his lover and himself in the face of losing her. He's standing alone in the dark, as he's "standing in the shadows with all the good times gone" in Chasing a Ghost, where it feels like there's no light at the end of the tunnel.
 
"Hey kid, love is for losers now, alright. Stupid kid, you're a loser now, alright" - he's sarcastically - because he doesn't really mean it since he's still pathetically in love - telling himself and his lover that love is for losers, calling them stupid for falling for it, to make himself feel better. He refers to himself and her as kids because that's how vulnerable he feels.

"My heart's a has-been for my long lost valentine" - his lover is long gone now, but his heart is a has-been, stuck in the past as he's longing for her and "chasing a ghost." Then, he laments that "I searched the winter for the bride of Frankenstein." He searched and fought desperately for someone that could never exist as his bride. When Frankenstein's monster (and I do think Billie has probably read or at least seen Frankenstein and is referring to this) asked for a bride so he wouldn't be so alone, Dr. Frankenstein initially agreed to create one. However, he abandoned it out of fear they might produce more monsters, and Frankenstein remained alone. His bride couldn't exist. She was never more than an unattainable dream, as the narrator is searching for someone who couldn't be more than that. This is one of my favourite lines Billie has ever written and I got it tattooed on my arm right before the Vancouver show (and it's a bit faded because dancing on the front row with a fresh tattoo isn't a good idea, but that makes me love it more). "But we all got our delusions" - but we all have that one dream, like my bride of Frankenstein, that we cling onto and delude ourselves might be real. "Say goodbye to an old flame" - but now I have to move on.

"It goes to show ya, when they say that love is pain" - taking a cliche that turned out to be true for him to describe his feelings; "only the lonesome, got nowhere to run but the tears to go..." - inviting all the lonesome to lament with him and accept they have nowhere to run but to face the tears.

I think this song is an anthem. Anyone of any age who's experienced losing love or longing can relate and wallow to it. I don't think Billie wanted The Longshot to be huge but if he'd tried, I think it would have been a big hit.

Cult Hero

Summary: turning someone, whether himself or another, who's unknown and/or doesn't fit the image of a "hero" into a "cult hero."

"I am the patron of a story never told" - the narrator is nobody, but only because his story will never be told; "I am the longest shot in town" - a great line because it refers back to the band's name and how he feels everything about him is a long shot; "I ride the darkest horses in the rodeo" - unlike your regular hero, I walk a darker path;  "I am the unsung of the clowns" - I'm the unheard representative of fools.

"I am hyena at the dog and pony show" - I'm a freak, an outcast; "I'm the last of the lesser knowns, 'cause I wanna be a cult hero" - in a sense, he's making fun of himself by sarcastically exaggerating his own importance as the last person to be lesser known, which isn't something most people would be proud of; but he wants to be a cult hero.

"I got my darkest secrets and whispers at the moon, where all the stars never align" - acknowledging that he has dark secrets, which most "heroes" don't, that only the moon and unaligned stars will ever hear because he's a "lesser known"; "well, I can self destruct on any given note, my ruin is my storyline" - he has issues, he's imperfect, but that in itself is his storyline. It's what makes him a cult hero.

When Billie posted clips of Cult Hero, he included a photo of his dad, who was on the teamsters and always fighting for the right thing. That could be considered heroic. But obviously, no one outside of his family, friends and fans even knows who his father is; and even if they did, he's not the kind of person who's generally celebrated as a hero. So I think in the song could be about making a cult hero of someone like his father who'd never achieve mainstream hero status and putting that on a pedestal.

Kill Your Friends

Summary: using killing your friends as a violent metaphor to mock, and as a contrast to, the meaningless and surface level kindness that's rife in society today. The narrator is letting go and doing whatever he wants, because everything is going to shit anyway.

"Heaven's making rent, there's a vacancy for me and all my friends" - heaven (notably not hell) has room for the narrator and his fairweather friends who'll metaphorically die; "the end of days are on the way" - he feels a metaphorical apocalypse is coming, so it doesn't matter what he does; "who needs eulogies? When you got your loved ones and everyone's depressed" - mocking the concept of performative loved ones and gratitude for them when in reality everyone's depressed, by saying you don't even need eulogies when you have something so falsely perfect; "party in the morgue tonight, everything's gonna be alright" - what happens matters so little they they'll practically still be alive when they're dead.

"And we'll be singing kill your friends and we better get it, and we'll show up missing" - we'll be singing something crass and gory, but who cares? It means little to him because the friends he's singing about aren't really his friends. "Show up missing" is some fun wordplay.

"Deadbeats on parade, gonna bite the bullet and jump on the grenade" - calling these people displaying false kindness deadbeats. He's going to say what he wants instead of holding back, even though that might be like jumping on a grenade, "Fuck the world, it's judgment day!" - again, he's going to do what he wants, because it feels like judgment day is coming anyway; "we got thoughts and prayers" - mocking another societal concept of "thoughts and prayers" which don't really help anyone, so he sings "nothing comes to mind and I don't even care." Instead, "I'm gonna take it to the mausoleum and we're not going 'til you're screaming..." because he will be heard, he won't be brushed off with thoughts and prayers and he's not afraid to use violent imagery to get that across.

"One finger on the trigger and lying on the stereo" - he's got one finger on a metaphorical trigger while he lies on the stereo that everything is fine; "I think you're killing me with kindness" - he's sick of pity parties that mean nothing; "gunslinger, dead ringer and Michelangelo" - he wants to feel like he's dangerous; "I'm in stitches blowing kisses and a death wish" - he's laughing as he does something morbid and offensive because he doesn't care anymore and in reality, what he's mocking is equally offensive.

Happiness

Summary: ironically singing about happiness to communicate the opposite.

"Where is my sanctuary town? My love is reaching for a higher ground" - the narrator is asking where he can find this mythical sanctuary of happiness he's never known, trying and failing to reach a higher ground where love doesn't hurt; "I'm in the church of broken hearts, these congregations for the after dark" - he's wallowing in heartbreak like it's a religion, shared with people who spiritually congregate on sleepness nights, in the dark where they'll never be seen.

"How lonely is your lonely? How lonely is your restlessness?" - do you feel as lonely as I do? "See when the war is over, some day when hell freezes over, how unhappy is your happiness?" - it's a rhetorical question, because he knows hell will freeze over before he gets an answer and feels less alone.

"Up on the lonely avenue, my ride is running late or I'm too soon" - using the metaphor of a ride again to describe how nothing goes right for him; "my wheels are spinning in a ditch" - he can't escape his loneliness; "that sinking feeling on a floating bridge" - comparing that to feeling like standing on a bridge that's bound to sink and drown you.

"Lonely nights and too dumb to cry, as the songs are down" - lamenting how lonely he is, awake at night writing songs about his lost love and misery, unable to cry and feeling dumb as a result; "safety pins and purge all my sins, seasons of my murder" - again, I'm not actually sure what that last word is (release the lyrics Billie), but regardless that line is probably still, to me, about unhappiness escalating to the point where you think about death.

Soul Surrender

Summary: surrendering your soul to someone in love and feeling an almost spiritual connection with them, even when they're gone.

"Sweet soul surrender" - the narrator describes his love with the subject as baring their souls to each other in devotion, even if that is "sweet old suicide." It feels almost like a spiritual connection of their souls. "She's my sole/soul defender," because despite the faults the relationship had and her absence now, she's still the only person who'll defend him. If it's "soul," not "sole" defender, he could feel her presence literally defends his soul from negativity. He tells her "don't be so uptight" because there's no need to be when they were this close. He could also be telling other people not to be so uptight about their relationship because she's his "soul surrender."

"Just me and my imagination, I swear I think I saw a ghost" - this line tells us he's actually alone and seeing a "ghost" possibly refers back to Chasing a Ghost. He's longing for her so much, and he still feels so connected to her that he's seeing her like a ghost who isn't there, but almost wants to believe that image is real. "Oh, lead me out of my temptation, I got a case of letting go" - he's asking a higher power, or her as if she's that higher power herself, to stop him spiralling back into his worst throes of longing or trying to find her again.

"Send me a message through the window, something that I have never known" - in wanting to know if she still thinks about him, or if that ghost could metaphorically be real like a manifestation of their reciprocal longing, he asks her to send him a message through the window. The window is like a divide between them, because she can't or won't tell him in person, going back to the forbidden love theme. He wants something he's never known, because he wants to know how that feels for once in his life and because it would identify that message as being from her. "I think I need a long vacation, to keep me clean and blow my nose" - he needs a vacation, where he can cry and forget, to escape this longing and avoid giving in to it.

I know some people interpret it as being about rehab and that's an interesting angle too. For me though, "soul surrender" is the furthest you can go in your love for someone, and experiencing something that deep leaves a mark that feels like you might still see the person's ghost after they're gone.

Turn Me Loose

Summary: trying to be triumphant in the face of a relationship ending.

"Don't let your ponytail get out of line, I got a feeling on my mind," stop and pay attention to me, because I have something to say; "I'm on the spectrum and the borderline, I got the shakes but I'm alright," I'm dealing with my own issues but I'm alright, insisting he's fine despite how his lover made him feel, when in reality he knows he isn't.

"Turn me loose, I'm only gonna stagger," meaning you can leave me, I'll only "stagger," it won't hurt too much; "April fool's and I'm not a runner," I'm already a fool anyway, so whatever; just "don't call me a loser with dumb tattoos" and hurt me, but "it doesn't matter," pretending he doesn't care, which is kind of sarcastic because he's just admitted he does.

"I'll go down swinging for the final line," I'll fight for myself until the end; "I'm not the rebel for my bride," I'm a rebel for myself and not for you; "just for the record and the afterlife, I'll take a beating not a dive," I'll take a beating but I won't be knocked down. That could also link back to Fell For You - "steal a kiss and I took a dive" - saying that this time I won't take a dive for you.

Because it's kind of bluster and he is hurting really, he sings "I'm gonna make a racket, I'm gonna start a riot, I'm gonna make you crash and burn," saying he's going to be immature and break the person's heart in return.

Goodbye to Romance

So this is an Ozzy cover and Billie didn't write it, so it could be argued it means nothing in the grand scheme of the album. To me it's there for a reason though. It's like hope for the unattainable love he's been singing about for the whole album - "we'll meet in the end" and "it won't be me this time around to love in vain" - while empowering himself by saying "goodbye to friends and to romance" at the same time. It was also played by Green Day at the first trilogy show at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, so this is a nice way of that whole concept coming full circle.

Finally, some quick takes on a few of the b-sides, which I'm sure weren't meant to be analysed but while I'm here I might as well:

Fever Blister

The narrator uses the concept of a fever blister and being contagious as a metaphor for how repulsive he considers himself, his self-hatred and how he feels he's so awful people should avoid him.

Razor Baby

I can't even discern all the lyrics to this so it's a bit of a shot in the dark (or long shot?). I get the impression it's from the perspective of a female character like Gloria ("of love and razor blades") that's loosely based on himself, using her self-harm ("razor baby" / "she covers up all through the summer") to empower her instead of put her down.

I've Got My Problems

A simple and cynical love song. The narrator just wants someone to hang around with. Finding that feels like a temporary solution to his problems, while he's "hitting bottom" but "she's alright." He probably feels more strongly about her than he's letting on.

Whew. I may be reading way too much into some of these lines, but I think as some of my favourite songs Billie has written, they deserve it. These are of course my own personal interpretations based on my own feelings and I could be completely wrong about them all. I also don't mean to imply anything about Billie personally or his private life. I have no idea who or what he's singing about and knowing wouldn't change any of my intepretations.

tl;dr I adore The Longshot and I could write a dissertation about it. I apologise to anyone who isn't interested and has to scroll through my 4,500 word essay.  

[WhiteTim]

Good job @solongfromthestars

Assuming since the lyrics kind of play off on Devils Kind that A bump in this song is using the slang for cocaine as devils kind he mentions that the party is in his pockets (that’s what I’m assuming anyways) 

[solongfromthestars]

1 hour ago, WhiteTim said:

Good job @solongfromthestars

Assuming since the lyrics kind of play off on Devils Kind that A bump in this song is using the slang for cocaine as devils kind he mentions that the party is in his pockets (that’s what I’m assuming anyways) 

Thanks! I think you're right "bump" is referring to cocaine if that is the lyric (and it definitely sounds like it). Fits with the party theme. Good observation that it might tie into the "pocket" line in Devil's Kind too! I actually temporarily forgot about Devil's Kind so I'm glad you reminded me, I'll have to think something up about it.

[Virginia Lot Lizard]

Hey @solongfromthestars That was great! I really enjoyed it! I could write a book on linking the stories and themes and the characters too with a lot of similarities to yours and also some other theories too! I saw a link from the Trilogy to the Longshot too. Also the beginning of Too Dumb to Die (sentimental illness for you, please don’t go away) and the little exorcist from Bouncing of the Wall sounds like this character was an inspiration behind that too (a fun saint-sinner type character who is missing/lost/gone). I think Mother Mary is to Gloria is to the Wild One is to the Longshot and you can see the story gets further and further away from the character the longer she’s gone and the less fun it gets and how messy or boring it gets waiting for her or wondering where she went. “If you see her tell her that i said hello” feels like it is heartbreaking! “Where are you Gloria? Where’s your undying love?” Gloria’s missing/long lost valentine is missing. Definitely could be a 4,500 or more word essay! Also! Late night and sunrise and sunshine seems to be running theme if you run the storylines together. I do want to write a Green Day/Longshot theme and character essay! Haha. Yours was great to read. Thank you for that! And yes you missed Devil’s Kind I’m glad was brought up too. Yes bump is slang for a little bit of cocaine but it’s like he’s using parties and drugs to cover up how not fun a party is without his sunshine/devils kind/long lost valentine and he’s self medicating because of the fun he missed. Devils Kind sounds like when things were still fun and she was not so lost “I’ll be the king forever, you can be my sunshine.” 

[solongfromthestars]

38 minutes ago, Virginia Lot Lizzard said:

Hey @solongfromthestars That was great! I really enjoyed it! I could write a book on linking the stories and themes and the characters too with a lot of similarities to yours and also some other theories too! I saw a link from the Trilogy to the Longshot too. Also the beginning of Too Dumb to Die (sentimental illness for you, please don’t go away) and the little exorcist from Bouncing of the Wall sounds like this character was an inspiration behind that too (a fun saint-sinner type character who is missing/lost/gone). I think Mother Mary is to Gloria is to the Wild One is to the Longshot and you can see the story gets further and further away from the character the longer she’s gone and the less fun it gets and how messy or boring it gets waiting for her or wondering where she went. “If you see her tell her that i said hello” feels like it is heartbreaking! “Where are you Gloria? Where’s your undying love?” Gloria’s missing/long lost valentine is missing. Definitely could be a 4,500 or more word essay! Also! Late night and sunrise and sunshine seems to be running theme if you run the storylines together. I do want to write a Green Day/Longshot theme and character essay! Haha. Yours was great to read. Thank you for that! And yes you missed Devil’s Kind I’m glad was brought up too. Yes bump is slang for a little bit of cocaine but it’s like he’s using parties and drugs to cover up how not fun a party is without his sunshine/devils kind/long lost valentine and he’s self medicating because of the fun he missed. Devils Kind sounds like when things were still fun and she was not so lost “I’ll be the king forever, you can be my sunshine.” 

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. I love hearing from other people who are into song meanings. Thanks for sharing your interpretations. I agree about the cocaine and party theme in general. The parties and drugs may not even be real (or at least not as literally as they seem at surface level) but metaphorical. That "tell her I said hello" line is really heartbreaking! The whole song is actually. I'm not sure if Gloria is a prequel, so to speak, to this character because I know Billie has said she's part of him, but it's definitely possible she inspired Gloria a bit. Really interesting to consider that Mother Mary could be her too. I hadn't thought of that. And the sunrise/sunshine references. That could even tie into Wow! That's Loud with "staring in the sun that's blinding" and generally commenting on her bright fashion sense. I'll do a Devil's Kind doodle and post it with my interpretation maybe tomorrow.

If I'd studied something writing related instead of photography I totally would have written about Green Day academically. They made it into my dissertation but it was only a brief mention I wrote a similar post about my interpretations of 21st Century Breakdown when I was younger, too, but I bet I'd find it embarrassing now. I should revisit it now I have more life experience.

[solongfromthestars]

Double post but hey, I could be waiting a while for another post to separate them, so I'm going to post my Devil's Kind interpretation anyway

Devil's Kind

Summary: a new romance is compared to the devil because it's typically "sinful."

"Beer stains and cigarettes, the party is in my pocket" - two interpretations here. "Party is in my pocket" could mean an intimate party is dependant on the narrator and he's in control. Like the phrase "in your pocket" typically means being extremely close to, or dependant on, someone. It could also, as we've discussed, refer to cocaine (especially with the following "bump" line). If so, I think that whilst this "party" might literally involve drugs, it's also a metaphor for how high the subject makes him feel - "she was my last hurrah and always got me stoned."

"I'm looking for a drink and a couch to call my home / give me a bump and I will call" - drugs and alcohol could be giving the narrator the confidence to behave like "the devil's kind" with the subject or even approach her at all. It could also be the same metaphor as the previous line, asking the subject to get him drunk and high on her.

"And whisper dirty lies, the rapture in your ear and we'll both be terrified" - the couple are revelling in their "sin." Being "terrified" is like a high, or sarcastic because they're actually loving it. Or they could be doing things that do terrify them, but fired up by each other, they're up for it. I'd link this again to Wild One and Body Bag; how he's almost afraid of the subject because she's ruthless and so idealised by him.

"Bloodshot eyes and you're peppermint" - their eyes are bloodshot because they're up all night and partying (whether metaphorically or literally), but like peppermint is associated with lowered heart rate and blood pressure, the subject is like a cure for the narrator. Like taking ecstasy so you don't have to sleep. "We can roll like dogs from the devil" - they should be afraid of the devil, but instead in their sin they'll come close to him, only to roll like dogs without a care away.

"Give me one last try for your love tonight" - this isn't their first encounter and the narrator doesn't want it to last just one more night as fun, he actually wants her love. Reminds me yet again of Wild One and the note in the lyric book, "let's fall in love (just for an hour)." Really he wants more than just an hour's love, though.

"I'll be the king forever and you can be my sunshine" - to use a cliche, he'll be king of the subject's heart forever. Again, he wants her forever, not just now and he wants to leave a mark on her. In return, she'll be like his sunshine in the dark. I hadn't noticed that "sunshine" keeps coming up until Virginia Lot Lizzard pointed it out, but that's a really good observation. Her being like a cure or defender ("she's my sole/soul defender") is a recurring theme too. "We are the devil's kind" - they're the devil's kind of people because they're sinful. I think a lot of the implications of sin are subtly referring to sex. "And now I won't back down, I said I won't back down" - he won't give up on trying to win the subject's love.

"Take me into the water" - could refer to holy water or water as cleansing for his demons or sins; "and pull me from the slaughter" - the defender theme coming up again, like she's the only one who can pull him from negativity; "because I've got the shakes and I'm so petrified" - this time only he's petrified. The way it's sung is confident and assertive, but admitting this to her as if she's his comfort is quite vulnerable. Could be linked to "I've got the shakes but I'm alright" in Turn Me Loose, which is a bit of a heartbreaking comparison because at that point the relationship is over, but he's trying to insist he'll be alright anyway.

So that's that. I used a lot of the themes we've discussed here for the drawing, like the "sunshine" references and link to "dance forever, under the lights." The girl is loosely based on how I imagine the character in Wow! That's Loud and the guy on the young Perry Miller performing Devil's Kind in Ordinary World.

[Hermione]

@solongfromthestars I love your analyses and drawings!

[DookieLukie]

Cool drawings and essays. However, I'd argue that many of the songs are references to Billie's struggles with addiction, specifically "Chasing a Ghost" "Turn Me Loose" and "Soul Surrender." To me, these songs are pretty clearly referencing recovery from addiction.

[Beerjeezus]

The way I understand the songs is closer to Lukie's, but a part of Longshot's charm is that they can be interpreted both ways and equally make sense.

[solongfromthestars]

Yeah, I know quite a few people interpret them as being about recovery from addiction. It's weird, I don't get that from them at all. I can see references to it but I think they're generally used as metaphors. But as I've said many times, that's one of the reasons I love Billie's lyrics. They have so many layers they can be interpreted in completely different ways by different people. Like people play Good Riddance at funerals even though it was a "fuck off" song

[Rumpelstiltskin2000]

32 minutes ago, solongfromthestars said:

Yeah, I know quite a few people interpret them as being about recovery from addiction. It's weird, I don't get that from them at all. I can see references to it but I think they're generally used as metaphors. But as I've said many times, that's one of the reasons I love Billie's lyrics. They have so many layers they can be interpreted in completely different ways by different people. Like people play Good Riddance at funerals even though it was a "fuck off" song

... and weddings 

I definitely get the lost love vibe myself. I can see the drugs and alcohol references but as a recovering addict and knowing how Billie hasn't seemingly wanted to drag out his addiction struggles,  I  take them as metaphors. 

[jollyroger]

I would definitely say they're more about addiction and bad women but I love when people take the time to decipher lyrics like this.

[Hermione]

I think it's both! Like I agree with @solongfromthestars thoughts on Soul Surrender being about love, but I also think recovering from addiction (and the person he's in love with helping with that) is referred to as part of the same thing. He weaves lyrics about addiction in with lyrics about other things, and writes lyrics that are about both at once, and like @Rumpelstiltskin2000 said uses them as metaphors (and uses metaphors about them). It's all mixed together.

[The Bellie]

Since you've invited me here (and thank you very much!) I'll give my thoughts on The Longshot songs too.

First I want to say that I haven't always tried to interpret every song for myself, sometimes I can't not interpret them and I get right away pictures in my head and ideas of their meanings, for other songs I'm not sure of what it means but don't even think of diving into a deep analysis, while I think I should end up doing it for the songs that I love the most (Walk Away is the first example I think of, it must be in my top 5 GD songs but I've never taken time to try and figure it out completely).

Second, I want to say that for my part, I'm not sure that Billie speaks of (or to) the same person throughout the trilogy and The Longshot. Surely there's a certain number of songs where he speaks of that ex-girlfriend (if there's no one else than Lady Cobra in that role for instance) but in some songs to me he speaks of Adrienne (Missing You for example) and in some others of Amanda (the eponymous song, and there could be others) and in some others I feel like you that there could be something of imaginary, because I don't know who he could be talking to (live Give it all to you : "we could be together, a love that lasts forever", who would he want to be with forever if not Adrienne, but he's already with her, so it's mysterious  But it's funny that there's often such mystery about his songs, we'll never get tired of interpreting them with endless variations). 

And great drawings, I love drawing too, I need to learn to draw Billie 

I'll go for the color again in your post:

On 1/4/2019 at 9:54 PM, solongfromthestars said:

The Last Time

I think this one is pretty simple and doesn't need to be taken apart line by line, because it's all essentially saying the same thing. The narrator has upset his lover, they're giving him the silent treatment, he doesn't really understand why or if there's even a valid reason, but he's promising it'll be the last time in desperation to keep them. It's like a prequel to the following songs about lost love.

I think there is something interesting during the bridge: "I'll give you all my blood, till it's a waste of time (and live he changed "time" by another word I can't figure out :

https://youtu.be/w0rMFysFqXg?t=77) "if it's not good enough, you're always on my mind" like saying: if giving you all my blood is not good enough, the fact that you're always on my mind should be good enough". Someone who's the center of his thoughts (and for whom he'll give all his blood) would rather be Adrienne, I think he's talking to her in this song (and "but there's nobody home" : suggesting he's calling at his own home as well when trying to reach her).

Taxi Driver

Summary: a metaphorical song about jumping in a taxi to anywhere but here to escape his misery. It's frantic like actually trying to get an urgent taxi in New York City during rush hour.

If my interpretation of him speaking to Adrienne in the first song, and getting no response, is right, it would make sense that he wants to take a ride out of home next (going even further since he was already in a hotel room in The Last Time), that would be why he puts Taxi Driver in second on the album

"I got a suitcase in my hand, don't even know just where I am, so take me to my destination" - the narrator is carrying his emotional baggage, unsure where he even is in his mind and asking the metaphorical taxi driver to take him to a destination he doesn't even know. It's like literally running away with just a suitcase in his hand, not even knowing where he is in desperation to escape. I agree, it's like he lets the taxi driver decide of his destination "Don't want a ride, I need a lift, so drop me to the late night shift, somewhere out of your jurisdiction" - he doesn't want a ride, he just needs a lift to anywhere but here. "Late night shift" could refer to the musings and anxiety of sleepless nights. yeah, he wants something as remote and dangerous as possible

"Are we alone or are we all we've ever known? I hear "all we'll ever know", which is the same thing even rougher, as saying that feeling will never change Taxi driver, I'm rolling like a stone" - he's posing questions about life that a taxi driver could never answer, because in this moment, the taxi driver is everything as he takes him away from his misery. His thoughts are rolling like a stone and he feels like he's triumphantly rolling as he gets away. agree

"So take me down the motorway, the highway to another day, I hear "that I went to another day" suggesting he chooses where he wants to go after all, and he's going to somewhere he's already been, but with some mystery in it. It rejoins the theme of forbidden, like forbidden love I'll take the side street out of vision" - he's metaphorically out of town, on the highway to another day with the taxi driver he's expecting way too much of, taking the side street out of vision from the misery he's escaping. This may be reading way too much into simple word choices, but I like it - "motorway" is British English, "highway" is American English and the contrast feels representative of confusion and how far he'll go with this metaphorical taxi driver just to get away.

"Give me a sign, give me a home," asking the taxi driver, currently representative of fate to him agree, to give him a sign if what he's feeling is right and a home at the end of his journey; "damned if I do, damned if I don't" - damned if he stays and accepts his misery, damned if he doesn't because "oh taxi driver, what's the mission?" - he doesn't even know what he's doing or he knows there's something not right about it, or even that he'll find misery there too.

"I wanna get around, I wanna get a new ride, I gotta get along so when the hope comes I'm all go!" - he wants to be ready in case he suddenly finds the answer to all these questions he's asking about life, and in case hope for his situation to improve suddenly presents itself. That could be in the form of hope for his relationship working out, rediscovering love he's lost, or just for feeling better about life in general. It's funny, "get around" like avoiding something, then he wants "a new ride" like wanting change, or something refreshing, or another try with his relationship, or a new relationship. The last phrase feels sarcastic, "I gotta get along" presented like some means and not like a goal as such, as if he wants to conquer (or reconquer) someone and get there by getting along with that person, in case "hope" for a relationship comes : "so when the hope comes I'm all go!" while getting along with people, at first to me would be more like a goal, a pleasant and positive situation in itself, rather than a way to getting to something. Plus the way he says that he "has to" get along suggests it's not easy for him, it requires effort, so it would have seemed logical that he presented it as something he asks himself to do, but then he says it's only for the purpose of maybe starting out with someone, getting along for the sake of it is not what he wants.

As a total side note, hearing everyone scream "TAXI DRIVER!" in perfect unison when it was played live was really something. It isn't most people's favourite song but the crowds still responded like it was, like we were all on this crazy journey to be anywhere but where we were together. It wasn't my favorite song when the album came out, but seeing live indeed is great, you can see Billie's passion when he performs it, and the fact he led us to say that we came to the gig with a taxi is like leading us to realize how at that moment when you're driven by taxi to the gig that's so important for you, the taxi driver means everything to you 

 

I'll continue later, don't have anymore time now!