#literal lyrical geniuses

[j4ojha]

when taylor swift said "you can aim for my heart go for blood, but you would still miss me in your bones" and when amy shark said "there's not a bone in my body that's not weak for you"

[dance-like-an-idiot]

i just realized that, besides the literal sense, the baseball game is an extended metaphor for whizzer and marvin's relationship

heres some lyrics that seem Very Different if you think about them detached from the physical game and more so the game of love:

SPECATORS: we're watching jewish boys, who cannot play baseball play–

MARVIN: i hate baseball i really do, unlike the rest of you, i hate baseball

CHARLOTTE AND CORDELIA: we really wish he'd take this more seriously!

MENDEL: it's weird how he swings the bat!

MARVIN: it's weird how he swings the bat. and why does he have to throw like that?

do you See It.

jewish boys who can't play the game (whizzvin), marvin hating the game unlike everyone else (the game is falling in love im pretty sure), the lesbians trying to get him invested, it's weird how he swings (romantically), and marvin being upset he (generally men i assume) throws (himself out there)

the last two are stretches But Not By Much !!!!

i wont go through the entire song but almost all of it (whizzer and marvins banter doesn't seem to be a part of the metaphor) can be connected back to playing the game

and may i add whizzer's batting advice is actually good advice for shooting your shot and in the obc marvin keeps "his eye on the ball" the whole time while asking whizzer out (cause everyone heard his advice)

more lines directly from the book this time (jason should be taken as whizzvin during this, assuming its because they're both childish and so is love):

theres too much in that screenshot to go over it all but its the dangers of getting into (their) love, whizzvin fumbling this chance, and eventually the "anythings possible" of marvin offering and whizzer accepting

also i never knew mendel catches it thats silly (i don't know what thats supposed to mean but it Means Something)

anyways william finn and james lapine why are you geniuses Why you are making me insane Why Why Why!!

[winrarrr]

:: "ALNST doesn't have any canons😂" at first YOUR MOM /j , and at second try to understand a fucking character's lore i beg you. mizisua is canon cuz it's one of the [[MOST UNDERSTANDABLE]] types of relationships in ALNST, they're literally lesbians in love fr AND EVERYTHING IS VISIBLE ON THE SURFACE. some of their phrases from that album where everyone says some goodbyes to each other: sua -> mizi

That day when I lay on the grass in Anakt Garden, watching the stars, they became my dream. For me, spending time with you was a wonderful moment. (I want to say so many things, my heart is full)

mizi -> sua

In any case, we will be together forever! Sua, you are my dream, I love you! I truly love you, your Mizi.

and like, y'know, my clematis is literally it's their love song lmao🙏

and now fucking ivantill RAAAAHHHHH. SO, LOOK HERE, it’s commonplace that no one played or spent time with till except ivan, and till could spend time with him, because close friend y'know. at least ivan stole till’s things and returned them back and till KNEW about it and didn't mind; after till returned to the anakt garden when ivan showed him the sky and freedom, till was ashamed in front of ivan, WHICH ALREADY MEANS THAT HE [[GIVES A FUCK]] ABOUT IVAN AAAAAAAAA!!!!!! and i beg you watch black sorrow with your eyes, and you'll see the [[RED PUPILS]] IN IVANTILL'S EYES!!!!!

(till had them in the official comic for r6, but everyone said that they were a reflection of ivan’s eyes. YOUR MOTHER FUCKING REFLECTION) +in cure they become wider when ivan touches till’s cheek, what are you going to say now🤘

with hyunluka it’s a big problem in terms of content. but come on, hyuna wasn't disgusted by luka, she protected him, was with him, in the song love&peace it is literally sung that she is his "love love ты металл и я металл а вместе мы сплав", BUT SOMEONE NEED CLIPS😂😂😂 GUYS THIS IS [[ADDITIONAL SONGS]] FOR HYUNA AND DISCLOSURE HER [[RELATIONSHIP]] WITH LUKA, FUCKING GENIUSES. some lyrics from love&peace for you to think:

For you, this love This darkness has no end My body's all beaten up But this love But this love But this love, I can't let you go I'll find it one day Inner peace that I long for, peace I call out to you and hope My heart reaches you

I DON'T THINK THAT A PERSON WHO [[HATES]] WOULD SAY THIS 😲😲😲 yes, hyuna has a trigger, but despite this she wants to save luka, GFKJHSLIUDFLIB!!!!!!

just because they don’t serve you everything on a [[SALVET WITH A GOLDEN EDGE]] doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. ship whatever your heart desires, i cannot judge, but don’t say that there are no fucking canons in ALNST

i drop the microphone and go into the sunset

[crazypenguinlad1017]

I just really need to rant about Green Day and Billie Joe Armstrong right now. I know that so many fans feel so deeply connected to their music, and I'm not the only one. But I'm gonna go ahead and say my piece. So many of their songs just punch me in the gut, stab me twisting the knife, like wtf. That's just by the feeling of the music, with all the instruments, who knew fucking power chords held so much emotions, its insane. Then come the lyrics, I love it how Billie Joe just says such honest things, even if it's through metaphor, it just feels so real and like what I'm going through. A lot of songs I find are very cringey in the way they speak about mental health, but not with Green Day. Fucking blows my mind. Geniuses. This rant was sparked by me listening to the demo of Just Another Year on repeat. The Death of St. Jimmy was brutal before, now its so much more brutal and I want to, and have sobbed. What the hell is wrong with me? These songs make me feel so deeply. Even ones that I have no connection to lyrically I feel so much. Even Macy's Day Parade, which is about consumers or something like that, makes me want to sob. At the Library makes me want to sob. Pulling Teeth makes me want to sob. Brutal love, I could go on, maybe I should make a list. Hmmmmmm.

Sure, I'll do a list of all the songs that make me want to cry sometimes or always in my playlist order: At the Library, 80, No One Knows, Pulling Teeth, She, Armatage Shanks, Stuck With Me, 86, Panic Song, Redundant, Scattered, Worry Rock, Walking Alone, Hold On, Macy's Day Parade, J.A.R, Just Another Year, Lowlife, Jesus of Suburbia, Wake Me Up When September Ends, Letterbomb, Homecoming, Whatsername, 21st Century Breakdown, Before the Lobotomy, Last Night on Earth, Last of the American Girls, Murder City, See the Light, When It's Time, Brutal Love, X-Kid, The Forgotten, Somewhere Now, Outlaws, Still Breathing, Forever Now, Dilemma, Goodnight Adeline, Fancy Sauce

Jeez, that took a while ngl. Anyway, my point is that their music hits me like nothing has hit me before. It's like my heart is being kept safe with them because they understand my emotions, even though they dont know I exist at all. I know that might sound a bit extreme, but I'm not the only one who feels like this, right? I'm completely aware that there is more to life than Green Day, but sometimes it's all I need to get by I guess. I hope they understand how much of an impact their music has on people, I mean, if they did, it would probably be overwhelming, so idk. They literally taught me how to live just another year. So crazy, humans are so fucking weird and complex lmao. Stay safe and talk to people if you feel able! Or just listen to Green Day or whatever music you feel connected to. Just take care of yourself is what I'm really trying to say:):)

[jewishrizahawkeye]

hello fellow members of the tortured poets department.

today i will enter into evidence THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT as a song and analyze it. i’m going to look at the lyrics and the relationship and how that translates to the entire album as a whole.

previous posts: fortnight

this song is pretty straight forward, so most analysis is redundant. as most of the lyrics bounce back and forth between two things:

thinking that they’re nothing but two idiots and not geniuses or actual tortured poets

quiet moments where taylor is reaching out and trying to help the situation and make it last but us hindered.

the first part is mentioned relentlessly, to the point it’s the chorus line, “you’re not dylan thomas/im not patti smith/this ain’t the chelsea hotel/we’re modern idiots”, and also taylor says it point blank in the opening stanza:

“you left your typewriter at my apartment/straight from the tortured poets department/i think some things i never say/like who uses type writers anyway?”

this immediately sets the scene of taylor knowing, either looking back or in the moment, that he was full of himself and it wasn’t as serious as she thought it was. but he disagrees, he does view himself very highly. but we see plently of moments where taylor describes him as just… a guy? he’s literally just some guy who gets high and makes declarations, “you smoked and ate seven bars of chocolate/we declared charlie puth should be a bigger artist/i scratch your head as you fall asleep/like a tattooed golden retriever”. this is how she views him, just some guy. maybe this is her trying to show us what she saw in him.

but this brief moment is cut short by his own issues and possibly hung over, “but you awaken with dread/pounding nails in your head/but i've read this one where you come undone/i chose this cyclone with you”. and because of this he’s most likely pulling back or self sabotaging, as can be indicated by the first verse “but your in self sabatoge mode/throwing spikes down on the road/but i’ve seen this episode before and still loved the show”. the first verse is important to know here as it implies that she’s either seen him or a previous partner experience this before, and based on the albatross i think it’s previous partners experienced this, mainly peter as she implies these two and her relationships to them were incredibly similar. because she’s experienced this before with not on the outside world and media interfering in her love life, but she’s also experienced what it’s like to watch a loved one struggle with this. she’s “read it before” in others albums like folklore or midnights where she discusses the media interfering with her relationship and career. and because she saw how that one ended she fears this will happen again and wants to stop it. because she chose him to get out of her previous relationship so she will stick through it with him.

all while she keeps repeatedly telling herself they will never be able to hold each other or know each other like anyone else. so they have to make it work. they just hsve to. but she does fear it won’t work. that he’ll mess it up and their fated love story won’t work out. but she is deluding the fears with rose colored glasses and thinking that he loves her so much that “he’d kill himself if i ever leave” which taylor even acknowledges she likes because it made her feel seen, which we know is something she craved from her romantic partners in the past from songs like tolerate it and you’re losing me. and because of this guy finally sees her so much and loves it he’d rather die than lose her. she’s ignoring all the warning signs around her because she’s finally being given the attention she’s needed in her other relationships. so she’s willing to wear the rose colored glasses, look past his pretentiousness and issues because he’s giving her what she needed… and that was enough.

but how this connects to the album as a whole and why it’s the title. this album is about taylor grappling with years worth of trauma and suffering. it’s about her grieving a 6 year long relationship with who she thought was blown in with the winds of fate and then dealing with the hurt and betrayal that this guy who swore he’d love her forever was leaving her. her titling an album about how he views himself, and almost setting the album itself into a hospital because she feels like she’s on life support, is her acknowledging the hurt she caused. she’s saying that he’s pretentious and under that he is nothing but an idiot who broke and hurt her to the point she felt like she was in a months long manic episode. this man hurt her. so she wrote an album about her healing journey and dissecting the public’s image of her, the thing that’s ruined so many relationships for her, and titled it with his own ego as a fuck you. it’s very tongue in cheek and subverts all our expectations, including his. she’s not taking herself seriously, she’s moving on and healing, and is making fun of him for being that serious.

i’d like to apologize again to the fellow members for this being disorganized. i had a solid explanation for it but then it took me like two hours trying to figure out how to explain it. but, in summation: who the fuck uses type writers anyway and drags them along to the house of a girl you’ve been dating for under a week? only fucking pretentious idiots do.

(tagging the wonderful @camerabitchsmile cause they’ve organized this event and despite my unorganized analysis i’m having fun with this event!)

[wromwood]

You know, the musical "dance sequence" ending of "The Devil's Chord" would've worked so much better if it actually used a Beatles song. All episode, I was waiting to see what song the show managed to get the rights to, what they'd choose to cover, because... well, it makes sense, doesn't it? Why call out a specific band if you don't pay homage to at least one of their works, or showcase how they're geniuses?

I understand that's probably partly due to copyright/licensing, problems that episodes like "The Shakespeare Code" and "Vincent and the Doctor" don't have. (Although those episodes still honor their historical artists through other methods than just displaying/replicating their work.) But still, I'd hope there's room in the budget to license one song, no matter who made it.

The Beatles literally have a song involving the twist that was recorded in 1963: "Twist and Shout." How cool would it have been for the Doctor to have been included in its recording? Now, if they really insisted on having a song that's as quick and upbeat as "There's Always a Twist at the End", then they could've used "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, which would've been just as iconic. In fact, you could've thrown a gag in there where one Beatle turns to the other and remarks that they've just thought of the PERFECT song to cover, but not this one.

Now if they really NEEDED the song to include the phrase "there's always a twist at the end," I see two solutions:

1) They start by singing "Twist and Shout" or "The Twist", and then partway through, the Doctor and Ruby add in their own verse with the needed lyrics.

2) The Beatles start to play a recognized song (maybe we hear the title or the first few notes), before the Doctor jumps in to say that they've run out of room in the budget for big songs like theirs. Luckily, he has his own tune for them all to use.

It's a shame. "The Devil's Chord" was fun in a lot of ways, which makes its flaws stand out to me all the more. Still, I'm excited to see what the rest of the season has in store.

[fishandshesmygills]

genius lyrics annotators love to literally just restate the line. i don't think any of you people are geniuses

[pluviophile-bookworm]

Schmicago is Over and Done... so here are my thoughts on all of it (extra long post)

Episode 1: Welcome to Schmicago

In all honesty, I was fully prepared not to like this season bc I’m really not (or at least was not) that into this era of musicals, but all I needed was the start of Welcome to Schmicago and I was so completely in. Thank you to all the geniuses who made it possible.

No but… the second time round that the word ‘farrago’ comes up in the lyrics of the episode’s title song, I well, I was literally thinking ‘what the hey’s a farrago’, and the Narrator says ‘look it up’ — it’s like they’re reading the viewer’s thoughts. I love it. That’s the self-aware humour I’ve come for. Also, I did look it up and farrago means a confused mixture. I like it. It fits.

This is killing me (in the best way) — when they say ‘endings that are tragic’, the Narrator holds up a strand of Melissa’s hair. I love the double meaning.

I love love love this! At one point you can clearly hear Kristin Chenoweth saying ‘peas and carrots, peas and carrots’, and Josh and Melissa are like ‘Please don’t talk all at once, we can’t understand you’. Love that bit of theatre inside humour.

‘Do you have a cigarette, darling, I’m simply desperate’… what an introduction to Dove’s new character, Jenny Banks. Or, as I immediately dubbed her when I saw her, Liza Jr. I feel like I’m going to like her.

‘Fifty’s not that old’ — this coming, of course, from Keegan-Michael Key, who is 52 in real life. And ain’t he living proof of it, too.

I am loving Does That Shock You (I assume that’s the name of the song) [It’s Do We Shock You, actually, but there was no way for me to know that back when the episode aired, now was there?] — it’s like, ‘look, there’s a man and he’s wearing a dress’, ‘I like both boys and girls’, and, most hilariously, ‘I’ve experienced an orgasm. A female one.’ Goodness, this doesn’t shock me or Josh and Melissa, but it sure as the stars would render the people of Schmigadoon catatonic. And I love that, for some reason.

No but the cabaret girls… Annie, Kate, Molly, Tessie, Pepper, Duffy and Elsie. Like… a certain bunch of orphan girls from the same time period as all musicals referenced here take place. Plus Cabaret’s Elsie, of course. That’s basically as if… the girls grew up to become showgirls, which actually isn’t too far-fetched. And Ariana DeBose as the EmCee is slaying it. I love all of this. And Ann Harada is Madam Frau. Lady Lady. Cool! I love it.

‘My true passion is power [dramatic pause]… electricity’ I love love love all of this.

And Jenny Banks does a Cabaret-style number with chairography a la Mein Herr. Which is funny because Dove is just one of a whole bunch of people in this cast who would do (or, in certain cases, have done) a killer Mein Herr. Either way, I just know this will be one of my most replayed songs once the soundtrack comes out. When is that, btw? [That was yesterday, and I can fully attest to the above prediction being true.]

This number isn’t even subtle about what it’s doing. About as subtle as Va-Gi-Na or the Coming Out Reprise were last season ‘We’ve had a fine affair, but please get out of mein hair.’ I love this more than words can say.

Episode 2: Doorway to Where

The Narrator is just everything… ‘schmigadee-death… penalty’, anyone? Lovely.

Ahhh we’ve got Aaron!! That man’s voice makes me swoon in a way I didn’t think was possible to someone of my… identity. If you get what I’m trying to say. [What I’m trying to say is I’m aroace, but I do have a thing for voices, and for unconventionally attractive faces, except the latter isn’t relevant in very conventionally attractive Aaron’s case. He’s all voice to me. He could sing the phone book and I’d be done for.]

No but… his solo once again mentions squirrels and robins, and I’ve got to wonder why… like, is it just a reference to You Can’t Tame Me (my beloved), or is there something else? But also, his new character, Topher, strikes me as the only one who hasn’t changed quite as much — he’s once again a free spirit singing about squirrels and robins and wow, this is just utterly self-referential, isn’t it? I love that. 

‘Please. Mr Flanagan was my father… after he lost his medical license.’ I love that. And I’m going to love Jane Krakowski’s character in this, I feel like. ‘First we court the press, then I press the court.’ I adore sentences like that. Sue me. But only with Bobby Flanagan as my solicitor.

Ok, so this one I caught. Melissa’s showgirl audition is set to a number evoking I Hope I Get It from A Chorus Line. Good going, me!

‘Dad was in the military. You know, the type with a whistle. He used to force my brothers, sisters and me to perform for guests at dinner parties. God, I hated when he did that.’ I see you, Sound of Music. I see you clear and bright. ‘So this one night I begged him for a taste of champagne’… ok, so you’re Liesl, are you? Well, funny, because all I can think of is Cecily as Liesl in that one SNL sketch with John Mulaney.

Ok but when Melissa meets Topher, she’s like ‘You look… groovy’, and I was like, his ‘pants’ are not really high-waisted in this one, though. But there’s a good chance he’s both high and wasted at any given time. I mean, so I imagine, he’s a hippie. Not to stereotype people, but hey, everyone is a walking steretype here.

When Topher’s buddies come to bust him and Josh out of jail on the happiness bus, Josh is like ‘it’s literal? I thought it was a metaphor.’ To which I say… ‘It’s not a metaphor, oh no, it’s something more — it’s a literal bus’. How’s that for a reference?

Episode 3: Bells and Whistles

Ok we’re on to episode 3 and… ‘ Rizzo, ChaCha, Doodie/ Zuko and Kenickie’… why, hello Grease! I didn’t quite expect you there, but of course that was a mistake. And also, in a number starring Danny Bailey/Zuko Aaron Tveit himself, no less.

I see you, Miss Kristin Hannigan! And I’m loving it. Mrs Lovett x Miss Hannigan has never made so much sense before. Add in some Mme Thenardier for good measure, and you’ve got the ultimate composite character.

No, I swear, between Kristin and Alan, this is giving me huge Thenardier vibes, even if it’s actually meant to be a homage to Sweeney Todd, I believe. I’m loving it either way.

Ok, so… Alan’s character, Butcher Dooley Blight, is Jenny’s father here. I love it. But oh wow, this got really bloody and dark and gory really fast.

This might as well be one of my favourite courtroom scenes. I mean, ‘On the grounds of Brooklyn’ is still my go-to, but Bells and Whistles, and Fosse jazz hands are truly something else.

‘Why am I flanked by fools’ is the new ‘I’m surrounded by idiots’, and I love it. No but, his song is actually about wanting love from women who don’t want him. He’s giving Phantom. And, oh gosh, the resounding bass note it ends on… almost more impressive than a high note.

Episode 4: Something Real

Well, it’s true that Dove and Aaron are, in my humblest of opinions, the two people whose characters from this season and the previous one are most alike — I mean, she’s a cheerful girl whose cluelessness may or may not be (and in this one definitely is) just an act and whose father would kill for her sake, and he’s a free spirit who sings about robins and squirrels (even though Danny’s ‘pants are really high-waisted’ whereas Topher would rather forgo any trousers at all because ‘flowers don’t wear pants’... which I think is a valid choice, wanting to emulate a flower. Go for it) — so, in a way, what I called has very much come to pass. Now how this is going to turn out by the end is a whole other matter, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Also, here’s a post I made the day the s1 finale came out, and... I was a bit blindsided, but I had the spirit:

Ok so the Narrator may be a bit of an arse to Mel and Josh, but I love him. I want Tituss Burgess to narrate every show in song.

Topher, arriving at the junkyard: ‘The prodigal son has returned. Someone write that down.’ The Fansie in me, knocking over about three walls at once: ‘I got a pencil!’

S1 Josh: ‘I’m not singing if you’re not singing.’ S2 Josh: ‘Talk to Daddy, talk, talk to Daddy’… now that’s what I call character growth. And that aside, this is just such a fun number. I can see myself listening to it on repeat once the soundtrack drops (which I need now btw). [Ah, yes, the ‘I’m not having an argument that’s part of a musical number’ to ‘I am not a man of many words’ to ‘Talk to Daddy’ pipeline. We stan.]

Whoever decided to pair up Dove and Aaron for a duet is a freaking genius. I need to know who that was so I can send them flowers to thank them for this vocal match made in heaven.

‘More romance’? If there’s one thing I don’t like about Schmigadoon/Schmicago, and it’s just this tiny little thing, really, but… it’s that it seems to emphasise romance as the ultimate solution, the single bringer of happiness. Only, I suppose, it will end up subverting that by the end of the season. Which would be nice if it does, indeed, happen. [Well... not exactly. But next season maybe... hope springs eternal.]

Ok, a scene centring around Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming together in any sort of context is always welcome, but I’m just a bit too distracted by Dooley eating his mash using his cleaver as a spoon. It’s too funny!

No but the way he said ‘Life is just a pile of shit’… it spoke to my soul… somehow.

I have never, ever in my life laughed at the sight of someone openly discussing making children into meat, but if anyone can sell such a number, why, it’s those two. Marvellously morbid.

I hear you, ‘It’s a Hard-Knock Life’. I hear you loud and clear. Or should I say… It’s a Hard-Knock-off Life… ight I’ll see myself out. But who would have thought that mixing Annie with Sweeney Todd (and a sprinkle of Oliver!) would make such a delightfully dark and scrumptiously sinister song? Also, those tap-dancing children are so amazing! I wish we would get more than a number per season from them, but I always take what I can get. [This is another contender, along with Kaput and Talk to Daddy and Bells and Whistles, for my May Top Tracks on Spotify... what will end up happening remains to be seen, but the number of times I’ve looped those just since they were released there yesterday is already large enough to put them all in the top 20 if not the top 10.]

So this now marks two different songs I know where ‘scrumptious’ is rhymed with ‘presumptuous’ (Truly Scrumptious from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, of course, being the first), and in neither of those songs do these words sound like they should rhyme. This must be what Mel meant by that comment about imperfect rhymes, you know.

Doesn’t this just go to prove that you could sell infanticide to me if it’s accompanied by a musical number, and I’d eat it up with a spoon, or even a cleaver if I had one handy… what does that say about me, I wonder…

Episode 5: Famous as Hell

Cecily is such a star! (hey, nice alliterative phrase there) But for real, she is. Also, is this supposed to be Maybe This Time? I’ll know for sure once I watch the Schmeakdown, but I think it is, if not intertwined with something else as well.

Ok but the tribe seems to have imprinted on Josh like a bunch of baby ducklings. He’s their mama now. I love that.

I’m thinking the Narrator’s name should change to the Instigator. Love that for him.

‘Another damn rhetorical question’ might just be funnier than ‘Schmigadee-death penalty’. Either way, I love Tituss Burgess and what he does as the Narrator, or the Instigator if you will.

Ooh… I love this. Famous As Hell seems to be the sort of number which references everybody’s themes, and I love that in a number.

Ok so nobody should be subjected to 12-show day, but, like, as an obsessed fan I’d be there all day for it. Still, don’t make people perform until they bleed. Then again, this is Schmicago, so…

Wait a sec… so that’s what ‘substitutes become expedient’ meant? Not just the obvious ‘children-for-animals’ substitute, but ‘orphans-for-Kratt’. Well. I’m thinking Kratt wouldn’t make a very desirable load of sausages, though. Oh, great, now I’m considering it. I’m in so deep I’m losing awareness of how gory this all is.

Are those the twins who played the white-faced women in ASOUE, playing another pair of white-faced women? Why yes, it is them, Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins. Nice.

Ooh… ‘You’ve been getting my roses? — Moses supposes I have.’ I loved that. I’ve been wondering if Singing in the Rain could make it into the farrago, and it seems like it has.

Ok, now Kratt is definitely Phantom. Kidnapping Mel just after she’s become a star on stage and essentially going like, ‘you marry me or the man you love dies’. Also, what kind of a cliffhanger was this? I’m dying. How on earth will I make it to the finale? And there are so many knots to be untied, too many loose ends to be tied up… that’s an ambitious setup for the finale. [It was, indeed. Bit of a rush to untangle and tie up everything, it really was, but I loved it nonetheless.]

Episode 6: Over and Done

Ahhhh Ariana DeBose solo at last!! I’ve missed that so much. And a Dreamgirls solo at that! I found she was really underutilised this season, which sucks because she’s a queen, but is also completely understandable because there were so many plotlines even without her being at the forefront. Still though…

‘I shut down a dream ballet, I will shut down this’ Yes Mel, be in control of the narrative devices even if you can’t control the narrative… that is so poetic in its way. I love it.

Idk how I came to this thought, but Sgt. Rivera upon being told he has to kill Josh is giving the huntsman from Snow White. Can’t say I love that for him because it’s a really tight spot to be in, but his reaction is still one of my favourite moments.

Ok but like… is Ms. Codwell reluctant to let the orphans be killed now? What exactly was it that made her change her mind? And also, these poor kids are so death-happy, I can’t even begin to comprehend the black comedy of it all. It’s not even black comedy anymore, it’s saccharine tragedy.

Also, if Dooley and Ms Codwell get married, does that mean Kristin is going to be Dove’s mum once again? Because at first I enjoyed the subversion of them being completely unrelated here, but I’m starting to miss them as a mother-daughter duo. Maybe s3 can amend that? Whatever, just please let there be a s3.

Ok but Topher being a JCS homage all season and his tribe digging everything he says, and then once he pulls a literal Jesus, ‘turn the other cheek’ and whatnot, they’re sceptical? Idk, but I kinda dig that just bc I find it (1) funny and (2) totally reasonable.

I can’t… the Somewhere Love Is Waiting for You riff as Dooley reunites with his daughter… it’s too much. I’m going to cry. I was already going to cry, but this really is too much.

Ok but even when he doesn’t intend it, Dooley sure is good with that cleaver. And the narrative pulling a Phantom on the Phantom shout-out character… now that’s what I call poetic justice.

Yeah, sure, I’ll drink to that too. From now on I want all the villain death announcements to be done via Kaput reprise. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead who?

Rocky Horror Sgt. Rivera isn’t what I ever expected, but I’m digging it. I’m actually tearing up. What is with Schmigadoon season finales and making me sob my heart out? I need to have more of that.

Now excuse me for crossing my fandoms over here, but the tribe’s ending is giving Ordinaryish People by AJR: ‘Your hippie friends call you a sellout cos you buckled down and got a job’… indeed.

Goodness, Something Real with Topher and Jenny was one thing, but with Mel and Josh it feels that much more… real. I mean. Tell me it doesn’t. I’m not crying over the cheesiness that is a musical ending number, you are. Except I am, too, of course. How could I not be?

I did not have Narrator x Rivera on my bingo cards for this season, but like, ‘I don’t hate it’. I actually wish I could see it play out.

What’s better than Leprechaun Martin Short? Leprechaun Martin Short x2. I am living for every bizarre, out-of-left-field thing this finale throws at me. I really really really want more.

Ok but, as a lover of child-centric musicals, I now need a s3 with Josh and Mel and their little one in a land with more than one child-centred musical number. It’s not a want, it’s a need. 

[gabessquishytum]

You and 🦩anon are both geniuses and I just need to add that the lyric "dead and cold, a story told/by those he trusted, those he loved, and those who then moved on" applied to recently fishbowled Dream? UNBELIEVABLY painful, no notes.

(But also then Hob can be like "moved on???? I waited for you for 133 years wtf????" And Dream can have the revelation that no, not everyone moved on 🥹)

AHHH agreed (here’s the first post about the count of monte cristo)!! I recommend everyone go listen to the song because the way the singer performs the “and those who then moved on” part is absolutely spine tingling.

I love the idea of Hob being like “but I didn’t?? I literally bought a pub and waited so that we’d have somewhere to meet on the off-chance that you’d come back??” And Dream (still sore from the fact that his subjects in the dreaming abandoned the realm) is forced to confront the fact that he is loved and cherished by someone. He has to come out of the emo slump for a minute and acknowledge that Hob didn’t abandon him and probably never will.

Of course he’s still entitled to feel terribly depressed but. Maybe Death was right. Hob was pleased to see him. Hob waited. Maybe the world isn’t such a terrible place after all?

[nowheretobebut]

The Cure's Genius, pt. 1

Siouxsie Sioux once said this about John McGeoch:

He was into sound in an almost abstract way. I could say "I want this to sound like a horse falling off a cliff, and he would know exactly what I meant."

I believe the same applies to Robert Smith. I can vividly sense a vibe of dilution and pointlessness, quite literally running towards nothing in “A Forest,” which is reinforced by the lyrics at the end:

The girl was never there It's always the same I'm running towards nothing Again and again and again and again...

"One Hundred Years" feels like a hundred years of sensing the death blow closing in with pain and a creeping feeling, and "The Kiss" is how kissing someone you lust after but do not love would sound like. "Fascination Street" takes you on an adventure with "fun" people who are fun only because they don't care about anything, including you. It’s amazing how every one of their songs feels like a unique theater show. Beyond the musical aspect, the lyrics are so tasteful. For example, this is from "How Beautiful You Are":

I turned to look at you To read my thought upon your face

I've never heard any other band touch on different aspects of a deep interpersonal connection like in "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep." But that's no surprise, coming from someone who found long-lasting love with his high school sweetheart at the age of 14. They ace every love song they make, from "The Lovecats" to "Lovesong." They're not like every other artist; they're musical geniuses. Then comes the feeling of grieving the possibility of god forbid growing bored of them and being left alone in silence to deal with the myriad experiences that only they can picture so ever artistically. Because truly, no one can embody art as well as The Cure does.

[lokislytherin]

lookism x percy jackson

look i KNOW i should stop coming up with au ideas but. i thought of a way to write that soldier poet king au and it’s a lookism x percy jackson universe

the original song was technically about recovering from abuse, and i’ll put the summarized / paraphrased / slightly changed interpretations here so it doesn’t clog up space where my notes are

soldier: physically remove the abuser and trauma they caused 

poet: provide rationale against the abuser to fight their influence

king: show kindness and love to overcome aftereffects of abuse

SOLDIER: CHOI SOOJUNG

original lyric: there will come a soldier // who carries a mighty sword  // he will tear your city down // oh lei oh lai oh lord

daughter of zeus: canonically daughter of one of the most powerful men ever, father has other ‘kids’ (10 geniuses are zeus’ adopted children)

my interpretation of soldier: listens to father’s instructions, the gods’ number 1 supporter, would destroy you if the orders were given to her because it’s her duty and duty is unavoidable and inevitable

soldier with og meaning: would remove any threats to the people she cares about, not afraid to get blood on her hands for law and order

weapon of choice: sword, lightning

POET: PARK HYUNGSEOK

original lyric: there will come a poet // whose weapon is his word // he will slay you with his tongue // oh lei oh lai oh lord

son of aphrodite: the signature Beautiful Guy (dg is son of apollo probably), loved by everyone, not the best at fighting but gets better

my interpretation of poet: weapon is his word because he’s a son of aphrodite he can literally charmspeak people into doing whatever the hell he wants once he learns how to do it well, slay you with his tongue bc aphrodite forced him to learn how to french kiss like irina jelavich from assassination classroom

poet with og meaning: able to confront the truth for what it is, understand it and overcome it, calm and capable of talking people down from fights

weapon of choice: bow, shapeshifting

KING: HONG JAEYEOL

original lyric: there will come a ruler // whose brow is laid in thorn // smeared with oil like david’s boy // oh lei oh lai oh lord

son of hades: not hades / hong kyeongyeong’s favorite child, but definitely is the most powerful one, inherited the most of hades’ abilities

my interpretation of king: the most powerful in terms of fighting ability & authority (let’s face it soojung is not zeus’ fav kid even though she’s the only true half-blood daughter instead of having diluted zeus blood), he’s also the one who’s most experienced with godhood so he’s the one people go to to ask what’s the ‘right’ decision

king with og meaning: if he loves you he’ll be the kindest person you’ll ever meet, would sacrifice everything and/or be a martyr if it means safety

weapon of choice: scythe, physical shadows

PLOT

prophecy: do NOT ask me to poetry right now but it basically implies hyungseok is going to destroy the gods (aka the four crews / 1st gen / pre gen), soojung and jaeyeol are also involved in the prophecy, states that one of them will die but nobody knows who. naturally they get forced to go on a quest together

expectation: soojung and jaeyeol will kill hyungseok because they’re children of the big three and hyungseok is just a nobody who got abandoned at birth and grew up with a poor mortal + he’s going to destroy their parents and they should have some filial piety right

plot twist: well guess what jaeyeol and hades are not on the best terms, jaeyeol literally would not care less if the gods got kicked off their pedestals, somehow he and hyungseok befriend each other and jaeyeol falls for him but hyungseok is oblivious. hyungseok is still hoping the prophecy has a double meaning and has 0 idea about jaeyeol’s feelings the whole time, jaeyeol gets bullied by aphrodite. actually hyungseok likes jaeyeol too but he’s scared of being bullied by aphrodite / jaeyeol hating him when he finds out / dying, so he doesn’t tell jaeyeol anything

reality: somehow someone tricks hyungseok into cursing jaeyeol and soojung to fight each other, the gods are already kind of in panic because hyungseok is pretty op by now but jaeyeol doesn’t want hyungseok to die at the end of the prophecy so he lets soojung kill him, but this is precisely the reason why hyungseok goes ballistic and destroys the gods

ENDING

we could have the good ending or the bad ending what would you prefer

bad ending: hyungseok destroys the gods but gets mortally wounded in turn, he dies hand in hand with jaeyeol and the furies rip their souls to shreds so they will never be reborn but at least they’re dead together. soojung tries her best not to get crushed under the guilt and grief of losing two of her closest friends

good ending: hades pops up at the end like damn ok. you had your character development. i guess it’s time for me to start my good dad arc. and then revives jaeyeol, so basically the gods get bullied by a half-mortal twink trying to protect his not-boyfriend who was un-alived and has now been re-alived. the prophecy works out bc nobody said dead people couldn’t come back to life + the gods got rekt that counts as being destroyed

will i write this au? i don’t know! will it be fun to write? oh absolutely

[smileymoth]

Hollywood Undead is probably going to be in my top 5 best bands of all time forever. The growth they have had as a band from Swan Songs to Kalifonia Dreaming????? literally insane. They're all so incredibly talented!!! Their music is really catchy (to me, anyway), the melody and the rhythm makes me overjoyed... And as much as half their songs are about fucking bitches, partying, starting wars(???) and smoking weed, there's a good amount of music that seemingly has deeper meaning and which has decently good lyrics -- now obviously I am not going to pretend that they are some lyrical geniuses because they are not, but there are songs and lyrics that really do speak to me, even if the words are on the simpler side. Like they're a white boy rap-rock group I am not expecting some world class poetry out of a song called "World War Me" or "Pimpin'" ok!!!! But I do think that as simple as they are... some lines do sound really fucking good.

I've given Danny a lot of flack for 'not knowing how to sing' or how his voice is whiny back in 2014 (lol), but his vocals have gotten much better, and it makes me very happy :) (i might've also been biased back then that i was so weird about him since I had a big celeb crush on Deuce hahsdf.. like Danny's vocals in the old albums are a bit scratchy but They're Still Good) ....

Johnny3's voice is so incredibly powerful and recognizable, I think Johnny's verses in the more serious songs really nail it in for me how much I love this silly band.

And whatever Charlie has going on where he does so well with all types of songs -- he will tell you he bought a suit because to meet God you gotta look nice and then turn around and rap about breaking up with his gf so he could bang sluts. like boy what r you doing. Like his vibe fits it all. .. Like man I could NOT imagine Funnyman singing abt wanting to kill himself that would just be ODD hadhsdf .... Funnyman's personality or like the stage persona is so !!!!! ILOVE HIM and his VOICE his voice I love his voice so much <333!!!!!!!

and Like Jdog knows how to do EVERYTHING it seems. what doesnt he do... beside music he somehow even cant stop saving stray animals. he's absolutely fuckign goated with the sauce. beloved emo boy Jdoggy dog <3

Maybe I am sooo sentimental and parasocial about this band since it's the first band I ever got really obsessed with and by the looks of it I am still not over them at all... and they can't stop making good music so I will keep listening to them!!! I deeply regret not seeing them in 2018 when they were in Estonia... PLEASE COME TO BRAZIL ESTONIA I NEEEEEED YOU HERE AGAIN PLEEAAASEEE!!!!!!!!

conclusion: I LOVE HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD

[recordsfm]

╰   ☆  ◞  dylan minnette / cis man / he/him  ———  no way is that ASHLEY DIMARCO? you know they’re TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OLD and they’ve been in los angeles for THREE MONTHS. they’re chillin’ as a ASSISTANT MUSIC PRODUCER for PINNACLE RECORDS. oh and they’re notoriously known for being STUBBORN but there are some people who have seen them be CREATIVE. i heard they’re a part of a BAND called THE WALLETS, yeah they’re a SINGER/GUITARIST. to be honest they sound a lot like BRADEN BALES & WALLOWS. they’re actually A RISING STAR.

PART ONE: STATISTICS. 

basic information:

FULL NAME: Ashley Jett DiMarco

NICKNAME(S): Ash

AGE: 24

DATE OF BIRTH: June 3rd 1999

PLACE OF BIRTH: New York City

GENDER: Cismale

PRONOUNS: he/him

ORIENTATION: Bisexual

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: English

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Los Angeles

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Roommates with twin sister.

family ties:

MOTHER: Natalie DiMarco

GRANDMOTHER: Abigail Anderson

FATHER: Elliott Anderson DiMarco

SIBLINGS: Amity DiMarco

SPOUSE / PARTNER: none

CHILDREN: none

PETS: 1 cat named Eevee

occupational information:

OCCUPATION: Assistant Music Producer at Pinnacle Records

answer only if your character is a musician:

NAME OF THEIR ACT: Wallets

SO THEY PLAY INSTRUMENTS? IF SO WHAT?: Keyboard and guitar

HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN A PART OF THE ACT?: 10 years

ARTIST INFLUENCES: Bob Dylan, Weezer, and too many to count

CURRENT MONTHLY SPOTIFY/APPLE MUSIC LISTENS ON AVERAGE: 510.2 K

personality:

WESTERN ZODIAC: Gemini

CHINESE ZODIAC: Rabbit

POSITIVE TRAITS: Creative, Thoughtful, Chivalrous

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Stubborn, Anxious, Shy

HOBBIES: Origami, video editing, playing guitar and keyboard, drinking

PART TWO: QUESTIONNAIRE. 

IF YOUR MUSE IS A MUSICIAN:

start at the beginning, who are you and why are you important?

"Hi, uh, my name is Ash DiMarco, and I'm one of the founding members of The Wallets."

how long have you been making music?

"Well music kinda runs in my family, so it's been a part of my life forever. I mean my mom literally was pregnant on tour. But uh, when I was about 13 I started to really take it seriously. It's around this time when I begged my older cousin to be in my band and well, that's how this kinda all started."

how would you describe the kind of music you make?

"It's definitely indie rock. A little bit of pop, a touch of singer- songwriter vibes."

who are some of your biggest musical influences?

"Well obviously my mom was a huge influence on me, considering how amazing she really is. And many of her influences too, for obvious reasons, but I really draw from like blackbear, Jeremy Zucker, Jon Bellion, the 1975, Wombats, you know very alt artists that are just extremely talented and lyrical geniuses. "

what is the first record you ever bought?

"Make believe by weezer"

what has working in the music industry meant to you thus far in your career?

"I haven't been as successful as some of the members of my family, but I really love this industry. There's so much that goes into making an album or doing a show that I dont think people realize, and that's kinda what I love about it. I love how much work it really takes."

what are some stand out moments from your career so far?

"Well out music videos are what I really love and are most proud of."

how would you describe your style of performance? what makes your shows worth seeing?

Awkward. The Wallets only did one tour in ten years. With local shows few and far between, and it was all because of him. The anxiety he felt on stage. "Well, we don't do a lot of shows, so..." He gave a small chuckle hoping they would move on.

what are you still hoping to achieve in your career, and what’s next for you?

Ash took a long pause, thinking about the future, what he wanted. And the truth was he didn't know. Wallets was crumbling, every member moving on in separate directions, and here he was. clinging to the music industry, cause it's all he really knew. "Sky's the limit."

[suburbanlegendstv]

the people who are able to decode like 10-20 letter lyric acronyms from friendship bracelets are literally geniuses bc my little pea brain could never

[collisvng]

I just want to take some time away from my writing projects to speak about Yoongi and Jisung’s lyricism for a moment. Never in my life did I think I could fall in love with music and writing again until I found BTS and now Stray Kids. And the fact both my biases are complete lyrical geniuses is just bewildering to me.

Yoongi and Han have so much in common, but are also so different. Their types of writing styles and how they express their artistry is so unmatched in my eyes.

Yoongi has always been the type to express his feelings and world views through his music. He speaks about his life experiences, how others’ life experiences can change and affect those around them, and just makes music that feels so freeing when you listen to it you can’t help feel overwhelming emotion with each word that is said. He’s truly grown as an artist and will always choose being real over appeasing his audience, which I respect so much.

Han’s music is the kind of music that is so deceiving to the ear, it’s absolutely beautiful. His backtracks are always so full of life, while the songs themselves are so full of sorrow and heartbreak. His lyrics can literally rip your heart out with only a few words. And it’s like you are putting yourself in that pain while still managing to stay happy because of how it sounds. It's such a weird thing to experience, but it’s always so beautifully done.

They are both so forthcoming with their words, and the inspiration for what they write is always creative.

My little gummy smile boys with anxiety, using the most beautiful analogies to write the most gut-wrenching lyrics and coming out with the most expressive music. Ughhhhh, I love them.

And in more recent times, I have grown such emotional attachments to their more recent projects for emotional support.

Amygdala and Collision are the songs I have found myself having the most attachment to recently.

Those songs kinda saved me from myself in recent times when I was going through some really terrible stuff. And now with Han’s new song “Miserable” coming out at a very convenient time for me, it’s literally become my new favorite after only a day.

I will forever be grateful for their existence.

I hope BTS and Stray Kids continue to create a safe space for their fans, and know that there are people out there like me that were able to find a reason to keep going because of them.

I love them so much.

[goldrushenthusiast]

gold rush is literally Taylor’s best song, fight me.

Not by lyric geniusness.

Not by vocals.

Not by music.

But by my perfect and absolute judgement, which happens to always be right, it is.