Razorlight - America
Somehow making their debut on this site over 200 articles in we have Razorlight and that song that defined 2006 (in so many negative ways), America.
What a drag it is
The shape i'm in
Well I go out somewhere
Then I come home again
Johnny Borrell is not in a fantastic mood. He appears to be having issues regarding his weight, or perhaps is just uneasy with the fact that the human body is, in general, a rectangle. Perhaps he is more a square (though this is far from reality) or even a circle - however I would like to put forth the idea that the circle is a far more efficient shape than the rectangle. Would the wheel work if it was a rectangle? No. Imagine the money, time and effort (and carbon emissions) that would be saved if humans could simply roll everywhere as opposed to actually having to work when mobilising oneself. Think about it.
Johnny also seems to lack direction in his life; he leaves to go somewhere and like a young man suffering from an illness resulting in memory loss, he has no idea as to why he left the house or where in particular he was going to go so, crestfallen, he performs an about turn and marches back towards his mansion and sits down to pontificate about why he is so utterly and ridiculously fantastic for a few hours.
I light a cigarette
'Cause I can't get no sleep
Theres nothing on the TV nothing on the radio
That means that much to me
Johnny Borrell needs to smoke in order to sleep. There are a number of health and safety issues with this sentence; for a start, there was the widespread advertising campaign a few years back talking about the dangers of having a smoke before you went to sleep, going to sleep without properly putting the cigarette out and the subsequent disastrous consequences. This could of course be Borrells intentions; he may well be depressed about being a quadrangle (ish) life form with severe memory loss and as such he may choose to end his life; ironically of course he may well be mid-suicide before wondering why he is in such a state and deciding to go and put the kettle on instead for the fourth time that hour.
There is nothing on the TV (not that he'd remember it anyway) and also nothing on the radio - quite a profound statement considering that at the time of America's release you couldn't move for hearing the song on the radio or on the telly. As far as Borrell is concerned this song barely means anything to him, so why anyone else should care is, well, anyone's guess. In all honesty it's a damning statement on anyone's life if they're down due to a lack of any substantial TV (or indeed radio), and perhaps this is an all too immediate sign that Borrell needs to sort himself out.
All my life
Watching America
All my life
There's panic in America
Oh Oh Oh, Oh
There's trouble in America
Oh Oh Oh, Oh
Johnny Borrell lives his life through the nation of America. He spends most of his life consuming an American diet (both in terms of food and in terms of culture) - and yet while he moans about consuming this standardised western lifestyle he makes no attempt to stop it. By producing this song he only in fact contributes to the Americanised style of living and as such I can only conclude that Johnny Borrell is a hypocrite - and that's one of the nicer things that he'll be called today.
Borrell comments that there's panic in America (it is worth remembering that this is a 2006 song, right in the height of Bush-dom) and that as a result of there being panic that there is trouble. Oh a fantastic and insightful comment there Mr. Borrell (incidentally I am aware that Borrell's bandmate actually wrote this song but Borrell demanded a co-write and, well, at the end of the day no-one cares about anyone else in the Johnny Borrell Band), showing genuine political intelligence and the lexical choice of one of the nations finer sociological critics with an audience of millions.
Yesterday was easy
Happiness came and went
I got the movie script
But I don't know what it meant
Johnny Borrell is not only living his life through another nation but he is also living in the past. He mourns the loss of yesterday, the fact that today is here and that today is today and that yesterday is no longer today. He continues his fine social commentary by commenting that on a global scale happiness came and indeed happiness went - Noam Chomsky must be shaking in his boots.
He then continues to show us his cultural intelligence, insight and awareness by saying that he doesn't understand whatever movie script it was he was sent (and lets face it if someone has had the thought of "You know what? I'll send my script to Johnny Borrell, he'll know what to do" it can't be a film of particular intellectual value). He sounds like the sort of man I'd love to have a coffee over the Sunday papers with, he really does.
Yesterday was easy
Yes I got the news
When you get it straight, but stand up you just can't lose
Give you my confidence, all my faith in life
Borrell continues with his diatribe about the day prior to today being substantially easier than it is today. This could, if it were a comment on today's society, be inferring to the recession under which we are currently living. However I doubt Borrell had the economic nous to forecast the major Bust to the Boom of the last decade - he does however mention something about receiving some news. He doesn't imply however whether this news is economic or whether, if not, it is good news or if it is bad news.
He also talks about getting something straight (presumably some kind of alcoholic beverage knowing rock and roll stars today), something which gives him confidence (in other words he's an alcoholic because to be THAT confident...).
Don't stand me up
Don't let me down
I need you tonight
To hold me, say you'll be here
To hold me, say you'll be here
To hold me, say you'll be here
To hold..
Tell me how does it feel x4
JB doesn't want the subject to stand up (thus encroaching on their rights, or perhaps emphasising a disability they may have) because he needs the subject tonight. And yet despite the fact that the subject is sitting down in a comfortable position he also wants the subject to compromise that position of comfort by holding him and saying they'll be here tonight. If I were the subject I would offer neither reassurances' and, well, would politely ask him to leave. Perhaps this is why I am the subject of few songs, and this is A Good Thing indeed.
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