KSOTD: One Headlight – Wallflowers

Wow!! Genes do travel. Bob Dylan’s son, Jakob Dylan shows off his song-writing skills here. And what skills too!! He’s got the same lovely knack of putting across his ideas using images and metaphors. If you look at the lyrics, it could be a well written song in terms of its face value. But the real beauty lies underneath all the metaphors. The feel of the song is upbeat with a strong bass punch, but somehow there is a mood of desolation all around.

In the first verse, the girl who dies is nothing but the ideas. He’s talking bout the death of ideas and imagination. He’s talking about the lack of support for original and creative work. The chorus is just an appeal to people to show a little more support for creativity and imagination. It seems this is how he felt when they were making this album, when the only support was from the people who were making the album. The second verse takes the thought further: “But I can’t break away from this parade” is a metaphor from how we’re so stuck in the grind of our lives that we can no longer think of getting out of it. It goes on about how his imagination and ideas ran out of steam before they would break out of the “place is old. It feels just like a beat up truck”. The song is one of the few that is sooo open to interpretation. Everyone can relate to it in a different way. I thought the chorus could also mean that you have to keep trying.. keep on driving.. even if you car has just “one headlight”. Well, go ahead and post your views.. I wanna know how u interpret this..

Mood: Deeply contemplative.

One Headlight

Wallflowers

So long ago, I don’t remember when
That’s when they say I lost my only friend
Well they said she died easy of a broken heart disease
As I listened through the cemetery trees

I seen the sun comin’ up at the funeral at dawn
The long broken arm of human law
Now it always seemed such a waste
She always had a pretty face
So I wondered how she hung around this place

Chorus:
Hey, come on try a little
Nothing is forever
There’s got to be something better than
In the middle
But me & Cinderella
We put it all together
We can drive it home
With one headlight

She said it’s cold
It feels like Independence Day
And I can’t break away from this parade
But there’s got to be an opening
Somewhere here in front of me
Through this maze of ugliness and greed
And I seen the sun up ahead
At the county line bridge
Sayin’ all there’s good and nothingness is dead
We’ll run until she’s out of breath
She ran until there’s nothin’ left
She hit the end-it’s just her window ledge

Hey, come on try a little
Nothing is forever
There’s got to be something better than
In the middle
But me & Cinderella
We put it all together
We can drive it home
With one headlight

Well this place is old
It feels just like a beat up truck
I turn the engine, but the engine doesn’t turn
Well it smells of cheap wine & cigarettes
This place is always such a mess
Sometimes I think I’d like to watch it burn
I’m so alone, and I feel just like somebody else
Man, I ain’t changed, but I know I ain’t the same
But somewhere here in between the city walls of dyin’ dreams
I think her death it must be killin’ me

Hey, come on try a little
Nothing is forever
There’s got to be something better than
In the middle
But me & Cinderella
We put it all together
We can drive it home
With one headlight