Oh man, I love this. Voyeurism at its best. The narrator lives in an apartment house and is talking about his neighbors. He feels like he is “surrounded by strangers” My favorite is the “old man in his underpants who plays his clarinet every night.” He keeps appearing, even as others are discussed. We eavesdrop on folks making love, folks watching re-runs on TV, cats outside, and more. In the meantime the narrator is making paper planes to clear his head. The first shoutout for Headphones, which sounds like it’s about a child willing to go anywhere, as long as he can wear his headphones. I know adults like this, too. I’m guilty. “Now I’m gone with my head in a cloud, and the songs they’re just dancing around, around, around.”
The other shoutout is for Mingus, which may or may not have anything to do with the jazzman, but has a great dance beat and talks about how you gain possessions, which you’re allowed to keep because “you have a job you hate, you get home too late.” Then the memories of friends talking in high school, “do you remember what we used to say? Oh my god! I’ll end up just like you!” The fear of growing up is hard for 18 year olds, for 28 year olds, for 38 year olds, for 48 year olds. I shalln’t go further; but methinks it’s true all the way to the end. At least for boys. Thanks! I'm From Barcelona
I'm From Barcelona on Eartaste
