Straight lines: those two words mean a lot to me. To me, it's a way of organising your life. My mother used to have everything square and straight in her house. This seemed like a metaphor to me; instead of going around in a circular movement where everyday looks basically the same you're aware of the ending point that's evident in everyone's life, and so you'll plan things and try to get there more consciously. You walk a straight line from the inspiration to the completing of your plans.

In bullet in flight there's a photo of Suzanne near the lyrics to straight lines, looking out a window (I think) and the shadows fall chequered across her face, in straight lines.

Spikey

The other day I had the rare opportunity to listen to the debut album for the first time, again.
I was on my way home, listening to one of my endless MP3 discs, when the debut album came on. Maybe it's my MP3 player, maybe it's the headphones, I don't know. I really listened to the songs of the album, instead of just hearing them and singing along thoughtlessly.
I've been through the whole cycle: listen to the songs for the first time, contemplate the lyrics, discuss them on Undertow, enjoy other people's opinions, appreciate the music, and eventually move on to other music, leaving the old favorites somewhere in your endless playlist.
And yet, years later I stumble across the same songs and I'm blown away by the exact same things. this time around, I have a new perspective on the meaning of the lyrics and the musical nuances, and it gives me the freedom to dive into these songs and look beyond the obvious, to look between the lines.
I recently saw the short mov files on the mooncusser site, and one of Suzanne's remarks stuck with me when I listened to this album, the remark that Cracking was a 24 years old song. I'm not much older than that, and that got me thinking that the last time I really listened to these songs I was a different person, much like Suzanne is a different person than she was when she wrote them.
And so I listened to the songs one by one with a feeling of "Oh my God, this is an incredible album! why don't I listen to it everyday?". It was the feeling of coming home and finding everything just as you left it years ago. look at your old stuff eith grown up eyes, and it fills you with nostalgia, and also new insights.
Why am I writing this under the Straight Lines thread? well, to tell the truth, the feeling of old-new revelation was strongest for me when I listened to Straight Lines and remembered all the texts I read about its many possible meanings.
Just something I needed to share with people who know what I'm talking about...

Yuval =8-)

Yuval,

Blimey, I know it's a little point in your mail, but I had never thought about the age of some of these songs, my favourites - 24!!! I'm 27, I can't believe Suzanne was writing these when I was three! I guess because I feel contemporary with her somehow - I wonder whether she makes us all feel like that. When I meet her, or see her, I don't think of her as particularly older than me...

And though Solitude Standing has quite an 80s feel to it, "SV" is completely timeless, so I think I forget when it's from sometimes...

Anna

Anna,

Suzanne's remark does stand in contrast to the timelessness of her songs... But as timeless as the music and lyrics are, we aren't. Which is a bummer, but also gives us these precious opportunities to have a fresh perspective on things, years after our first encounter. I suppose this is the greatness of a good retrospect - it's like returning home to the old and familiar, when everything is the same but you.

I hope to have this retrospect on the same songs again in a few years and have the same fresh awe and appreciation.

Yuval =8-)