Guided tour through avocado

stip

surferdude wrote:

I think she dreams of her husband's return. I think she dreams of her life returning at that point but she's partially scared that even if he returns that life will never be the same.
The more you analyze the songs the more I see a recurring character trait, and that is an unwillingness to deal with an ever changing reality and fight back. Where as a Springsteen character may have a "head on collision with reality" and then "spit in the face", Ed's characters seem so resigned to destiny. There's a theme in the Unemployable, Gone and Army Reserve (and possibly Severed Hand) characters that they are helpless to life. A stark contract to where Mike's Inside Job character comes from.

But those dreams represent in some real way a failure to come to grips with reality, especially since we know that isn't going to happen. You're right that there is a contrast with inside job, but Inside Job represents the redemption of the characters from the record.

stip

Come Back

I said earlier that Last Solider, Army Reserve, and WWS form a trilogy, and that’s certainly true, but given its placement on the record Come Back feels related. It’s larger than the story of a family torn apart by war, but certainly applicable. In some respects this is the easiest song to figure out on the record. It is a song about living with loss, or better, the way that loss stops us from living. In the narrative of the record this song seems to be about the death of the soldier, but it obviously can apply to much more.

Where Army Reserve had a frantic energy (despite the protestations of the people involved that they weren’t), there is a sad resignation to Come Back. For the first three minutes the song it feels like it belongs on Riot Act, alongside other subdued songs of loss and paralysis like Thumbing My Way and All or None. It lacks the energy and fire that animates the rest of Avocado. The singer is lonely and weary. She’s tired of hoping for something she knows she’ll never get (his return) but doesn’t know how to do anything else. The image of a home has been prominent throughout the record, and Come Back begins in the same home, but now it is in even worse shape than the locked doors and unmade beds of Life Wasted. Instead you have the woman standing in the darkness, rain pouring through the hole in a roof that is supposed to protect her, to keep her dry and safe. She’s waiting for a light that isn’t there, and that may never be there, since it’s a light that comes from a shared life. That life is gone. She’s alone.

Nevertheless, she still talks to the person she lost. Rather than move on she stays trapped in her memories, planning out the conversation she’d have if he would ever return; what she’ll say to him when they are reunited in death and are able to resume the life together cut short by his death. Until that time she’ll be here, wishing out her days, but failing to live them. Similar to I Got Shit, all she has left are her dreams and memories. She can’t wait to sleep so she can at least be with him in her dreams (for as long as she can still hold onto her memories). She indulges in fantasies that he’s returned. It may be a sad comfort, but it is no life.

What’s worse, it prevents her from moving on. She insists on leaving her door open, but it’s not open so she can get out of this failing home and create a new one. It’s open so he can return to her. She’s staying right where she is, and as the song builds to its powerful conclusion she stands there crying in the rain, pleading for him to come back. She’ll be here. She doesn’t know how to leave…

armyreserve

Thanks for your insight. I'm printing as I post.

redvedder

You really put a lot of time into this, thank you so much for sharing. I too am printing and want to really read it with some thought. (thanks for some reading material on the train tonight ) I just had a conversation with one of my best friends at the Camden II show about the album and his thoughts are similar to your, I will have to share this with him.
Thanks again for sharing!

threecrookedhearts6

this interpretation was rather sobering and inspiring. thanks for taking the time to write what you think it all means, so anyone who reads can agree or disagree, and find what it means to them.

But no Inside Job? That song should be up for a Grammy but that wouldn't be fair to anyone else, would it?

Hagigun

Off the top, Great stuff. Great effort to put this together. i agree with alot of what you state.

However, the songs you try and connect with this "women" in Army Reserve and WWS...I think you have the WWS part a little wrong. Your quote

"In particular “who will be left to hold her”. This could be about the wife, or a daughter (both appear in Army Reserve), but either way someone has been left behind and they are going to have to come to grips with it."

I think "who will be left to hold her" Ed is refering to Mother Earth. I just feel the song is about humans quest for things and the irresponsible means they use to reach their goals. Obviously alot has to do with Bush and the war and a hidden agenda. As long as people remain irresponsible, we are on a course for self destruction. He is wondering if we eliminate ourselves, as in humans, who will be left to hold Mother Earth.

Like i said, obviously the bridge parts refer to our gov't, but the chorus of, "The whole world, world over" he lets us know it's everywhere, not just here, the whole world has issues of irresponsible actions.

"It's the same everyday in a hell manmade" - we did it to ourselves
"What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?"

Not sure i know, but i just feel there really is no charachter in this song. Really just a small snipet about a soldiers death and how even that won't stop these agenda's, "Looking in the eyes of the fallen,
You got to know there's another, another, another, another
Another way"

Almost more of a DTE feel of "2010 watch it go to fire!" he is letting us know what we are heading for, a World Wide Suicide if we don't wise up and stop.

*Thats why these songs are so good, each person has their own meaning and feeling towards the song. Keep up the good work!!

SVRDhand13

damn thats an impressive list of views on an amazing album

LimeDisease

Nice, good read. I thought I was in for some pretentious slop but it was became obvious you are a very intelligible person. I actually learned something.

the unseen

no inside job or did i skip over it somehow?