Source Tags and Codes

I'm going to break from the usual fare for two bits of metacommentary. Occasionally I get some feedback on the blog from people close to me (ok mostly my wife).

One thing she and other people have remarked on is the feeling that my blog is "dark" and "a downer", which is mostly of note because it really contrasts both with my personality and my actual prevailing attitude towards my P. I don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm on the edge or anything. But the blog is for expressing a side of me that doesn't often see the light of day. The full extent of my feelings is much more balanced and I truly have something of sense of humor about it, even though it may be a little gallows.


The other critical comment she offered was that I make a lot of musical references that may be lost on people. I guess not everyone realizes that every post title is a musical allusion, or knows the source of the lyrics I quote. For instance, surprisingly few people know where the dogs come from. People ask a lot why I chose them and if they are supposed to symbolize something. In fact, they are taken from the cover of the 1994 Blur album "Parklife", which is the blog's namesake. I just really like the image, and I guess it is evocative. My mother thought it was disturbing

Aesthetically, I am not crazy about putting a credit right after the lyrics in a post, but I think in the future I will do so in the comments. For anyone interested, here is a breakdown of all the unexplained references in each post:

My Mind Holds the Key - The post title is a line from The Arcade Fire's song "My Body is a Cage", which is played in the embedded YouTube video.

The Worst Thing About Living a Lie is Just Wondering When They'll Find Out - The title is a line from the Tune-Yards song "My Country".

Heavy Like the Rocks We Carry - The title is a line from the Superchunk song "Learned to Surf" which I read as about learning to stop struggling against life and instead ride the waves. The lyrics in the post are from the same.

My Drug Buddy - The title is the name of a Lemonheads song. Steve Albini is a deeply cynical record producer and lead singer/guitarist for the underground 80s band Big Black. He wrote the song "L-DOPA" in reaction to Oliver Sacks' account of his experiences administering the drug, as depicted in the film "Awakenings".

Nice New Outfit - The title and lyrics come from the Fugazi song "Nice New Outfit".

All the Young Dudes - This is the name of a 1972 Mott the Hoople song written by David Bowie.

Here's Where the Strings Come In - The opening quote is another reference to "My Body is a Cage". The title and end quote are taken from the Superchunk song "Here's Where the Strings Come In".

Veronica - This post references an Elvis Costello song called "Veronica" which he wrote about his grandmother, who was suffering from Alzheimer's.

The title of today's post is the name of an album by the band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.