I’m safely home from England after a very happy week abroad. It was very nice to return last night to the familiar comforts of home, my beloved girlfriend and my adored chinchilla.
I’m resting up for tomorrow’s 50K trail race. I’m quite under-trained for it, and a bit nervous about the ever-changing weather (we had torrential rain in Pasadena last night). Still, I did a marathon 20 days ago, and that should carry me through the miles tomorrow.
I drove from Exeter to Heathrow airport in the pre-dawn hours yesterday, and heard on the radio what may be the most insipid song written in many a year: “Affirmation”, by Savage Garden. Here are the lyrics:
I believe the sun should never set upon an argument
I believe we place our happiness in other people’s hands
I believe that junk food tastes so good because it’s bad for you
I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do
I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem
I believe I’m loved when I’m completely by myself alone
I believe you can’t control or choose your sexuality
I believe that trust is more important than monogamy
I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul
I believe that family is worth more than money or gold
I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires
I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed
I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists
I believe in love surviving death into eternity
I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can’t appreciate real love ’til you’ve been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don’t know what you’ve got until you say goodbye
Can someone please explain to me this particular couplet:
I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed
I’m still puzzling over that one. I almost missed the M4/M5 interchange in Bristol while scratching my head in bewilderment. Is this an example of English irony that went over my simple Californian head?
they’re australian.
my 16-year-old sister has, for the most part, fantastic taste in music. that kid knows more about the history of modern music than most people twice her age.
but then there’s her completely inexplicable obession with savage garden. she could probably write you a paper on those two lines - i’ll see what she thinks and get back to you. her explanation will be worth hearing even if we don’t agree with it!
“obession” is, of course, short for the better-known term “obsession.”
I await your sister’s exegesis with eagerness!
This is the same group that did the “chicka cherry cola” song. I actually like that song - it was their slower song on the same album that I couldn’t stand. Is this “Affirmation” song fast or slow? Not that that affects the lyrics, which read very badly. I hope the American stations don’t pick it up.
It was relatively fast, but not so fast as to obscure the awful lyric.
this is me. being late in welcoming you back. welcome back!
im the sister, i not exactly sure what you’re askin but my response to this is that the song is sort of fast, not really slow, american radio didn’t accept it when it was released in 2001. we weren’t ready for it i think. i can’t really respond to the lyrics because i know that my opinion on them is biased, i know what they were supposed to mean, i know what the songwriter was trying to say, but me telling you isn’t going to matter much. he was just trying to convey his feelings on a number of issues and he hoped that people would hear them and agree or disagree.
Thanks, Sammi.