Examining EXODUS

No, I didn't drop the novel I've been reading to read some fire and brimstone from the Old Testament. The Exodus in question is the album Exodus by Utada Hikaru. Andrea sent me a copy of the CD for my birthday. I had an interesting discussion about some of the lyrics last week--lyrics that combine Japanese language use and Japanese open-mindedness. The lyrics we discussed we "provocative" in nature--she was talking about sex in very unique terms.

While we discussed the interesting lyrical decisions, I reminded myself that there were songs on this CD that weren't about sex (thank god). There are songs about music, poetry, and other subjective qualities. A few songs interested me more than those we discussed, so I looked up their lyrics. I only thought I liked those songs. Allow me to share a few pieces....

An easy place to start is with the song "Devil Inside," which may also become a partial label to the tales of Commander. Of interest to me was this:

"Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside
Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside of me...
Maybe there's a devil somewhere really deep inside me...
Jealous angel deep inside me"

OK, this is obviously saying maybe there's something inside me that's bad. The concepts of dual natures and dark sides of the soul aren't new at all. It just resonates with me because that's one of the basic ideals that the characters and world of Commander have to deal with. Many characters Commander interacts with, as well as himself, have hidden aspects. Good people have hidden dark sides, bad people have hidden light sides. Let's continue.

Another song that has some neat lyrics is "Kremlin Dusk." The music in it makes me think of the end sequence of The Bourne Supremacy, when Matt Damon is walking alone in the highway tunnel, leaving the collateral damage behind him. On to Utada's lyrics:

"I run a secret propaganda
Aren't we all hiding pieces of broken anger
I'm just trying to remember who I can call
Can I call

"Born in a war of opposite attraction
It isn't, or is it a natural conception
Torn by the arms of opposte reaction
It isn't or is it a Modernist reaction"

There are things that all people want. Most of those things leave an anger, a dissapointment, or at last an emotional scar. And sometimes, things work out. This section is, to me, an example of the hidden pain we have all had to go through, or perhaps will go through, in our various relationships. There's a growing pace with the music at this point that just drives the lyrics in deeper. I expect there will come a day that I write a confrontation in a story to this song.

I wrote "The Golden Hollow" based off a few words I could translate and musical imagery. Imagine what I could write based on this. Or don't, let me do it instead.