Red Mosquito

The way Ed pronounces "hesitance" bugged me enough that I had to google it to make sure it wasn't a made up word.

Still really dig this song.

Yeah you can like a song and still think some of its lyrics are bad. It's how I feel about "Who You Are".

I have less of a problem with the lyrics than I do the delivery TBH. Ed is trying to crowbar too many syllables into the music and it just sounds so clumsy and jarring.

igotworms wrote:I have less of a problem with the lyrics than I do the delivery TBH. Ed is trying to crowbar too many syllables into the music and it just sounds so clumsy and jarring.

Part of Ed's charm for me has always been the way he experiments, stays true to his expression, and doesn't take himself too seriously when it comes to lyrics. Some of the fruits of all of this taste better than others, but you can't have the successes without the failures. I think of Tom Petty similarly.

I've forgotten how this one goes and I'm ok with that.

I know what some of you mean about the wordiness of this one, although I really love the song anyway.

The one that stands out to me and feels the most cluttered is "for this is no time for depression." Two fors and too many syllables in depression.

this song is like nestling into the blue denim jacket of the hero working man dad that wrangler jeans makes us all wish we had

It has got definite Coldplay vibes. Which is clearly not a good thing.

Jorge wrote:

Should I leave it there still sleeping or maybe kill it better yet?

This is just bad writing

that's not how it's punctuated though

"should I leave it there still sleeping? or maybe kill it? better yet."

killing it (despondency) is a better idea than leaving it there still sleeping, so that it doesn't come back later

the line works fine

... That is like five times worse

I just finished reading Team of Rivals and Kearns Goodwin must have used despondent or despondency 50 times. Each felt like moments of synchronicity as it always brought this song to mind.

Another line I love is: "We saw the destination, got so close before it turned, Swim sideways from this undertow and do not be deterred". This song really encompasses the hope and anger I need during this time. Ed's choice of delivery is awesome and another example of how varied his style can be and still achieve musical success.

I love these verse lyrics (after the first chorus, especially), and the melodies as well.

Jorge wrote:... That is like five times worse

Lol, wrong.

igotworms wrote:It has got definite Coldplay vibes. Which is clearly not a good thing.

Jorge wrote:... That is like five times worse

well, at least it makes grammatical sense my way lol

True but it is also a little

It’s just so much smaller a deal than a thousand other lyrical farts over the years that it feels nit picky.

It is nitpicky when we zero in on that specific line from that specific song but it points to a larger problem that's present all over Gigaton, that clunky, laborious line construction. He's exhibited this over the years but I think age has exacerbated it. That's just how Ed writes now, I guess.

Jorge wrote:It is nitpicky when we zero in on that specific line from that specific song but it points to a larger problem that's present all over Gigaton, that clunky, laborious line construction. He's exhibited this over the years but I think age has exacerbated it. That's just how Ed writes now, I guess.

I think it has a lot to do with his inability to sustain long notes. He has to insert more words and syllables to avoid the warbling.

this is easily my favorite song on the album followed closely by comes then goes and quick escape.
I can't believe how much I like this album still.