A guy named Henning (that's his first name) writes and sings the songs in School for the Dead. That's primarily what one needs to know about this band. In fact, Henning, just recently won the WRSI (one of Rollingstone's Top 10 Radio Stations) Singer Songwriter Contest. Yay.
Members of School for the Dead have been in bands with and/or recorded with such luminaries as Mark Mulcahy (Miracle Legion), Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Lloyd Cole, Joe Pernice (Scud Mountains Boys, The Pernice Brothers) and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.
Bands that members of SFTD have been part of include The Maggies, New Radiant Storm King, The Aloha Steamtrain, The Mammals, The Gay Potatoes, Lo Fine, The Figments, King Radio, Spanish for Hitchhiking, The Tea Lights, and Humbert.
With that information, the savvy reader will have discerned that SFTD is based in the Northeast. Yes, that is the case.
School for the Dead has shared the stage with World Party, Robyn Hitchcock, Evan Dando, Freedy Johnston, Mates of State, Of Montreal, J. Mascis, Jane Siberry (Issa), Fountains of Wayne, Martin Sexton, Harry and the Potters, Naked Eyes, and Ivy among many others.
Here's what some people have said about School for the Dead:
"For about four or five years now, I've been playing Henning's songs for people and saying they were my own. Please don't tell him that. Brief, romantic and simple, in a why-didn't-I-think-of-that way, his stories and melodies touch people without resorting to attitude or pretense. If his name weren't so hard to pronounce, he'd be Yngwie Malmsteen by now."
-- Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne)
"an intriguingly bright disc...rich in verbal color...Listening to "Henning's School for the Dead," I was struck by a simple truth: I like contemporary rock a lot more than I used to....loud or not, intelligible lyrics really are art, and, by the way, there's still a lot to be said for melody."
-- John Stiffler, Daily Hampshire Gazette
***1/2 - "retro sensibilities and comfortable pop songwriting clever imagery and arrangements"
-- James Heflin, Valley Advocate
"Henning's School for the Dead" is the cleanest piece of pop music to come out of Northampton in a while. While he'd also make it in the lands of R.E.M. and Husker Dü, Ohlenbusch is a model of Western Massachusetts pop... (he) has a penchant for saying things how they really are."
-- Josh Shear, Chicopee Herald
Periscope
School for the Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Telescope, you are far away, but it's ok 'cause I can still see you
This trip has just begun
Getting over it is half the fun
Microscope, if there's a better way to get close let me know what I should do
Kaleidoscope, is there a better world than this one where I'm surrounded by you
This trip has just begun
Getting over it is half the fun
Periscope, close your eye
This is the moment you've been waiting for
Periscope, close your eye
This is the moment you've been waiting for
There's no better place that I know
Than sitting in the car
While you're cleaning off the snow
This trip has just begun
Getting over it is half the fun
Periscope, close your eye
This is the moment you've been waiting for
Periscope, close your eye
This is the moment you've been waiting for
There's no better place that I know
Than sitting in the car
While you're cleaning off the snow
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
The song Periscope by School for the Dead is a reflection on the longing for physical and emotional closeness in relationships, while at the same time acknowledging the distance and obstacles that often stand in the way. The use of various imagery suggests the different methods and devices utilized to navigate the gaps between individuals. The opening lines, "Periscope, if there's a better way let me know what I should do, Telescope, you are far away, but it's ok 'cause I can still see you," suggests the use of visual devices as a means of bridging physical distance in relationships. The song speaks to the ways in which people use different tools to get around their feelings of mistrust or vulnerability that arise when they try to forge intimate connections.
The repetition of "This trip has just begun, Getting over it is half the fun" speaks to the narrative of self-discovery and growth that often accompanies romantic relationships. The singer acknowledges that the journey toward intimacy is often marked by challenges and setbacks, but chose to persevere nonetheless. The song goes on to explore the use of imagination or "Kaleidoscope," the scientific "Microscope," and the visual art "Spirograph” as metaphorical tools for exploring the emotional distances that exist between people who love each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Periscope, if there's a better way let me know what I should do
Asking for suggestions on how to improve his current method
Telescope, you are far away, but it's ok 'cause I can still see you
Even though they are apart, the singer can still see and feel connected to the other person
This trip has just begun
Getting over it is half the fun
The journey is just starting, and part of the fun is facing and overcoming challenges
Microscope, if there's a better way to get close let me know what I should do
Asking for suggestions on how to get closer to someone or something
Kaleidoscope, is there a better world than this one where I'm surrounded by you
Wondering if there could be a better reality than being with the person or thing they are currently surrounded by
Periscope, close your eye
This is the moment you've been waiting for
Encouraging someone to focus on a particular moment or experience
There's no better place that I know
Than sitting in the car
While you're cleaning off the snow
Expressing the pleasure of being in a certain place or moment
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
Comparing the circular nature of a spirograph to two people or things moving in different directions and never intersecting
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Spirograph, we go round and round but our paths will never meet
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Contributed by Aaron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.