Echos Myron
Guided by Voices Lyrics
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An academy of lies
And what goes up
Surely must come down
And we felt the mighty blow-up
With the walls coming down
Or something like that
most of us are quite pleased
With the same old song
And all of a sudden I'm relatively sane
With everything to lose and nothing to gain
Or something like that
man of wisdom and man of compromise
Man of weak flesh in an armored disguise
All fall down
"if it's right you can tell" echos myron like a siren
With endurance like the liberty bell
And he tells you of the dreamers
But he's cracked up like the road
And he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
And we're finally here and shit yeah it's cool
And shouldn't it be - or something like that
The lyrics of "Echoes Myron" by Guided by Voices describe the rise and fall of societal institutions, particularly the academic world, and the resulting disillusionment that comes with it. The "tower to the skies" represents the lofty heights of academia built on a foundation of lies, and the inevitable collapse with "the walls coming down." The singer reflects on the mundanity of life, feeling that most people are content with the "same old song." However, he suddenly becomes aware of his own sanity in the midst of chaos, realizing that he has everything to lose and nothing to gain.
The song's title alludes to the Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus, with Myron serving as a modern interpretation of the myth's themes of vanity and self-reflection. Myron is portrayed as a man of wisdom and compromise, but also with flaws hidden beneath the surface, represented by his "cracked up like the road" persona. Despite his desire to uplift others, he struggles to do so because of the heavy burden they carry.
Overall, "Echoes Myron" is a commentary on the fragile nature of systems built on falsehoods and the difficulties of maintaining sanity in a chaotic world.
Line by Line Meaning
Tower to the skies
There is a towering institution full of deceit and false information.
An academy of lies
The institution is like a school, teaching lies and propagating falsehoods.
And what goes up
Anything that rises or grows too high eventually falls or fails.
Surely must come down
This is a universal truth of life - everything that rises, will eventually fall.
And we felt the mighty blow-up
We experienced the destructive consequences when the institution inevitably falls apart.
With the walls coming down
The metaphorical walls of the institution are collapsing and crumbling.
Or something like that
The exact details of the collapse are uncertain or not fully understood.
most of us are quite pleased
Many people are content with their ordinary lives and simple pleasures.
With the same old song
People are content with the monotonous routine of their lives.
And all of a sudden I'm relatively sane
The artist realizes their own sanity in comparison to the madness of the world around them.
With everything to lose and nothing to gain
The singer has little to gain from their current situation, yet they have much to lose.
Man of wisdom and man of compromise
There are individuals with both intellect and willingness to work with others for compromise.
Man of weak flesh in an armored disguise
These same individuals may appear strong, but they are actually vulnerable and deceitful.
All fall down
All individuals, regardless of social status or abilities, are vulnerable to failure and loss.
"if it's right you can tell" echos myron like a siren
A voice of reason echoes, suggesting that truth can be recognized.
With endurance like the liberty bell
This voice of reason is strong and unwavering, akin to the enduring symbol of American independence.
And he tells you of the dreamers
The voice of reason advocates for those with grand aspirations and idealistic goals.
But he's cracked up like the road
Unfortunately, this voice of reason is also flawed and impaired.
And he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
The voice of reason would like to influence positive change, but society refuses to change its ways.
And we're finally here and shit yeah it's cool
The artist has finally achieved a long-awaited goal, which is exciting and satisfying.
And shouldn't it be - or something like that
The artist contemplates whether or not this achievement is truly satisfying and fulfilling, or if there is more to life than this.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Robert E Pollard Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MichaelLMe
Tower to the skies
An academy of lies
And what goes up
Surely must come down
And we felt the mighty blow-up
With the walls coming down
Or something like that
most of us are quite pleased
With the same old song
And all of a sudden I'm relatively sane
With everything to lose and nothing to gain
Or something like that
man of wisdom and man of compromise
Man of weak flesh in an armored disguise
All fall down
"if it's right you can tell" echos myron like a siren
With endurance like the liberty bell
And he tells you of the dreamers
But he's cracked up like the road
And he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
And we're finally here and shit yeah it's cool
And shouldn't it be - or something like that
@pillettadoinswartsh4974
Try this: Come up with a GBV playlist that spells out their name, with the first letters of the song titles:
G-ame of Pricks
U-nderwater Explosions
I-t’s Like Soul Man
D-on’t Stop Now
E-chos Myron
D-rag Days
B-ulldog Skin
Y-our Name is Wild
V-olcano
O-ver The Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox
I Am A Scientist
C-ut-out Witch
E-xit Flagger
S-hocker in Gloomtown
@jgeisler92
I think this is my favorite song off the album, but that's sure to change. Guided by Voices are like all my favorite bands thrown together and at the same time completely original. Or something like that.
@Nazzz65
I can dig it.
@jazzypinkman8132
The beauty of Bee Thousand rests in its familiarity. Even on first listen these tracks feel well established in my mind; as if they were in my memory already. Pollard achieved true mastery here.
@Thexxman123456
Great song. The indie rock bands of the 80's and 90's really knew how to make great rock music.
@anabeatriz3842
Muito boa!
@Neilios1000
This song has been in my head all day.
@acrovader
Great lyrics. Great tune. Great album. Great band. Great songwriter.
@SimMaster
That outro bassline is so nice
@dougsmith7083
No bass. Tobin tuned his guitar wayyyy down and played the baseline that way
@TheModestMouser
I just found out about these guys yesterday and so far I'm HOOKED! Can anyone tell me if they have any other songs that sound like this? Or some of your personal faves? xD