Kristin Hersh spent more than a decade previously playing with Throwing Muses, releasing several solo albums as well. Her solo tours in the late 1990s and early 2000s focused on acoustic guitar playing. In 2003, she launched the more electric guitar-oriented 50 Foot Wave.
The band was designed as a power trio, with a lineup including former Chalk FarM drummer Rob Ahlers and Throwing Muses bassist Bernard Georges. Hersh contributes guitar, lyrics, and vocals to this project. The band's first live performance was recorded in Burbank in October 2003 and released on a very limited basis as an official bootleg. Among other live appearances internationally in 2004, 50 Foot Wave performed a month-long residency of shows in January that year at the Silverlake Lounge, while the group was based in the Los Angeles area. The group's self-titled studio mini-album was co-released in March 2004 by the band's ThrowingMusic label and 4AD Records.
Hersh has described 50 Foot Wave's music as "having a lot of math in it," while also calling it less emotionally and musically "tangled" than some of her past Throwing Muses work. Others have described some of the new songs as having "confrontational" lyrics.
In March 2005, the group released its long-planned, full-length album, Golden Ocean, on ThrowingMusic, in partnership with 4AD.
The group toured Europe and the United States in 2005, while Hersh simultaneously continued her solo concerts in alternating parts of the year.
In December 2005, the band released a new EP called Free Music! available via free FLAC and mp3 downloads at their website and several download partner sites. The downloads reserved some rights though Creative Commons licenses.
In December 2008, the band released their new EP Power + Light as a stream. In early March 2009, the band released all their previous albums along with a selection of live tracks, an Instrumental EP and the upcoming Power+Light album for download at their website. As before the tracks were available in FLAC and mp3 format and the band reserved some rights though Creative Commons licenses.
Long Painting
50 Foot Wave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The air plays along with my chemicals
Drained again
But I don't feel so sorry
And I don't feel so bad
I don't feel so sorry
And I don't feel so bad
Paralyzed by inaction
In a floodlit parking garage
When my mind's as fluid as my body
I finally shut up
I'm sorry to say I was in love
Static played through my middle
Seared my gut
Ah
News is bad news
I look to my beer for solace
Drained again
But I don't feel so sorry
And I don't feel so bad
I don't feel so sorry
And I don't feel so bad
Paralyzed by inaction
In a floodlit parking garage
When my mind's as fluid as my body
I finally shut up
I'm sorry to say I was in love
Static played through my middle
Seared my gut
Ah
The song "Long Painting" by 50 Foot Wave expresses a sense of detachment and numbness that can result from feeling drained or overwhelmed by life's challenges. The opening lyrics suggest that the singer's "chemicals" - perhaps a reference to their emotional or mental state - are affected by the air around them. Despite feeling drained, however, the singer does not seem to be overly upset or remorseful. This could suggest a kind of emotional detachment or resignation, as if the singer has accepted their current state of being.
The next few stanzas continue this theme, describing a feeling of paralysis or inability to act in a floodlit parking garage. The singer's mind is "as fluid as [their] body", suggesting a kind of synesthesia or connection between their physical and mental states. The repeated line "I'm sorry to say I was in love" could be read as an admission of vulnerability or regret, while the line "Static played through my middle/Seared my gut" could be interpreted in a few ways - perhaps as a reference to the singer's emotional state, or to a physical sensation.
Overall, "Long Painting" seems to be a song about the ways in which our emotional and physical selves are interconnected, and how overwhelming experiences can lead to a sense of detachment or resignation.
Line by Line Meaning
Long painting
A long, continuous artwork that illustrates the experiences, emotions, and feelings of life.
The air plays along with my chemicals
My emotions interact with the environment around me, influencing my feelings and state of mind.
Drained again
Feeling exhausted and depleted, physically and emotionally.
But I don't feel so sorry
Despite feeling drained, I don't feel guilty or regretful about my current state.
And I don't feel so bad
I don't feel as negative or hopeless as I might expect to given my current situation.
Paralyzed by inaction
Feeling unable to move or take action due to a lack of motivation or direction.
In a floodlit parking garage
A sterile, artificial environment that lacks the natural elements and energy that can invigorate and stimulate creativity.
When my mind's as fluid as my body
Feeling mentally unfocused and scattered, in contrast to literal physical stillness.
I finally shut up
Ceasing to talk or express oneself, possibly due to feeling overwhelmed or powerless.
I'm sorry to say I was in love
Reflecting on the past and regretting the emotional attachment that led to pain yet also recognizing the beauty in that experience.
Static played through my middle
Feeling emotionally paralyzed or stuck, unable to move forward in a given situation.
Seared my gut
Experiencing intense pain or discomfort that is felt acutely in the stomach area.
News is bad news
The world and people around us seem to be a source of negativity and pain which adds to the already existing feelings of depletion.
I look to my beer for solace
Seeking comfort and relief in vices such as drinking, rather than addressing the underlying emotions and issues.
Lyrics © HEYDAY MEDIA GROUP LLC
Written by: Bernard Georges, Kristin Hersh, Robert Ahlers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind