Unintentionally, her least ambitious project and most laid back recording experience have resulted in a compendium of poetry and… ¿orchestrated folk-pop? In which –Irene claims – the largest influence has been “silence”. In fact, during the months that preceded the recording she never listened to music or bought records – there was already too much noise going on in her head. She spent most of October and November of 2004 sleeping. She mostly had nightmares such as the one that inspired “A dream”. The only recording she did listen to was Elliot Smith’s posthumous record; it depressed her so that she hid it away and still hasn’t found it.
The lyrics are portraits of real experiences. Of course, the courtyard is a pretty obvious metaphor, but it’s also a place where photographs for the CD’s artwork were taken: the garden of the house where “The Last Laugh” was completed. “Into the courtyard” – the song- speaks of another temporary home where Irene lived for months out of a suitcase, accumulating books, pictures, bottle corks, papers, sad memories and very occasionally a triumphant moment. Ever since she set aside the idea of an entirely Spanish EP that would bear the title “Objetos Perdidos” (an expression she translates loosely as Lost & Found) she has been obsessed with the idea of with the necessity/lack of necessity of such material possessions.
After years of concerts and tribulations, two full-length recordings, two EPs and various tours in different circumstances – more or less rock-like, with assorted line-ups- Aroah introduces us to her best song-writing to date. The single cover on the record, “Caroline Says II”, owes more influence to Nico’s “Chelsea Girls” or Lisa Germano than to Lou Reed’s original recording. On the five new songs Irene seems to be waving goodbye to all her possible influences – Joni Mitchell, Vashti Bunyan…-. This is what happens to the best of artists when, after a long time searching for something they didn’t want to find, they find something they weren’t actually looking for: a code, a unique poetic language of symbols that continuously change while pronouncing every word and playing every note as if they were the last.
Finally
Aroah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the bedroom. where I can
You forgotten man.... I knew
So many years ago
Are you the boy I tucked in bed last night?
Do I confuse you? I might
How'd you come to think that you could fly?
Who's gonna nurse me while I nurse you?
I try as hard as I can, vials of poison in my hand
I'd never lie to you... but I have ... all these confessions
I never knew... I'd never done you wrong
If only I'd known
The song "Finally" by Aroah is a highly introspective and emotional piece that explores the intricacies of love, memory, and regret. The opening line "Finally, I've met you" sets the tone for the song, conveying a sense of relief and fulfillment at connecting with someone on a deep level. The setting is in the bedroom, a place of intimacy and vulnerability, where the persona finds a forgotten man whom she knew many years ago. The use of masculine pronouns throughout the song suggests that the persona is speaking to a former lover or a close friend.
The following lines "Are you the boy I tucked in bed last night? Do I confuse you? I might" are a poignant reference to the unreliability of memory and how the passage of time can blur the lines between fantasy and reality. The persona is grappling with the fact that the person in front of her may not be who she thinks he is, and contemplates the possibility of confusing him with someone else. The line "How'd you come to think that you could fly?" is a metaphor for chasing impossible dreams and suggests a sense of disillusionment or disappointment with the relationship.
The chorus of the song is a haunting refrain that evokes a sense of desperation and despair, "Who's gonna nurse me while I nurse you? Have I done all I can do?" These lines speak to the imbalance of power in the relationship and the emotional toll it takes on the persona. The second verse of the song is a confession of sorts, with the persona admitting to holding vials of poison in her hand and lying to the forgotten man. The final lines of the song, "I never knew... I'd never done you wrong. If only I'd known" express deep regret and a longing for a different outcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Finally, I've met you
I'm glad to have finally met you, after a long wait.
In the bedroom. where I can
Being here in the bedroom with you, in such an intimate setting, is important to me.
You forgotten man.... I knew
Although you were someone I knew many years ago, you've seemed to fade from my memory.
So many years ago
It's been a long time since we last saw each other.
Are you the boy I tucked in bed last night?
I'm trying to reconcile the image of you as a boy that I used to know, with the man you've grown to be.
Do I confuse you? I might
I understand that my mixed emotions and memories of you could be confusing for you to understand.
How'd you come to think that you could fly?
I'm questioning your boundary-pushing actions that are putting you in danger, as if you believe you're invincible.
Who's gonna nurse me while I nurse you?
I'm concerned about my own well-being, since caring for you is taking a lot of my time and energy.
Have I done all I can do?
I'm unsure if I'm doing enough to help you or if there's more I can do for you.
I try as hard as I can, vials of poison in my hand
Despite my efforts to be there for you, I carry my own emotional burdens that could be harmful to both of us.
I'd never lie to you... but I have ... all these confessions
Although I never intended to deceive you, I know I have kept some secrets from you that I need to come clean about.
I never knew... I'd never done you wrong
It was never my intention to hurt you, but some of my actions or omissions may have caused harm to you.
If only I'd known
I regret not knowing sooner about anything that could have prevented what happened or made things better.
Contributed by David Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.