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NEW LAST.FM PAGE: http://www.last.fm/music/wojcik
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On her full length album, DIORAMA, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Hailey Wojcik (VOY-chek) explores the many meanings of that word. Part theatre, part museum exhibit, each song is a musically unique and detailed glimpse at a life. The album was produced by Dan Romer
(Ingrid Michaelson, Jenny Owen Youngs) and makes use of a wide range of instrumentation, from Indian banjo to mellotron to recorded samples of animal noises, as well as strumstick, horns, ukulele and guitars.
While attending college in Michigan, Wojcik studied creative writing, a background that is evidenced in her songwriting. She identifies with literary protagonists of Kafka and Salinger in "Samsa Morning" and "Holden Caulfield," respectively.
The closing song on the album, "Model Aeroplane," is a duet she cowrote with legendary hardcore punk vocalist and Touch and Go Records founder, Tesco Vee of the Meatmen. The unlikely pair met while neighbors in Michigan, and are currently working on further
collaborations.
Wojcik is the child of zookeepers, an experience she recounts in, "Raised in a Zoo.”
"Amnesia," a circus‐y song consisting of only ukulele, vocals and hand percussion, deals with the point in a relationship where the best option seems to be taking a blunt object to one another's craniums to erase the memories of things that have been said, and start over.
"Anglerfish" is a song for jilted lovers everywhere ‐ its upbeat melody belies tongue‐in‐cheek bitter lyrics such as "I hope he gives you syphilis and you don't notice it until it creeps into your brain. Then, which one of us would be insane?"
Holden Caulfield
Hailey Wojcik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've got lots of fake phones
And whenever I call them
They're never at home
I see them on the street and they smile at me
But when I'm alone I'm always alone
Chorus
When you act like such a phony
Still I wish that you'd phone me
Phone me
Your fake politeness makes me paranoid
You're so self-righteous
I'm so annoyed
I'll laugh at you call you a hypocrite
But I'll cry 'cause you don't tell me your secrets
Repeat chorus
I look up words in the dictionary
I paste them on my wall
So I can impress somebody
If somebody calls
Repeat chorus
You smile at me but you just look like a liar
Cause I know you wouldn't piss on me if I was on fire
And I am on fire
Repeat chorus
I left lots of messages
I left a trail
Leading here to where I'm sitting bitter, cynical
I left lots of letters guess they're lost in the mail
Oh I left lots of litter to mark where I've failed
Repeat chorus
The Hailey Wojcik's song "Holden Caulfield" talks about the disingenuous nature of people around the singer in her life. She uses the metaphor of Holden Caulfield the singer from J.D. Salinger’s novel “The Catcher in the Rye” to explain the fake behavior of her friends. The opening lines of the song show the singer's realization of the people around her who pretend to be her friends, but in actuality, they are not. She highlights how they never answer her calls despite having fake phones. The singer feels alone and ignored despite being in a crowded space.
In the chorus, the singer compares her fake friends' behavior to Holden Caulfield's, who called people phony when they behaved superficially. Her friends' behavior makes her feel that way. Nonetheless, the singer still hopes that they would contact her, and that's what she wishes - for them to phone her. The second stanza is a more explicit expression of the singer's unhappiness with her friends' demeanor. The singer finds their fake politeness gives her a feeling of paranoia and irritates her to the point of mocking and calling them hypocrites. She would like to know their secrets, but they wouldn't tell her.
The third stanza alludes to the singer’s inclination to be impressive at all times. She admits to looking for big words in the vocabulary, posting them on her wall, hoping to impress people when she speaks with them. However, these attempts to impress people fail to make her any less lonely. The final stanza continues with the singer lamenting her friends' lack of sincerity despite their big smiles. The singer acknowledges that these people wouldn't help her if she were in trouble.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got lots of fake friends
I surround myself with insincere, superficial friends
They've got lots of fake phones
My friends have unreliable communication tools
And whenever I call them
Whenever I try to reach out
They're never at home
I can never get in touch with them
I see them on the street and they smile at me
Though they're friendly in public
But when I'm alone I'm always alone
I'm constantly lonely without genuine social connections
Your fake politeness makes me paranoid
Your insincere kindness makes me distrustful
You're so self-righteous
You have an arrogant, superior attitude
I'm so annoyed
I'm frustrated with your behavior
I'll laugh at you call you a hypocrite
I'll mock and criticize your hypocritical actions
But I'll cry 'cause you don't tell me your secrets
I'm upset that you don't confide in me
You smile at me but you just look like a liar
Your smile appears deceitful to me
Cause I know you wouldn't piss on me if I was on fire
I'm aware you wouldn't help me even in dire situations
And I am on fire
I'm struggling and hurting
I look up words in the dictionary
I research and learn new vocabulary
I paste them on my wall
I display them for others to see and possibly admire
So I can impress somebody
To gain attention and admiration from others
If somebody calls
In case someone contacts me
I left lots of messages
I've made several attempts to reach out
I left a trail
I've left a path of evidence leading to me
Leading here to where I'm sitting bitter, cynical
Positioning me in a place of bitterness and pessimism
I left lots of letters guess they're lost in the mail
I've sent multiple letters, but they may not have reached their intended recipients
Oh I left lots of litter to mark where I've failed
My failed attempts are visible through a metaphorical trail of garbage
And you make me feel like Holden Caulfield
Your insincerity and phoniness resembles that of Holden Caulfield, a fictional character
When you act like such a phony
When you behave insincerely
Still I wish that you'd phone me
Despite my negative feelings, I desire communication from you
Phone me
Please contact me
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.