Developed over a two-month period of stream-of-consciousness recording in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Luke Temple’s self-titled debut under his new moniker Here We Go Magic is a remarkable departure from his signature singer-songwriter material. Luke recorded the album at home using analog synths, a cassette 4-track, and his trusty SM-57 mic, coloring the sound with warmth and creating textures you want to wrap yourself in.
-From "Tell All Your Friends"
Later in 2009 Temple expanded the project into a fully fledged band with keyboardist Kristina Lieberson , guitarist Michael Bloch , bass guitarist Jennifer Turner and drummer Peter Hale. The second album Pigeons was recorded surrounded by mountains in Catskills, New York in the fall of 2009 and was released by Secretly Canadian on June 8, 2010
- From Collector Songfacts,
A Different Ship
Here We Go Magic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got her ticket there from Lucifer himself
Second engine failing
No one can be rescued
Vacuum God
She's on another trip that's pregnant with disaster
Anything worth drinking up there on the shelf
One planet with no surface
Anything still solid til the molten core?
Up against terrible odds
Up against terrible odds
She's on another trip to heaven
Got her ticket there from Lucifer himself
Falling now forever
One planet with no surface
Anything still solid til the molten core?
Vacuum God
Up against terrible odds
Up against terrible odds...
The lyrics of "A Different Ship" by Here We Go Magic convey the story of a woman who is embarking on a dangerous journey that is full of uncertainties and risks. The opening line, "She's on another ship for heaven," suggests that this woman is travelling towards death or transcendence which she perceives as a form of rebirth or heaven. However, the second line, "Got her ticket there from Lucifer himself," is a contradictory statement that implies that the woman has made a deal with the devil or has willingly embraced darkness to reach her destination. The lines "Second engine failing, no one can be rescued, Vacuum God," create a sense of hopelessness and evoke an image of a spaceship malfunctioning in the vast emptiness of space with no possibility of salvation. The reference to Vacuum God suggests that the vacuum of space has become an omnipresent power that is worshipped by the woman as a deity or a master of her fate.
The next two stanzas add to the complexity and the ambiguity of the lyrics' meaning. The lines "Anything worth drinking up there on the shelf, falling then forever, one planet with no surface, anything still solid till the molten core?" highlight the woman's paradoxical state of mind. She seems to be questioning whether her quest is worth the sacrifice and whether there is anything of value left in this universe. Her allusions to the "molten core" suggest that even the solid ground that she is standing on is fragile and temporary. The phrase "Up against terrible odds" is repeated to emphasize the magnitude of the woman's predicament.
Overall, the lyrics of "A Different Ship" suggest that the woman is on a spiritual journey that involves a willingness to confront the unknown, a paradoxical acceptance of darkness and light, and an understanding that her fate is ultimately beyond her control. The song's meaning is open to interpretation and can be seen as a commentary on the human experience, mortality, and transcendence.
Line by Line Meaning
She's on another ship for heaven
She's embarking on a journey towards a better place
Got her ticket there from Lucifer himself
She received the means to get there from something or someone unpleasant or malevolent
Second engine failing
Her mode of transportation is breaking down
No one can be rescued
There's no help for her and her companions
Vacuum God
The higher power overseeing all of this is indifferent and uncaring
She's on another trip that's pregnant with disaster
Her journey is full of danger and risk
Anything worth drinking up there on the shelf
Is there anything worthwhile or enjoyable within reach?
Falling then forever
This journey will only end in a permanent descent
One planet with no surface
There's nothing concrete or stable to stand on
Anything still solid til the molten core?
Is there anything substantial and lasting here or is everything temporary?
Up against terrible odds
She's facing insurmountable challenges and obstacles
She's on another trip to heaven
She's on a journey to find peace and happiness
Falling now forever
Her descent is irreversible
Up against terrible odds...
The obstacles she faces are formidable and daunting
Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.