He developed a method of tuning his guitar that complemented his voice and worked with his background as a bass player. Finding his niche in indie rock circles, Molina made home recordings under the names 'Songs: Albian', 'Songs: Radix', and 'Songs: Unitas' to pass out at live shows. Settling on 'Songs: Ohia', Molina released a single on Palace Records in 1996. The first 'Songs: Ohia' full-length followed in 1997; released on the Secretly Canadian label.
By 2001, Molina had given his tenor guitar a rest in favor of a regular six-string instrument and had put together a full band to back him. However, 2002's Didn't it Rain saw Molina working with members of neo-bluegrass outfit Jim & Jennie & the Pinetops, achieving an almost gospel sound that was a vast departure from the dense feel of Ghost Tropic. Constantly recording and writing new songs, Songs: Ohia released a handful of singles and EPs in 2002, including a split EP with Louisville's My Morning Jacket and a collaborative EP (under the name Amalgamated Sons of Rest) with Will Oldham and Alasdair Roberts. Pyramid Electric Co. and Magnolia Electric Co., originally conceived as a double album, were released separately in early 2003. The former, a sparse solo album, was recorded with Mike Mogis (from Lullaby for the Working Class) while the latter featured a full band and was recorded by Steve Albini.
Jason Molina died, at age 39, on 18. March 2013 from complications of alcoholism.
Spectral Alphabet
Jason Molina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beside the city moon
Empty black cat eyes
Cat's cradle eyes
Keep an eye on you
Heavy Spanish moss
A hanging veil across the Graceland get
Think it looks great
Their names inscribed by death
In a spectral alphabet
Their names look foreign
And they are forgotten by the world again
Emptiness and blue
Beside the city moon
The empty streets
Hardly remember you
The rest of us do
A promise inscribed by death
In a spectral alphabet
The words look foreign
And they are forgotten by the world again
What it says could that have kept us out of fiery hands
The opening lines of the song Spectral Alphabet by Jason Molina gives us a sense of emptiness and loneliness. The city is represented by the moon, which is an indicator that there is a lack of warmth or comfort in the outside world. The verses go on to describe a black cat with emptiness in its eyes and then it transitions to a foreboding theme. The city is compared to the Spanish moss that hangs on the trees and the veil that hangs across Graceland, which was the home of Elvis Presley. The ancestors of the world are nameless and forgotten, and their names are written in a spectral alphabet that looks foreign. The ancestors here refer to those who have lived in the past and are now just a memory, one that is fading further away as time passes.
The last verse talks about the promise that was inscribed by death in a spectral alphabet. This is a reference to the legacy that the ancestors of the world have left behind. The words of this spectral alphabet are foreign because they are not spoken anymore, and no one understands the language. Finally, the song asks whether knowing what the spectral alphabet says could have saved us from some fiery fate, meaning that perhaps the wisdom of the ancestors could have saved us from some of the harmful things that we now face in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Emptiness and blue
A sense of isolation and sadness
Beside the city moon
In the midst of city life but feeling disconnected from it
Empty black cat eyes
Eyes that show no emotions, looking at the world indifferently
Cat's cradle eyes
Eyes that seem trapped or tangled in a confusing situation
Keep an eye on you
The feeling of being watched or monitored
Heavy Spanish moss
A weight on the surroundings, a feeling of being weighed down by the environment
A hanging veil across the Graceland get
An obstacle or barrier that is preventing access to a desired location or goal
The ancestors of the world
The historical figures and cultures that have paved the way for the present world
Think it looks great
A sense of admiration or appreciation for something that is visually appealing
Their names inscribed by death
Remembering someone only by how they died, rather than who they were
In a spectral alphabet
A ghostly or mystical language that is incomprehensible to the living
Their names look foreign
The past and the people associated with it seem alien or distant
And they are forgotten by the world again
The fleeting nature of memory and the things that were once important but are now lost to time
The empty streets
A sense of abandonment and loneliness
Hardly remember you
A loss of connection to someone or something that was once important
The rest of us do
Others might remember, but the artist does not
A promise inscribed by death
A vow or commitment that was taken to the grave
The words look foreign
Difficulty in understanding or connecting with past words or ideas
What it says could that have kept us out of fiery hands
Reflecting on the power of language and ideas to impact the course of history.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Jason Molina
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thomas
one of my absolute favorite Molina songs. RIP Jason. emptiness and blue
Solced
Jason Molina is so individuall and emotional. Great Artist.
MechanicalBirdy
Right on, I like it too.