Jen then set out on her own and recorded her first solo album, No More Wading, followed by Getting Past the Static, Post Marked Stamps No. 6 (a split 7" with Tim Kinsella), the This Uncontainable Light E.P., and her most-recent work, Traveling through Roots. She also appeared in the hit Nothing Better by The Postal Service as a guest vocalist.
Wood's music is heavy in rich acoustic sounds, incredible harmonies, deep lyrics, and soft, calming vocals.
Invitation to Plastic
Jen Wood Lyrics
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Interference
The channel is broken
"I will not lie
I will not lie
I spy a speck of light
I will not lie
I spy a wide eye
Look at it
Look it over
An invitation to plastic
I see that light
How did you find it?
How did you buy it?
How did you steal it?
How did you keep it?
I spy a thief of light
The lyrics to Jen Wood's "Invitation to Plastic" constitute an inscrutable meditation on the nature of perception. The use of such terms as "static," "interference," and "broken channel," seems to suggest that our understanding of reality is a flawed and compromised one, subject as it is to various forms of distortion and delusion. The singer insists that she "will not lie," insinuating that others, perhaps, do. Yet the ambiguous nature of the lines that follow complicate the situation. The revelation that there is a "speck of light" or a "wide eye" seems to be linked with the invitation to plastic, as if our experience of the world is somehow mediated or distorted by the cultural artifacts that surround us. The final lines, with their reference to a "thief of light," only deepen the mystery, as if hinting at some darker, more insidious force that manipulates our vision, stealing from us the clarity of perception we might otherwise attain.
In bringing to focus the possible interpretations of this song, we see how impressive the writer's skills are in using imagery and language to represent complex ideas. The line of thoughts in the song hardly follows a linear structure, but instead offers a series of intriguing questions that are meant to be contemplated over. It invites the listener to take a moment's pause to think inwardly about the world of images, words, and ideas that make up our experience of the world. Overall, Jen Wood's "Invitation to Plastic" is an engaging and thought-provoking work that rewards multiple listenings.
Line by Line Meaning
Static
There is a disturbance in the communication channel
Interference
There is an obstruction in the transmission of information
The channel is broken
The means of communication is not functioning correctly
"I will not lie
I will not deceive
I spy a speck of light
I notice a small amount of illumination
I will not lie
I will not mislead or fabricate the truth
I spy a wide eye
I see an open and alert eye
I will not lie"
I will hold fast to the honesty and integrity
Look at it
Observe it
Look it over
Inspect it closely
An invitation to plastic
An offering or enticement to the artificial and insincere
I see that light
I perceive that illumination
How did you find it?
By what means did you locate it?
How did you buy it?
By what method did you purchase it?
How did you steal it?
By what way did you take it without permission?
How did you keep it?
By what method did you retain ownership of it?
I spy a thief of light
I detect a person who takes and holds onto illumination without warrant or justification
Contributed by Mackenzie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.