After mk Ultra broke up in 1999, Vanderslice wasted little time building a solo reputation. In 2000, he gained national media attention over his single Bill Gates Must Die after concocting an elaborate hoax in which Microsoft supposedly threatened legal action over supposed trademark violations (the disc had a similar etching to a Windows installation disc).
Subsequent albums, Time Travel is Lonely, Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, Cellar Door, Pixel Revolt and Emerald City have gained critical acclaim for their melodic quality and sophisticated narrative lyrical content. Vanderslice has spent much of the last few years on tour across North America, Europe, and Japan.
Vanderslice also founded a recording studio in 1997 called Tiny Telephone. Located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Tiny Telephone has carved out a niche as the last all-analog recording studio in the Bay Area, and has a policy of setting recording rates under market prices. Bands who have used Vanderslice's studio include Beulah, Death Cab for Cutie, Okkervil River and Spoon.
Vanderslice is a proponent of using analog instruments and recording equipment to produce a richer, more raw sound which he has sometimes called "dirty hi-fi". He has collaborated closely with Scott Solter in the production of his recent albums, with Pixel Revolt being notably shaped by Solter.
Vanderslice was a contributing producer on the Spoon album, Gimme Fiction, and has collaborated and toured with The Mountain Goats. He is strongly influenced by film and is a fan of David Lynch, whose work is referenced in his song "Promising Actress". His declared musical influences are diverse, ranging from Neutral Milk Hotel to Public Enemy. He is an avid photography hobbyist. He has incorporated the poetry of William Blake and Robert Lowell into his music.
Several songs on the album Pixel Revolt referenced the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent global political situation. This is also true of Vanderslice's most recent album, Emerald City.
My Old Flame
John Vanderslice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poor ghost old love
My old flame, my wife,
One day in June, I drove by our old house in Maine
Everything changed for the best
How quivering and fierce we were
Simmering like birds
With our videos and records
Our old house
Everything's changed
Bleached out and aired, IKEA-d and swept bare,
Poor ghost, old love,
Speak with your old voice
Of flaming insight
That kept us awake at night
In one bed and apart, my old wife
My old flame
The lyrics to John Vanderslice's song "My Old Flame" depict a haunting and reflective journey through memories of a past relationship with his old flame, who also happens to be his wife. The lyrics start off with the repetition of "my old flame, my wife" which alludes to the intensity of their past relationship and the fact that they are no longer together. The phrase "poor ghost old love" adds a layer of melancholy to the song and depicts a relationship that has come to an end.
The second verse describes the singer driving past their old house in Maine, which triggers a reflection on their past relationship. The juxtaposition of "everything changed for the best" against the imagery of how "quivering and fierce" their relationship used to be hints at a sense of regret and nostalgia. The use of "videos and records" evokes a sense of intimacy and shared memories, while simultaneously serving as a reminder of what was lost.
In the following verse, the song takes a darker turn, with the singer addressing his old flame: "speak with your old voice of flaming insight that kept us awake at night". This line reveals the raw emotional intensity of their past relationship and how it impacted them both. The final lines, "in one bed and apart, my old wife, my old flame" evoke a sense of yearning and nostalgia for what has been lost, with the old hierarchy of "wife" and "flame" being renewed yet unable to revive the past.
Line by Line Meaning
My old flame, my wife,
Referring to his ex-wife who was his former romantic partner
Poor ghost old love
The lingering memory of their past romantic relationship
My old flame, my wife,
Repeating the statement about his ex-wife to emphasize the gravity of their past relationship
One day in June, I drove by our old house in Maine
Recollection of a specific memory when he drove by their old house in Maine
Everything changed for the best
The positive outcome of moving on from their past relationship
How quivering and fierce we were
Description of their intense and passionate past relationship
Simmering like birds
Metaphor for the intensity of their previous romantic relationship
With our videos and records
Recollection of the shared interests and memories they had together
Our old house
Reference to their past home where they once lived together
Everything's changed
The current state of their old home as a reflection of how their relationship has changed
Bleached out and aired, IKEA-d and swept bare,
Describes how their old home has been stripped of their past memories and belongings
Poor ghost, old love,
Repeating the phrase to convey the strong emotional attachment he still has to their past relationship
Speak with your old voice
Requesting to recapture the passion and insight they once shared in their past relationship
Of flaming insight
Describing their past conversations as emotionally charged and full of depth
That kept us awake at night
Emphasizing the impact their past conversations had on their lives
In one bed and apart, my old wife
Describing the complexity and distance of their past relationship
My old flame
Repeating the phrase to reiterate the significance of his past romantic relationship
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SAM COSLOW, ARTHUR JOHNSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind