Currently, Little Red Lung is rapidly filling up their calendar with live performances in and around the Los Angeles area including being featured on the Ship Stage at the 13th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival, and venues such as The Satellite, Pehrspace, The Echo, Hotel Cafe, and The Central SAPC, as well as completing production on their second full length album. In addition, they are currently filming a series of stop motion music videos for their first full-length album "Get on the Boat." They plan to release the videos and the album as a special addition double disk package in early 2012.
"A very sophisticated blend of programmed beats, keyboards, strings and expressive, imaginatively phrased vocals, Little Red Lung presents that rarity, a totally individual, completely coherent artistic vision. They really don’t sound like anyone else, although there are moments when a hint of something shines through, a whiff of Portishead or a distant rumble of Suzanne Vega… Excellent stuff throughout." - Live Unsigned
50 Fingers
Little Red Lung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And use you to cut
These belt straps from my feet
They've been tightening for weeks
I can move my little toe and if I concentrate
In a day or two I could move more
In a day or two I could be air-bound
Please wake up, please wake up
There's three inside the next apartment
Please get up, please get up
Your lungs are getting lazy dear
I'll squeeze the water out
But I can't hold your pelvis up from the ground
You're on your own now
You play the game like no one's watching
Please wake up, please wake up
There's three inside the next apartment
Please get up, please get up
For every inch there's 50 fingers pointing back
Your gold balloons nor sincere face will take you back
credits
The lyrics to Little Red Lung's "50 Fingers" are a mix of poignant observations and mysterious imagery. The first verse seems to be about feeling trapped and wanting to break free, with lines like "These belt straps from my feet/They've been tightening for weeks." The reference to a diamond being used to cut the straps suggests that the singer sees themselves or someone they care about as a valuable resource that could be used to escape their current situation. The second verse takes a turn towards something more ominous, with references to someone who may be sick or dying ("Your lungs are getting lazy dear/I'll squeeze the water out/But I can't hold your pelvis up from the ground"). The haunting refrain of "Please wake up, please wake up/There's three inside the next apartment/Please get up, please get up" adds to the sense of urgency and despair. The final line, "For every inch there's 50 fingers pointing back/Your gold balloons nor sincere face will take you back," may suggest that the singer or the person they are addressing is facing some sort of reckoning, with the weight of past mistakes and decisions closing in on them.
Overall, "50 Fingers" is a deeply emotional song that uses vivid, evocative language to create a sense of unease and tension. The lyrics leave a lot open to interpretation, but there is a sense of someone struggling to break free from something that is holding them back, whether it is a physical restraint or a mental/emotional one. The theme of mortality and the fragility of life is also present, with references to lungs and water (both symbols of life and breath) and the urgent call to "please wake up."
Line by Line Meaning
If you were a diamond I would dig you up
You are precious and priceless, so I would do whatever it takes to have you.
And use you to cut
You are so valuable, I would use you to help me achieve anything.
These belt straps from my feet
I am weighed down by something and need to break free.
They've been tightening for weeks
This burden has been getting heavier and more restrictive over time.
I can move my little toe and if I concentrate
Even though I am constrained, I still have some small amount of control.
In a day or two I could move more
If I keep working at it, I can break free from my restraints.
In a day or two I could be air-bound
It won't take long before I can soar free from my restraints.
You play the game like no one's watching
You act like you don't care what anyone thinks and do your own thing.
Please wake up, please wake up
You need to snap out of it and realize what's really happening.
There's three inside the next apartment
There are other people nearby who need help too.
Please get up, please get up
It's time to take action and help those around you.
Your lungs are getting lazy dear
You are getting lazy and complacent, not taking advantage of what you have.
I'll squeeze the water out
I will do what it takes to support you.
But I can't hold your pelvis up from the ground
I can't do everything for you, you need to stand on your own two feet.
You're on your own now
You need to take responsibility for yourself and not rely on others.
For every inch there's 50 fingers pointing back
For every small action, there are many people and things influencing it.
Your gold balloons nor sincere face will take you back
You can't use your material possessions or fake persona to regain what you've lost.
Contributed by Carter E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.