1) Madelin… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists performing under this name
1) Madeline Adams has been performing simply as Madeline for the last decade. As a teenager she relocated from her hometown of Athens, Georgia to Bloomington, Indiana to work with the punk label Plan-It-X Records (Japanther, Against Me, Defiance, Ohio). After a few years and many punk tours Madeline moved back home to work with Orange Twin Records releasing several albums in collaboration with Phosphorescent, the Athens-based Elephant 6 Collective (Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Nana Grizol), Phil Elverum (Mt. Eerie) and Karl Blau (The Microphones).
2) Madeline also refers to an Australian artist, who released 'I Think I Love You' in 2007
Seeing Double
Madeline Lyrics
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From the kitchen down to the basement?
Will you tell your sister that lives there
Or are you not that in love with her?
The water will rise but she can't scream
You got her tied up just like me
The electric shock from the TV on
Your dad smells like my boyfriend
Oh no, I'm seeing double again
Your garden looks like my home
which is funny because you don't know where I'm from
You've got something in your mouth
I wish that you would take it out
Roses can prick your lips, my friend
I'll sit back down so I can stand again
If my mom calls, I'm not here
Her reaction would prove all that I fear
Happens behind locked doors
You look so pretty, can I look some more?
Oh my god, I'm drowning
In the silent dripping everything
In your pocket, there's a key
Next to a dollar bill and me
And me and me and me and me and me
The first verse of Madeline's song "Seeing Double" describes dripping water from the kitchen down to the basement, but instead of fixing it, the singer asks if the person they are speaking to will tell their sister who lives in the basement. This implies a certain level of detachment and apathy towards the problem. The second line "Or are you not that in love with her?" could be interpreted in a few different ways; it could mean that the person is not close enough to their sister to care about her living condition, or it could imply a romantic relationship between the two speakers, where one of them does not feel as strongly towards their sister as the other does.
The next part of the song paints a picture of the singer being tied up along with someone else whose identity is unknown. The line "The water will rise but she can't scream" suggests that they are trapped in a room filling with water, and the "electric shock from the TV on" adds to the haunting feeling of imprisonment. The following stanza contains seemingly unrelated and disjointed thoughts, including a comparison between the singer's boyfriend's smell and the smell of the person they're speaking to's dad, and an observation that their garden looks like the singer's home even though the person they're speaking to doesn't know where they're from. These lyrics could be interpreted as the singer's mind wandering as they try to cope with their situation, or it could be a way of conveying a feeling of unease and dissociation.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you see the water that's dripping
Do you notice the tears that I'm shedding?
From the kitchen down to the basement?
Disguising my emotions is a futile attempt
Will you tell your sister that lives there
Will you speak up for me or turn a blind eye?
Or are you not that in love with her?
Or are you not willing to risk your comfort?
The water will rise but she can't scream
The situation is taking a menacing form
You got her tied up just like me
Trapped in a turbulent relationship, we both are
The electric shock from the TV on
Drowning the internal turmoil with distractions
Playing re-runs all night long
Avoiding change and pretending things are fine
Your dad smells like my boyfriend
The familiar scent brings forth bitter memories
Oh no, I'm seeing double again
The past haunts me and blurs the present
Your garden looks like my home
The familiarity is an eerie similarity
which is funny because you don't know where I'm from
The shared perceptions are a result of misconceptions
You've got something in your mouth
There's something you're keeping from me
I wish that you would take it out
I hope you open to me and speak your heart out
Roses can prick your lips, my friend
The affection you show can have bitter consequences
I'll sit back down so I can stand again
Withdrawal is a necessity to rejuvenate oneself
If my mom calls, I'm not here
Confrontation with the truth is unbearable
Her reaction would prove all that I fear
The fear of being judged and misunderstood
Happens behind locked doors
The secrets don't see the light of day
You look so pretty, can I look some more?
The admiration is superficial and selfish
Oh my god, I'm drowning
Overwhelming thoughts are taking over me
In the silent dripping everything
The emptiness echoes in the silence
In your pocket, there's a key
A key to the forbidden, repressed desires
Next to a dollar bill and me
The quest for power and possessions over love and emotions
And me and me and me and me and me
The unhappiness and inner turmoil reside within oneself
Contributed by Audrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.