Now, with July 4th right around the corner, I could stop there. I’d have a perfectly good PSA, the judge would be satisfied and I would be one step closer to having that unfortunate Easter Sunday incident expunged from my record. But I have a reason for telling you this. As part of Ken’s physical therapy, he sat down at a piano for the first time in his life and learned to play. Today, Ken’s a pretty damn good barrelhouse player, despite the fact that he has a very unorthodox style and can only play in C, owing to those missing fingers. And go figure, Django Reinhardt, Tony Iommi and Jerry Garcia all overcame similar challenges by approaching their instruments differently.
I have no idea if Marco Mahler has all his appendages (I may actually be a tad disappointed if he does), but he’s clearly doing the guitar thing a little differently than the majority of the singer-songwriter flock. A sculptor by trade, I will leave the “guitar as paintbrush” metaphors to Adrian Belew and simply say Mahler hears the world a little differently than you or I. On June 29th, he will release Laptop Campfire Speed , the next step in his ongoing process of rethinking (or is that unthinking?) guitar. His 2007 debut, Design In Quick Rotation , was the work of a man with a singular, perhaps obsessive, vision, and may be the best record you’ve never heard from that year. If you’re not prepared to take my word for it, take advantage of Mahler’s generosity and join his weekly free song club, which doles out free alternate and demo versions of songs from the new record each week.
I’m not sure if calling his music math-folk is accurate, but Marco Mahler is what I imagine a collaboration of Nick Drake, Fugazi and Kraftwerk on Unplugged would sound like. Rarely have such complex and contrarian melodies united with such deceptive simplicity. Eschewing anything as pedestrian as a chord, Mahler’s guitars bubble, buzz and briefly dance at the edge of the frame before drifting off into the corners of your consciousness. Focus on any one instrument, any one riff, and you may wonder if the man has all of his faculties, but step back and the effect is often breathtaking. Add his impressionistic lyrics, rarely delivered above a whisper, and Laptop Campfire Speed is one of those rare and wonderful releases capable of cutting through the noise by hardly making a sound. Very highly recommended.
- My Old Kentucky Blog (June 22 2010)
Study Airports
Marco Mahler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes i walk not to go
Natural born walker jays
Shapeless wants me to fit today
Let's have some antibiotics and tea
Talk about strawberries in the salt sea
And ships sailing in the forest
Secure our maturity
Export false eyes
The world's a clean slate tonight
Wrap your arms around my head
Home is in what we said
The lyrics of Marco Mahler's song "Study Airports" are full of intriguing imagery and thought-provoking ideas. At the outset, the artist mentions that he studies airports without any specific aim. This may hint at a desire to engage with the world around him in a detached and observational manner. He then speaks of walking, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for life. Instead of simply going through the motions, he suggests that sometimes we must walk simply to experience the journey without worrying too much about the destination.
The lines "Natural born walker jays, shapeless wants me to fit today" further underscore the idea that society imposes certain molds on individuals, but being true to oneself means resisting those molds. The second verse of the song conjures up vivid and somewhat surreal imagery, featuring themes of illness (antibiotics), paradox (strawberries in saltwater), and nature (ships sailing in the forest). These images could indicate a desire to find beauty and meaning in unexpected places.
The chorus of the song speaks of being comfortable in one's own skin and finding a sense of home in one's own thoughts and beliefs, independent of external circumstances. The final lines "Secure our maturity, export false eyes" suggest a desire to reject superficiality and embrace authenticity. Through the power of language, we can forge a true home for ourselves in our own minds.
Line by Line Meaning
I study airports not to know
I learn about airports not to gain knowledge but for some other reason
Sometimes I walk not to go
I walk for reasons other than reaching my destination
Natural born walker jays
I have a natural inclination towards walking
Shapeless wants me to fit today
The society wants me to conform to its expectations
Let's have some antibiotics and tea
Let's take medicines and have a cup of tea
Talk about strawberries in the salt sea
Let's have a conversation about unusual things
And ships sailing in the forest
Let's talk about things that are not meant to coexist
I miss you when you're neurotic
I feel your absence more when you're anxious
Secure our maturity
Let's ensure our growth and stability
Export false eyes
Get rid of deceptive perspectives
The world's a clean slate tonight
The world is free from past events or influences tonight
Wrap your arms around my head
Embrace me tightly
Home is in what we said
Our sense of belonging comes from what we say to each other
Contributed by Bella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.