Eitzel's first solo album was the (now elusive) cassette-only 'Mean Mark Eitzel Gets Fat' (1982), which pre-dates his AMC work. He released a solo live album, songs of love live in 1991, featuring raw and emotional acoustic versions of his best AMC songs. His first solo album proper was 1996's 60 Watt Silver Lining, a highly personal, jazz-inflected work.
He went on to release albums of varying styles and quality, including another difficult-to-find effort in Lover's Leap USA, produced as a tour-only CD and notable for including two songs which Eitzel's own sleeve notes instruct the listener to skip past. This was followed by 1997's West, a collaboration with REM's Peter Buck, and the stark and harrowing Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby in 1998. 2001 saw him take a new electronic direction with The Invisible Man, followed in 2002 by two covers projects: Music for courage & confidence and The Ugly American, which included re-interpretations of American Music Club songs by Eitzel and a traditional Greek band!
american music club reformed in 2003, and released an album, Love Songs for Patriots, as well as touring the United States and Europe. Eitzel released new solo material in 2005, candy ass, which saw a return to the electronic experimentation of the invisible man. A new AMC record, The Golden Age was released in February 2008.
The Mark Eitzel discussion list Firefly can be found at http://mail.neurotica.com/mailman/listinfo/firefly
Anything
Mark Eitzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and none of the coats you wear would ever keep you warm
Liquor and pills
See your pain far away in the mirror
Why do you only see yourself when you're looking back
through the eyes of a stranger
Your mother always worried you'd be a sad old maid
But you're not alone - you should know that by now
I'd give anything to be where you are right now
Have you lost so much
that none of your tiny wishes can find a toehold
Have you been recast
as some odd character that has no story to unfold
My mother always worried I'd be a sad old maid
Alone and sour as a glass of lemonade
I'd give anything to be where you are right now
The verse "When did you decide that the chill would never leave your bones and none of the coats you wear would ever keep you warm" suggests a feeling of deep loneliness and emptiness that the character in the song feels. This person might have tried to cover up their feelings with different things, such as alcohol and pills, but is still unable to shake off the pain. The lyrics "See your pain far away in the mirror, Why do you only see yourself when you're looking back through the eyes of a stranger" conveys the feeling of disconnect between one's inner self and the image reflected in the mirror. It feels like the person is struggling to acknowledge their pain and connect with their true self.
The lines "Your mother always worried you'd be a sad old maid, Alone and sour as a glass of lemonade, But you're not alone - you should know that by now," suggests that the person has been carrying this feeling of loneliness for a long time and it might have been a source of worry for people close to them. The last line "I'd give anything to be where you are right now" expresses the singer's desire to step into the shoes of the person they are addressing and experience what they feel, indicating a sense of empathy and understanding.
Overall, the song Anything by Mark Eitzel is about feeling disconnected from oneself, and the struggle to come to terms with one's inner self while also dealing with external pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
When did you decide that the chill would never leave your bones
At what point did you come to believe that you would always be cold, all the way into your soul
and none of the coats you wear would ever keep you warm
No matter how many different things you try to wrap yourself in, you can't escape the coldness inside
Liquor and pills
You turn to substances in an effort to numb the pain and find a feeling of warmth or comfort
See your pain far away in the mirror
As you stare at yourself, you can see the pain written all over your face, and it seems very far away or distant from who you used to be
Why do you only see yourself when you're looking back through the eyes of a stranger
Even when you try to see yourself objectively, you feel like a stranger or a foreigner in your own skin, like you can't connect with who you really are
Your mother always worried you'd be a sad old maid
Your family has long harbored fears that you would end up alone and unhappy
Alone and sour as a glass of lemonade
You would be like a sour drink, unappealing and unwanted by anyone else
But you're not alone - you should know that by now
Even if you feel like you're isolated and on your own, you have loved ones who care for you and want the best for you
I'd give anything to be where you are right now
Even though you may not see it, there are people who would do anything to be in your shoes, to have your blessings and your strengths
Have you lost so much
Have you gone through so many traumas and struggles that you wonder if you have anything left to keep going
that none of your tiny wishes can find a toehold
The little hopes and dreams you have can't seem to gain any traction or foothold in your heart, because you're too weighed down by everything else
Have you been recast
Do you feel like a different or changed person, like the old version of yourself is gone forever
as some odd character that has no story to unfold
It's hard to see where your life is headed, or what kind of narrative or arc it will follow from here on out
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
arfmania
Well this glorious album is out on vinyl soon!
Craig Falconer
Stunning song i love to play this and all i think about is a warm country and yes the Greek influence too
metalfalsetto
Yes, this version is from his album "The Ugly American." He went to Greece and re-recorded a number of his older songs (both solo and AMC songs) with traditional Greek musicians. It's great stuff.
wanda vergues
Absolutly addictive this song...Wonderful...
Javi Esma
MARK EITZEL: venia escuchando "an answer" por la calle, y todo era dulce y feliz....
fluxuspoem
I don't know but the arrangements on most tracks of this album sound very greek to me! Do I hear a bouzouki? :-) Interesting combination! Nice!
Mike O'Leary
It wss recorded in Athens, Greece.