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
Move Myself Ahead
Mark Eitzel Lyrics
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Like the equation inside fire, I'm feeling inhuman
I stand and watch the rollercoaster like a rope unwinding
They say you should embrace the danger, you get used to falling.
[Chorus]
I'm gonna move myself ahead (repeat 3 times)
And I don't know how
A low chord plays inside me like an electric motor
Watch the ride, hear the screams from the beautiful rollercoaster
See the ants all make these patterns and I want to wipe them out
I know you would do the same for me if you ever found me out
[Chorus]
No one else hears that melody
Of sink or swim or come in between
A low chord plays inside me, a sustained note holding
Like the equation inside fire, I'm feeling a little inhuman
I stand and watch the rollercoaster, a rope that's unwinding
I can't get used to the danger, I can't get used to falling
A low chord plays inside me like an electric motor
Watch the ride, hear the screams from the beautiful rollercoaster
[Chorus: x 3]
The song "Move Myself Ahead" by Mark Eitzel expresses a feeling of being stuck and wanting to move forward, but not knowing how to do so. The lyrics use metaphors of a low chord playing inside the singer, like an electric motor or an equation inside fire, to express the intensity of the feeling. The rollercoaster is used to represent the unpredictability of life and the feeling of being out of control, but also suggests that embracing the danger can lead to growth and learning to get used to falling.
The chorus's repetition of the phrase "I'm gonna move myself ahead" reflects a desire to move forward, but the singer acknowledges that they don't know how to do so. The verse "See the ants all make these patterns and I want to wipe them out / I know you would do the same for me if you ever found me out" adds a layer of insecurity and suggests a fear of being judged by others. The final verse repeats the metaphors of the low chord and the rollercoaster, emphasizing the intensity of the feeling and the struggle to move forward.
Overall, the song captures the complex emotions of wanting to move forward while feeling stuck and unsure of how to do so, as well as the fear of being judged by others along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear a low chord play inside me, a sustained note holding
I feel a strong emotion inside me that lasts a long time, like a background music or melody
Like the equation inside fire, I'm feeling inhuman
I feel an intense, burning sensation that makes me forget about my humanity and feel like a machine or an object
I stand and watch the rollercoaster like a rope unwinding
I observe life going by, as if it were a ride controlled by a rope being let go, and I'm just a spectator
They say you should embrace the danger, you get used to falling.
People advise me to face my fears and learn from my falls, but I find it hard to do so
I'm gonna move myself ahead (repeat 3 times)
I'm determined to move forward in life, to progress and to leave behind my current situation
And I don't know how
But I'm unsure about how to achieve that goal
Watch the ride, hear the screams from the beautiful rollercoaster
I witness other people's lives, full of joy and fear, like a thrilling ride that elicits both excitement and terror
See the ants all make these patterns and I want to wipe them out
I notice how insignificant individuals can be, following predictable paths, and I feel a desire to destroy that order
I know you would do the same for me if you ever found me out
I believe that if I were in a vulnerable position, the people around me would betray me too, since everyone only cares for themselves
No one else hears that melody
The emotions or thoughts that I experience are unique to me, and nobody else can understand or share them
Of sink or swim or come in between
These emotions or thoughts are related to basic survival instincts, like the fight or flight response or the tendency to compromise
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER BUCK, MARK EITZEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind