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
Sleeping Beauty
Mark Eitzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I watched you wave and wave, in the mirror I saw you wave
As the autumn fell, until I made my turn and I said oh well
This could well bee the last time I see your beautiful hands
Your frozen hands your trembling hands that could not hold on
To any heart that's warm to any lie that's cold your hands
Were made to burn in the sun
Selfish with my time like it was something I could keep
Oh but you know the truth it never helped you much
It only beat it drum it woke sleeping beauty up too much
It woke her up too much [Repeat x2]
The bankers the liars and the thieves
They want to sell you into a life of fear
They call it a plan that will make you free
But nothings free, you taught me that my dear
No one can love the way you love
With the blind purity of a honey bee
But now that sweetness feels like a mistake I grieve
It poisons my life, becomes a prison I don't want to leave
As I drove away over the dead leaves
And merged into the stream of those who know their lines
Stagnant reason why we travel so far away from our hearts
Like flies caught in jars
Little flies buzzing in cars
The first verse of Mark Eitzel's "Sleeping Beauty" paints a picture of a beautiful yet fleeting goodbye. Eitzel narrates his departure from a southern town, driving over dead leaves as he watches his lover wave goodbye in his rearview mirror. The autumn season serves as a metaphor of the end of their relationship, with Eitzel acknowledging that this may be the last time he sees his lover's beautiful hands that once trembled with emotion. Despite the inevitability of their split, he laments that their love was not built to last, as her hands were "frozen" and "could not hold on" to any "heart that's warm" or "lie that's cold." In the end, he sees her hands as being "made to burn in the sun," emphasizing the fragile and fleeting nature of their love.
The second verse sees Eitzel introspecting on his own selfishness and desire to remain safe and comfortable, even if it means sacrificing his love. He acknowledges that this trait did not help his lover ("it only woke Sleeping Beauty up too much"), implying that his love for her was not enough to make up for his selfishness. He then takes aim at the societal forces that push people towards a life of fear, describing bankers, liars, and thieves who sell people a false sense of freedom. However, he recognizes that his lover was the one who taught him that nothing in life is truly free, hinting once again at a love that was too pure and honest for the harsh realities of the world.
The final verse sees Eitzel regretting the end of their love, describing it as a sweet but ultimately poisonous experience. He compares their love to that of a honey bee, blind and pure in its affection, but now with a sour aftertaste that he can't shake off. He describes it as a prison that he doesn't want to leave, perhaps hinting that he would rather hold onto the memory of their love than forget it entirely. The closing lines see Eitzel comparing himself and others to "flies caught in jars," buzzing around in cars and traveling far away from their hearts, once again emphasizing the ephemeral and intangible nature of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
As I drove away over the dead leaves of your southern town
Leaving your town, I drove over dead autumn leaves
I watched you wave and wave, in the mirror I saw you wave
As I drove off, I watched you wave goodbye, reflecting your constant waves in the mirror
As the autumn fell, until I made my turn and I said oh well
As fall progressed, I made my turn with a sense of resignation
This could well bee the last time I see your beautiful hands
I acknowledge that it might be the last time I see your beautiful hands
Your frozen hands your trembling hands that could not hold on
Your hands were frozen and trembling that they couldn't hold on
To any heart that's warm to any lie that's cold your hands
Your hands couldn't hold on to a warm heart or a cold lie
Were made to burn in the sun
Your hands were meant to be in the sun and not to hold on
I like to get there safe I like to get my sleep
I prefer to arrive safely and get enough sleep
Selfish with my time like it was something I could keep
I'm self-centered with my time that I feel like I own it
Oh but you know the truth it never helped you much
But you know that this behavior didn't help either of us
It only beat it drum it woke sleeping beauty up too much
It only created noise and woke up the Sleeping Beauty too much
It woke her up too much [Repeat x2]
It disrupted her sleep more than necessary
The bankers the liars and the thieves
Referring to corrupt individuals or entities like bankers, liars, and thieves
They want to sell you into a life of fear
They aim to sell you a life of fear
They call it a plan that will make you free
They call it a plan that supposedly grants you freedom
But nothings free, you taught me that my dear
But you've taught me that nothing is ever truly free
No one can love the way you love
Not everyone can love the way you do
With the blind purity of a honey bee
With the pure and unthinking nature of a honey bee
But now that sweetness feels like a mistake I grieve
Now, the same sweetness feels like an error that I mourn
It poisons my life, becomes a prison I don't want to leave
It poisons my life and turns into a confinement I don't want to leave
As I drove away over the dead leaves
Driving away, once again over dead leaves
And merged into the stream of those who know their lines
I joined others who follow set paths, doing what's expected of them
Stagnant reason why we travel so far away from our hearts
The lack of growth is the reason why we stray away from our hearts
Like flies caught in jars
Like trapped flies in a jar
Little flies buzzing in cars
Small, insignificant beings buzzing around in their cars
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind