He bears the pop sensibility of the 60's British invasion, the sardonic wit of Elvis Costello, emotional poigniancy of Elliot Smith, and the Townes Van Zant- like turn of phrase. His lyrics are clever and biting, but can, in very few words, shatter the listeners heart
www.myspace.com/michaeltrent
Complicated Type
Michael Trent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never mean to cause no trouble
Couldn't help but be polite
He probly learned it from his mother
He's a complicated type
A complicated type
Complicated type
Just like Carolina
He hid his drugs under his bible
Mixed his whisky with his wine
He had a sparkle in his eye
Like just before you cry
Like right before you cry
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
It was a long night
He'd been sittin at the bar
When they turned off all the lights
He started lookin for his car
But when his eyes began to gleam
And the lights started to stream
Well he slipped into a dream
Well now while most
Folks dream of money, love, and hope
His were of violent, crashing waves
And bodies swinging, tied to ropes
While his whole family laughed aloud
Hovering above a crowd
Who, for hell, was screamin out
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Well of nobody, there's nothing I can do
To bring anyone back to life
But I know that I should try to tell the truth
And to fight for the right side
When he came to
As if he'd been dead for years
And the wind was blowin hard
Both his eyes were full of tears
But a change had taken place
You could see it on his face
Man you could see it on his face
And on the way home
He found a bottle in the road
And thought of all the explanations
That he felt that he was owed
And as he kicked it down the street
He felt lighter on his feet
And he couldn't help but sing
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
The song "Complicated Type" by Michael Trent provides a moving portrait of a complicated human being with all his flaws and virtues. The opening lines describe the character as a sweet boy who never meant to cause trouble and learned to be polite from his mother. However, the following lines reveal that he grew up too fast, just like Carolina, hiding drugs under his Bible and mixing whiskey with wine. The contrast between the character's outward niceness and his hidden darkness creates a sense of tension that runs throughout the song. He's a complicated type that is difficult to understand fully. The lyrics then describe a troubling dream that highlights the character's inner violence, with images of crashing waves and bodies swinging, tied to ropes, while his family laughs above the crowd. The song ends on a note of hope as the character realizes that he needs to tell the truth and fight on the right side.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a sweet, boy
He was a kind and gentle young man
Never mean to cause no trouble
He never intended to cause any problems
Couldn't help but be polite
Being courteous came naturally to him
He probly learned it from his mother
His mother likely taught him the value of being polite
He's a complicated type
Despite his good nature, he had a complex personality
Grew up real fast
He matured quickly
Just like Carolina
Like the state of Carolina, he had his own unique character
He hid his drugs under his bible
He stored his drugs beneath his bible to keep them hidden
Mixed his whisky with his wine
He drank a concoction of whisky and wine
He had a sparkle in his eye
Like just before you cry
Like right before you cry
His eyes held a glimmer that was reminiscent of the moment before one sheds tears
It was a long night
He'd been sittin at the bar
He spent an extended period at the bar
When they turned off all the lights
The bar was closing for the night
He started lookin for his car
He began searching for his vehicle
But when his eyes began to gleam
And the lights started to stream
Well he slipped into a dream
As he experienced a certain feeling, he drifted into a vision
While his whole family laughed aloud
Hovering above a crowd
Who, for hell, was screamin out
In his vision, his family was laughing in the air, as a group of people screamed in fear and agony
Well of nobody, there's nothing I can do
To bring anyone back to life
He realized that he was powerless to revive the dead
But I know that I should try to tell the truth
And to fight for the right side
He acknowledged the importance of being honest and fighting for justice
When he came to
As if he'd been dead for years
And the wind was blowin hard
Both his eyes were full of tears
When he regained consciousness, it felt as if he had been comatose for a while, and he was crying due to the wind
But a change had taken place
You could see it on his face
Man you could see it on his face
He underwent a transformation, which was visible on his countenance
And on the way home
He found a bottle in the road
And thought of all the explanations
That he felt that he was owed
During his journey, he stumbled upon a bottle and reflected on the reasons he perceived that he was entitled to
And as he kicked it down the street
He felt lighter on his feet
And he couldn't help but sing
As he kicked the bottle down the road, he felt a sense of liberation and sang out spontaneously
Contributed by Mila R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.