"'Power Trio.' Say the phrase to any long-hair since its conception some 40… Read Full Bio ↴"'Power Trio.' Say the phrase to any long-hair since its conception some 40 years ago and they'll immediately know what to expect. Blistering leads, power-house drumming, heavy bass lines and bluesy vocals. Sounds like a formula, yes? Well, it is. Many have stepped up to the plate, attempting to make their 1+1+1=3 but few dare be mentioned in the same breath as legends like the Groundhogs, Grand Funk Railroad, Sleep, Sir Lord Baltimore and the almighty Cream. But who among us will take this hard rock to a new place? Enter Josh, Joel and Randy: three young dudes from the woods of Nazareth PA. They've been playing together for half their lifetime -- thirteen years -- and clearly, they've done their homework. Burned one-too-many while listening to endless amounts of Randy (both Holden AND California). Learned every song by anyone with 'Blind' or 'Mississippi' in their name. Essentially leaving them each with degrees in Cactology and a Masters in Riff-ality." - http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/pearls.and.brass.html

The Mirror
Pearls & Brass Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One day you`re going to have to face
A deep dark truthful mirror
And it`s going to tell you things that I still love you too much to say
The sky was just a purple bruise, the ground was iron
And you fell all around the town until you looked the same

[Chorus:]
The same eyes, the same lips, the same lie from

Your tongue trips
Deep dark, deep dark truthful mirror
Deep dark, deep dark truthful mirror

Now the flagstone streets where the newspaper shouts ring to the boots of roustabouts
But you`re never in any doubt, there`s something happening somewhere

You chase down the road `til your fingers bleed
On a fiberglass tumbleweed

You can blow around the town, but it all shuts down the same

[Chorus]

So you bay for the boy in the tiger-skin trunks
They set him up, set him up on the stool
He falls down, falls down like a drunk
And you drink `til you drool
And it`s his story you`ll flatter
You`ll stretch him out like a saint
But the canvas that he splattered will be the
Picture that you never paint

[Chorus]

A stripping puppet on a liquid stick gets into it pretty thick
A butterfly drinks a turtle`s tears, but how do you know he really needs it?

`Cos a butterfly feeds on a dead monkey`s hand,
Jesus wept he felt abandoned
You`re spellbound baby there`s no doubting that
Did you ever see a stare like a Persian cat?

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The Pearls & Brass's song, The Mirror, speaks of a haunting truth that one must eventually face that might not be pleasant to accept. The deep and dark truthful mirror is the metaphor for the reflection of the inner self, one’s true personality, and reality. The mirror will speak to the person and reveal the things that the singer still loves but can't seem to say. The use of the purple bruise color and iron ground signifies the pain that the person has gone through. The line “And you fell all around the town until you looked the same” is about losing oneself in the process of trying to be someone else.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the repetition of the same lies, portraying the idea that no matter how one tries, the outcome is always going to be the same. The second verse speaks of the continuous movement of life, and one must keep chasing down the road despite getting hurt. The fiberglass tumbleweed refers to the means of escape that we seek in life, which may only provide temporary relief without actually solving the problem.

The lyrics speak of a story of a boy in tiger-skin trunks who falls down like a drunk, and the singer must drink to forget his story. The poetic imagery of butterfly drinking a turtle's tears portrays the idea of consuming something irrelevant to one's need. The stare of a Persian cat is a metaphor that signifies the hypnotizing effect of something that is irresistible yet feels dangerous. Overall, Pearls & Brass's song The Mirror profoundly explores the idea of facing one's deepest and darkest truths to find the right path in life.

Line by Line Meaning

One day you're going to have to face
At some point, you will need to confront

A deep dark truthful mirror
Your own flaws and shortcomings that you may try to hide from yourself and others

And it's going to tell you things that I still love you too much to say
The brutal honesty of the reflection will reveal unpleasant truths that the singer is unwilling or unable to voice

The sky was just a purple bruise, the ground was iron
A vivid description of a bleak and depressing landscape

And you fell all around the town until you looked the same
You became no different from the others around you, despite your initial attempts at individuality

[Chorus:] The same eyes, the same lips, the same lie from Your tongue trips Deep dark, deep dark truthful mirror
The repetition of this chorus highlights the inevitability of the reflection's message and the destructive cycle of deceit and self-deception

Now the flagstone streets where the newspaper shouts ring to the boots of roustabouts
A depiction of the harsh working-class environment

But you're never in any doubt, there's something happening somewhere
Despite the gloomy surroundings and monotony of life, you still have a sense of restlessness and desire for something more

You chase down the road 'til your fingers bleed On a fiberglass tumbleweed
You pursue your dreams relentlessly, even at the expense of physical pain and discomfort

You can blow around the town, but it all shuts down the same
Despite your efforts to escape, you always end up back where you started, with nothing really changing

[Chorus]
Reiterated once again to emphasize the theme of self-deception and the futility of running away from one's true self

So you bay for the boy in the tiger-skin trunks
You pursue false idols and heroes, hoping that they will provide a distraction from your own shortcomings

They set him up, set him up on the stool He falls down, falls down like a drunk And you drink 'til you drool
The object of your adulation is revealed to be flawed and human, and your own addiction to escapism is highlighted

And it's his story you'll flatter You'll stretch him out like a saint
You will exaggerate and idealize the person you admire, putting them on a pedestal that they cannot possibly live up to

But the canvas that he splattered will be the Picture that you never paint
You will be unable to create anything truly original or meaningful, as you are too focused on imitating others

[Chorus]
Reiterated once again to drive home the central message of the song

A stripping puppet on a liquid stick gets into it pretty thick
A surreal image that suggests the exploitation and objectification of the vulnerable

A butterfly drinks a turtle's tears, but how do you know he really needs it?
Questioning the authenticity of emotions and actions

'Cos a butterfly feeds on a dead monkey's hand, Jesus wept he felt abandoned
References to religious imagery to convey feelings of hopelessness and despair

You're spellbound baby there's no doubting that Did you ever see a stare like a Persian cat?
The power of illusion and the allure of beauty, no matter how superficial

[Chorus]
A final repetition of the chorus to reinforce the song's themes of self-deception, escapism, and the destructive power of denial

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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