Polvo is an influential math rock band of the 1990s from Chapel Hill, North… Read Full Bio ↴Polvo is an influential math rock band of the 1990s from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. The band was fronted by guitarists/vocalists Ash Bowie and Dave Brylawski. Eddie Watkins played drums, and Steve Popson played bass guitar. The band reformed in 2008 with Brian Quast assuming drum duties. Their sound is defined by complex and dissonant guitar harmonies and driving rhythm, complementing cryptic, often surrealist lyrics. Their music was considered unpredictable and angular and sometimes the guitarists were accused of failing to play with correctly tuned guitars. Polvo's songs and artwork frequently featured Asian/"exotic" themes and references. The band's name means "dust" in Spanish, or "Octopus" in Portuguese.

Stinger
Polvo Lyrics

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When one line refuses to cover
When his heart is already tied to another
If it is traced from the cycle I'm in
When the turn stops the next one begins

One ten second relapse to meander
Endanger to the point of a stinger
Now it's stuck in my gut

Is it my turn to keep these things shut?

Sometimes you dream of people
Older than your city in the back of your mind
The pages tear away from the spine
Then it's your turn to make our mind

Five wings and the poacher has me
Staring like you don't want to see
We call it a blast from the past
We can fly by to make it last

The last dance to stop being in your conscious
That's not true

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Polvo's song Stinger seem to describe a feeling of being stuck in a cycle, unable to move on from a situation or person. The first stanza talks about how one line is not enough to cover the complexity of emotions when the heart is already tied to another person. The cycle is described as something that keeps turning, never really stopping, with each turn marking a new beginning. The second stanza talks about a relapse that endangers to the point of a stinger, which is now stuck in the gut. The line "is it my turn to keep these things shut?" suggests that the pain and emotions are being kept inside, hidden away.

The third stanza talks about dreaming of people older than the city, again suggesting a feeling of being stuck in time, of not being able to move forward. The pages tearing away from the spine could either be a metaphor for losing control or a sign of being unable to hold on to something that was once important. Finally, the last stanza suggests that this cycle of pain and confusion is not something that can simply be forgotten or left behind.

Overall, the song seems to describe the emotions of someone who is going through a difficult time, unable to move on from a situation or a person. The cycle described in the lyrics seems to be something that keeps repeating itself, with each turn marking a new beginning but never really leading to any kind of resolution.

Line by Line Meaning

When one line refuses to cover
When one excuse no longer suffices

When his heart is already tied to another
When he is emotionally invested in someone else

If it is traced from the cycle I'm in
If it is viewed from my current mindset

When the turn stops the next one begins
When one situation ends, another starts

One ten second relapse to meander
A brief period of wandering or indecisiveness

Endanger to the point of a stinger
Risking great harm or danger

Now it's stuck in my gut
Now it's weighing heavily on my mind

Is it my turn to keep these things shut?
Should I keep these thoughts to myself?

Sometimes you dream of people
Occasionally you think of individuals

Older than your city in the back of your mind
Whose experiences are vastly different from yours

The pages tear away from the spine
The memories fade and become less clear