Pollard began releasing solo records in 1996, alongside regular releases from Guided by Voices. These albums were typically recorded with a small group consisting of current or former Guided by Voices members, and they were generally considered to informally be part of the Guided by Voices canon, as that band would regularly perform selections from the solo releases in concert.
After the dissolution of Guided by Voices in 2004, Robert Pollard launched his official solo career with the release of From a Compound Eye in February 2006. Pollard's recent studio work has eschewed the live-band format, instead relying on the multi-instrumental talents of Todd Tobias, who produced several Guided by Voices albums. In 2006, he resumed touring with a new band informally dubbed "The Ascended Masters", which featured Tommy Keene on lead guitar and keyboards, Dave Phillips on guitar, Jon Wurster on drums, and Jason Narducy on bass. After Normal Happiness was released, the band returned to the road but subsequent to the cancellation of some 2006 dates due to a leg injury, Pollard announced his retirement from touring. Pollard, however, has since toured with Boston Spaceships.
Pollard resides just outside of Dayton, OH. with his wife, Sarah.
One Clear Minute
Robert Pollard Lyrics
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Why does she sing to me of Monterrey?
Offering a piece of her heaven to me up there
Once she went astray long enough to play
Promised to return- later run away
Of course it has to be a lesson for me again
One clear minute shows that it goes away
Happening so quickly and strangely to me
The lyrics of Robert Pollard's One Clear Minute seem to be about a woman who keeps leaving the singer and going to Monterrey. There's a sense of confusion and nostalgia in the way the singer describes the situation. The first two lines of the song establish a pattern that will be repeated throughout: everytime she sings, when she goes away, she sings to him of Monterrey. It's not clear what this singing is supposed to represent - perhaps it's her way of communicating her love for him, or perhaps it's a way for her to express her desire to be free and explore the world. Either way, the repetition of this phrase creates a sense of longing and loss.
The second verse adds more detail to the story, suggesting that the woman in question has "gone astray" and "promised to return" but then "run away" again. There's a sense that this is a recurring pattern, and that the singer has been through this before. He seems to be trying to find meaning in the situation, to extract some kind of lesson from the pain of separation. The final line of the verse seems to suggest that he's resigned to the fact that this will keep happening: "Of course it has to be a lesson for me again."
The final verse brings the song to a close with the lines "It comes out to slow what I want to say / One clear minute shows that it goes away / Happening so quickly and strangely to me." These lines seem to encapsulate the singer's sense of confusion and uncertainty. He's struggling to express his emotions, and feels like time is slipping away. The phrase "one clear minute" suggests that he's looking for some kind of clarity or understanding, but feels like it's always just out of reach. Overall, the lyrics of One Clear Minute are a poignant reflection on the pain of separation and the quest for meaning in difficult relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Everytime she sings when she goes away
Whenever she leaves, she serenades me with a song
Why does she sing to me of Monterrey?
I wonder why she sings about Monterrey, perhaps it has a special meaning to her
Offering a piece of her heaven to me up there
Her singing is like offering me a piece of her paradise
Once she went astray long enough to play
She once strayed from the path and played around for a while
Promised to return- later run away
She promised to come back, but ended up leaving again
Of course it has to be a lesson for me again
It seems like another lesson I have to learn
It comes out to slow what I want to say
I struggle to express myself at the pace I want to
One clear minute shows that it goes away
But sometimes I have a moment of clarity that reminds me that everything is temporary
Happening so quickly and strangely to me
All of this is happening so fast and in such an unusual way
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIM SHEPARD, ROBERT E. JR. POLLARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris O'Driscoll
Eargasmic