Lou Barlow formed The Folk Implosion with John Davis in the 1990s as a way to explore different kinds of music that his other band Sebadoh did not normally play. "The Lou Barlow Folk Implosion," as it is sometimes called, took its name as a tribute to the band The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Another incarnation of this band went under the name Deluxx Folk Implosion, which featured Bob Fay, who worked with Lou Barlow in Sebadoh, on drums.
Folk Implosion briefly stepped to the forefront of the alternative rock scene with their song Natural One which was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Kids (Kids) and received strong airplay on alternative rock format radio stations.
End of Henley
The Folk Implosion Lyrics
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The dream was everywhere he looked
Saw a machine in the perfect girl
A factory of static in her eye
Light a fire, on the phone
Talk all night about the way to control
All the pain of the fame
And the world we hold
Are you rich enough, are you still in love
Did it fade away or stand
(do what you will)
Did you open up, self destruct
Feel it leave your hands
(do you want mine, are you holding on)
Choose your crutch, lose your touch
Hold me to break or divide
I'm the poet understood
Who knew he would be
An eagle on a laminated sky
With your faith betrayed, bring it home
Through the hall of the fame
I know you're good, I sing your song
I need to know you feel it (don)
You stole the soul we're taking it back
With a rifle
The opening lines of the song “Beautywood, Henley could, the dream was everywhere he looked” allude to the idyllic world where the singer, Henley, could find beauty and happiness around him. However, this idealistic view is shattered when he comes across a “machine in the perfect girl” and sees “a factory of static in her eye”. This line suggests that Henley is disillusioned by the superficiality of the world and its focus on appearance. The lyrics also speak of fame, its pain and the way it leads to a loss of control over one’s life. The lines “Are you rich enough, are you still in love? Did it fade away or stand? Did you open up, self-destruct, feel it leave your hands?” are questioning whether the singer has managed to keep his love and personality intact amidst the frenzied chaos of fame. The mention of a rifle at the end of the song may suggest a desire for rebellion and taking back control. The Folk Implosion's song "End of Henley" can be interpreted in many ways, but ultimately, it speaks of the danger that lies in the obsession with appearances, superficiality and fame.
Line by Line Meaning
Beautywood, Henley could
Henley is a place filled with beauty.
The dream was everywhere he looked
His dream was to find perfection and he saw it everywhere.
Saw a machine in the perfect girl
He saw mechanic behavior in the girl who he thought was perfect.
A factory of static in her eye
He saw no emotions or feelings in the girl's eyes.
Light a fire, on the phone
He tried to start something over the phone.
Talk all night about the way to control
They discussed ways to have control of their lives.
All the pain of the fame
The pain that comes with fame and popularity.
You don't own
You can't own what you feel, both pain and fame.
And the world we hold
The world that they possess or control.
Are you rich enough, are you still in love
Asking if they have enough wealth and are still feeling love.
Did it fade away or stand
Did their love fade away or stay strong?
(do what you will)
You make your own choices in life.
Did you open up, self destruct
Did you open up and destroy yourself?
Feel it leave your hands
The feeling of losing control over something.
(do you want mine, are you holding on)
Do you want or need my help to hold on to what you have?
Choose your crutch, lose your touch
Find something to rely on, but then lose your ability to do something without it.
Hold me to break or divide
Holding onto someone can either break or strengthen their relationship.
I'm the poet understood
He is someone who understands poetry and can express his thoughts through it.
Who knew he would be
He never thought he would become what he is now.
An eagle on a laminated sky
He is like an eagle in a fake environment.
With your faith betrayed, bring it home
When someone loses their faith in something, they try to regain it.
Through the hall of the fame
Referring to the walk of fame, where famous stars are honored.
I know you're good, I sing your song
Acknowledging that the other person is good and he supports them.
I need to know you feel it (don)
He wants to know if the other person understands his message.
You stole the soul we're taking it back
They are trying to regain something that was previously taken away from them.
With a rifle
They are willing to fight for what they want.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IMAAD WASIF, LOUIS KNOX BARLOW, RUSSELL POLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
icedaderholdt
Love the song, love the album
Christopher Bartolomei
daydreamin in this tune id like to make a few tracks sampling the break towards the end into kinda a rap be-bop track. this is a deep lyriced swell tune certainly we can jam=====
Telex the Whisky Tech
Barlow > Henley