What makes this band different from The Magnetic Fields is that any glimmer of hope is absolutely extinguished.
Discography:
- The New Despair - EP - (Merge, November 1997)
- The Tragic Treasury: Songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events - LP - (Nonesuch, October 2006)
The Tragic Treasury... is a collection of songs originally released as music for the audio book version of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events". There are thirteen songs corresponding to the 13 volumes in the series, plus two bonus tracks.
The Gothic Archies briefly toured to promote the album featuring Merritt on ukulele and Daniel Handler as Lemony Snicket on accordion.
The Gothic Archies have also produced music for the audio book of Neil Gaiman's "Coraline".
http://www.houseoftomorrow.com
Things Are Not What They Appear
The Gothic Archies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Starting with a mother's love
When a helping hand comes near
It becomes an empty glove
Things are not what they appear
Starting with your hopes and dreams
Just one thing in life is clear
Even babies lie
And the stars don't cry
Nothing's ever what it seems
People lie from ear to ear
Just to help their little teams
Which are not what they appear
We are wrong to begin with
Even if we were sincere
Truth is just a useful myth
Things are not what they appear
Even babies steal
And the stars don't squeal
Even babies kill
And the stars are still
The Gothic Archies's "Things Are Not What They Appear" is a song that highlights the theme of duality and deceit, questioning the idea of perception and the truth of reality. The opening lines talk about the fragility of a mother's love, how a helping hand isn't always reliable, and how a seemingly helpful gesture can be void of any real meaning. The song goes on to touch on various aspects of life, from hopes and dreams to the lies people tell to prop up their illusions of grandeur. The chorus repeatedly stresses that nothing is ever as it seems since people lie from ear to ear, and truth is just a useful myth. The song's closing lines hint at the sinister reality of life, how even babies can lie, steal and kill while the stars remain unflinching.
The song's juxtaposition of maternal love with the theme of deceit creates a surreal and unsettling atmosphere that forces the listener to question their understanding of the world. The mention of stars, something that represents beauty and endless possibilities, reinforces the idea that appearances can be deceiving, and nothing is as it seems.
Line by Line Meaning
Things are not what they appear
Life is full of illusions and things are not always as they seem
Starting with a mother's love
Even the most genuine and selfless love may be deceptive or flawed
When a helping hand comes near
People may offer help, but it may not be genuine or effective
It becomes an empty glove
The help given may ultimately prove to be useless or ineffective
Starting with your hopes and dreams
Even one's hopes and aspirations may not be fulfilled or turn out differently than expected
Just one thing in life is clear
The fact that things are not always what they seem is the only certainty in life
Nothing's ever what it seems
Everything is subject to interpretation and may differ from reality
Even babies lie
Even the innocent and pure may deceive or withhold the truth
And the stars don't cry
The world may not react to events as we would expect or desire
People lie from ear to ear
Deception and falsehoods are common human traits
Just to help their little teams
People may prioritize their own interests or allegiances over the truth
Which are not what they appear
Even groups or affiliations may have hidden motives or deceptive qualities
We are wrong to begin with
As humans, we are inherently flawed and may not have a complete understanding of the truth
Even if we were sincere
Even with the best intentions, we may still be deceived or mistaken
Truth is just a useful myth
The concept of objective truth may be subjective or unattainable
Even babies steal
Even the innocent and pure may take what is not theirs out of necessity or impulse
And the stars don't squeal
The world may not reveal all of its secrets, even when we expect or desire it to
Even babies kill
Even the most innocent may cause harm or destruction
And the stars are still
The universe may appear calm or unchanging, despite the chaos and uncertainty of life
Contributed by Tyler I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.