I was sitting doing homework, late at night. It is a wonder, how lonely sitting and doing homework can be. I solve this problem by listening to music. The song that really jumped out at me tonight was Regina's Spektor's The Man of a Thousand Faces.
What is so interesting about this song is the story. It is not the story of a growth in a person, but a falling away. One gets the feeling that the man of a thousand faces was not always so acquainted with the moon. Lines such as 'he used to go to his favorite bookstores..." lend themselves to a very different view of the man. This first man is eccentric, but still human. Note the phrase, 'and the moon to him was a stranger'. This, of course, leads us to the question who is the moon?
This phrase jumped out at me, "his words are quiet like stains are". Well, stains are not quiet. Usually. Usually they scream, "Look at me! I'm not supposed to be here! I'm messing up a perfectly loving blouse!" So, if the man of a thousand faces' words are quiet like stains, what is he saying? Looking further, we learn more about what kind of stain. "Stains that are trying to cover, for each other, or at least blend in with the pattern." These are more the dark stains on a dark skirt, where they can blend in, but when one looks closely, something is not quite right. Its as though at first glance, the man has not changed until one takes a second and sees the dark stain trying to hide--the pattern is the pattern of his former personality.
This man of a thousand faces seems to have not only have fallen away from friends, but God. Listen to this "to a place of a place of no religion, has found a path to our alikeness". What does this mean? Is there an anti-religious meaning hidden in these words? I suppose one could put one in the lyrics, but I do not think that this is the point of the song. Listen to the phrase "And I'm crying for things I tell others to do without crying." Something is disturbing the singer, as she watches the man (a former friend, lover?) fall away, fall way from her, from society, from God.
There is also an element that the man think he knows more than other people. From the view of the singer, this is an unfounded belief and an empty philosophy, making the man simply look weaker. He detaches himself from humanity, not needing them, and believing to know more than them. The fact of the matter is, we need each other. Humans need each other. Here we can answer the question, 'who is the moon?' The moon represents all that is not human. It orbits far above us in the sky, having nothing to do with us. Essentially, the man of a thousand faces is say he is apart from humanity, floating high above with the moon.This will only create his ruin, because there is an element of superficiality to his philosophy. It is clear that the singer knows this and weeps for the man of a thousand faces. And so do I.
Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80U5YdGrt9g
Lyrics:http://www.lyricstime.com/regina-spektor-man-of-a-thousand-faces-lyrics.html
Whenever I do homework late into the night, I find that music tends to create a soporific atmosphere. I find myself immersed in the music, listening, with straining ears, to every instrument, voice and effect. I find myself 'tuned in' if you will, to every movement of the melody... This, obviously, can lead to problems if one is truly concentrated on the academics at hand. In other words, I simply cannot do both at once. Although I have never heard this song, your blog made me want to. :) great analysis. :)
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