I Can't Decide

I just don't know. I like both of the songs but neither are are my favorite from their respective artist. I have decided to just give a brief commentary of both.

"Shankill Butchers" - The Decemberists
It is funny that I have listen to this song many times and I like it but I have never really thought about what the song is about. Not event the title really made me think twice. What is a Shankill Butcher?

Thanks to Wikipedia I found out.

"The "Shankill Butchers" were a group of Ulster Volunteer Force members involved in a large number of loyalist paramilitary activities in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the 1970s. The Butchers' chief notoriety came from late-night abduction, torture and killings (by throat slashing) of random members of the Roman Catholic community."

It is very strange subject matter for a song but that is how The Decemberists roll. I may opinion this is the crucial section of the song:

"They used to be just like me and you
They used to be sweet little boys
But something went horribly askew
Now killing is their only source of joy
Cuz everybody knows if you don't mind your mothers words... etc."

What that means exactly... I don't know. Maybe some commentary on how society uses scare tactics to teach children or maybe how even the most heinous criminals are not that much different than you and me.

"Mother Make Me Golden" - Dear and the Headlights
This song is definitely growing on me. I like the music. but again I am going to focus on the lyrics. This is a sad song. I don't know if the "blakened" or the "you and him" phrases denote a bad experience with this mother in a tragedy in the family and I don't really care. I like to think that it is just a childlike call to mother to bring back the simple days of childhood. Eric and I where just talking about our childhood. Watching Micah bring thoughts of how nice it would be to have such a simple life, the life of a child, although completely impossible.

"With the stitches, no tag backs
And the red Kool-aid mustache
We can race there and then back
Just sodas and best friends

Waging war on the ant's nest
And a card in your spokes clicks
Like the buttons on a joy stick and
I loved it"