The Joy Formidable: Whirring Meaning
-
The lyrics are VISIBLE friend. Not invisible. See for yourself in the Live versions on YouTube when the camera is zoomed on her face.
-
this song is about frequencies around us that we cannot sense. wavelengths.
watch the video live on youtube from KEXP.
they "turn the knobs" on the giant blower for distortion in the guitar at the end and play with the frequencies of the sounds.
ever speak into a fan? -
I think "columns" means newspaper columns.
I think "colours run prime" is a reference to political parties, and just the idea that people tend to take words and break them down only to build them up again with a new meaning.
See where that takes you, but I think it's written from the point of view of God or a politician (or other public figure) whose words have been twisted to suit the use of someone else who "stole" them. The "whirring" is the brainless chatter of that public, who gobbles up rumors and mis-quotes like a bunch of bees scrambling for honey, and they "chime along" with what ever is popular.
"Watch these hands move apart" is the image of praying hands becoming less holy (truly or through slander) under the scrutiny of the gossip whores. -
The high that she is on is LOVE--"this much delight takes columns to new heights". She has fallen for someone and is realizing it yet she feels the other person doesn't quite know the depth of her affections bc she is not fully letting it be known. "all these things about me you never can tell"
Her feelings are intense..."colors run prime".."paint a picture so bright"..."you make me sleep so badly". She can't stop thinking about him due to the intense feelings she has for him.
She wants him to come forth some too and help her vocalize these feelings---"turn a dial on my words." She knows she needs to be more open. She assures she is going to start the process "watch my hands move apart." He needs to come a bit more forward too. She requests..."Chime along, chime along.." The imagery of a clock--the arms and chime...it's like pushing time forward, moving the relationship forward will happen when they unlock their feelings.
She says "I can see you staying here". She wants him with her. She sees him in her life permanently.
This is a beautifully worded song about someone who is intensely in love and ready to come forth but needs some sign from the other that they feel the same way. She's made up her mind; she feels it is time. -
Prime numbers are arranged in a beautiful rainbow. A child with an invisible friend sleeps poorly. For someone who is always being put down, words fall short and it is a waste of time talking to anyone.
-
Ok, I'm sorry, but that is definitely not what it means, or at least not to me.
"This much delight
Fills columns to new heights"
This it me means that she feels this intense feeling of joy for finding enlightenment and knowing the meaning behind herself as a person and everything around her. She feels an intense feeling of "knowing".
"All these things about me, you never can tell"
Means that there is so much that the person she is singing to will never ever know about her.
"You make me sleep so badly, invisible friend"
The "invisible friend" is -to me- her inner higher being: her intuition, everything she isn't and hopes to be. And it keeps turning up every know and then pointing things out to her.
"Turn the dial on my words, I can feel them fall short"
She is trying to help others go through life better by giving them subtle hints on what they are doing wrong but they keep on stumbling though life. She telling the one she's singing to to "turn the dial" on what she's saying because she knows that no one is getting it.
"Turn the dial,
chime along, chime along"
She is telling the person to help her help others by echoing what she's been saying all along.
"Watch these hands move apart"
She's literally saying watch her open her arms to those that need help.
Turn the dial on my words"
Help her send her message.
"I can see you standing...here"
Her higher self stands right over her shoulder sometimes, encouraging her to to what's right.
"Fierce steps shadow"
This one is really difficult. It means that the hard steps are going to need to be taken in the future.
"Life's will, gone shallow"
She is getting tired of this life she been trying to lead.
....and the rest is just a stronger repeat of the first set of lyrics. I HOPE THIS HELPED! -
the clock and reviews her interactions throughout the day. The anxiety is her invisible friend.
-
I see this as her referring to anxiety. She is able to hide this to everyone. But at night she is unable to sleep. She watches the cl
-
its about someone she wants to like but he's not quite in frequency with what she says, he has an illusion of her, thinking oh! this means this!, but she knows hes interpreting wrong, she wants him to see real, so they can be together
-
never thought of if like that... but maybe the love that she can't express, gives her that 'high' (it would make sense that they would be related in artsy lyrics)
"invisible friend" = she's pretending he's there
"i can see you staying here"
"turn the dial on my words" turning the dial is changing them like changing the channel on an old tv
"watch these hand move apart" is the clock hands as time moves on
then the chimes come from the alarm of a new day without him
thats what i got out of it -
This much delight
Fills columns to new heights
All these things about me you never can tell
***A new level of the feeling 'delight' has been reached but it wouldn't be noticable or apparant to anyone looking.***
Colours run prime
Paint a picture so bright
All these things about me you never can tell
You make me sleep so badly invisible friend
***Colours appear vibrant and split into the three primes. When every colour can be experienced through seeing combinations of the original primes, the picture or resolution is astounding. Yet again, no one can experience colours like the subject person so therefor, no one can tell.***
**You make me sleep so badly invisible friend is a reference to the fact that sleeping is difficult and nigh on impossible after you ingest or administer psycho-active drugs..**
Turn the dial on my words
I can feel them fall short
Turn the dial, chime alarm
Watch these hands move apart
Turn the dial on my words
***After taking drugs like this one may find it extremely difficult to express their emotions or feelings verbally as the trip or 'song' begins to pick up.***
**Watch these hands move apart, fascination with your own hands is very common during a trip***
I can see you staying here
Fierce steps shadow, Life's will gone shallow
All these things about me you never can tell
You make me sleep so badly invisible friend
Turn the dial on my words
I can feel them fall short
Turn the dial, chime alarm
Watch these hands move apart
Turn the dial on my words
I can see you staying here
***Ha ha, this song is most likely not about tripping at all... But I heard it while I was... AND it made sense to me that way. Also, any song can be interpreted in many many ways so I suppose it could be about acid.***
More The Joy Formidable songs »
Latest Articles
-
A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park -
Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable -
.jpg)
Dolly, we need you -
The Stranger Things Effect: How new media is drawing Gen Z and Alpha's attention to aging media -
The most underrated soundtrack of the early 2000s -
Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie: Brainscan (1994)
Trending:
Just Posted
| Live Forever | anonymous |
| Space Oddity | anonymous |
| Remind You | anonymous |
| You've Got A Friend | anonymous |
| Austin | anonymous |
| Bel Air | anonymous |
| Firefly | anonymous |
| My Medicine | anonymous |
| Orphans | anonymous |
| Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) | anonymous |
| A Whole New World (End Title) | anonymous |
| Eyes Closed | anonymous |
| The Phrase That Pays | anonymous |
| Montreal | anonymous |
| Moonlight | anonymous |
