A request came last week to convert The National’s in-studio performance on WOXY into mp3s, and who am I to deny such a worthy suggestion? After all, I believe in a democracy. I also believe in The National, which happened to own the top slots in my favorite albums and songs lists of 2005.
The set contains four songs, including an outstanding and energetic rendition of Abel. Also, I’m curious as to anyone’s interpretation of the song Secret Meeting. (Get the lyrics here.) In two interviews I’ve heard, both interviewers talked about listening to that song quite a few times before it really hit them. I have an idea of what I think the song is about, but I’m wondering about anyone else’s translation of the lyrics. Fire away in the comments.
The National, WOXY.com Lounge Acts, 9/22/05:
1. Secret Meeting
2. 90-Mile Water Wall
3. Looking for Astronauts
4. Abel
Also …
- I’ll likely offer up my two cents on the Bloc Party DVD, God Bless Bloc Party, for the Sunday Grab Bag. In the meantime, you might wanna hit the group’s Web site for some pretty excellent mp3s.
- You need some more style in your life. You do. So hit my friend/co-worker Carrie’s blog, Spinning Wheels, through The Arizona Republic’s online arm.
- The awesome Brooklyn Vegan has been kind enough to link to this site in the past couple of days, so I just want to return the favor, though my traffic is probably just a drop in the bucket by comparison.
- Special thanks to Dodge (he knows why) for being like a big blog brother to me. He’s got two contests you can enter.
- I Guess I’m Floating is a new addition to the blog roll and for good reason. Those guys are killin’ it over there! You’d do yourself a favor and jump on their 100th post extravaganza.
- With the NFL season dead to me (thank you, Bears) I look forward to baseball: less than a month to pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training. The Cactus League has its own Web site now.
good shiz brutha…
i meant to tell you that i discoverd ‘Mental Floss’ through Mama Dodge a couple months ago and love it too.
I love live tracks and The National sound great live. I want to point out two more live tracks I got a while back from the Red penguin blog. 2 live tracks from the British program – The Jools Holland Show.
http://www.redpenguin.net/blog/2005_11_01_blogarchive.php
Secret Meeting: The first line that stuck out to me as brilliant was “I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses” It’s such a great lyric/image, it makes you wonder why you hadn’t heard it before somewhere or thought of it yourself.
It reminds me of those nights where you’re out way past your bedtime just to spend time with some girl or another, and the next day your coworkers take one look at you and know you had a late night. Hiding behind sunglasses is one way to keep them from noticing.
I’ve always thought the song was about an introvert having a relationship with a very outgoing (wild, crazy, vivacious) girl and how that person is worried about being found out (ruined) by her friends (the spies) for being introverted/boring, which he worries he is. Not only does it make him more introspective (secret meetings), but also absent (sorry I missed you) from the scene around him.
In short, it’s about a homebody desiring to be outgoing and having the chance to be… but feeling very anxious about the whole thing.
My .02.
What was said in the interviews?
“I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain/ It went the dull and wicked ordinary way” is my favorite lyric.
thanks for this!
-brian
i’m not even going to put forward an opinion on secret meeting’s lyrics considering i thought it said “full of spiders” in the first line
Hahaha … Anon, don’t worry. I thought the same thing.
Newbobby, nothing was really said about “Secret Meeting” in either interview. Just both DJs saying how the meaning just sorta struck them outta nowhere. But nobody in The National explained what it meant. I got a vision of like paranoid/schizophrenia for some reason: “room full of spies” and “secret meeting in the basement of my brain.” I’m sure i’m WAY off.
you are a fine fine fellow. the national lands near the top of any list i can put together these days and the posted tracks are fantastic. thanks for honoring the request.
“so much silence” is a necessary daily stop and never disappoints. keep up the goodness.
thanks again.
you are a fine fine fellow. the national lands near the top of any list i can put together these days and the posted tracks are fantastic. thanks for honoring the request.
“so much silence” is a necessary daily stop and never disappoints. keep up the goodness.
thanks again.
thanks for the songs. The National destroy.
The National is good stuff. You go for the Cubs or the Sox?
I’m Cubs all the way. See what happens this year I like the additions of Jones and Pierre in the OF. Just think they need 1 more power hitter.
I think they should have hung onto Burnitz he is kinda annoying but not a bad player.
Thanks so much for The National lounge act mp3’s — made my morning. . .I mean, afternoon 🙂
I caught the National during a soundcheck (and the show that followed) when they played the Opolis in Norman, OK and my wife and I were the only ones there that early. anyway, they played “secret Meeting” and it was like our own little concert. These guys are fantastic. Thanks for sharing these live tracks.
I’m still not sold on the National.
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