On Stabbing Yourself in the Neck

I really like Interpol. The band almost picks up where Joy Division left off. Depressing lyrics and all.

I was jogging the other day, dragging my ass around this dirt track at a nearby park. I haven't jogged in months because I've been recovering from shoulder surgery since October. So it was kinda hard.

Anyway, I was trying to establish a good rhythm -- trying to get into a running groove. Then the motivational song I needed finally came on my MP3 player: Obstacle 1 by Interpol. Damn that got me. I had to slow myself down. I didn't want to stop. I think I listened to it twice. And it occurred to me: I'm not really sure what this guy is singing about. OK, he sounds unhappy with a relationship. I think he says something about stabbing himself in the neck. That definitely sounds unhappy. And it reminds me that my orthopedist wants to give me cervical cortisone shot, which I am rather uneasy about. I've never been a fan of being stabbed in the neck.

Finally this morning I got around to finding the lyrics via Google. Amazing how many lyrics websites have popped up on the internet. They all want to install spyware on my computer. How nice of them. I search 5 pages in to finally find a friendly Interpol fan site with no spyware.

The opening line of the song is quite promising:
"I wish I could eat the salt off of your lost faded lips"

Oooh, I like that. Although I wish he'd have written lick instead of eat...but i digress...

He sings:
"...but it's different now
that I'm poor and aging
I'll never see this face again
you'll go stabbing yourself in the neck..."

OK, now I am rather confused. I'm not sure why she'd go stabbing herself in the neck for him. Even at my most despondent, I've never had that inclination. But to each his own. I'm not going to try to figure it out. Sometimes I write lines that may not make perfect sense, but they sure do sound good (or feel right). The image of someone stabbing themselves in the neck -- there's nothing wimpy about it -- it's very clear. Lots of gushing blood. A very strong line. So graphic. I love it.

And notice that the line states "you'll go stabbing yourself in the neck," implying more than one stab. How many could she manage before she passes out? I suppose we'll never know.

Interpol is coming to my town next week, playing the Warfield, but I won't be able to go see them. And (to quote them) that puts the weights into my little heart...