Written by Robert Pollard
Recorded by Guided By Voices
Bridges come in all shapes and sizes. Some of my favorites have numerous lines of lyrics and last for a few minutes – others are just one line, to the point, and emotionally massive. Let’s discuss the latter, and who better to provide a shining example than the masters of the get-in-and-get-out approach to music, Guided By Voices.
Calling GBV’s Robert Pollard prolific is an understatement. The man is a machine, but among his catalog, one of my favorites is Alien Lane’s “As We Go Up, We Go Down.” Witty wordplay often coats the harsh pill in Uncle Bob’s lyrics, and this song is a great example.
I can't terrorize, I see terror in your eyes
As we go up, we go down
I can't socialize, I'll be institutionalized
As we go up, we go down
The protagonist struggles with how to fit into a world that has no place for him. He seeks connection, but all he finds is deceit and manipulation. As per the chorus:
…the truth is just a lie
Clocking in at 1:37, the song gets to the bridge quickly, and this is where we get to the heart of our protagonist’s angst, and his resolution:
I speak in monotone, "Leave my fucking life alone!"
What more can one say after that other than “as we go up, we go down?” Guided By Voices may not be a household name and not nearly as popular as most other artists covered in this blog, but behind the lo-fi indie guitar rock is some of the best songwriting of the last four decades, and usually in two minutes or less.
-MJK
Recorded by Guided By Voices
Bridges come in all shapes and sizes. Some of my favorites have numerous lines of lyrics and last for a few minutes – others are just one line, to the point, and emotionally massive. Let’s discuss the latter, and who better to provide a shining example than the masters of the get-in-and-get-out approach to music, Guided By Voices.
Calling GBV’s Robert Pollard prolific is an understatement. The man is a machine, but among his catalog, one of my favorites is Alien Lane’s “As We Go Up, We Go Down.” Witty wordplay often coats the harsh pill in Uncle Bob’s lyrics, and this song is a great example.
I can't terrorize, I see terror in your eyes
As we go up, we go down
I can't socialize, I'll be institutionalized
As we go up, we go down
The protagonist struggles with how to fit into a world that has no place for him. He seeks connection, but all he finds is deceit and manipulation. As per the chorus:
…the truth is just a lie
Clocking in at 1:37, the song gets to the bridge quickly, and this is where we get to the heart of our protagonist’s angst, and his resolution:
I speak in monotone, "Leave my fucking life alone!"
What more can one say after that other than “as we go up, we go down?” Guided By Voices may not be a household name and not nearly as popular as most other artists covered in this blog, but behind the lo-fi indie guitar rock is some of the best songwriting of the last four decades, and usually in two minutes or less.
-MJK
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