Most of my friends would characterize me as "the girl who is just as crazy as her hair." They make a good point, but this song focuses more on the serious flavor that is locked inside that cheeky little phrase. It really touches upon the effects of insomnia-something I have been struggling with since the early teens. I take a literal standpoint by mentioning the side effects in the first verse, "So tired, derailed, so vacant and pale." Looking back on the character of the song now though, I find it very ironic. Even though the chorus "So manic, (jerking back and forth like a jack out of the box) I'm pulling out my hair (droning hours own my grin) (torture's just the axle to the wheels I must appease)" describes a very aggressive vehement stage of how I sometimes feel, the handling of the orchestration and manner of the song is somewhat 'dreamlike.' You might feel as though you were bobbing back and forth among puffy white clouds in a clear blue sky, especially with the adorable glockenspiel in the background. The constant swaying of the guitar's offbeats creates a puddle of mud for the song to wade around in. Kirk's accordion line at the end of the bridge sort of brings me back to a serene night in Paris (never been there just in case you were wondering.)
The counterbalance comes really in the second sort of semi-chorus where it begins (torture's just the axle) With the different voices going back and forth, it creates the tension there that often lurks around in my brain…damn neurons. Evidently, this song seems to be a therapeutic answer to the questionable mania I have been grappling with, I'm hoping it puts you at ease too!
-Julia Egan
lyrics
So tired,
Derailed,
So wired,
So vacant and pale.
Pretentious,
Opaque,
Realistic,
My heart expatriates.
So manic,
I’m pullin’ out my hair.
Manic.
So tired,
Derailed,
So wired,
So vacant and pale.
So manic (jerking back and forth like--)
I’m pullin’ out my hair (--a jack out of the box)
So manic (torture’s just the axle to--)
I’m pullin’ out my hair (--the wheels I must appease)
Torture’s just the axle to the wheels I must appease.
Wheels I must appease.
credits
from Neuron,
released July 22, 2012
Julia Egan- lyrics, vocals, guitar.
Kirk Pearson- accordion, cello, didgeridoo, electronics
Polina Vulakh- piano