Lyrics Discussion Thread: Childhood Dreams

[Maca (Mod)]

I wanted to open this thread since my recent posts with jax1511, Icescape and Sunshine07 in the All Good Things - Folklore thread turned out to be so interesting. I love really getting into discussion and reading other people's opinions, so I plan to write "essay-like" posts, so if you don't like those, be warned, LOL.

The idea is to get to the bottom of Nelly's amazing and original lyrics and try to figure out what she means, what inspired them and to share what they mean to us. Since we've been discussing One-Trick Pony lately, we should start with Folklore. When we kill all the Folklore lyrics maybe we can move on to Whoa, Nelly or Loose. Whatever, let's see how this goes.

[Maca (Mod)]

OK, Let's start with One-Trick Pony. The song was inspired by a Paul Simon song also titled One-Trick Pony:

He's a one trick pony
One trick is all that horse can do
He does one trick only
It's the principal source of his revenue
And when he steps into the spotlight
You can feel the heat of his heart
Come rising through

See how he dances
See how he loops from side to side
See how he prances
The way his hooves just seem to glide
He's just a one trick pony (that's all he is)
But he turns that trick with pride

He makes it look so easy
He looks so clean
He moves like god's
Immaculate machine
He makes me think about
All of these extra movements I make
And all of this herky-jerky motion
And the bag of tricks it takes
To get me through my working day
One-trick pony

He's a one trick pony
He either fails or he succeeds
He gives his testimony
Then he relaxes in the weeds
He's got one trick to last a lifetime
But thats all a pony needs
(that's all he needs)

He looks so easy
He looks so clean
He moves like god's
Immaculate machine
He makes me think about
All of these extra movements I make
And all of this herky-jerky motion
And the bag of tricks it takes
To get me through my working day
One-trick pony
One-trick pony, one trick pony
One-trick pony, one trick pony
One-trick pony (take me for a ride)
One trick pony

[jax1511]

Great idea!!! For one trick pony -- you said something in the other thread how it was based on another song one trick pony, is that right or were you just messing with me? I think lyrically it's interesting especiall as a lead in song because it's sort of like Nelly has a bit of a chip on her shoulder and that sets the tone for alot of the songs that follow...

[Maca (Mod)]

And this is what Nelly had to say about the song:

I’m inspired by words and phrases. The night I wrote this, my head had just hit the pillow, but then I got up and wrote all the lyrics for this song. I’m just saying I’m not a one-trick pony, and that I don’t want to be pigeonholed. The music is splendid. The banjo makes an appearance, and it’s mixed with this hip-hoppy groove. There’s a funkiness to its rhythm that makes it feel very modern. This song reminds me of the America hit “A Horse With No Name.” It’s abstract in that way, where I’m more painting broad strokes than being exact with the words. The Kronos Quartet plays on this – a whole string arrangement that’s so insane. We sent the song to them, then they sent it back to us with the arrangement, and we were blown away.

I agree that it sets the tone for the album. And I have always admired how the first song in each album has a really great instrumental intro that seemes to serve as an intro for the whole album. I always have that impression when I listen to Hey, Man! and Afraid too.

[Sunshine07]

Sweet topic Maca! And perfect opening, since One-Trick Pony is my favourite song of all time! I love the lyrics in this song because, for awhile, I didn't understand them. But I totally get what she's saying--it's actually more direct than I thought. No one wants to be seen as just known for doing one thing; we all have different sides to our personality. It's also a great description of her as a singer--she likes to reveal different layers of herself as an artist which is why each album has been very different from the previous and all very new for nelly and great for the fans!!

[Loosen Up]

i think one trick pony is nelly saying hey look at me, im not a one hit wonder, i can and will prove to u i can write more than one hit, that i can be huge without assistance and that i am going to be around for a long time.

Another thing is like exactly what sunshine said no one wants to be known for doing one thing...... i luv this topic maca!!!!!!!!!!

[Icescape]

Great idea. I've been hoping for somethread like this too, to just discuss Nelly apart from all the news and rumours and such. I do have one suggestion though, if you won't mind, that we wouldn't necessarily have to go her lyrics in a peticular order, but just see how it develops, cause one thought seems to lead to another without any order And I guess it'll be ok, if we discuss music and melody as well here?

I've liked the song much before, but to me the song got to a whole new level with the version at Nick The Nightfly (which Maca sent a few weeks ago). Even though I love the strings in original, I understand the mood of the song better in that another. I feel it's a darker version.

I didn't know either of the song that worked as inspiration. I guess in that it's more of an owe of something that is a such a cliche, but what still is worshipped in some extreme way, like some of the everybody's property celebs, like Elvis and even Britney at her best days. I feel it's about that fancult, how some people get really admired that don't even have a lot of substance.

And then Nelly turns it into complete scorn towards the emptiness of that person. Now don't get me wrong, I love that element of the song, of being almost arrogant towards people who have a price and little substance. But it's all done in a great and subtle way, (compare to say GITM, there IS NO comparison), like Sunshine, at first I had no idea what she was singing about, well, I had no idea if Nelly ever sang anything with a sense, lol, but now I see even odd songs like TOTL have deep meanings and she isn't just throwing ideas and lines around...
To me the "nobody can disown me" part of the lyrics is the best, maybe because to me another attraction in Nelly has been how she in her songs remoulds the stereotypes about how women should be, which idea still seems to exclude being very clever in a non-booksmart way, but creatively. Oh, gosh, I don't know how to phrase that better, I hope you guys get it... Most obvious this is clearly in Baby Girl, "I don't wanna be your baby girl, I don't wanna be your little pearl", but in all the songs in witch she dares to speak her mind, in a non-conforming way, like Shit On The Radio, I think it's the type of song most people still would expect written by a guy? Or maybe you disagree?

Then there's that bursting of life element, the existentialism. In this song I feel that gipsy mod that Nelly sometimes has, of a wondering artist, maybe singing ar night to a few people on circus yard, after the show, lol, and then she leaves the one-trick pony's to the show, and moves on to another village... hehe, it sounds funny, but that's how I'd describe the feeling I get. In the guitar mainly version(it sounds there may be some percussion instrument too in the background?), I feel also a slightly lonely feel, to the melodies, which only makes it sweeter for me.
And then, I've noticed this in few other Nelly's songs too, like Saturdays, the guitar patters that moves like that, it creates some kind of spinning feel, or I don't know, a feel of temporarity and the song being in it's own sphere, you sort of fall into the mood up until the song ends, it takes you in that private sphere...hmm. anyone else feel it?

Btw, I feel that in SOTR chorus she doesn't sing purely on scale but a little above or below (on purpose obviously), but I might be wrong, I know little about music, but if someone here knows, share...

Uh, first essay...

[Maca (Mod)]

Originally Posted by Icescape

I didn't know either of the song that worked as inspiration. I guess in that it's more of an owe of something that is a such a cliche, but what still is worshipped in some extreme way, like some of the everybody's property celebs, like Elvis and even Britney at her best days. I feel it's about that fancult, how some people get really admired that don't even have a lot of substance.

And then Nelly turns it into complete scorn towards the emptiness of that person. Now don't get me wrong, I love that element of the song, of being almost arrogant towards people who have a price and little substance. But it's all done in a great and subtle way, (compare to say GITM, there IS NO comparison)

To me this is the most interesting thing about the song. She is singing about having more than just one trick, that she will not dance and prance because she's told to, but because and when she wants to, she's derisive against people that "do it for a price".

BUT, I agree that she's not doing it in an arrogant way. I've always gotten the vibe that being a one-trick pony would be her greatest fear, so this song is about facing and exorcising that fear. She's not singing in a smug way like she does in Give It To Me, to me she's not actally saying "I am not a one-trick pony, I'm so cool and so many people out there are sell-outs", she's saying "I don't ever want to be a one-trick pony, I don't want to be a sell-out, I want to march to my own drum and show that I am a lot of things". To me the song doesn't come from a feeling of arrogance about not being a one-trick pony, but from insecurity and a great desire to not be that kind of person, and that's why I love it so much and I relate to it.

I mean, I don't wanna be a one-trick pony either, some days I'll be happy because I excelled at some field other than the ones I usually do or dared to try something new, and I'll be proud about that. Other days are more standard because I don't challenge myself to do something different. To me not being a one-trick pony is not something you attain easily, it's more of a long-term or lifelong struggle to prove yourself you can be more, that you can fulfill your potential. You'll only know for sure if you were a one-trick pony or not until the end of the journey.

Originally Posted by Icescape

like Sunshine, at first I had no idea what she was singing about, well, I had no idea if Nelly ever sang anything with a sense, lol, but now I see even odd songs like TOTL have deep meanings and she isn't just throwing ideas and lines around...

Her lyrics are difficult a lot of the time, you don't know what she means, but that's what makes them interesting, they're not obvious but they're not just thrown there either, you get to sit for a while and try to figure them out.

Originally Posted by Icescape

but in all the songs in witch she dares to speak her mind, in a non-conforming way, like Shit On The Radio, I think it's the type of song most people still would expect written by a guy? Or maybe you disagree?

I agree in a way. Nelly is all about girlpower, I get that vibe from lots of songs, obviously from Baby Girl, and even from Promiscuous, in that song it is the girl the one who's calling the shots. But I don't think she has a big girlpower issue, she doesn't write songs saying "I'm a girl, I can do and say whatever a guy can". She sings about girls having power and calling the shots, but it's not a big issue for her, she's not trying to bring down the clich?, she doesn't feel overpowered by it. She's more concerned with selfpower, her songs are about being an individual, not about girls owning up to guys.

[Icescape]

^^ I hope that's not derisive laughter!

Originally Posted by Maca

I agree in a way. Nelly is all about girlpower, I get that vibe from lots of songs, obviously from Baby Girl, and even from Promiscuous, in that that song it is the girl the one who's calling the shots. But I don't think she has a big girlpower issue, she doesn't write songs saying "I'm a girl, I can do and say whatever a guy can". She sings about girls having power and calling the shots, but it's not a big issue for her, she's not trying to bring down the clich?, she doesn't feel overpowered by it. She's more concerned with selfpower, her songs are about being an individual, not about girls owning up to guys.

Yeah, I know, I didn't mean it in a girl power way, to me that kind of thing is pretty pointless too, some girls will always be one-trick-pullers and others not. For me it shows that she as a person calls out her right to be a real many dimensional person, one that when it comes to her, noone can really predetermine what she'll do and say, by presuming something on the basis of her being a woman, or a known person and so on. You know how some people on entertainment business will be politically correct no matter what the price, and even though I'm sure she tries to be polite, it's not politeness in a way that ends up in not being a responsible individual...sometimes you have to say the truth, even if it stings... like those times she was ridiculing award shows a little by acting like a freak. And Alejandro, that whole "girls ownng up to guys" like in that Christina video, is pretty far from actual intellectual contemplation of these issues.. That's more what I'd expect from Nelly, not some stereotypical girlpower thing, the Spice Girls did that! so it has inbuild irony You know, like that Curt Cobain comment she made, about philosophical sides of human sexuality, that's more what I was talking about here, and I think it's often present in her songs too

yeah, I think (very much emphasis on that word )I get many of her songs now. Also, especially in Whoa Nelly she uses a lot that ambiguity which is very typical in poetry, especially starting from modernism.

I hope I'll never become predictable either.. I think in addition to what you said, it's also about just knowing who you are, and following yuor gut feeling in your life. Well, I guess that's what you mean with fulfilling your potential. Also, Nelly writes very often about dreams and her dream in peticular and following it, which to me is a lovely part in her songs too. Like Saturdays "and dream of the city", but so many songs, Picture Perfect ,SOTR, Trynna Finda Way (or however it's spelled) , Stars.

I think Party has very good lyrics, even though I rarely listen to that song. I'm pretty sure "party" means a "lifetime" here, and it has darker and more sullen elements than her songs usually, I really like that about it.

[jax1511]

Originally Posted by Maca

To me this is the most interesting thing about the song. She is singing about having more than just one trick, that she will not dance and prance because she's told to, but because and when she wants to, she's derisive against people that "do it for a price".

Wow, Maca. Great point. I never really thought about it in that realm before. I always just concentrated on the will not prance, will not dance and left it at that. Then compared it to her current image where it seems like that is exactly what she is doing "pracing" for the money. But, thanks to you (and Icescape) I'm starting to realize that perhaps I'm not giving Nelly enough credit and she actually is in control and it's what she wants to do rather than having it imposed on her!

I love this thread already.