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 "Blue Dahlia" song meaning

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PostSubject: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 1:40 am

Probably the most similar lyrically to their older work, and therefore less straightforward and obvious in its meaning as some of the album tracks.

I particularly wanna discuss the last part of the song:

And did they take you the carnival to get locked up on a ride?
See me, I got caught up with the fortune tellers
And the ladies with the sleepy eyes
And it took years, my baby, just to come clean
Every street light, a reminder
And all those apologies…
And the night was lonely next to me
Even the night was lonely next to me

While the first two verses are about a girl, and hints that it's a girl he was unable to actually be with because of his insecurities ("me, I never believed") ("I met you between the wax and the needle in the words of my favorite song"), this part is really hard to understand. "It took years, my baby, just to come clean"....What does he have to come clean about? "And all those apologies..." This part hints that the loneliness expressed in the first two verses are his fault or he did something to deserve it....But I'm interested to see someone's take on this that is better at understanding lyrics than me haha

Kinda rambling I know but this song's lyrics just really intrigue me.


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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 3:26 am

To understand this song it might be an idea to watch Blue Dahlia. Its a film noir. Ive not seen it but the titles are too coincidental for Brian not to have watched it.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 3:41 am

i think the song's just about finding and loving someone who has similar experiences to the narrator. Cold, lonely, dark experiences with life and love. and yet she has faith that happiness can be found in the meeting of those two scarred, lonely souls- "come see about me."

as for the title, i think it's just supposed to convey how she is blue like him but still beautiful. in fact, her "blue" nature might contribute to her beauty.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 3:46 am

WingsForWheels wrote:
i think the song's just about finding and loving someone who has similar experiences to the narrator. Cold, lonely, dark experiences with life and love. and yet she has faith that happiness can be found in the meeting of those two scarred, lonely souls- "come see about me."

as for the title, i think it's just supposed to convey how she is blue like him but still beautiful. in fact, her "blue" nature might contribute to her beauty.

Wow thats deep man
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 4:41 am

Jerseyrain wrote:
To understand this song it might be an idea to watch Blue Dahlia. Its a film noir. Ive not seen it but the titles are too coincidental for Brian not to have watched it.

I've not seen it, but here the summary from Play.com:

"When Johnny Morrison returns home at the end of the war, he expects to receive a warm welcome from his wife. However, he makes the unpleasant discovery that she's been unfaithful to him with Eddie Harwood, the owner of the Blue Dahlia nightclub. After a heated and violent argument, he storms out of their house. Later that night, she's murdered--and Johnny winds up the prime suspect. Now, to prove his innocence, Johnny must find the real culprit. Among the suspects are the ruthless nightclub owner and a vicious gangster. Joyce Harwood, the estranged wife of the club's proprietor, lends Johnny a hand and the two fall in love while tracking down the killer. Two ex-service buddies also come to Johnny's aid: the shell-shocked Buzz Wanchek and George Copeland. Will Johnny solve the mystery before the police find him and charge him with murder? This film noir classic was Raymond Chandler's first original story written directly for the screen."

You can figure out the connection.

There is also a novel with that name by Norah Roberts. Again, the summary from Play.com:

"Recently widowed, Stella Rothchild is no stranger to the ghosts of the past, but the move from Michigan back to her roots near Memphis, Tennessee is supposed to be about the future. Her two energetic young sons are thriving in their new school. Stella's got a great job managing successful nursery 'In the Garden' and an interesting boss and landlady in local legend Roz Harper. She even has a new friend in Hayley Phillips, the feisty young pregnant woman who turns up at Harper House, Stella's new home, looking for a job. More than that, Stella feels an instant attraction to 'In the Garden's' landscaper, Logan Kitridge, who gets under her skin and makes her feel truly alive for the first time in years. But there is someone at Harper House who isn't happy about Stella's growing feelings for Logan - the Harper Bride, an unidentified woman whose grief and rage have kept her spirit alive long past the death of her body. Love and loss broke her mind, and in her madness, she will stop at nothing to destroy the new passion that Logan and Stella have found."

I think Brian just likes to use movie and book title for some of his songs, however tenuous the connection.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 9:17 am

I relate to this in a way that's actually quite frightening. My favorite song in the world right now.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 9:19 am

JackStreetcar wrote:
I relate to this in a way that's actually quite frightening. My favorite song in the world right now.

Me too. It's a magical song.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 9:31 am

"Blue Dahlia" song meaning Captur12

i can't stop listening to this song. HELP ME.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 9:35 am

Bea wrote:
"Blue Dahlia" song meaning Captur12

i can't stop listening to this song. HELP ME.

Haha that will be me soon when I actually get the album!
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 9:39 am

Listen to Sliver dude Razz.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 12:07 pm

Bea wrote:
"Blue Dahlia" song meaning Captur12

i can't stop listening to this song. HELP ME.

Jeez that some serious listens given that youve only had it a few days. Id be sick of it. 47 listens in such a short space of time would ruin it for me for defo. Can't believe you haven't even given sliver a listen yet, surely it deserves just one...
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 12:18 pm

i did listen to Silver one time, but not in its entirety. i stopped half-way through cause i didn't like it at all, and apparently iTunes didn't take account of it...

and no, i'm still not tired of Blue Dahlia although i've decided to not listen to it for a few hours Razz
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 6:57 pm

HOW ON EARTH IS THIS NOT ON THE REGULAR ALBUM???
Might just be me, but I think it's the best song lyrically on the entire album. I only shed a tear on Dahlia and Mae.
And the very ending sounds like the album closer with the double-time drums and everything. It's just epic.

Theory: with the carnival reference, and lines like "caught up with the fortune tellers and the women with the sleepy eyes"...I feel like they were afraid this might bring out some big Bruce comparisons.

Anyone else getting this? It's a truly astounding song. Casual fans who don't get this on the regular album are getting ROBBED!
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 7:01 pm

Bea wrote:
i did listen to Silver one time, but not in its entirety. i stopped half-way through cause i didn't like it at all, and apparently iTunes didn't take account of it...

I'm not the only one! It's the first ever Gaslight song that I skip, which I never thought was going to happen... Sad
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 10:10 pm

lyrics from the digital booklet

Blue Dahlia

What a hard and sultry summer
Steam just slides up off them streets
You gotta stay inside and wait for the night
And then come on over and see me
Cause there's a poetry about these streets
And it slips from your skin, goes right underneath
And mama always knew I'd meet a girl like you
But me, I never believed
Cause I've been so lonely I can't imagine that kind of sympathy

Where'd you get them scars? How blue is your heart?
Is it sad enough to break, she said, "it's sad enough to break"
How long was your life? Was it cold and strange like mine?
Are you man enough to lay here?
She said, "I'm man enough, my baby, come see about me"

I had a dream about you once
I could barely see your form
I met you between the wax and the needle
In the words of my favorite song
And your black hair was like a raven
With your tan skin on the beach
And your backdrop where the Auroras and my Sidekick was all this grief
And I been so low down, I been almost level with the ground

Where'd you get them scars? How blue is your heart?
Is it sad enough to break, she said, "it's sad enough to break"
How long was your life? Was it cold and strange like mine?
Are you man enough to lay here?
She said, "I'm man enough, my baby, come see about me"

And did they take you to the carnival
To get locked up on a ride?
See me, I got caught up with the fortune tellers
And the ladies with the sleepy eyes
And it took years, my baby, just to come clean
Every street light, a reminder
And all those apologies...
And the night was lonely next to me
Even the night was lonely next to me

Where'd you get them scars?
How blue is your heart?
Is it sad enough to break, she said, "it's sad enough to break"
How long was your life?
Was it cold and strange like mine?
Are you man enough to lay here?
She said, "I'm man enough, my baby, come see about me"
Come see about me
Come see about me
Come see about me
Whenever you're lonely
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 10:17 pm

ral wrote:
lyrics from the digital booklet

Blue Dahlia

What a hard and sultry summer
Steam just slides up off them streets
You gotta stay inside and wait for the night
And then come on over and see me
Cause there's a poetry about these streets
And it slips from your skin, goes right underneath
And mama always knew I'd meet a girl like you
But me, I never believed
Cause I've been so lonely I can't imagine that kind of sympathy

Where'd you get them scars? How blue is your heart?
Is it sad enough to break, she said, "it's sad enough to break"
How long was your life? Was it cold and strange like mine?
Are you man enough to lay here?
She said, "I'm man enough, my baby, come see about me"

I had a dream about you once
I could barely see your form
I met you between the wax and the needle
In the words of my favorite song
And your black hair was like a raven
With your tan skin on the beach
And your backdrop where the Auroras and my Sidekick was all this grief
And I been so low down, I been almost level with the ground

Where'd you get them scars? How blue is your heart?
Is it sad enough to break, she said, "it's sad enough to break"
How long was your life? Was it cold and strange like mine?
Are you man enough to lay here?
She said, "I'm man enough, my baby, come see about me"

And did they take you to the carnival
To get locked up on a ride?
See me, I got caught up with the fortune tellers
And the ladies with the sleepy eyes
And it took years, my baby, just to come clean
Every street light, a reminder
And all those apologies...
And the night was lonely next to me
Even the night was lonely next to me

Where'd you get them scars?
How blue is your heart?
Is it sad enough to break, she said, "it's sad enough to break"
How long was your life?
Was it cold and strange like mine?
Are you man enough to lay here?
She said, "I'm man enough, my baby, come see about me"
Come see about me
Come see about me
Come see about me
Whenever you're lonely

Cool! I saw these in my Deluxe edition book too, but I didn't feel like typing them up. I was way off Sad.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeTue Jul 24, 2012 10:29 pm

Holy crap, this song was worth the wait. I may have spoiled every single one except this before getting the album, but this was definitely worth waiting.

Also, I think this song has a few references to the girl from Great Expectations and Crush due to the raven hair and being level with the ground.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeWed Jul 25, 2012 2:51 am

It's pretty much my favorite TGA song.
The "Where'd you get them scars?" sounds like Senor and the Queen with "Where'd you get those eyes?"
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeWed Jul 25, 2012 5:44 am

Absolutely beautiful lyrics. Could actually be there best song ever. Whoevers decision (if outside the band) it was so not have it as the album closer should be sacked :p.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeWed Jul 25, 2012 8:00 am

The second verse just makes the song for me
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeWed Jul 25, 2012 10:58 am

Jerseyrain wrote:
To understand this song it might be an idea to watch Blue Dahlia. Its a film noir. Ive not seen it but the titles are too coincidental for Brian not to have watched it.
there was an interview with brian where he said he never read "even cowgirls get the blues," he just liked the title. so, yea.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeWed Jul 25, 2012 10:05 pm

"Every street light, a reminder" is from Nightswimming (REM). Brought back some memories when I heard that line.
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeThu Jul 26, 2012 1:16 am

eagles1139 wrote:
Probably the most similar lyrically to their older work, and therefore less straightforward and obvious in its meaning as some of the album tracks.

I particularly wanna discuss the last part of the song:

And did they take you the carnival to get locked up on a ride?
See me, I got caught up with the fortune tellers
And the ladies with the sleepy eyes
And it took years, my baby, just to come clean
Every street light, a reminder
And all those apologies…
And the night was lonely next to me
Even the night was lonely next to me

While the first two verses are about a girl, and hints that it's a girl he was unable to actually be with because of his insecurities ("me, I never believed") ("I met you between the wax and the needle in the words of my favorite song"), this part is really hard to understand. "It took years, my baby, just to come clean"....What does he have to come clean about? "And all those apologies..." This part hints that the loneliness expressed in the first two verses are his fault or he did something to deserve it....But I'm interested to see someone's take on this that is better at understanding lyrics than me haha

Kinda rambling I know but this song's lyrics just really intrigue me.



Go listen to his favorite song Smile that might clear that line up. (sorry I'm not being specific, I drew my own conclusions/assumptions I just want to let you draw your own too!) His favorite song apparently is "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" by Bob Dylan.

I'm going out of order here (my bad). Here's my take verse by verse...

V1
Pretty straightforward, he's talking about meeting up with this girl at night and his mother always knew he'd get a great girl and that there was someone out there for him but he was always convinced that no one could maybe sympathize/put up with someone like him to connect with him on that level.

Chorus
He's questioning this girl, can she really handle how he is? is she made the same? has her life been the same? and he's saying she said yes.

V2
He's essentially saying he dreamt up this amazing girl, and then he follows with the chorus basically asking "are you that girl".

V3
I think what he means by "coming clean" MAY be more about being honest with himself and getting over the romantic ideas in his head and to free himself from what other people were telling him (sort of like fortune tellers but not in the literal sense) about life and love. And/or cleansing himself of his past and those relationships. The apologies might be ones he gave at the time for things he was ashamed of? That's all my own speculation.


Feel free to point out anything you think I got slightly/totally wrong! I love this song.


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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeThu Jul 26, 2012 1:24 pm

IS IT SAD ENOUGH TO BREAK? SHE SAID IS IT SAD ENOUGH TO BREAK?

damn that was awesome. Killer jam. Could have been the closer. Would have been awesome after National Anthem



Bea wrote:
"Blue Dahlia" song meaning Captur12

i can't stop listening to this song. HELP ME.

Pretty sure my most played song in iTunes is barely at 60. Started using iTunes in Jan 2011. damn. lol
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PostSubject: Re: "Blue Dahlia" song meaning   "Blue Dahlia" song meaning Icon_minitimeThu Jul 26, 2012 1:31 pm

eagles1139 wrote:
Probably the most similar lyrically to their older work, and therefore less straightforward and obvious in its meaning as some of the album tracks.



This is probably why it was indeed left off.
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