Hey guys, welcome to 'Soul in Tune'. If you're new, my name is Sophie and I run this
channel. This channel serves as a platform to discuss music that exists to
help people, and you know bands and artists who put music out there for others.
So yeah, if that's something that interests you consider subscribing. I
post every Friday. With that out of the way let's get into today's video, which
is dedicated to the song "Magnolia", by Gang of Youths. "Magnolia" written by David Le'aupepe
Le'aupepe is the fifth song of Gang of Youth's first album "The Positions". Released in
2015, "Magnolia" has since accumulated over
13.5 million Spotify streams. It's a dark tale of Dave's suicide
attempt and substance abuse intertwined with an effervescent and pure
recognition of hope. This song means a great deal to me so I really want to do
it justice. I'll firstly explore some of the lyrics; essentially try to elicit as
great of an interpretation as possible based off my understanding and research.
Following that, I'll discuss my own interpretation of "Magnolia". Finally,
discuss the songs illustration of mental health and how valuable Dave's
summation of suicide genuinely is. I'll leave links to Magnolia below so if you
wanted to give it a listen definitely do first. But yeah, let's get into the lyrics.
These first lyrics establish Dave's suicide attempt. Having consumed bottles of
whiskey, Dave wanders across a major highway. Overconfident, he's past the
point of caring whether he lives or dies. "If my body's alive, then my soul's
unaware". When you're experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts
your body is almost on autopilot. You're basically just surviving. You're consumed
by so many negative thoughts that taking care of your physical self is no longer
a priority or even an option really. It's almost like you feel dead. Thus, being
unaware that your body is alive.
The notion of "terrible wine" may actually refer to its quality. But he could also
be alluding to the effect that the wine had on his life in that it was terrible
because it was a source of such pain and suffering for him. Saying that he's "savoured
the last and kissed it goodbye" is his way of accepting his death. He takes comfort in
kissing it goodbye. "There's no kind of right way to do what
I'll do". Nobody who tries to kill themselves actually wants to die. It's
something that you feel compelled to do; There is no other option. It's hard
because you feel like a burden, but you don't want to inflict pain upon others.
So in saying that "there's no kind of right way to do what I'll do", I feel like
it's almost an apology to his loved ones
Alcohol often leads to overconfidence, so I think h ere Dave feels very
indestructible. And in combination with suicidality, this combines to an almost
lethal kind of 'fuck you life, I'm done, my mind's made up' sort of mentality. And the
third of June was the day that this incident occurred.
Everyone has a rational and irrational side to themselves. When you're suffering
from depression, you know deep down that thoughts of self-harm and death are not
rational. But because you're ill, it's really hard to overcome them. Obviously
his (Dave's) irrational behaviour would have contributed to the police presence that
was involved, and he would have known that his behaviour was irrational. And not
really relevant, but these lyrics were the first ones that actually alerted me
to this song being about suicide based off of my own attempt.
I love these lyrics with all my heart. Despite the thoughts of pain that Dave
describes, "Magnolia" screams hope. And this permeates as almost an anthem through
the chorus, serving as a really powerful reminder not to give up on yourself. What
these lyrics convey is Dave's decision to live. You know, he no longer allowed
himself to die because death offered him nothing. And the strength in "there's no
way" reinforces this juxtaposition of mind from a loss of hope to a belief in
life. And the repetition of these lyrics throughout the song serves to
reinforce his need to live. "Show me the way, oh, show me the light". Here, I
feel like dave is alluding to religion or God, which are significant themes in
his life. It feels like he's saying 'okay God, I'm giving myself to you but you
need to guide me through this, you know, you need to show me how to get better,
show me how to be happy'.
Again, alcohol and addiction played a major role in Dave's ill health. But there's
this feeling of acceptance, and a sense of hope in moving past it.
The beginning of verse two re-establishes the scene of Dave's suicide
attempt, and further illustrates his ambivalence towards life. It also serves
as an acknowledgement of his alcohol-induced arrogance.
He's almost mocking the situation entirely, but in a way that kind of
implies that people are going to miss him when he's gone. "Just show me the
right things that I didn't do, oh, enlighten me now with impossible love from the
former you". I read that these lyrics may refer to Dave's longing for an
explanation from his ex-wife on the breakdown of their marriage. He was still
in love with her former self, but she was no longer the person that he'd married.
And he doesn't know where he went wrong or what happened to the person
that he loved. And that seems to tie in well with the sort of arrogance of the
earlier line, "and shaking ass 'til they kiss it goodbye".
Dave doesn't want to his death to result in oblivion within his circle of
friends and family. He wants people to know that he died for his relationship.
But when he says "and in haste", he doesn't want this to seem calculated or
manipulative. Rather, it comes from the heart; a wanting to give people closure in
knowing that he died of heartbreak.
What I learned through research is that these
lyrics actually borrowed from Vladimir Nobokov's novel "Lolita", which I actually
own but have not read. But Dave takes these words out of context to
sarcastically illustrate how he feels about his ex-wife.
Here, I feel the Dave is trying to illuminate his isolation and
disconnection from humanity. However, the tone of these lyrics almost illustrate
an exhilarating juxtaposition, whereby despite being "vastly outnumbered", and
despite life continually throwing shit at you, you're going to overcome this and
things will get better. It's a very powerful line to end on.
"Magnolia" embodies an empowerment of self; a need to overcome pain and suffering
to simply and purely live. And it too demands reflection, enacting a personal
truth within you. It is a song that pieces my soul and reflects much of my
own suicide attempt. But not in a way that hurts me. Rather, it
serves as a powerful reminder of how far I've come.
"Magnolia's" reach is simply a testament to its beauty in realness, being a
catalyst for the band's career and a credit to where they are today. Dave
utilises the first and second verses to eloquently explore the event, his
voice supported by his bandmates. The melody of keyboard, guitar and cymbals
supplement Dave's vulnerability in a way that forces you to stop and listen with
intent. In the pre-chorus, Donnie cultivates a sense of urgency as he transitions
from light taps to great blows on the cymbal, climaxing with an introduction to
the drums that leaves you holding on in suspense. And finally, an aggression of
drums, keyboard and guitar unite in the course to strengthen Dave's profound
antipode. "Magnolia" is not a story that demands your sympathy. It is a
proclamation of life. It requires you to move and dance and feel and live, and
that's how Dave triumphs in his discussion of suicide. To explore such
weighted topics with light is incredibly skilful, and I think he's hyper aware
that his story has become an anthem for the human condition. And not just in a
life-or-death, existential sense. It can be manipulated to reflect anyone's
lows really, and be the spark that guides them towards light. "Magnolia" is a
celebration of self empowerment born in overcoming the hurt, something that's
honestly probably better understood during live performances. I have a video
of their live performance of "Magnolia" from Laneway in Melbourne which you can
see here. So "Magnolia" is my favourite song from my favourite band. It never fails to
leave me smiling ear-to-ear, proud of myself and my own progress and infected
with Dave's enthusiasm for life. But I'd love to hear your own thoughts about the song
and whether or not you agree with my interpretation. So let
me know in the comments down below. As in all my videos I will leave links to
places that you can contact if you're struggling or need some extra support.
But I hope you all are well. Please remember that you are loved, and I will
see you in my next video.
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