Seventh Wonder Song Meanings

[Frankgate]

this all is fascinating...... very suggestive

anyway still wondering (or maybe I didn't catch it) which is the Africa Song..... I first thought KOWW, but you said it was swedish folklore.... maybe Move On Through??

 

[Kazar]

this all is fascinating...... very suggestive

anyway still wondering (or maybe I didn't catch it) which is the Africa Song..... I first thought KOWW, but you said it was swedish folklore.... maybe Move On Through??

'Move on Through' is the 'Africa song' indeed.
Check out the middle part of the 8th video from the studio-log!! It's the bass-solo right before the last chorus.
It's cool anyway watching all those videos again and trying to figure out where each part belongs on the album .

 

[RuRoRul]

anyway still wondering (or maybe I didn't catch it) which is the Africa Song..... I first thought KOWW, but you said it was swedish folklore.... maybe Move On Through??

I wondered this too once learning more about King Of Whitewater's lyrics. It still souned like it could maybe have been the African one in terms of music, though not greatly.

I think Alley Cat is probably the "Weird proggy one". You don't realise how weird that song is until you hear it along with the rest of the album.

Edit: Never thought Move On Through would be the African one, thought Straight Forward Rocker or whatever would fir it best.

 

[Kazar]

Travelling across Europe to talk to Tommy helps!
.....Explain to us, Lord Kazar!

Thanks, Peter.

Granted, Tommy explained to me that we ourselves are the Wisemen (great use of symbolism again), but the theme/explanation of 'Wiseman' and the fantastic connection to TGE I discovered myself (Reading the lyrics -> Tellus -> google -> Mother Earth -> "paradise ... fly away". Absolutely amazing!
The only thing that would make this even bigger/out of this world would be if we discover some sort of musical reference to TGE as well !!


Tommy, I hope I'm not crossing any borders by telling too much but I just want everybody to know what an amazing lyricist you are. Your time and effort creating all these lyrics (and their deeper meanings) deserve to be valued and appreciated! Please, delete all if you're not OK with this.

So, about 'Long way home':
Tommy told me a little bit more about this song. Maybe you're gonna see it in a whole new light when you know that the main character is........a young girl.
I guess, that is why the words used in (the beginning of) the song are not difficult at all.

Eventually, there's even more to this song than you think (seriously, you're gonna be stunned) but let's share thoughts about this (possible) new angle first.

 

[Frankgate]

It's cool anyway watching all those videos again and trying to figure out where each part belongs on the album .

I definitely agree!

 

[Frankgate]

I think Alley Cat is probably the "Weird proggy one". You don't realise how weird that song is until you hear it along with the rest of the album.

I don't play any instrument but I guess that song is very hard to play

 

[sirclansman]

Can you elaborate on your third song connected with Wiseman and TGE?
...can only mean that you see a connection between 'Alley Cat' and 'Wiseman/The Great Escape' and that is in my opinion not the case.
Share your thoughts, I'm curious

I guess we have a winner. We didnt discuss this so much during interview, but Alley Cat is connected to Wiseman and eventually to TGE.

 

[Kazar]

Sirclansman, I'm sorry but I don't see how the story of 'Alley Cat' relates to 'Wiseman' and therefore 'The Great Escape'. In my opinion, the story behind 'Alley Cat' really differs a lot from the other two songs.

Can you share your thoughts regarding the connection?

 

[sirclansman]

Sirclansman, I'm sorry but I don't see how the story of 'Alley Cat' relates to 'Wiseman' and therefore 'The Great Escape'. In my opinion, the story behind 'Alley Cat' really differs a lot from the other two songs.

Can you share your thoughts regarding the connection?

Uh, I mean, I changed few words with Andreas about Alley Cat during the interview and he mentioned about the connection between Alley Cat and TGE. That is practically all I know about it.

 

[Kazar]

Ok, I gave it some deeper thought:
The connection between 'Alley Cat' and 'The Great Escape' can't be made by comparing the big theme of the latter one: the wrong way mankind lives, the destruction of Mother Earth - and finally leaving Earth.

I therefore think that the connection needs to be found within the lives of the main characters within the songs:

The main character in 'Alley Cat' is a broken soul who has lost control over her life/herself - "when she comes undone"/"trying to survive when I collide, with an empty Jackie by my side".
A bad childhood (little hint ), making bad decisions in the past and the pressure from nowadays society to fit in and to succeed has made her disorganized and she has fallen to pieces. She is "trying to find a way to erase and rewind" though! She would love to turn back time and do it all over again, but now in a different way of course!

The '8000 hearts' on the Aniara experience some of the same things eventually. All is well in the beginning but bit by bit they are losing control over their lives on the ship. Mima is their goddess, the one leading the way - "...be our guide, I need what you're doing to me, shine your light, blind us when reality bites, we so need the magic she does".
Chaos and panic arrive after seeing Mother Earth die and they, like the woman in 'Alley Cat', want to turn back time as well! Eventually, Mima also dies and (after a period of 'Lust' and 'Reason') their lives have fallen to pieces.

So, losing control over your life (and allowing others to control what you do), wanting to go back in time and change things you've done wrong in the past and trying to cope with harsh reality (drinking/denial) are themes that appear in both songs.


Thoughts, anyone..?

 

[sirclansman]

Ok, I gave it some deeper thought:
The connection between 'Alley Cat' and 'The Great Escape' can't be made by comparing the big theme of the latter one: the wrong way mankind lives, the destruction of Mother Earth - and finally leaving Earth.

I therefore think that the connection needs to be found within the lives of the main characters within the songs:

The main character in 'Alley Cat' is a broken soul who has lost control over her life/herself - "when she comes undone"/"trying to survive when I collide, with an empty Jackie by my side".
A bad childhood (little hint ), making bad decisions in the past and the pressure from nowadays society to fit in and to succeed has made her disorganized and she has fallen to pieces. She is "trying to find a way to erase and rewind" though! She would love to turn back time and do it all over again, but now in a different way of course!

The '8000 hearts' on the Aniara experience some of the same things eventually. All is well in the beginning but bit by bit they are losing control over their lives on the ship. Mima is their goddess, the one leading the way - "...be our guide, I need what you're doing to me, shine your light, blind us when reality bites, we so need the magic she does".
Chaos and panic arrive after seeing Mother Earth die and they, like the woman in 'Alley Cat', want to turn back time as well! Eventually, Mima also dies and (after a period of 'Lust' and 'Reason') their lives have fallen to pieces.

So, losing control over your life (and allowing others to control what you do), wanting to go back in time and change things you've done wrong in the past and trying to cope with harsh reality (drinking/denial) are themes that appear in both songs.


Thoughts, anyone..?

Dude, you have gave a one serious thought to this. It seems I have to do same as well when I finally get my official copy of the album later this week.

Anyway, looking TGE as an whole album, it turned a semi-concept after all. But hey, where tiger could hide of it's stripes..?

 

[MAXX68]

Kazar, you're a teacher...I cannot compete ... ;-)

 

[Kazar]

Thanks Maxx!
Of course, they're only just my thoughts so far (maybe they don't make any sence at all).


You are the man with the most (life)experience though; I can always learn from you...... ;-)

 

[snakes&ladders]

Finally I've got to read this thread

 

[Kazar]

Snakes&ladders, why couldn't you before?

 

[JenniferLynn]

Kazar, you're a teacher...I cannot compete ... ;-)

I feel like we're the Karate Kid and Kazar is Mr. Miyagi... and he just taught us 'sand the floor'

 

[Frankgate]

I feel like we're the Karate Kid and Kazar is Mr. Miyagi... and he just taught us 'sand the floor'

ahahah yeah

in the italian version of Karate Kid "sand the floor" was translated to sort of "spread the wax on the floor, then clean it.... and repeat"

 

[Kazar]

Thanks for the kind words everyone (!). It would be great to see some feedback as well though.

I think it's fun and insightful sharing thoughts about the deeper meaning and themes of (and between) the songs.
Do you agree with some of the themes I mentioned earlier in the thread (maybe you can add a view things) or do you have a different view on the themes/songs?




One fantastic thing I'd like to share with you (maybe you can share your thoughts and ideas about that one): Tommy told me that there's a real person-related connection between two songs.
The main character in 'Alley Cat' is a broken soul. The way she lives her life now, as an adult, derives from a tumultuous childhood she had - problems in her youth, messing things up, feeling unhappy/unwanted - while growing up, her family life was very tragic.
SHE is also the main character in "Long Way Home'!

 

[Arnie777]

Tommy told me a little bit more about this song. Maybe you're gonna see it in a whole new light when you know that the main character is........a young girl.
I guess, that is why the words used in (the beginning of) the song are not difficult at all.

Ive read this thread and i think you guys are absolutly amazing in telling the story's behind the song, but this line of kazar took my thoughts.

i just read an interview with tommy and there he said that the main character in the songs long way home and alley cat are the same, but only in different stages of their lives. so now it's obviosly that long way home is the young girl (thanks to kazar) and that the alley cat character is older.

so my thoughts are that when the girl was young (long way home) she first messed something up, something she should have done right.
because she messed up their will be consequenses, but she doenst know when and that is why she is so scared. i also think something bad happenend when she messed up, that's why she wants to dissapear and never come back.
i still dont really understand what the keys are for in this story... so hopefully someone has any thoughts on that.

we know that she felt safe at home and where she felt okay to stay... but something happenend there and in the last verse/chorus she is not safe anymore at home, and she doenst feel okay there... so she starts living on the streets and becomes an alley cat. at the end of long way home (And a lovely day I'll be on my way, To crash a perfect family, And all that i can do is cry) she has her first job as an alley cat...


well, my first thought's about this if it doenst make any scense iv at least try it one time

 

[Kazar]

... i still dont really understand what the keys are for in this story... so hopefully someone has any thoughts on that...

Hey Arnie777.
Well, as you said yourself, she really messed up (did something bad) and she's late AGAIN. Her "belly aches from fear" because she knows there will be trouble when she gets home - her father/parents will punish her. On top of that (or it could be that that's the reason for her fear), she has lost the keys to their house (as well). She knows her parents won't be happy with that!!

we know that she felt safe at home and where she felt okay to stay... but something happenend there and in the last verse/chorus she is not safe anymore at home, and she doenst feel okay there... so she starts living on the streets and becomes an alley cat. at the end of long way home (And a lovely day I'll be on my way, To crash a perfect family, And all that i can do is cry) she has her first job as an alley cat...

I think she has never really felt save at home. She knows how it is SUPPOSED to be (a happy familylife), but she's not sure whether she will experience that feeling one day - "....now do you think that's gonna happen, to me?"

I'm not sure what you mean by "living on the streets and becomes an alley cat" and "her first job as an alley cat".
Her being an 'Alley Cat' is a metaphor which is used to explain the situation she's in - she's not really living on the streets ("Some days I will stay inside to cover that I've cried").
She's depending on someone else ("You're my wire to the light, and my spark here in the still of the night, So baby let me stay where I'm at, In your sight I always feel alright") and she wants him to take control of her life so she can move on ("Help me face my fears, stay pulling strings my dear, rule me like a puppeteer").