"Magic" Ben Folds Five (WARNING: Sad)
As in the warning, the following is sad stuff -- interpretations of the song -- so feel free to skip, especially if this would make you sad reading.
A while back, somebody was surprised to learn that I hadn't heard Ben Folds Five and had me listen to "Magic".
I recently happened upon on a discussion the meaning of the song. There were to main opinions on the meaning of the song -- either the individual being sung about (in both cases considered to be a girl, although I'm not sure whether there is any indication that it is a girl in the song itself) became ill and passed away or committed suicide. Someone noted they had heard the writer of the song himself said it was about a girl.
Some people said the suicide view had been "drilled into" them, while others noted not seeing how it would be suicide. I was thinking about this and I see it both ways. I'm not sure which way I saw first, I just know that either way it's very sad.
Indeed, it could be illness and that is why "you weren't yourself" and "you'd never be yourself again". Maybe the misery or suffering of this illness are why "you'd be gone as soon as you could". The lines on the face could be wrinkles, scars, or tear streaks.
Then again, there's the suicide view. Maybe the person was no longer him/herself and would never be again due to a huge life event. Maybe someone very close passed away. Maybe it was the only one in the world that person could consider a friend and could bring him/herself to truly trust. Especially in the latter case, if this person knows (as does the singer) that this person will never again get close to anyone, trust anyone... The loss would change this person forever, potentially bring on extreme depression, and if this person has no hope of ever being close to anyone (or believes s/he will rejoin the lost one after death), s/he may very well desire to be gone as soon as possible. The lines, again, could be streaks from tears.
Or, if simply the person does for whatever reason decide that it would be easier and/or happier to leave this existence than to stay, after something happens to make up his/her mind in this direction...
Sad either way.
A while back, somebody was surprised to learn that I hadn't heard Ben Folds Five and had me listen to "Magic".
I recently happened upon on a discussion the meaning of the song. There were to main opinions on the meaning of the song -- either the individual being sung about (in both cases considered to be a girl, although I'm not sure whether there is any indication that it is a girl in the song itself) became ill and passed away or committed suicide. Someone noted they had heard the writer of the song himself said it was about a girl.
Some people said the suicide view had been "drilled into" them, while others noted not seeing how it would be suicide. I was thinking about this and I see it both ways. I'm not sure which way I saw first, I just know that either way it's very sad.
Indeed, it could be illness and that is why "you weren't yourself" and "you'd never be yourself again". Maybe the misery or suffering of this illness are why "you'd be gone as soon as you could". The lines on the face could be wrinkles, scars, or tear streaks.
Then again, there's the suicide view. Maybe the person was no longer him/herself and would never be again due to a huge life event. Maybe someone very close passed away. Maybe it was the only one in the world that person could consider a friend and could bring him/herself to truly trust. Especially in the latter case, if this person knows (as does the singer) that this person will never again get close to anyone, trust anyone... The loss would change this person forever, potentially bring on extreme depression, and if this person has no hope of ever being close to anyone (or believes s/he will rejoin the lost one after death), s/he may very well desire to be gone as soon as possible. The lines, again, could be streaks from tears.
Or, if simply the person does for whatever reason decide that it would be easier and/or happier to leave this existence than to stay, after something happens to make up his/her mind in this direction...
Sad either way.
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