Hearing Old Lyrics for the First Time

I admittedly often don’t “listen” to the lyrics when I listen to songs. I hear the words, but often don’t pay attention to what the writer was talking about. Sometimes I’ll find myself listening to a song that I have heard a hundred times and for the first time listening to what the lyrics are saying and then the song takes on another dimension.

Yesterday, I had the iPod on shuffle and “Evangeline” by Matthew Sweet came on. [listen to Evangeline on iTunes] Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend album is just a super pop-rock album. So simple, yet so good. I remember buying that CD in 1992 in the summer before I went away to college. That album always brings back that excitement and big opportunity feeling that I experienced when going away to a big university coming from a small town.

Anyway, I remember that song just being a semi-hit when I was in college. Never a big favorite of mine and probably not one of the better tunes on the album. It’s good, but not super memorable for me. But listening to the words, I never realized that he was talking about the love/lust that he had for this evangelical Christian girl. It’s right there in the title for God’s sake! “Evangeline”. I just had never paid attention. It’s not like the lyrics are at all obscure. There’s nothing to figure out. It’s all right there. I just never had paid attention. I guess that I was too distracted by the 1001 exciting things to do your freshman year at college. Here’s some of the lyrics:

She’s on another planet, She’s in my dream
She’s some kind of angel, If you know what I mean
Try her on, She fits like a glove (Sweet cheesy line!)
Too bad she only thinks about, The Lord above

Evangeline, Evangeline, I think I love you
But Evangeline Evangeline, I want you

Now if I called you up, Do you think you, Could deliver my soul?
Won’t you take a drink, Little darlin’, The cup is full

And every night I bow to pray, But I’ll feel a whole lot better
Once you’re coming my way
…
Just tell me how you want it, We won’t be seen
You can tell your father, It was all a dream
Too bad the only man you trust, Is God above

The “I have heard these lyrics before but I have never listened” phenomenon has happened to me quite often. I think that I will try to make a conscious effort to listen to lyrics from now on…