Forum:
I just want to rant about one of my favorite albums and break down each song because it sounds like a neat project. I've started this on 3/30 -- I finished on -/--
I want to begin this little analysis with some basic information-- It is my belief there is no way to listen to the album chronologically because the entire thing, in my eyes, is the nervous retelling of a somewhat nerve-racking event. This is very much a story by an unreliable narrator and this is a belief I've gotten thanks to context clues from the songs.
Because of this, I've chosen to go through the songs in no specific way -- instead, this is a compilation of breakdowns of each song in the album. At the very end, I'll wrap up by displaying the whole story.
!!! THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY TRUE IT'S JUST HOW I INTERPRET THE ALBUM !!!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3<3 <3 <3<3 <3 <3
<--Oulala-->
Oulala, in my eyes, is a song about justification. The author wants the audience, whoever that may be, most likely a crowd, to believe they are interesting and a great showman. This song is during a reflection, where the artist has stopped performing and is forced not to be the center of attention. Because of this, they yearn to come back into the spotlight. The reason behind their need for attention can be seen in other songs, for now, we can just focus on the beginning verses of this song though.
The entire first verse is the background and a display of the author's mindset before they try to regain the limelight.
"Homeliness and loneliness are wearing at the scars", in my eyes this means the narrator sees their performances as something that helps them fit in but at the end of the day by being performative the narrator is hurting themselves. They put a constant strain on themselves to be entertaining at all times and at this point they're starting to feel the effects.
"Rehash information so to tell them who you are" This is another statement that would lead me to believe that their performances have led them to an almost dissociative state.
"Definition blurs when you're staring through the smoke" This is only one of the many times that substances are shown to be a coping mechanism for the narrator. They work as a social lubricant and help the narrator to ignore the fact that they are being used by those around them for entertainment. I think this is super cool considering how this theme fits into Darla among other songs.
"Nothing really hurts when everything's a joke" This is further proof that the narrator couples their mask of a personality with substances to artificially create an environment in which they feel comfortable.
This first verse is a great exposition and works very well to establish the environment the narrator is in for the entirety of the album: a busy party in which people are used for entertainment. In my mind, this is an allegory for life but that might be going too far haha.
The narrator goes on to say: "I want to give it to you" but what is it? Well, it's what the narrator refers to as "Oulala", in my eyes this is another name for pazzazz or something adjacent. The author is just inebriated and can't come up with the proper phrasing.
Substance use comes up again after the chorus but we see how the author is again, only using these substances because they can't find another way to feel comfortable. In an ironic twist whatever substance they've chosen doesn't appeal to their taste and they need to cover it in salt. This could also have a dual meaning like maybe when the author is removed from these social situations they have to twist the truth and effectively change what really happened to become more palatable. Also, supposedly this substance has been altered by the narrator, "smart enough to make it, dumb enough to use it", which could mean that the author has mixed this substance with something else to be more potent. This created a positive reaction from those around them though, "Dropping to the floor when all the girlies lose it". The narrator has been accepted for now but it doesn't last because eventually, the chorus starts again.
After we open to a new and horrific scenario. While the author craves attention, so much so they'll put themselves at risk they see how some forms of entertainment here can be sadistic. A woman is brought into the picture (most likely Darla) and we see how she has been assaulted in some way and how it has been made a spectacle. She gains no pleasure from it and most likely doesn't want to play along. The author has a retrospective moment seeing how possibly this moment could affect her forever, "she'd fade away, eight shades a day". The author however cannot comprehend how someone wouldn't want in on the joke in this scenario and is somewhat jealous, "didn't you want it, I know that you want it". They bounce back between realization and disbelief before choosing to indulge, "I fake a laugh, sick psychopath", in this line we see how this person is playing along but is also actively aware of how their actions will contribute to the decline of this woman in the future. "She'd fade away, eight shades of grey", is a striking line because it's the author deciding that though this woman is distraught ultimately they value the mood of the party over her mental well-being.
They realize that this woman is losing something but by describing it as "grey" they've made it unappealing, deciding that she was bland before but her role in the party has led to something more than herself. What's more horrific than this stanza is that the chorus follows again, the author has chosen to continue chasing the attention of the people present at this party. The song ends with a sudden "I want to show you some...truth", this most likely means the author is fully content with their philosophy: entertainment should be prioritized over mental well-being.
Oulala is one of my favorite songs from the album because there's no way to interpret it as healthy. Much like the environment it represents, it is completely chaotic but immensely entertaining.
<--Smile Boyo-->
<--Alien Blues-->
<--Cotton Kid-->
<--Ash In The Sun-->
<--Bust-->
<--Desert Diddy-->
<--Darla-->
<--Chop-->
<--Worn/Wander-->
Report Topic
