It's time for an Oolie Song Analysis Essay!
"El Mañana" is one of my favorite songs on Demon Days. Now, Demon Days is all about loss, be it loss of the environment, loss of people, loss of hope, loss of love. "El Mañana" is about the last one, I feel, or more, unrequited love.
Quote:
Summer don't know me no more
He got mad, tiresome
Summer don't know me
He just let me low in myself too
To my ears, it seems as though the persona here is singing about the autumn of a stage in his life - I should add her some context; I was born in October, which is here Spring, but I still feel a connection to autumn. I feel the mood of this song, as I said to some people on the Meebo chat, is 'shuddering, like an autumn leaf, frail and about to fall' ("Wow, that's a great allegory, 2D." "Fanks!")
To me, in this part of the song the speaker is relating his life to the autumn, rather than to the summer (which would be a bright, happy, energetic time). Rather, he feels tired and weighed down by what he knows, and as if he doesn't fit in with the summer scape.
Quote:
Cause I do know love
from you then
Just dy - ing
In total, I feel that "El Mañana" is about being in love with a girl who has not noticed his love. He knows the love, but now, since he can't make it happen, he can see it dying...
Quote:
I saw that day,
Lost my mind
Lord, I'm fine
Maybe in time
You'll want to be mine
Every time I hear this chorus, I think of a boy (not 2D, huh) walking away from a girl, saying this very quietly back to her. "I know you don't want me now, but maybe in time... until then... I'll just... wait..." The 'saw that day' means two things to me; either he saw the chance to confess his love for her (and was shot down) or that he imagined 'that day' when he would be accepted, and got carried away with the idea, thus 'lost my mind'.
Quote:
Don't stop the buck when it comes
It's the dawn, you'll see
Don't stop the buck = don't take responsibility for it. And so, "Don't feel bad about this, it's not your fault. Just let the blame pass on to someone else." The next line is where the song's title comes from - I think he's indicating that it's a new day, and they can let this pass on into the past, although it's still there, really... just as a memory...
Quote:
Lonely won't get there
Ten years passed tonight
You'll flee
Here, I think he's mulling over what's going to happen now. She won't feel lonely, he thinks - perhaps she already has a boy? Oh, but doing this took up so much courage, and ended a time in his life; it feels like so much time passed in this one day. She, well, she'll run away from the thought, and perhaps he'll lose her forever.
Quote:
If you do this,
I'll be sure
To find you
I think these lyrics may be wrong. Oh well. I think what he's saying here is "If you do feel like you want me, I'll find you, you won't have to look."
Overall, as I said... it's very reflective, like coming down off a tragic happening. He's heart broken, but really, he's fine. It's so... nothing, this. It doesn't really even matter.
Lord, I'm fine..., and the chorus repeated like a mantra, stilling his soul about this. Maybe, maybe in time... but it doesn't really matter...
And thank you for reading.
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