#exit clov

[ketsumyaku]

thrill me, fulfill me, then kill me

[willfelker]

Listen/purchase: Jailbird by Exit Clov

[genki-sensei]

Musical Lesson 65 - exit clōv - District Menagerie

Hello minna-san! Genki desuka? Hope you all are doing well and are welcoming the spring. I wanted to open this blog post by describing some recent personal events. I will then talk about Exit Clov and my experience going to their concert. I will then move on to the usual song analysis. This is the second to last song on my series of personal and spiritual development. This is also the last English song I will analyze for a while (will be moving back to Japanese).

.

Hope the readers have found this series of songs and analyses to be insightful in one way or another. Our society is developing at a rapid rate - and with the addition of globalization and technological advancements, the human species is evolving on a social scale. In other words, the young adults of today are facing social issues the world is only now accepting; and likewise, are forced to navigate through the archaic thinking of older generations in order to establish their own happiness and peace of mind (think the struggles of the LBGTQ community). As a young adult - and Genki-Sensei- I feel the need to share the struggle so that others can learn and adapt. This is how society grows and develops. This will be elucidated in my tale below. Moreover, through the analysis of this song.

.

A few weeks ago, I matched with a woman on the app, Coffee Meets Bagel. Her profile was simple: she liked to read, she liked manga, and she looked cute. And importantly for me, she was Buddhist. We chatted for about a week until we decided to meet for coffee. The date went well, as we chatted for 3 hours and got to know each other better. Neither of us has been in a relationship before, so we were both like, ‘we have no idea what we are doing’ lol. I left the date thinking this can really go somewhere - not that I wanted to rush anything. We chatted for a few days more when I stopped receiving messages from her. I know she is a busy professional, and I didn’t want to be clingy, so I gave her space. After two days of no messages, I asked what was going on, and that’s when I got the sad news. She told me she spoke to her parents about us dating, and her parents did not approve her dating me.

.

Now to give some context, she comes from a traditional and conservative Chinese family. Moreover, her family immigrated to the U.S about a decade ago. So she is definitely culturally Chinese - and me being Bengali (brown/south-asian) does not fit within the cultural expectations of her family. So she made the decision to stick with her family, than pursue a relationship with me. As depressing as the news was, I do not hate her, nor feel insulted by her decision. Moreover, I wouldn’t want to create disharmony in her family over an untraditional relationship. Caring for one’s parents (filial piety), and keeping a cohesive family is a quality of Asian cultures. I respect who she is as a person, and felt her remorse when she told me the news. I still believe she has a good heart, and I only wish the best for her. This entire encounter was short lived, but it was a good experience. Contemplating on it all, I reflect on the concept of karma, or as it’s colloquially used: “things happen for a reason,” and “God has a plan for everyone.” It wasn’t meant to be in this life, but maybe the next.

.

For today’s lesson, we will review and analyze “District Menagerie” by Exit Clov. I saw Exit Clov when they had a show at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. There wasn’t a huge crowd, and there was a real indie feel to it. I remember there was this 40-50 year old man who was really into the music… but then again he was kind of spazzing a lot so he may have had a lot alcohol/drugs in his system haha. I had a great time and really jammed out with them. At the end of their concert, I got Emily and Susan to sign my Momento Mori album! Totally felt like a fanboy haha. Had a great experience, hope I get to see them again and hear songs from their album Jailbird! =)

-

Audio for this musical lesson can be found HERE. As far as I know, there are no official lyrics for the song (not even from the album). I found some lyrics online, and edited them to fit what I hear. 

-

~ Lyrics ~

-

There's an ugly red door

In my hall way down on our street

On its written all the things I'll never be

And how I'll die in this menagerie

.

Dress me up and call me God

I'll play my role in this comic tragedy

Contemplating all the things they'd rather be

And singing hymns in this menagerie

.

This is the last time

Run, run

Away from the walls away from me

Before we die in this menagerie

.

Dressed me up and called me God

I played my role in this comic tragedy

Miming lines and all the reasons I believed

They wouldn't die in this menagerie

.

This is the last time

Run, run

Away from the walls away from me

Before we die in this menagerie

.

City walls they won't keep me

From running out on this

Everything must have an end

.

Has the fight we sought been done, did it ever exist?

Everything must have an end

.

There's an ugly red door

In my hall way down on our street

On its written all the things I'll never be

And I will die in this menagerie

And I will die in this menagerie

And I'll die in this menagerie

-

~ Lines to Note

-

First let’s define a few words. A menagerie is a collection of captive animals (frequently exotic), that is kept for display. Then there is the word contemplate, which does not mean simply “to think.” Contemplate means to look thoughtfully at for a long time, or to think profoundly and at length (as when one gets existential or philosophical).

.

Next I want to talk about the “red door.” Given that the singers of the song, Emily and Susan are of  Taiwanese descent, it is likely that the red door has cultural meaning. Apparently in Feng Shui, a red door means “welcome” (not sure if this is true, don’t quote me lol). More commonly, red is associated with the Chinese / Lunar new year, as red is hung all over the place (you can understand why by learning about the origin of the Chinese new year tradition). -

~ Analysis ~

-

To begin the analysis, I want to state that I am reading into the lyrics of the song. I am going to elucidate and explain the metaphors in the song, but the only person(s) that can accurately present their meaning is the writer(s) of the song. As a heads-up, I am interpreting a lot of Chinese/Taiwanese/East Asian themes in this song, and I will write from that perspective. Being a fan of Exit Clov, I know they have East Asian themes in their songs (e.g., Autumn of the Patriarch). Furthermore, they are socially connected and even political (e.g., Rainbow Warzone), so it is not too far fetched to assume they would sing about relevant social issues with a personal twist. Since gender is not indicated in the song, I will use gender neutral pronouns.

.

The song starts with the singer indicating that there is an ugly red door on their street. This door can be ugly because it is red (because of the Asian-cultural association with red), or because all the things the singer cannot be is listed on the door. Moreover, it was written that the singer will die in this menagerie.

.

The next section moves to the singer dressing up as God. The singer takes the role of God, and observes a comic tragedy. The tragedy may be so pitiful, it is even comical. The subject then moves from the singer to “they,” who may be individuals like the singer (since they also reside in this menagerie). These individuals contemplate deeply about all the things they would like to be; and sing hymns in the menagerie (the hymns are likely praising God [or something spiritual/religious]).

.

The song comes back to the singer, who tells people to run. These people are likely the group of individuals like the singer who reside in the menagerie. The singer instructs them to run from the walls and to run away from them. The singer then warns them that otherwise, their fate is to die in the menagerie with the singer.

.

The following section return to the singer dressing up and taking the role of God. The singer is miming lines, likely in reference to the hymns being sung. Moreover, the singer has reasons for why they believe that others would not die in menagerie.

.

The next section shows that the singer is also trying to escape the city walls (aka. the menagerie). The singer states the city walls won’t keep them from running. Moreover, they state that everything must have an end - even to their running. As the singer fights and runs, they contemplate if they are done with the fight. The singer then gets deep and philosophical and questions if there was even a fight, or a result or consequence to the fight they sought. The singer then reiterates that everything must have an end - even their fight or run.

.

The song concludes with the singer returning to the opening image of the red door; which has written on it all the things the singer will never be. The singer then states that they will die in this menagerie. This indicates that the singer possibly was not successful in their escape or their fight. As a result, they will remain in the menagerie until their death.

.

Alright, now on to deeper themes! First off, I want to start with the title “District Menagerie.” We don’t know much about this district, but we know that there are others like the singer who also reside in the menagerie. The impression I get from “District Menagerie,” is that it is likely a reference to Chinatown - for Exit Clov, likely the Chinatown in Washington D.C [District of Columbia]. Another reason why I believe that “District Menagerie” is in reference to a Chinatown (or any East Asian neighborhood), is that a menagerie is a collection of captive animals, which are often exotic. A common micro-aggression that is directed towards Asians is that they are called “exotic.” As such, the singer may feel objectified by their Asian heritage in America. Since Asian women - like the lead singers of Exit Clov - experience this objectification more than men, Exit Clov may have written this song to express their frustration.

.

Another metaphor that is mentioned in the song, is the ugly red door that lists all the things the singer will never be. There are various ways of interpreting this. One perspective is that the things listed on the door are the singer’s true desires, but they are limited by their circumstances. As an example, maybe the singer wants to pursue more creative forms of work: such as being an artist, a musician, a writer, etc. However, the singer’s parents and or community may have different expectations for them (e.g., they should be a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, engineer, etc). In regards to the Asian community and culture, Asian parents may prefer these professions over others because they are prestigious, pay more, and are stable (as compared with creative fields that are not stable sources of income). Moreover, since many Asian families are immigrants, they may want their children to make money so that they can support extended family back home. Another way of interpreting the limiting circumstances of the singer is that they may be aware of the “bamboo ceiling” Asian Americans face in the U.S. Discrimination against Asian Americans is prevalent throughout the American culture, even though they are seen as the “model minority.” In regards to the bamboo ceiling and the writing on the red door, possibly it is society that is writing what the singer will never be.

.

The next symbol I want to discuss is the image of the singer dressing up as God. The feeling I get from the song is that God functions as an observer, not as an agent that acts on behalf of God’s believers. So the individuals in the menagerie may sing hymns praising God, and contemplate all the things they desire, but that does not mean that God will grant their wishes and desires. In this way, even if the singer dressed up and is called God, they do not exert any more influence than God in regards to the situation of those in the menagerie. For this reason, the singer actually acts (as representative of God), and tells the individuals in the menagerie to run and escape the walls of their imprisonment. If others do not run, they will remain and die within this enclosure. While dressed as God, the singer also mimes lines (likely of hymns), which indicates that they may not have faith in the words they sing. Moreover, they have reasons and belief in other sources that will help others out of the menagerie (e.g., community centers that empower youth to strive and dream big).

.

The next theme I want to discuss is the fight the singer sought, and whether a conclusion existed. The singer may have felt that there was a fight to be had, possibly because of their own life experiences. Now that fight has started, the singer wonders if something has been done towards resolving this conflict. This fight or conflict could again represent the bamboo ceiling. As far as I am aware, there aren’t any mainstream vocal  advocates that talk about the plight of Asian Americans, so nothing has been “done” (or existed). If we get our first Asian-American president, then maybe we can something was “done.” This relates to the idea that everything must have an end. If the fight for greater equality for Asian Americans has begun, there must be an “end” to this conflict (maybe an Asian American supreme court justice?). The idea of an “end” to equality is hard to imagine - so it brings to mind if such an ending even exists.

.

The last theme I will discuss is the singer’s own mortality and humility. The singer is a fighter that knows their place and limitation. The singer understands that the menagerie is their dwelling, and they are certain that they will die within it. However, they continue to see the menagerie as captivity, and actively want to escape. Ultimately the singer finds that their efforts are futile and all the things they would rather be has passed; as such, and they have little hope of escaping and achieving those desires. Instead of breaking down in despair, the singer develops responsibility and takes the role of God so as to help others escape the menagerie. This is why the singer takes to singing hymns and urges others to run away from the singer and captivity. The “others,” could be the youth in the menagerie who have hopes and dreams, and have the time and energy to achieve their aspirations.  In general, I think Exit Clov has a positive / good relationship with God (as seen in “Death is a Song”). This desire to help others positively and see them succeed, leads to the development of a healthy society.

.

The last thing I will discuss is how this song relates with my personal and spiritual development. “District Menagerie” was the first song I heard from Exit Clov (I heard it from my brother’s indie playlist lol). I was instantly hooked and purchased their albums. Exit Clov is a very real band that is down to Earth and speaks about the issues that trouble them - in a deep and poetic way of course. The song “Moving Gaza”  is the best to listen too… well I will let the lyrics speak for me, “purple blaze is like my favorite song / when it plays it gets me all night long / track the days to get the soundtrack to / what it takes to get from me to you.” Their song, “Death is a Song,” really impacted me at a time where I thought a lot about death. The song brought me a new perspective on life. Before this blog, I actually had another blog where I would translate Japanese music and write a “poetic response” to the lyrics. My first post and poetic response was to “Death is a Song.” I will analyze that song eventually, when the timing is appropriate. So for my personal and spiritual development, listening to Exit Clov made me feel and think deeper - if that makes sense lol. Look forward to the next and last song in this series. Be well~

-

~ Poetry ~

-

“To Live is to Sing”  written on September 07, 2012

-

We all bear the burden of life.

To create anew or to snuff out,

Falls upon our hands.

.

Free to make any and every choice,

Shackled by those closest to us.

.

The choice so simple.

To live a comedy,

To live a tragedy,

A single drop in an endless sea.

.

Empty,

We drop to form a ripple.

A wave that carries all.

.

And so we sing.

Forever lost,

But truly found.

.

The voice of harmony

[genki-sensei]

Respond Respond and Memento Mori (autographed~)

[asianamsmakingmusic]

ISLAND X - "ALISHAN (阿里山)"

Director/Editor: Jessica Lee & Matt Figler (mattfigler.com) Title Design: Eric Friedensohn (efdotstudio.com/alishan) Motion Graphics: John Pouliot

ISLAND X Emily Hsu & Susan Hsu (mousybabe.com/?p=4929) Listen (islandx.bandcamp.com) Music Production: Stitch, The Bastille. Guests: Aaron, Brett, John

Thank you to all the dancers, vendors, friends and strangers in Taiwan

[asianamsmakingmusic]

Listen/download: District Menagerie by Exit Clov