My iPod #228: The Used - Cut Up Angels

"Cut Up Angels" is a track from The Used's second album "In Love and Death". I already gave my thoughts about it when I wrote a post for "All That I've Got" last year, and so this whole sentence will be linked to it.

The track actually comes right after that song. After a sample of what appears to be amusement park music, someone counts-in, a lone guitar plays with some backwards singing (which reversed is Bert yelping out "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by The Beatles) before the rest of the band joins along.

The lyrics mostly concern the themes of love, sex and suicide. Lines such as "going out at the same time" and the loss to the brain "feeling like a gun" probably reinforce the last of those three a greater amount. They could also refer to a 'petit mort' (something my English teacher taught us when he went off at his daily tangents during his lessons) which is describes the state of unconsciousness one goes through after 'sexual experiences'. Maybe the double suicide that is hinted at is actually a thought of a couple having an orgasm at the same time. I don't know what "cleaning up the mess" would mean though. You know what, this is too weird. I'll stop there.

I do like this song though. Obviously, otherwise why would I type about it? It was one I added to my iPod straight away after listening to the album in full before I started Year 10. The last minute or so is glorious when Bert starts shrieking out the repeated choruses before the track mellows out, all except for a noise which repeats and segues into the next song.

My iPod #21: The Used - All That I've Got

Hi everybody. I'm a bit late, I'm sorry. I'm on my iPod right now, my mum wouldn't get off the computer, but it's fine. I may have to make this quick, the battery's running out.

'In Love and Death' is some album. It's not regularly considered to be something of a concept album, but it could easily, seeing as it is about those two themes. Written during a particularly miserable period for Bert McCracken, it can sound really happy in some parts and downright pissed off and depressing in others.

'All That I've Got' first came into my life through a friend of my sister. Her friends must have sent her the song through MSN or something, but I can't remember if sis liked it or not. I used to watch Kerrang! too, and it showed ten seconds of their new single at the time 'I Caught Fire' when it advertised the new videos that were the 'ones to watch'. However, I wasn't really interested, I don't think I liked the look of make up on lead singers so I didn't really bother listening to the song.

Coming after 'Let It Bleed' on the album, 'All That I've Got' is quite a sad song :( You wouldn't think it listening to the lyrics or the actual music. According to Wikipedia, it was written after the lead singer's pet died, and it's never great when that happens.

I think the song describes any person in a situation when a loved one has died. It's shown on soap operas all the time. There's a character whose dad or brother has passed away. A friend asks "Are you ok?", and the person answers, "Yeah, sure, why wouldn't I be? Haha." Then you see them crying in their pillow when they go to bed.

The narrator of the song does the same thing, and putting on the strong, 'I don't give a shit' facade is the only thing he has from making himself look like a pussy in front of other people.

To anyone who has had that experience, it's alright to feel sad. It's never happened to me before so I don't want to sound patronising. Whoever has left will always be with you, in your head and in your heart.

Until next time.

Jamie.