The Riff

[ERoths711]

Originally Posted by Quadrophenia92

Lesson for the day: Arguing with people with bipolar disorder is difficult.

Hey! I take legitimate offense to that

Not really, since your statement was a joke...though your sweeping generalization and probable incorrect definition of the term are kind of offensive.

[jeffreyd]

The Riff is absolutely brilliant.

I initially thought, "What Riff?"... We all know what a "Riff" is: "A short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords or used as a background to a solo improvisation." That makes sense in terms of the music behind this song. There is a fairly simple repeated melodic phrase underlying this song as background. Some have commented on how it's not really much more than simple scales. Usually riffs have more of a hook like the riffs we hear in Sister or Jimi Thing. The riff in this work hardly seems to warrant the title The Riff.

The words "Riff" and "Rift" are starting to be (mis-)used interchangeably in modern English. (c.f. http://www.lawprose.org/blog/?p=226 )

A "Rift" is a “a fissure or divide; a split or crack”. In modern English, this split or divide is usually between people. The lyric seems to actually be about such a "rift"... but between what we've become and our true childlike nature.

Looking at the cracks creeping across my face
I remember the little kid living in here
And he’ll be living here probably until I’m dead

Please don’t’ leave me Baby
Please don’t leave me yeah

Sitting in a box away from the world out there
A world piled high with boxes just like this
But please don’t’ every leave me alone in here
Take me out shake off the dust, shake up the fear

Please don’t’ leave me Baby
Please don’t leave me yeah

You stay with me and I don’t think we got to stay the same
You stay with me and baby you and me we’ll change the game
You stay with me I’ll follow you and we can start again

I think that here Dave is talking about the rift between what a person turns into as they age and the childlike spirit inside them. The "cracks creeping acrossy my face" separate us from the "little kid living in here". That child is sitting in a box (our body, what we've become) away from the world. Dave is asking someone to let that child out.

This isn't the first time the "box" metaphor has been used. For instance, in Ants Marching we have:

Goes to visit his mommy
She feeds him well his concerns
He forgets them
And remembers being small
Playing under the table and dreaming

Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die

The "chances" are acting childlike and dreaming. Most of us push that down and keep it in a box "for later" only to find out that our time runs out too fast. Dave is saying that it doesn't have to that way, we can take out our inner child and live a little.

This metaphor also occurs in "So Much To Say":

I say my hell is the closet I'm stuck inside
Can't see the light
And my heaven is a nice house in the sky
I got central heating and I'm alright
Yeah yeah yeah can't see the light
Keep it locked up inside don't talk about it
T-t-talk about the weather
Yeah yeah yeah
Open up my head and let me out little baby
'Cos here we have been standing for a long long time
Can't see the light
Treading trodden trails for a long long time, time, time, time, time, time, time

I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
Sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else

Most of the time we act like our container or persona... other times we open up our head and let real selves out.

It's interesting that the word "baby" is used right after this phrase: "Open up my head and let me out little baby" and also in "The Riff", Dave pleads "Please don't leave me BABY Please don't leave me...". Some here have commented that using the word "baby" seems overdone, but I think in both cases it's intentional... referring to our childlike natures or the "baby" inside of us:

I see you young and soft oh little baby
Little feet, little feet, little hands little baby
One year of crying and the words creep up inside
Creep into your mind yeah
So much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say
So much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say
'Cos here we have been standing for a long long time
Can't see the light
Treading trodden trails for a long long time...........

In "You Never Know" this theme is explored as well:

Funny when you're small
The moon follows the car
Doesn't no one but you see
Hey, the moon is chasing me
I worried if I looked away she'd be gone
Don't lose the dreams inside your head
They'll only be there 'til you're dead
Dream

Here Dave is challenging the listener to Dream... to think like when you were small.

The Riff goes on to tells us how we can let that "little kid" out... by singing, loving, and dancing:

Remember how we used to kiss baby
Kiss like it was everything
Remember how we used to love baby
Love like it was everything
...
Remember how we used to dance baby that meant everything

Of course, all those things are better (or even possible) with a partner, so Dave indicates that he can't really know the man that's living in his head, if he doesn't know the woman sleeping in his bed." This also hearkens back to Stay or Leave's "Remember how we used to dance, and everyone wanted to be you and me, I want to be too." This is another example of how a woman's love sets one's true self free.

So we're all locked up inside ourselves "Away From The World" but with the help of a lover we can let the little kid out to play and really live. We can transcend the rift between our true selves and the world through love.

So love is the key to bridging the riff (rift) between our true, childlike nature and the world. The whole idea of our true self being locked up inside our bodies/heads as if it were a container/box/prison/coffin is a big deal for Dave. The Riff is just the latest installment... a brilliant one!

[CapnHani06]

^ I'd like to volunteer Warehouse and Shotgun to join the ranks of the box songs...The Riff is very reminiscent of many of the metaphors and imagery in Shotgun, IMO, so it was quite fitting that they debuted on the same night. Great post, I feel as though it deserves a much longer response but for now I'll just throw you one of these guys:

Also, PantalaNagaMan? Is that you?

[SeekUpTheCubs]

yep i just checked. I still love this song

[TheLastStop123]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd

The Riff is absolutely brilliant.

I initially thought, "What Riff?"... We all know what a "Riff" is: "A short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords or used as a background to a solo improvisation." That makes sense in terms of the music behind this song. There is a fairly simple repeated melodic phrase underlying this song as background. Some have commented on how it's not really much more than simple scales. Usually riffs have more of a hook like the riffs we hear in Sister or Jimi Thing. The riff in this work hardly seems to warrant the title The Riff.

The words "Riff" and "Rift" are starting to be (mis-)used interchangeably in modern English. (c.f. http://www.lawprose.org/blog/?p=226 )

A "Rift" is a “a fissure or divide; a split or crack”. In modern English, this split or divide is usually between people. The lyric seems to actually be about such a "rift"... but between what we've become and our true childlike nature.

I think that here Dave is talking about the rift between what a person turns into as they age and the childlike spirit inside them. The "cracks creeping acrossy my face" separate us from the "little kid living in here". That child is sitting in a box (our body, what we've become) away from the world. Dave is asking someone to let that child out.

This isn't the first time the "box" metaphor has been used. For instance, in Ants Marching we have:

The "chances" are acting childlike and dreaming. Most of us push that down and keep it in a box "for later" only to find out that our time runs out too fast. Dave is saying that it doesn't have to that way, we can take out our inner child and live a little.

This metaphor also occurs in "So Much To Say":

Most of the time we act like our container or persona... other times we open up our head and let real selves out.

It's interesting that the word "baby" is used right after this phrase: "Open up my head and let me out little baby" and also in "The Riff", Dave pleads "Please don't leave me BABY Please don't leave me...". Some here have commented that using the word "baby" seems overdone, but I think in both cases it's intentional... referring to our childlike natures or the "baby" inside of us:

In "You Never Know" this theme is explored as well:

Here Dave is challenging the listener to Dream... to think like when you were small.

The Riff goes on to tells us how we can let that "little kid" out... by singing, loving, and dancing:

Of course, all those things are better (or even possible) with a partner, so Dave indicates that he can't really know the man that's living in his head, if he doesn't know the woman sleeping in his bed." This also hearkens back to Stay or Leave's "Remember how we used to dance, and everyone wanted to be you and me, I want to be too." This is another example of how a woman's love sets one's true self free.

So we're all locked up inside ourselves "Away From The World" but with the help of a lover we can let the little kid out to play and really live. We can transcend the rift between our true selves and the world through love.

So love is the key to bridging the riff (rift) between our true, childlike nature and the world. The whole idea of our true self being locked up inside our bodies/heads as if it were a container/box/prison/coffin is a big deal for Dave. The Riff is just the latest installment... a brilliant one!

wow, great analysis!

[crussell37]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd

The Riff is absolutely brilliant.

I initially thought, "What Riff?"... We all know what a "Riff" is: "A short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords or used as a background to a solo improvisation." That makes sense in terms of the music behind this song. There is a fairly simple repeated melodic phrase underlying this song as background. Some have commented on how it's not really much more than simple scales. Usually riffs have more of a hook like the riffs we hear in Sister or Jimi Thing. The riff in this work hardly seems to warrant the title The Riff.

The words "Riff" and "Rift" are starting to be (mis-)used interchangeably in modern English. (c.f. http://www.lawprose.org/blog/?p=226 )

A "Rift" is a “a fissure or divide; a split or crack”. In modern English, this split or divide is usually between people. The lyric seems to actually be about such a "rift"... but between what we've become and our true childlike nature.

I think that here Dave is talking about the rift between what a person turns into as they age and the childlike spirit inside them. The "cracks creeping acrossy my face" separate us from the "little kid living in here". That child is sitting in a box (our body, what we've become) away from the world. Dave is asking someone to let that child out.

This isn't the first time the "box" metaphor has been used. For instance, in Ants Marching we have:

The "chances" are acting childlike and dreaming. Most of us push that down and keep it in a box "for later" only to find out that our time runs out too fast. Dave is saying that it doesn't have to that way, we can take out our inner child and live a little.

This metaphor also occurs in "So Much To Say":

Most of the time we act like our container or persona... other times we open up our head and let real selves out.

It's interesting that the word "baby" is used right after this phrase: "Open up my head and let me out little baby" and also in "The Riff", Dave pleads "Please don't leave me BABY Please don't leave me...". Some here have commented that using the word "baby" seems overdone, but I think in both cases it's intentional... referring to our childlike natures or the "baby" inside of us:

In "You Never Know" this theme is explored as well:

Here Dave is challenging the listener to Dream... to think like when you were small.

The Riff goes on to tells us how we can let that "little kid" out... by singing, loving, and dancing:

Of course, all those things are better (or even possible) with a partner, so Dave indicates that he can't really know the man that's living in his head, if he doesn't know the woman sleeping in his bed." This also hearkens back to Stay or Leave's "Remember how we used to dance, and everyone wanted to be you and me, I want to be too." This is another example of how a woman's love sets one's true self free.

So we're all locked up inside ourselves "Away From The World" but with the help of a lover we can let the little kid out to play and really live. We can transcend the rift between our true selves and the world through love.

So love is the key to bridging the riff (rift) between our true, childlike nature and the world. The whole idea of our true self being locked up inside our bodies/heads as if it were a container/box/prison/coffin is a big deal for Dave. The Riff is just the latest installment... a brilliant one!

This is a great analysis of this song

[dreamingant1132]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd

The Riff is absolutely brilliant.

I initially thought, "What Riff?"... We all know what a "Riff" is: "A short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords or used as a background to a solo improvisation." That makes sense in terms of the music behind this song. There is a fairly simple repeated melodic phrase underlying this song as background. Some have commented on how it's not really much more than simple scales. Usually riffs have more of a hook like the riffs we hear in Sister or Jimi Thing. The riff in this work hardly seems to warrant the title The Riff.

The words "Riff" and "Rift" are starting to be (mis-)used interchangeably in modern English. (c.f. http://www.lawprose.org/blog/?p=226 )

A "Rift" is a “a fissure or divide; a split or crack”. In modern English, this split or divide is usually between people. The lyric seems to actually be about such a "rift"... but between what we've become and our true childlike nature.

I think that here Dave is talking about the rift between what a person turns into as they age and the childlike spirit inside them. The "cracks creeping acrossy my face" separate us from the "little kid living in here". That child is sitting in a box (our body, what we've become) away from the world. Dave is asking someone to let that child out.

This isn't the first time the "box" metaphor has been used. For instance, in Ants Marching we have:

The "chances" are acting childlike and dreaming. Most of us push that down and keep it in a box "for later" only to find out that our time runs out too fast. Dave is saying that it doesn't have to that way, we can take out our inner child and live a little.

This metaphor also occurs in "So Much To Say":

Most of the time we act like our container or persona... other times we open up our head and let real selves out.

It's interesting that the word "baby" is used right after this phrase: "Open up my head and let me out little baby" and also in "The Riff", Dave pleads "Please don't leave me BABY Please don't leave me...". Some here have commented that using the word "baby" seems overdone, but I think in both cases it's intentional... referring to our childlike natures or the "baby" inside of us:

In "You Never Know" this theme is explored as well:

Here Dave is challenging the listener to Dream... to think like when you were small.

The Riff goes on to tells us how we can let that "little kid" out... by singing, loving, and dancing:

Of course, all those things are better (or even possible) with a partner, so Dave indicates that he can't really know the man that's living in his head, if he doesn't know the woman sleeping in his bed." This also hearkens back to Stay or Leave's "Remember how we used to dance, and everyone wanted to be you and me, I want to be too." This is another example of how a woman's love sets one's true self free.

So we're all locked up inside ourselves "Away From The World" but with the help of a lover we can let the little kid out to play and really live. We can transcend the rift between our true selves and the world through love.

So love is the key to bridging the riff (rift) between our true, childlike nature and the world. The whole idea of our true self being locked up inside our bodies/heads as if it were a container/box/prison/coffin is a big deal for Dave. The Riff is just the latest installment... a brilliant one!

mind blowing... could never have come up with this myself. well done

[ForkInFork]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd

The Riff is absolutely brilliant.

I initially thought, "What Riff?"... We all know what a "Riff" is: "A short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords or used as a background to a solo improvisation." That makes sense in terms of the music behind this song. There is a fairly simple repeated melodic phrase underlying this song as background. Some have commented on how it's not really much more than simple scales. Usually riffs have more of a hook like the riffs we hear in Sister or Jimi Thing. The riff in this work hardly seems to warrant the title The Riff.

The words "Riff" and "Rift" are starting to be (mis-)used interchangeably in modern English. (c.f. http://www.lawprose.org/blog/?p=226 )

A "Rift" is a “a fissure or divide; a split or crack”. In modern English, this split or divide is usually between people. The lyric seems to actually be about such a "rift"... but between what we've become and our true childlike nature.

I think that here Dave is talking about the rift between what a person turns into as they age and the childlike spirit inside them. The "cracks creeping acrossy my face" separate us from the "little kid living in here". That child is sitting in a box (our body, what we've become) away from the world. Dave is asking someone to let that child out.

This isn't the first time the "box" metaphor has been used. For instance, in Ants Marching we have:

The "chances" are acting childlike and dreaming. Most of us push that down and keep it in a box "for later" only to find out that our time runs out too fast. Dave is saying that it doesn't have to that way, we can take out our inner child and live a little.

This metaphor also occurs in "So Much To Say":

Most of the time we act like our container or persona... other times we open up our head and let real selves out.

It's interesting that the word "baby" is used right after this phrase: "Open up my head and let me out little baby" and also in "The Riff", Dave pleads "Please don't leave me BABY Please don't leave me...". Some here have commented that using the word "baby" seems overdone, but I think in both cases it's intentional... referring to our childlike natures or the "baby" inside of us:

In "You Never Know" this theme is explored as well:

Here Dave is challenging the listener to Dream... to think like when you were small.

The Riff goes on to tells us how we can let that "little kid" out... by singing, loving, and dancing:

Of course, all those things are better (or even possible) with a partner, so Dave indicates that he can't really know the man that's living in his head, if he doesn't know the woman sleeping in his bed." This also hearkens back to Stay or Leave's "Remember how we used to dance, and everyone wanted to be you and me, I want to be too." This is another example of how a woman's love sets one's true self free.

So we're all locked up inside ourselves "Away From The World" but with the help of a lover we can let the little kid out to play and really live. We can transcend the rift between our true selves and the world through love.

So love is the key to bridging the riff (rift) between our true, childlike nature and the world. The whole idea of our true self being locked up inside our bodies/heads as if it were a container/box/prison/coffin is a big deal for Dave. The Riff is just the latest installment... a brilliant one!

My guess is that Dave is just lazy about coming up with song titles, which he has been honest about plenty of times, and that the song started as a cool guitar riff, so he just referred to it as "the riff" and it stuck. Just my opinion, but your analysis is pretty cool

[jeffreyd]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd

Here Dave is challenging the listener to Dream... to think like when you were small.

The Riff goes on to tells us how we can let that "little kid" out... by singing, loving, and dancing:

Of course, all those things are better (or even possible) with a partner, so Dave indicates that he can't really know the man that's living in his head, if he doesn't know the woman sleeping in his bed." This also hearkens back to Stay or Leave's "Remember how we used to dance, and everyone wanted to be you and me, I want to be too." This is another example of how a woman's love sets one's true self free.

To take this just a tad bit further... Dave often utilizes the feminine, whether a particular named woman (e.g. Grace), an anonymous woman (e.g. Grey Street, Crash Into Me, or the "woman in my bed" in The Riff) to represent "his muse" or "that which gives one joy" or "that which inspires you" or "that which turns you on". For each of us that could be a real person, but it might be:

1. one's art if you're an artist or
2. one's volunteer work if it is your lifes work, or
3. inventing if you're an inventor, or
4. solving an intractable problem if you're a mathematician, or
5. writing an elegant program to solve a tough problem if you're a programmer, or
6. inspiring others if you're a teacher
7. etc., etc., etc.

Essentially it's by pursuing our life's purpose that we can actually know our authentic self and let out that childlike innocence that lives within. I'd like to think that for Dave he's talking about writing songs, but for each of us it will be different.

Now for Dave "If you stay with me, it doesn't mean we have to stay the same, If you stay with me, together we'll change the game" might mean that his art is evolving (i.e. this album may be different than the last and the next one may be a departure from this one) but it's all coming from connecting with the authentic self inside him.

He urges us to do this too. He says:

I've only got a minute or two to spare
But I've got a whold damned lifetime to fit in there
So why waste time staring at the TV set
Like I got dreams to kill and people to forget

So basically, stop wasting time, get up off your ass, pursue your passion and connect with your authentic self so you can become what you are meant to be!

[Bluewater21]

I want some of whatever you guys are smoking

[styx491]

jeffreyd that is an AWESOME analysis. I was thinking along the same lines, how layered the song it is and how painful figuring out lost innocence is. Thanks for taking the time out to write that up.

I said painful because of the way Dave sings it. The song could have easily been an uppity and upbeat song, but it really reminds me of Spoon more than anything.

[lafleurjp]

we all age, we change, the circumstances around us change. many of us are married, many of us have children. many of us are surprised from time to time to see the person staring back at us in the mirror... we have all loved, we have all lost. it's hard to put into focus the gravity of the loss of a loved one - it's hard to understand how that loss should impact our lives and our existence. it's easy to become comfortable... it's an UNeasy feeling to suspect that you're acclimating to a rote-like memory or procession of life. it's UNeasy to think that you've settled into a pattern and are no longer challenging yourself or taking advantage of life - truly appreciating life. that is a terrifying experience. i perceive The Riff to be about all the above. it's a "holy shit look how far we've come and we still have so much to learn" kind of song. it's sad. it's hopeful. you can interpret it in the context of a relationship (like the rolling stone article did) - i tend not to. the relationship with a woman is the analogy dave goes to when writing about weighty/heavy/ emotional songs - see grace is gone (actually about his STEP father). i perceive this song to be not about a relationship, but about life. it's a status check - and a call to realize the magnificence of what we all share - what we all have in common.... life. don't take it for granted. that's how i read it anyways.

[Bluewater21]

Originally Posted by styx491

jeffreyd that is an AWESOME analysis. I was thinking along the same lines, how layered the song it is and how painful figuring out lost innocence is. Thanks for taking the time out to write that up.

I said painful because of the way Dave sings it. The song could have easily been an uppity and upbeat song, but it really reminds me of Spoon more than anything.

bite your tongue sir, no song reminds anyone of the great spoon

[blusi]

Always reminds me of a Jethro Tull song. Reeeally sweet song.

[bibby1044]

Originally Posted by CapnHani06

^ I'd like to volunteer Warehouse and Shotgun to join the ranks of the box songs...The Riff is very reminiscent of many of the metaphors and imagery in Shotgun, IMO, so it was quite fitting that they debuted on the same night. Great post, I feel as though it deserves a much longer response but for now I'll just throw you one of these guys:

Also, PantalaNagaMan? Is that you?

Yeah where the hell has Jantz even been? I dont think Ive seen him post here since any of the studio versions came out.

[LillywhiteisGod]

Um copperpot is God... wait hes a kickass duke

[trippinchad]

It seems a few of these new song lyrics allude to Dave getting older and having mixed feelings about that and the world itself (obviously the latter). It's interesting.

[dmb417]

Honestly, I'm quite surprised that Dave actually wrote a genuinely dark song. And I don't mean dark like Dive In where it's glass-half-full during the chorus.
This song MIGHT just make me a liitle more hopeful for the album.

And this might come off as pretty mean, but when LeRoi died, I thought that at least we'll get an album full of dark Dreaming Tree-ish songs.

[Alexzandraeva]

I posted some kind of brief analysis a few pages back but I've done a bit of thinking about this song after a bunch of you guys posted your thoughts. I think I agree just with small differences just due to personal interpretation.

Dave writes lyrics often from the perspective of someone who is facing death, or at least looking back at their existence and what they are left with as their time is fading. He addresses regret and the things he would have given more attention to had he realized their importance. I think this song is a good example of that. Squirm is another.

To me this verse is strong evidence for the above:

"Sitting in a box away from the world out there
A world piled high with boxes just like this
Please don’t ever leave me alone in here
Take me out shake of the dust shake off the fear
Please don’t leave me baby
Please don’t leave me yeah"

I think of this as the speaker imagining their death and that their life is finally over and fearing that they will be figuratively alone in death. Boxes in my mind are coffins or the figurative extraction from the world like someone else said before. If he is going to die and be another one of the boxes, the speaker needs reassurance that the person who he is speaking to will be there for him in some way. The speaker wants to make amends so that he is remembered/loved/ at peace at the end of his life.

Other lyrics about remembering the past and this:
"I only got minute or two to spare
I got a whole fuckinn life to fit in there"

all make me believe the speaker is trying to ease his regret/pain/fear when facing getting older and ultimately death

[SeekUpTheCubs]

seems like the song basically means this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D3hZ...eature=related

theres a goofy goober inside all of us

[Konodmb41]

All I know is that this song kicks ass and is by far the best of the 5 to be played from the album.

[dmb27364041]

Originally Posted by Konodmb41

All I know is that this song kicks ass and is by far the best of the 5 to be played from the album.

False. If Only is the best so far. The melody of Dave's vocals don't fit well with his "riff" at ALL. Dislike.

[dmb27364041]

I also find the melody of the chorus to be extremely cheesy. Seriously.

[SBSFC91]

Originally Posted by dmb27364041

False. If Only is the best so far. The melody of Dave's vocals don't fit well with his "riff" at ALL. Dislike.

Your opinion.

[Quendi]

Remastered from http://www.dontburnthepig.org/ 's .wav collection. As always feedback encouraged!

http://www.mediafire.com/?rf1d5fobce29226

[hockygoalie41]

I only got a minute or two to spare
and I gotta whole fuckin' life to fit in there
so why waste time staring at the T.V. set?
like I got dreams to kill and people to forget

I really like that line, like the song a lot in general

[atlantic]

Originally Posted by dmb417

Honestly, I'm quite surprised that Dave actually wrote a genuinely dark song. And I don't mean dark like Dive In where it's glass-half-full during the chorus.
This song MIGHT just make me a liitle more hopeful for the album.

And this might come off as pretty mean, but when LeRoi died, I thought that at least we'll get an album full of dark Dreaming Tree-ish songs.

the way i see it dave is in the same place robert smith (the cure) was when he came out with his 8th album bloodflowers. The Cure dropped some poppish albums before that one that didn't have the same lyrical strength because at age 40 you're not as angsty. Then he returns with bloodflowers, a reflective, looking back at youth and thinking about aging. I hope this album turns out a lot like that one.

[snuffles]

this song is awesome.

[DancingNanc05]

Great song. My favorite so far from the tunes we have heard with Belly Belly behind that. Dare I say behind those two I think it's Sweet, just a happy fun song and I love the Ukulele.

[snuffles]

Let me say this again, "This song is Awesome!"

However, wondering (across all the new songs) how they play to rythym of a large venue.

Seems like most of the new songs have a quiet beginning and build, which is beautiful but may be a buzz killer in a large venue. Thoughts?