the song "Anchorage". Your opinions?

[Detta]

Recently read an article which described this song by Michelle Shocked as "feelgood". I've always thought it's a really sad song. Any thoughts?

Is that the one about the Texan (?) woman feeling trapped in Anchorage with a young baby, or something? If so, the song reminds me of my student years, which were certainly 'feelgood.'

Maybe the person who wrote the article is an old git like me, and remembering their youth in the 80's.

Feelgood in the sense of being beautifully lyrical and lilting somehow, with a wistfulness in the story line. Sad can be feelgood too!

I'm an old 80s git too! but what you remember is what I think is sad - about being trapped. Maybe it is a nostalgia thing..

The other songs that makes me think of that time are 'Luca' by Suzanne Vega and 'Fast Car' by Tracy Chapman. Very similar in style, I think. There were a lot of lyrically meaningful songs with lovely melodies around then. Now I really do sound like an old git. "In my day songs were real songs."

it's feelgood in a kind of nostalgic, self indulgent kind of way. mostly sad though.

It depends on your viewpoint, I guess. The narrative voice is wistful - "we were wild then...", but not disatisfied with her lot - married and with a "brand new 8 month old baby boy" - and "Bobby [is it Bobby? I'm doing this from memory] got a tooth and he started school"

It's in the same way I'm wistful about my wild days - yes they were fun but Jeez I don't want to be back there - I've moved on. But nostalgia is nice - and she wants her friend (Michelle S herself) to "keep on rocking, girl" - sort of in her stead. I love it when the narrative voice sort of catches herself and sings "..I sound like a housewife...I think I'm a housewife."

So no, I wouldn't say it was "feel good" but not really sad either. More looking back in an affectionate way - but not from a bad place.

I like Michelle Shocked, can you tell?

moo

"what's it like to be a skateboard punk rocker"

oh I love that song. Would agree with wistful - that feeling of missing a close friend because your life is somewhere else right now, I know that feeling well. Wouldn't say either feelgood or sad.

Here are the lyrics

I think the "leroy says" lines make it sound like she doesn't have any opinions of her own anymore .. maybe I'm just scared of that happenng to me

I wouldn't have thought of it as feelgood. I'd say nostalgic - wistful, sometimes those are feelgood sensations but I always thought of it as a sad rather regretful song.

Strange but interesting to see how others reacted to it.

Emma xx