PlayadelSoul and His Oversized Piehole

It has been 15 years since Liz Phair released the album, Exile in Guyville, and it has been recently remastered and rereleased, which has led me to listen to it, non-stop, for the last week.

I remember when I first heard this album. It was love at first listen. The lyrics were like I had never heard, and the guitar work, while basic, was powerfully moving. It was rock and roll, angst and hope mixed in a blender and then delivered by the girl next door. My first impression was that these words could not possibly be coming out this angel’s mouth.

6′ 1″

I bet you fall in bed too easilyWith the beautiful girls who are shyly braveAnd you sell yourself as a man to saveBut all the money in the world is not enough

I bet you've long since passed understanding What it takes to be satisfiedYou're like a vine that keeps climbing higherBut all the money in the world is not enoughAnd all the bridges blown away keep floating up

Its coldAnd roughAnd I kept standing 6'1" Instead of 5'2"And I loved my lifeAnd I hated you

Its cold, out thereAnd roughAnd I kept standing 6'1" Instead of 5'2"And I loved my lifeAnd I hated you

or

Divorce Song

And when I asked for a separate roomIt was late at nightAnd we'd been driving since noonBut if I'd knownHow that would sound to youI would have stayed in your bedFor the rest of my lifeJust to prove I was rightThat it's harder to be friends than loversAnd you shouldn't try to mix the twoCause if you do it and you're still unhappyThen you know that the problem is you

And it's true that I stole your lighterAnd it's also true that I lost the mapBut when you said that I wasn't worth talking toI had to take your word on thatBut if you'd knownHow that would sound to meYou would have taken it backAnd boxed it up and buried it in the groundBoxed it up and buried it in the groundBoxed it up and buried it in the groundBurned it up and thrown it away

You put in my hands a loaded gunAnd then told me not to fire itWhen you did the things you said were up to meAnd then accused me of trying to fuck it upBut you've never been a waste of my timeIt's never been a dragSo take a deep breath and count back from tenAnd maybe you'll be alright

And the license saidYou had to stick around until I was deadBut if you're tired of looking at my face I guess I already amBut you've never been a waste of my timeIt's never been a dragSo take a deep breath and count back from tenAnd maybe you'll be alright

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2akK4tYSwY&feature=related

The album stayed on heavy rotation in my house, for a year, only to be replaced by Whipsmart, which didn’t provide the sophmore slump experienced by many whose first album was declared a masterpiece.

Supernova

I have looked all over the place, But you have got my favorite face.Your eyelashes sparkle like gilded grass and your lips are sweet and slipperyLike a cherub's bare wet ass ...

'Cause you're a human supernova,A solar superman.You're an angel with wings of fire,A flying, giant friction blast.

You walk in clouds of glitter and the sun reflects your eyes.And every time the wind blows, I can smell you in the sky.Your kisses are as wicked as an F-16And you fuck like a volcano and you're everything to me...

'Cause you're a human supernova,A solar supermanYou're an angel with wings of fire,A flying, giant friction blastYou're a giant, flying friction blast

'Cause you're a human supernova,A solar superman,You're an angel with wings of fire,A flying, giant friction blast ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTv_zkPVcEM&feature=related

During these couple of years, I had the chance to see her live, a few times. I do believe that these were probably some of the few concerts where I actually tried to make my way up front, and stood there like a 12 year old girl at a Jonas Brothers’s show, singing along with every word.

Then, she vanished.

But, she came back. Married, if I am not mistaken. Had a baby, as well. It changed her. Some claimed it made her soft but, to me, she just grew up. Her music was still good and relevant to me. She released Whitechococlatespaceegg, in 1998.

Polyester Bride

I was talking, not two days agoTo a certain bartender I' lucky to knowAnd I asked Henry, my bartending friendIf I should bother dating unfamous men

And Henry said, "You're lucky to even know me.You're lucky to be alive. You're lucky to be drinking here for free cause I'm aSucker for your lucky, pretty eyes."

And then he said, "Do you want to be a Polyester Bride?Or do you want to hang your head and die?Do you want to find alligator cowboy booths they just put on sale?Do you want to flap your wings and fly away from here?"

I was sitting, not two days agoFeeling lonely 'cause I'm just feeling lowAnd I asked Henry, my bartending friendWhy it is that there are those kind of men

"Princess, do youReally want to flap your wings and fly...Because you've got time."He keeps telling me, "You've got time."But I don't believe him"You've got time."I keep on pushing harder...I keep on pushing farther awayBut he keeps telling me, "Baby, baby, do you want to be a polyester bride?""Do you want to flap your wings and fly away from here?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z36Z0Fo-7zQ&feature=related

Her latest releases have been panned by many longtime fans as being “sell outs”. I would venture to say that a “sold out” Liz Phair is better than 99% of anything else out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xG3KH8syKg&feature=related

As I said, I have been listening to a lot of Liz Phair, these days. I believe that music can play an important part in our lives. It plays a bigger part in mine than it does with the majority of the world. Liz Phair has taught me a lot about women and how they think and feel. I am grateful for that and thought I would share. Hope she finds a new fan, somewhere out there.

Back to more Indiana, next time out.