Jeff Mangum performing the rarely-played song "Sailing Through", then going directly into "Two-Headed Boy Pt 2", live April 12, 1998 at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA. neutralmilkhotel.org for more.
The spirit-whatever that might mean-seems to move through Jeff in this video, especially at the end of Sailing Through. His jaw unhinges like a snake’s, his eyes are possessed. I think about this video almost every time I sing; it changed everything I thought I knew about music and performance
I was at this show, my first time ever hearing what they do. I can affirm your idea, I think the crowd was all taking it in and it was madness. I mean, any club show can be or become that, but this was so different than anything I'd ever seen, freewheeling, powerful, carelessly perfect and sometimes an absolute shambling mess of beauty. It was jaw-dropping and sublime. One of the best rock shows I've seen in a career of chasing the moment. I've read a tour diary where they said they were keeping all the door money from the tour in a paper bag and someone lost like $6K cash money. Pretty sure the whole show is still on youtube, soundcheck and all.
Jeff Mangum is nothing if not sincere. I admire the passion on display in his music. As I've gotten older, I've become more attuned to how emotionally resonant NMH's lyrics are even though they're abstract and seemingly nonsensical. "Sailing Through" especially makes a lot more sense to me now after all the relationship troubles I've had over the years. I can _feel_ what he's getting at in a way that goes beyond mere words.
God dammit. I love this so much, this music is so influential to me, but god DAMMIT if I don't just see Trevor Moore throughout this whole video. The end of "Sailing Through" is just the "Louder and with your Mouth Open" skit...
@Theseventhknight I understood him to mean that the lyric "I really want to be in your body, to be inside you" was not referring to a desire for sex (obviously too literal); whereas I think the song IS about relationships, love, and sexuality.
@bookoflists well I think we disagree then--you think it's "obviously too literal", whereas I think it's perfectly acceptably literal. Or maybe it's a synecdoche. It's literal while still representing the entire relationship.
@Theseventhknight You'll have to be more specific. I don't understand what you are disagreeing with. MY point is that (imo) the phrase "I really want to be in your body" etc. does not refer to a desire to be physically having sex with them; I think it is that aspect of the relationship which IS the sickness: that it's crude and lustful but not loving. Rather, the phrase refers to a strange sort of self-loathing (empathetic) de-toxification of both. Sorry for the wordiness.
You guys have me all confused...I was under the impression the song was sexual, but some people are saying it’s about drugs others saying it not about sex just relationship...now I’m starting to think it has just as much meaning as this comment...and my life...absolutely none...
I think it’s about being an immortal rock star like Elvis or bob dylan but realizing those days are over and gone and as great as the songs are and ambition there it’s just not possible to achieve that level based on great songwriting but don’t tell that to Beyoncé but even that is besides the point
Ayush A he said ‘not really about sex’ so it could be partially about sex, partially about other stuff... either way it’s an awesome song and it’s up to you how you want to interpret it.
