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 Post subject: Song meanings
PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 2:38 pm 
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Any of you have any theories regarding what any of Hawley's songs are about?

I've always loved 'Hotel Room' but I'm not entirely sure what the setting is (please, tell me if you know).

It sounds like a man loves a woman but she only sees him as a friend, so he's happy just to hold her and spend time with her anyway.

Or alternatively it's a setting similar to 'The Graduate' and the bridge is the older woman reminiscing and slowly falling in love with the younger man.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 2:48 pm 
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He always introduces Hotel Room at gigs as a song about addiction.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 2:53 pm 
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Really? I look forward to hearing it again

I couldn't go last year when he performed in Liverpool and I've been waiting for another gig to come up. Delighted that it's still in the playlist


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 5:01 pm 
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the Liverpool gig was in the downloads thread - not sure if the link is still live but if so it is worth downloading.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:41 pm 
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I think it's about Drugs mate. 'here in my arms'. That's what I understood from it. Clever song.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 11:00 pm 
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Going back to the days of studying English and the likes of Chaucer and Shakespeare - we were always told of the differing angles of interpretation of their work - and I'm sure the same can be applied to song lyrics.

I always took Hotel Room at face level - what appeared to be a boy meets girl relationship - then at one of my first Hawley gigs it was introduced as a song about addicition and the whole thing took on a new direction.

This is where your imagination takes over - what does the Hotel Room look like to you? - how is it lit? - how is it furnished? - what is it's location? - what time period is it set in? - I'm sure we all have different Hotel Rooms - as well as the song Hotel Room being open to a number of interpretations.

Now then 'Happy Families' - what is that about? - probably not a Happy Family - 'the night is on, the DJ’s gone, there's only us, the friendly ones' -- can't help singing along with it though...


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 11:45 pm 
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I always see that passage in Happy Families as the late night ending of a wedding reception. Everyone's gone home & just a few folks remain, the oldest of the friends perhaps.

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:56 am 
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I suppose the way we interpret things says alot about us.My interpretation of 'Happy Families' is a little less wholesome than yours Lofty, and imagine a bunch of folks hanging around afetr a club all a little 'high' but can't go home and are left with other similar 'Friendly ones'.I don't suppose it matters as long as we enjoy the tune. :)
I thought i read somewhere once 'Hotel Room' was about just having a bottle of booze to hold after a show.

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 2:30 pm 
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they can all be interpreted however you want, i KNOW what every one of them is about but at the end of the day does it matter what exactly they mean?I often write songs that on surface level seem sweet but they most definitely aren't sweet at all........but its fine to take them wherever you want them to go

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 6:53 pm 
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I have only written one song - I know exactly what it's about - because that's what led me to write it...but no one else would guess ....... I like the ambiguity of it.........it fits other interpretations......... :?

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:18 pm 
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Richard Hawley wrote:
they can all be interpreted however you want, i KNOW what every one of them is about but at the end of the day does it matter what exactly they mean?I often write songs that on surface level seem sweet but they most definitely aren't sweet at all........but its fine to take them wherever you want them to go


Music and the arts in general are a very personal thing. You get out of
a song what ever you want.

I'm a big fan of Lawrence Coulson, the artist, and when we had the
opportunity to meet him, he said people always come up to him and
say that a particular painting is of their favourite place, beach, etc.

He never denies that it is indeed their special place, but in reality, it
never is, it's just his vision of any special place and if it works for the
people asking the question, then why deny them their moment.

I'll post more on Lawrence Coulson when I have time.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:56 am 
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Nice one dawoodcock, I'll have a look when I'm home from work

Poppy Dog wrote:
Going back to the days of studying English and the likes of Chaucer and Shakespeare - we were always told of the differing angles of interpretation of their work - and I'm sure the same can be applied to song lyrics.

I always took Hotel Room at face level - what appeared to be a boy meets girl relationship - then at one of my first Hawley gigs it was introduced as a song about addicition and the whole thing took on a new direction.

This is where your imagination takes over - what does the Hotel Room look like to you? - how is it lit? - how is it furnished? - what is it's location? - what time period is it set in? - I'm sure we all have different Hotel Rooms - as well as the song Hotel Room being open to a number of interpretations.

Now then 'Happy Families' - what is that about? - probably not a Happy Family - 'the night is on, the DJ’s gone, there's only us, the friendly ones' -- can't help singing along with it though...


Until reading this I'd never realised how much my imagination does take over. I imagine the same hotel room (strangely, decorated in the same colours as the Coles Corner cover :-s ), and set around twenty years ago, but I hadn't realised that I imagined this until just reading that. It just adds more to the song for me.

Part of me would love to know what each and every song means but at the same time I love guessing and them each having their own meaning to me.

I know some artists do their most to not give away meanings to certain songs to try and keep them personal for everyone who listens, Bob Dylan for example. Although I'm still not sure how to take his quote about 'Leopard skin pillbox hat'. "It's a song about a hat".


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 5:47 pm 
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Hotel Room was the first Hawley song I heard which sent me straight to buy Coles Corner... like a few people here I thought it was about a romance...until I saw my first live Hawley and he introduced it as being about addiction... When you listen to it again in that context it takes on new meaning. But if I hadn't been told, I wouldn't have known. Thats the beauty of music, it means different things to different people, the fun is using your imagination.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 6:33 pm 
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I always thought Hotel Room was about someone shooting up heroin in their arms and loosing tack of time. They think it their friend cos it makes them feel good for a while.

I'd like to know the story of Run for me. I have two theories but can't decide on which one it might be, if either.

Like Richard said it doesn't really matter, we can interpret lyrics as we want as long as we enjoy it.

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 11:53 pm 
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Have a look at this thread re 'Run For Me', Jane :)
http://richardhawleyforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10046

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