I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS // Miracle Musical - Hawaii: Part II // Composer Reaction & Analysis

[@forivacarry]

fun fact: Dream Sweet In Sea Major is in C major

[@CriticalReactions]

Is it also a suite of songs about a dream? 🤔If so it could be a S-Tier pun that's also quite informative on a literal level.

[@submariNervous]

@@CriticalReactions Depending on which of the prevailing theories on the album's story you subscribe to, it actually could be! :D Now, keep in mind that none of the artists have come forward with a concrete explanation about the story of the album (and likely never will, so as to encourage critical thinking and such among the fans, which I fully agree with), but one of the things most fans agree upon is that the final track is from the perspective of a man who is dying, be it to accidental/deliberate drowning, wasting away on a boat, or still in a bedlam house (again, it depends on which camp you're in, and all of them feel equally likely,) as his thoughts drift more and more and he starts to experience the classic "entire life flashing before his eyes" phenomenon, albeit through a lens of severe distortion. Fort Collins Productions made a pretty darn good vid discussing the various takes folks have on the lyrics and what they could mean, and I STRONGLY recommend checking it out (not just the portion of it that discusses the last track, either. The whole thing is quite the ride!)

[@pebblbead9970]

Funny

[@Casual_Crow]

*perfection*

[@whathappendin]

​@@CriticalReactions haven't finished the video yet so idk if you brought this up in the vid yet, but I think the fact dream sweet in sea major is exactly 7 minutes long represents the 7 minutes of brain activity after death .

[@LilyArgyle]

''now i have to go listen to that band'' see you on the other side

[@grant2487]

Whoa, didn't expect this at all. Also about the name, Japanese has a lot of loan words including miracle and musical and ミラクル and ミュージカル are how those are written. It's Japanese in the same way that that a band named "Karaoke Samurai" written with English characters would be English.

[@wilbraley1660]

yep! japanese often uses english loanwords so ミラクルミュージカル is japanese but based on the english words

[@penntopaper9305]

@@wilbraley1660 fun fact, sometimes we loan those words back. the word "ramune" (the soda) is actually the english word "lemonade" which was loaned into japanese, then had the new pronunciation loaned back to english as a new word, "ramune."

[@wilbraley1660]

@@penntopaper9305 something similar happened with gyaru too! A little while back, a trend started on TikTok where ppl tried multiple different makeup styles, and many of them were japanese. One of them was the Gyaru style, which was usually just called that. But “gyaru” is actually a style based on american (specifically caifornian, if I’m remembering right) girls, or “gals”. So gals -> ギャル (gyaru) -> gyaru still, but separated from the original “gal”

[@penntopaper9305]

@@wilbraley1660 oh yeah i know gyaru got popular on tiktok cause i was there LOLLL i tried to do it foe a little while

[@YourPalNko]

Japanese speaker here who is still studying the language but grew up in Japan. I second all of this! The word ‘miracle’ in Japanese is often 奇跡 (kiseki) or 驚異 (kyoui). Still, the one I hear the most used for it is 不思議 (fushigi), which is used to describe something wonderous. ミラクル (the loan word for a miracle the band uses) does occasionally appear in day-to-day Japanese.. ミュージカル (musical) is actually the correct word in Japanese for musical. Most of the time, I’m hesitant when I see words used like this because often I feel it’s someone who doesn’t speak Japanese writing something in Japanese phonetically to make it “cool” or “aesthetic,” but it always makes me happy when I see proper Japanese being used. This is a good/clever use that blends the two. :) The funny thing is when I looked up the band just now, I found a blog post from Japan, made by id:redpython on the website hatenablog (a blog hosting service in Japan) redpython’s opening statement in Japanese (translated by me) reads: “Miracle Musical is a project led by Joe Hawley, vocalist of Tally Hall, which I have previously introduced. If you are wondering, the project’s official name is “Miracle Musical” in Katakana instead of alphabetical characters.” They then link the band’s official site and comment on how “surreal” it is to see it. redpython writes notes on a few songs: Dream Sweet in Sea Major, The Mind Electric, Labyrinth, Stranded Lullaby, Murders, and 宇宙ステーションのレベル7. The last one was amusing because, during my first listen to the album, I remember being surprised there was a song in Japanese. redpython writes: “This song includes Japanese lyrics. It’s in Japanese, but I don’t know what it means. LOL.” Edit (54 mins in): Given all the comparisons to Pink Floyd, I wanted to add a little fun fact. The previously mentioned Japanese word for ‘miracle’, 驚異 (kyoui), is actually what Pink Floyd’s 1995 concert film Pulse is called in Japan. So, that’s interesting.

[@SQUAKKC]

Im not sure if you said anything about it yet, but yes! The first part of The Mind Electric isnt a complete mirror! If you reverse it, it sounds more ‘normal’ than the un-reversed part

[@pebblbead9970]

I listen to the full song without skipping the understandable part and i noticed that too!

[@mindulle21]

It is not the exact same version as the forwards one, it is an altered unglitched/undistorted mix playing backwards, it's called "The Mind Electric (+-)"

[@SQUAKKC]

@@mindulle21 yeah, thats what i was saying : )

[@mindulle21]

@@SQUAKKC yeah i just tried to clarify what you meant by "more normal" LAKSOAKWBWJ sorry if my answer seemed ignorant at first

[@generic840]

1:51:20 something to note is that the narration changes from third to first person "He was in the forest" to "i was in the forest" and in the tone of the song i interpret it as the narator recognising his involment and regreting it (before refering himself as a disconected expectator)

[@aloeveil]

thats actually an amazing idea

[@pebblbead9970]

Thats an epic idea

[@violetbackedstarling]

also in the original demo of the song its first person throughout

[@vertonimal]

I always interpreted it as a third party. Either an ex of the girl or a random killer. This particular song I interpreted as a rapid switching of perspective between the main male singer and the killer. That "the fountain of infinite mirror" stands for, the perfect opportunity. For the main character it's the perfect opportunity to propose to the female character. And for the killer it's the perfect opportunity to kill the main character. (Based off the fact that I think the killer is an ex and got jealous knowing the main character would propose). The killer cuts up the base of a dead standing tree and gives it a push at "the perfect opportunity" which is also the same moment the main character gets on his knee facing away from the tree. The girl notices first and pushes the main character out of the way and gets killed in his place. Actually I started to fall in love with this album because I started seeing this story. Every time I listened, each song had some new detail, some vivid imagery, some new story thread to weave together the melancholic story of a boy and a girl's awkward love blooming into a beautiful relationship. All before tragedy strikes and the boy becomes convicted and convinced of his guilt. Put through the horrors of the psychiatric ward in the 1970's. From the electro therapy to the blank white padded rooms. All to be released years later when evidence comes up to reveal the real killer. And during his descent into madness he begins to see the soul of the woman, who cries for him, urging him to live. Before he sets sail to sea, jumping off the boat and drowning. And after his death his soul reunites with the woman, finally seeing past the fuzzy white that obscured her, finally remembering her. And their one last dance beneath the waves, their last stroll on the beach, before they both walk out into the bright light of the heavens together. Honestly that's just a very bare bones rundown of the story I found. In my mind there is so much more. If I could draw I would have an entire storyboard, an animatic flowing from one song to the next creating an entire movie. The whole album is one big story. There is no break between them. They aren't scattered across a timeline. The whole story is there in chronological order.

[@generic840]

@@vertonimal thats pretty fuckin cool but personally i like it more on the side of "brain fuckery, both the grandeour and dread of human thinking" But dunno been a while last time i even though of hawaii ii was jokingly comparing it to "Barranca Abajo" by Cuarteto de Nos, another "all songs are connected" deal albeit far sillier, being about a man's downfall in life as he wishes to grow old and die, then falls into both the deppressing dread of being too old to move, alone yet not senile, to then beg death to not take him despite everything he said before about wishing his life to end. It is also an album with a song about the uruguayan economic crisis of the 90's

[@ilikeindigo]

the disappointment on this mans face listening to TME while im bopping my head is something, its something ngl

[@stitchgor3]

💔

[@stitchgor3]

I love tme sm

[@lancekloidt4544]

To be fair I also hated The Mind Electric back when spotify first started recommending the song to me over and over again. And then one time at like 4am I was half asleep and the see how the serfs work the ground bit started and I woke up and was wondering what this great song is only to discover that it was TME and after a week I was hooked on the entire album

[@SKYPORF]

Holy shit is that you

[@ilikeindigo]

@@SKYPORF holy shit is that you

[@Alejandro-Perez]

A 3 hour reaction and analysis of one of my favorite albums??? Am I dreaming? Am I in KZbin heaven?

[@okii_i_guess]

HEAVEN??? SPACE STATION LEVEL 7????

[@Veehead1]

Heaven? The light thats higher than the sun and is invisible to some until its time?

[@Chris_winthers]

​​@@Veehead1too bad he'll be atoning at last eternal through the past above a blinding star

[@scoutfromtf2lol]

4 words welcome to tally hall

[@Veehead1]

@@scoutfromtf2lol We’re in the mini mall 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Katelyn.shitposts]

Now that we have someone seeing Hawaii: Part II from a musical perspective, we *NEED* a lore perspective. That's what I've been working on for the 12th anniversary of Hawaii: Part II

[@CriticalReactions]

When you finish that be sure to tag me somehow....or email me or something. I'd 100% watch and promote that video.

[@Katelyn.shitposts]

@@CriticalReactions I'm planning to finish it by December but I'll let you know

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

Luxyhugs has been doing their interpretation of the lore, just done Space Station Level 7

[@rasati]

​@@Katelyn.shitposts id like to add my theory (which i havent seen discussed when talking about the lore), simon killed her, he was the one that did it, hes guilty, the song murders starts off with "he was in the forest looking to see the trees but none were there he found a girl" which is simon distancing himself from the murderer but after everything happens at the end of the song he says "i was in the forest looking to see the trees but none were there" which i see as him admitting to the crime, a part of the song confirms theres no other person that could have killed her "deeper in they crept oblivious of the bears and darker terrors or none were there", the emotional hit part of the song goes "all, for nothing at all" which from the perspective of a murderer that regrets his crimes makes sense but from the perspective of a guy seeing someone get killed by someone else... doesnt later on during the mind electric simon pleads to insanity which most innocent people dont do, he admits to it and says its a mistake several times "my brain has claimed its glory over me" "i was just a boy you see i plead of thee have sympathy for me" now why would he kill her is the big question, one i dont neccessarily have a concrete answer to, however, maybe he was right in pleading insanity, the different personified voices in the mind electric could be schizophrenia induced hallucinations which told him hed have to kill her to reach something, that something being the "fountain of infinite mirror" whatever that is while i dont expect you to treat my theory as fact or something it would be nice to at least mention it also side note, the strong bass boosted part before the emotional part in murders reminds me of stabbing a person in a steady rhythm while the long instrumental part of tme after "i order you to cower and præy" sounds like frantic cpr (possibly a futile attempt at bringing someone back after realizing you just killed them?) anyways good luck on your project

[@Katelyn.shitposts]

@@rasati While he might have, we won't really know. But I see him talking about the trees and flowers in the garden as a metaphor for Stella's life and there being none meaning that she was dead. But in Isle Unto Thyself, Black Rainbows, and White Ball, we learn Stella and Simon love each other very much. So if he did kill Stella, he didn't mean to. Now the fountain of infinite mirror means he was reflecting on himself, seeing where it all went wrong. Sometimes it's hard to reflect on yourself, this needing infinite mirrors.

[@LifetimeDisaster]

It's really just how you'd write Miracle Musical using the Japanese writing system, just how we'd write words like "emoji" or "tsunami"

[@shanxrl.tsummi]

In fact, the moment when the reversed part ends in The Mind Electric and it stars to sound normal is the exact middle of the whole album

[@FirstSynapse]

Now we need a version with the first half of the album reversed

[@goonishereva]

The Mind Electric is a direct continuation of Murders, with the protagonist being found guilty of the murder of the girl he went to the woods with (the same girl in White Ball), as a result of his mental delusions. The beginning of the song is the protagonist (who the fandom has dubbed Simon Minor because of the demo track Inside The Mind Of Simon, and the other voice referring to him as ‘Resident Minor’) standing before a judge. The judge asks for Simon’s plea, and either he or his attorney suggests he plead insanity, hoping to get a lighter sentence. The judge ‘condemns him to the infirmary’ meaning he’s checked into a mental ward to receive treatment. The various jumping around of ideas and themes is intentional to convey how incoherent his cognitive functions are as he begins treatment. The ‘All mine towers crumble’ line is Simon’s initial devastation towards this sentence. The intro to the song describes the brain like a computer. A system of lights that send connections back and forth. And this is further expanded on in ‘Scattering sparks of thought energy’. ‘Nuns commence incanting as the lightning strikes mine temples’ is the actual Electromagnetic Shock Therapy taking place. While it’s an effective treatment in most cases, here it only drives him further and further into insanity, ‘Wholly scorching out my sovereignty’ being a representation of his mind being ripped away from him

[@Prueoakes]

A lot of people also interpret this the same but instead of electro therapy, it’s the electric chair,

[@FirstSynapse]

This is a good explanation, but just a correction: electromagnetic therapy is not the same as electroconvulsive therapy (electroshock therapy). A modern version of this is also used successfully nowadays, but the song most likely refers to the outdated version from mid 1900s, which actually produced seizures as a way to treat various conditions, and overall was a very aggressive approach.

[@madmax.mp3]

@@Prueoakes the only way this explanation makes sense is if he survived the electric chair, as the outro literally states that he "made it through the night," he survived

[@Chris_winthers]

Fun fact: the vocals in introduction to the snow was recorded in a cold trailer in the dead of winter to get that voice effect

[@SeptemberStranger28]

I can feel the anguish in The Mind Electric. It feels like the song itself has lost its sanity, just like our protagonist.

[@KoAndEggBreakfast]

TRUE STORY: I’m in English class and I was catching up work on a project I missed on Demeter. RIGHT when I was gonna write Apollo’s name, HE SAID APOLLO. Which freaked me out. And Apollo being the sun god that told Demeter and Hecate where Persephone was(Hades stealing her because he loved her) is an interesting thing to include in Isle unto thyself..

[@kannazuki5702]

I was reading your comment when he said Apollo XD

[@PJ55759]

I believe only Variations on a Cloud is about the Twin Towers, this album is a different story. I don’t know for certain. Although this album is very rich in history, a number of these songs were written for Tally Hall but were cut for reasons and used here!

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

Joe himself has said this album is from the perspective of one of the towers, so he definitely considers it a WTC musical. It was supposed to release on 9/11 of 2012 but wasn't ready in time, hence releasing VOAC ahead of it instead. He gave an example of the melting obelisks being the twin towers

[@PJ55759]

@@amazingpurplegirl0903 he also has said it doesn’t have a story at all, and then later said it does have an entirely different story, so really it’s just up to personal interpretation at this point.

[@c0dejj853]

@@amazingpurplegirl0903 Joe is a little... crazy... we know this. I don't think his word is useful anymore.

[@goonishereva]

@@amazingpurplegirl0903I’m almost certain he said that as some kind of joke or method of throwing people off. VOAC is the only one that explanation is plausible for

[@JimmyDThing]

​@@amazingpurplegirl0903 I don't really believe this lol. When did he say this.

[@hyperlife6189]

one thing i dont think you mentioned about the lyrics for 'Murders' is that in the first verse it's "*he* was in the forest", while in the last one it's "*I* was in the forest", which makes me feel like the narrator wanted to distance himself from the character in the song or something

[@benmunn7481]

I interpret that the final line using "i" takes the ambiguous story about a murder and applies it to the narrator which is essentially an admission of guilt from the narrator in heaven.

[@bobblehead7002]

I looooooove the Mind Electric. It’s such a cool track I have the album on vinyl and what’s cool is the reverse plays last on Side A and the forward plays on Side B, after you flip the disc 😍 update: not sure why my comment keeps disappearing but I got my copy off a seller on Discogs. It's like eBay but for music and records. Mine was a reprint on brown from 2021 I think

[@littIegoober]

where did you get hawaii part II vinyl?

[@bobblehead7002]

@@littIegoober found a seller on Discogs. It’s like eBay, but just for physical music media

[@bobblehead7002]

@@littIegoober i personally got mine off of Discogs. Found someone selling on there The original vinyl was like 2016 or 2018, but in 2020 and 2023 they did repressing. The one I have is the repress that comes in brown

[@ImNotFine44]

I hate it. Its really really good but it hits a bit to close to home

[@callsai]

@@littIegoober vinylluxe and the hp:ii website sold a limited version of it for a bit some time back

[@Snow_Sailor]

35:31 I wanna point out here that Stranded Lullaby is based off a song Joe wrote for his college girlfriend before their relationship ended. Just found that interesting due to the origin of Stranded Lullaby. Edit: If you want to know the song, I think you can find it as Our Lullabye or Stranded Lullaby (demo).

[@Chris_winthers]

That girlfriend later broke up with him and got a restraining order due to his schizophrenia, and he went on to use the song for an album about a man with schizophrenia murdering his girlfriend

[@tuney7319]

1:12:03 this wasn’t joe singing in white ball, it was his former bandmate zubin, who is a bassist but has some great vocals

[@Hope-uo1nz]

I’m only about halfway through but I believe the 9/11 connection comes from the single variations on a cloud that miracle musical released separately from the album

[@zetrocadartse646]

2:04:35 it isn´t a exact mirror of the other half, there´s two different versions of the song, that glitch stuff you can hear in the foward version isn´t present on the backwards. to listen to the "backwards but normal" version, one must see the oficial lyrics video which turns both around so the glitched one is the one backwards and the normal one is the one forwards. edit, also the background voices are stronger on the normal version. I will continue to edit as i make it forward on the video: the tune at the end part of the mind electric is the main tune of labyrinth just as last point some of the motiffs take the background rather tan being always on the front.

[@box0choklitz.]

I'd like to add that there is a video comparing the two halves, showing the differences and using text to describe the differences as they happen, it's very nice! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2TTfaxqfraoaKcsi=2x5U9ABR4q65w-lL Also this review video got me hooked on this album after a few unenthused first listens, now it's up in my faves!!

[@Chris_winthers]

I don't think that's how you use " ' "

[@zetrocadartse646]

@@Chris_winthers i really don't know how to write properly, i hope this doesn't make it impossible to understand.

[@penntopaper9305]

1:50:09 I believe these lines youre talking about are actually, in a literal sense talking about how the twilight, which is between night and day, makes night and day realize that *eachother* are how they came to be. as in creating one another. at least thats how it sounds to me

[@jaredduun-s3b]

When it was posted in 2012 when people thought the world was going to end, dream sweet in particular is 7 minutes exactly, and is supposed to represent the last 7 minutes that your brain is awake when you die, and to me the song is built like a timeline going from mid 1960's to 2000's.

[@Gullbone]

The most popular theory as to what the album is about is that it’s about a man named Simon who sails to Hawaii on some kind of vacation and meets the girl of his dreams only to murder her (seemingly due to the voices he hears in his head) and then proceeds to go onto trial and is sentenced Roy eh electrical chair throughout the mind electric and then him reflecting on his life in lullaby and Time Machine before living the last seven minutes of his life with this life flashing before his eyes before dying. (P.S another popular interpretation is the same but Simon was framed which in my opinion is a very silly interpretation given the context from the first few songs)

[@tropiq]

there's a thing i have with jazz, i love it when non jazz people do what they think jazz would sound like or use some of the instrumentation and ideas in other genres, however actual jazz i never got into despite giving it a solid shot a few times, and this album is similar with the older influences that i'm not into normally however here they work and evoke a weird kind of nostalgia as for the story the way i interpreted it : simon went to hawaii, found a girl, happy times, she disappears, he finds her dead, gets framed, pleads insanity, sent to infirmary, electro shocks actually scramble his brain, time passess, he escapes and somehow gets a boat and sails blindly to the sea and dies read somewhere that the last song is the representation of life flashing before your eyes as you die and its length is somehow related to it it's definitely a unique piece of music i'd recommend everyone listen to at least once

[@CriticalReactions]

I totally get that thing you have with jazz. Most music has two portions -- sound/vibe and composition -- and it's possible to achieve one without the other. To me it's the difference between making jazz and making something jazzy. I'm the same way with Black Metal, I'm not a fan of the actual genre (the composition) but I tend to enjoy when people evoke the sounds of it in other genres.

[@thefoogle]

essentially the reason why Dream Sweet in Sea Major is 7 minutes long is because your brain still functions for 7 minutes after you die. I think the reason DSISM reuses the leitmotifs and parts earlier in the album is to show how this characters life is flashing before his eyes.

[@cheeseman807]

The way I see it, Simon goes to Hawaii, falls in love with a girl, dancing happens, he follows her and chases her, she thinks he’s trying to kill her and falls in a big hole and dies, electro shock traps him in his mind and tries to escape, dies in mental hospital, death talks to him on a boat.

[@thefoogle]

@@cheeseman807 my theory is pretty similar, Simon goes to Hawaii, meets a girl, they become lovers, one day they go on a walk/picnic, Simon leaves her, when he comes back she’s been murdered and he is wrongfully accused, he goes through electro shock therapy due to pleading for insanity, he ends up in a mental hospital, he eventually escapes where he then takes some sort of boat to Hawaii, in his delirious mind he has no idea where he is going and comes to term with his death in the ocean. And variations on a cloud is his ascension to heaven, where he meets his lover again.

[@eggshellfan406]

A lot of what I would have said has been said by everyone else but a couple things I haven’t seen anyone mention is that “the whale” in Dream Sweet is referring to Joe who goes by whalejoey (anagram of Joe Hawley) on some social media and also that Dream Sweet has the same hum from Stranded Lullaby in the transitions between sections, along with the return of the line “and lo the hues arrange to show its perfectly clear” from Black Rainbows

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

And the whale features in the Isle Unto Thyself music video

[@galawhitelol]

I've been looking for a reaction and analysis of the whole album, not only The Mind Electric or Dream Sweet in Sea Major. I'm happy to find this video because it's interesting to see the interpretations of everyone. About the Motifs, it's actually interesting because it's only after you replay the whole album a few times that you can find them, but I thought to mention a few of the mayor ones I believe you can find: • The Goddess/The Light/The Star/Stella Octangula: A "Blinding light" who is "blinded by itself", that promises a "Paradise" and guides the main character and apparently the girl. It seems that they talk of a figure or entity which can be taken Literally or Metaphorically, being a literal goddess that gives the main character immortality but this affects his mind and makes the duality, or it's a metaphor on how he is already not sound of mind so his world is warped around his way of thinking and problems. • The Duality/The Fountain of Infinite Mirrors/The Distortion: A supposed duality of the mind, two sides of a coin that fight for control(?). This might be represented by the progressive change on the level of distortion and digitalization, as he falls into the control of he's worst side (This is why Murders starts with the distortion and the sense of confusion, being he's mind playing tricks on him which leads to him not being in control of he's mind and killing the girl, followed by The Mind Electric, which is the trial to judge him for his actions, and that can also be taken literally or metaphorically. And the rest of the songs). Anyways he slowly has to get to terms with his mind/duality so he can finally be released. • Love/The Lovers: It seems to be the main focus of the story, this guy finds a girl in Hawaii, they fell in love and they seemed to be in a perfect relationship. But then the insanity/duality starts, and out of his mind he ends up killing the love of his life (Murders being the representation of him being lost and confused, as in the illogical references, and the sudden realization at the end that his journey and everything was for nothing because he killed her). And now her spirit follows him and he's looking for a way to change everything and find her. But it seems that doesn't stop him from getting into new relationships. •The Immortality/The Space Station Level 7: This can refer to a literal immortality given to our protagonist, which after time makes him doubt and creates the duality, and after he kills the girl he is left to ponder on his actions and to come to terms with his losses and the neverending time he has, and that is what finally frees him to elevate. But you can also argue that his state of mind makes time feel like an eternity and at the end of his time he finally comes to terms with reality and dies. Now, the Space Station seems like a sci-fi interpretation of the afterlife, a place where you go after death, and Level 7 probably represents Heaven, the last stop, and being different levels to advance before one can finally rest (Also 7 is not only a lucky number, but also sometimes related with divinity in a way). The song is the 6th because it's telling of what happened to the girl after Murders (That being she died) and is where the protagonist wants to go so he can apologize and be happy again with her. • The Full Circle: The Story starts with the man at the "edge of the universe" and also the end of time "humming a tune" (Again, Literally or metaphorically) and it ends again with this same situation, so it could even be the same moment, maybe it's the man telling it's tale after everything ended and after he repented for his actions in the past. And maybe that's why many motifs of the rest of the album are found on the last song, being a last goodbye to the universe and the story it entails.

[@galawhitelol]

There are also the leitmotifs that are found in the album, like The Mind Electric and Murders having little ones that represent the evolution of his state of mind, or the direct parallels between Introduction to The Snow and Dream Sweet in Sea Major like going back to the present after hearing a story. It seems there are a lot of ways to take that information and make it into a narrative, but I can't say which one is better. I love the theories and speculations, like the Mind Electric being a representation of someone who survived execution by the electric chair, or the Whale being Joe Holly inserting himself as the entity that guides spirits to heaven.

[@CriticalReactions]

Thanks for all of this information regarding motifs and meanings. It reminds me of watching a good film where the details can only reveal themselves on subsequent listens.

[@galawhitelol]

​​@@CriticalReactions Your welcome, I'm happy to hear that you find them interesting. It's indeed a lot like that and that's why I love Hawaii: Part II (And most of the similar works) I haven't had time to dive into the channel yet, but I would recommend the Concept Album "Everywhere At The End of Time" if you haven't heard it already, the narrative it's just *chef's kisses* incredible. If you already have a video up for it, then I know what to watch next

[@GUNUFofficial]

Fun fact: Mind electric and labyrinth where originally connected in demo 4, also kinda wish we got demo 4's horrifying agonistic scream, also mind electric was originally a tally hall song meant for the album "marvins mechanical museum" originally named "inside the mind of simon"

[@sheedays]

wow i’m so excited, this is one of my favorite albums. i liked your dream sweet video. also i haven’t gotten very far into the video yet, but joe has sampled kirby music in other work so you’re onto something. also: in the book “secrets and mysteries of hawaii”, it is said that to understand the stella octangula is to understand the secrets of the universe

[@Juicedbeef]

as a kid this was my dark side of the moon. such a favorite and the bands other work is just as fun and catchy. :)

[@gottagoquack]

i've only known of this album for about a month and a half or so? but it's already in my top 10 (maybe 5!) favorite albums ever. my music taste is already all over the place genre-wise so this album super spoke to me hahah

[@thewoodpeckers655]

I’m 21:28 in and already a lot of connections and observations you made were ones I think I’ve always felt, but never had the words to describe, and as a hardcore Miracle Musical fan, I’m seeing you uncovering a lot of lore implications that took me months to figure out! For example that dark implication you get from Isle Unto Thyself is likely that last bass note because how I see it, it makes this whole bright and hopeful song end in an even darker tone than it started and was all for nothing.

[@PERIX_QR]

34:09 There is another single called "variations on a cloud" done under the name of the project miracle musical

[@Gh0stly_fell0w]

This was incredibly entertaining to watch.

[@lucc1800]

no way a miracle musical reaction!!! I love this album! if you have the time you should definitely react to more tally hall related songs, like Tally Hall's album Marvins Marvelous Mechanical Museum or Good and Evil, or Joe's strange solo project Joe Hawley Joe Hawley (its weird but I love it lmaoo) I agree with what you said that the sound is hard to place in time, it really does give you that feeling and yeah Joe samples a lot of video games, he does that in jhjh a lot, and in Hymn for a Scarecrow (the whistle is from Zelda) a song from Good and Evil

[@LilyArgyle]

If you're interested you should listen to Variations on a cloud its Miraclals Musicals only other work. and also Hawaii part:ii part:ii which is basically a smorgensboard of everything hawaii part: ii

[@BigBoyCarp]

Yes! when i saw your video about dream sweet in sea major I just really wanted for you to see the whole album. I actually read one of your comments when you said you will cover this album and i was so excited! and about the lyrics everyone has a different interpretation but most fans agree on a general storyline the songs are more “feel” based that on solid lyrics if that makes sense. there is so much that i would want to fit into this comment so many ideas since i LOVE this album but its just so hard to fit my feelings into words. anyway i love your content and your commentary is really educational. And one more thing (this is my third edit) there is a song called variations on a cloud that is directly about twin towers.

[@seonne7333]

To me Sea Major ending the way it does makes a lot of sense. Assuming the track is about him dying, then the ending makes it feel like his heart at last stopped beating. It also reminds me of a record player reaching the end of a vinyl. It removes all the color and sound from the purgatory he has been in for the duration of the song, and leaves the emptiness that comes with death behind.

[@sheedays]

the labyrinth game is based on the album as a whole pretty much. it’s more interesting thematically than gameplay wise to be honest, but it’s short so worth checking out if you’re interested

[@beef9]

Gameplay? 😭

[@OnlyCockroach]

@@beef9they said “the labyrinth GAME”

[@beef9]

@@OnlyCockroach fuck i missed that my bad lmao

[@timeisntrealtheuniverseisalie]

Live, Love, Miracle Musical🖤🌈🐋✨

[@Sam_Wich]

Live, love, both of us see a cloud 🛩️🏢🏢☁️

[@KunzLevi]

Live, Love, do you see banana man 🍌🟥👯‍♂️🦞

[@spxcedustt]

Live, Love, Lettucing 🥬☀️👍

[@forivacarry]

AMENNNN!!!!

[@alexwallace6904]

Live, Love, Mucka Blucka 🐔🐔🐔🐔

[@synthomite405]

the first half of the mind electric is the unmodified version of the song in reverse, then the bit that's in forward is a distorted version

[@LoganWasHere224]

00:00 Intro 05:43 Reaction: Introduction to the Snow 07:24 Reaction: Isle Unto Thyself 11:11 Analysis: An Older Sound 15:15 Analysis: Disperate Connection 19:26 Analysis: Some Connections I'm Making 26:33 Lyrical Dive: Introduction to the Snow 33:57 Lyrical Dive: Isle Unto Thyself 41:59 Reaction: Black Rainbows 44:03 Analysis: This is Electronic! 52:28 Analysis: Psychedelic Reverb 1:00:41 Lyrical Dive: Black Rainbows 1:05:48 Reaction: White Ball 1:09:26 Analysis: This Is The Wrong Way To Listen To It 1:11:15 Analysis: Enitrely New Sound 1:15:06 Analysis: General Writing Blueprint 1:20:12 Analysis: New Vocalists? 1:21:43 Lyrical Dive: White Ball 1:30:30 Reaction: Murders 1:34:46 Analysis: A New Composition Style! 1:37:20 Analysis: Where Are The Themes? 1:41:59 Analysis: Odd Rhythmic Phrases 1:44:56 Lyrical Dive: Murders 1:51:14 Reaction: 宇宙ステーションのレベル7 1:55:17 Reaction: The Mind Electric 2:01:46 Analysis: Production Focus (AND WHAT WAS THAT?) 2:08:48 Analysis: Digital Vocals 2:11:39 Lyrical Dive: The Mind Electric 2:19:31 Lyrical Dive: 宇宙ステーションのレベル7 2:25:34 Reaction: Labyrinth 2:28:22 Reaction: Time Machine 2:32:36 Analysis: No More Transition 2:33:08 Analysis: Simplified Sound 2:39:23 Analysis: I'm Lost 2:41:00 Lyrical Dive: Labyrinth 2:51:13 Lyrical Dive: Time Machine 2:56:27 Reaction: Stranded Lullaby 3:00:26 Reaction: Dream Sweet in Sea Major 3:07:38 Analysis: A Suite of Ideas 3:16:23 Lyrical Dive: Stranded Lullaby 3:19:41 Lyrical Dive: Dream Sweet in Sea Major 3:25:39 Final Thoughts 3:29:33 Outro

[@owalterluan]

I want more William Wood 😭 This miracle musical album is a very curious one

[@Idkausernamelol69]

With or without tapeworms?

[@buccibuccibucci]

I'm so happy you reviewed this album

[@Atemnûra_KrünZorûk4.5]

The first part is seen through a rose tinted window The second part Its revealed its a pale white glass window as it opens Revealing a bloody crimson hellish landscape Done by the narrators own hands As it transitions to glassless windows Only allowing look up at the heavens through cold iron bars Whilst the narrators mind is sizzled and electrified as hes tied down for what hes done As he grows weaker and weaker As time goes past without care He fades into nothingness Dreaming of his victim His love Taking him to the very heavens 🌙 Only for her to take him to hell itself ☀️ Atop the boiler of the cosmos itself to burn for eternity

[@TheFrogfather1]

I discovered this album a few months ago and it’s pretty much been on repeat play ever since. The most remarkable thing for me is that a collection of songs of such differing ages and genres should work so well together.

[@quebeqseven]

I feel like the first part is sad because it feels like a nostalgic memory of happier times

[@TheJunkyard987]

Something really interesting about the album is that the two main theories (that I have seen) don't agree on if the main character is guilty or not guilty. One states that the singer is guilty and insane causing him to kill his lover before being sent off to the insane asylum to be rehabilitated. He dies in stranded lullaby and is denied into heaven in Dream Sweet in Sea Major. The other states that the singer was framed in murders and someone else his killed his lover in the forest. All evidence points towards him being the killer so he pleads insanity in hope of getting a lighter sentence, but the electroshock therapy makes him go crazy. He loses some of his memories so he forgets that his lover is dead and sets sail to find her in Dream Sweet in Sea Major before crashing after hearing the sirens' song. Your interpretation was pretty interesting as well because the album ends where it begins. Back on the boat and singing about how he got there in a grand summary of the entire album a second time.

[@WaterWaiWasTaken]

fun fact the moment The Mind Electric goes from reversed to normal is the exact middle of the album

[@thatzanzystig]

the album is about life and then death, introduction to the snow being and introduction to life (the snow), Dream Sweet in Sea Major being death, (“for merely dreaming, we were snow”) and everything in between being love, loss, insanity, and sorrow. With the protagonist even trying to build a Time Machine to go back, and ultimately dying.. The album is genius in my opinion

[@instructionalvideo.mp4]

I’m pretty sure that Murders is in 19/8 for the most part, with the chorus in 3/4 and the bridge in 2/4. The reason you might have counted different at the beginning is that I do believe there are some pickup notes at the beginning. Edit: I just finished the video. I think you had two big differences from the traditionally accepted narrative of the album that gave you a different reading, which I found interesting. In the end, you did conclude that the album is reflective, a look back at what once was. I agree, and because of that, I think there was only one lover at the beginning, and because it’s like a story being told, we maintain the themes of losing that loved one, even though we are still at the point in the story in which they are still together. However, this reading doesn’t acknowledge the line in Labyrinth. It’s also because of the reflective nature of the album that I don’t think that it matters what is before and after the electroshock therapy in The Mind Electric. Our narrator is unreliable, wether that be because the electroshock therapy, schizophrenia, or both. The second difference was how literally you read Time Machine. In the widely accepted narrative of this is just our protagonist longing for the past, and having this fantasy of going back to be with her again. But then the fantasy, or time machine, breaks down, revealing that he’s all alone. It was nice seeing a new prospective, though. Keep up the good work!

[@david_ii11]

The melody in the male voices in Black Rainbows resembles the Hawaii Five-0 theme. And I can hear the influence of Stephen Sondheim and Broadway musicals in this, as well as in Steven Universe.

[@Chris_winthers]

Idk, i think Joe just heard the easter island head from night at the museum and went "perfect"

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

I have drawn the album cover, so I've looked at it in great depth. The top left appears to be the spiral staircase continuing on up (we see it from underneath)

[@meganhammer7857]

Oh, I know this one! The main composers on Steven Universe are a duo called Aivi & Surasshu, along with the showrunner Rebecca Sugar, who wrote the lyrical songs. But I imagine you're talking about the instrumentals - I know there's a lot of video game chiptune influence in there. You should try listening to soundtracks of some old RPGs. "I was in the forest, looking to see the trees, but none were there" has always struck me as a play on the phrase "can't see the forest for the trees". In this case it's the opposite though, he's so focused on the forest (the big picture) that he can't see the trees (the small details). Or maybe none were there, who knows. The existence of "Time Machine" has always signalled to me that the events in this album are non-sequential, and possibly repeating in some kind of loop. I don't know if there are multiple lovers, it could just be the same one again and again. But also, my interpretation of the album isn't a cohesive narrative, it's always felt like a confusing mix of experiences to me. As if they've distilled the pure essence of dream logic into musical form.

[@uniatq]

In case you were curious the first half of the mind electric isn’t the same of the reverse half. The reverse is sometimes referred to as the “ordered” section, and the second half is “dis ordered” with the skipping and audio distortion not present in the reversed half. There’s a bunch of videos on this elsewhere that are very insightful I recommend watching.

[@bigsnake8_TM]

I believe that the Miracle Musical project is about the World Trade Center as a Whole, but Hawaii: Part II specifically anthropomorphizes the relationship between the north and south tower, and is written from the perspective of the south tower. Variations on a Cloud, on the other hand is written as a duet between north and south tower jumpers.

[@dos_tres]

Oh my god, I’m going to go relisten to the whole project now. I’ve never heard this read before, and it’s so fitting!

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

That's it, that's what Joe said about the perspective from one tower. I just didn't understand he meant as a person

[@penntopaper9305]

its fantastic honestly. you can see the heavy themes of it even in the more story driven interpretations of the album that turn the two into actual characters (simon and stella). theres still that theme of unity followed by stella being killed, specifically murdered (the first tower being hit by a plane and falling) and then simon deteriorating mentally (possibly a metaphor for the panic that happened inside the second tower) followed by simon dying as well (the second tower falling.) people often argue with each other saying its either about the towers or about a literal couple in hawaii. the answer is both. they are each other

[@bigsnake8_TM]

@@penntopaper9305 Exactly.

[@evergreen_monster]

Two songs in and I'm already sold. Introduction to the Snow sounds straight out of the Bioshock Infinte soundtrack! Another band/project I never heard of and I'm so eager to discover. This channel is the gift that keeps on giving haha [edit:] Got to the Disney-like, mood-change bit in White Ball. Dude, you're so good at this, it's impressive how much insight you can get out of the tiniest details, on a first listen. Your channel should be way bigger. [2nd edit:] Loved the multi-layered wordplay in Murders, when he's talking about flowers and the inverted love-me/love-me-not game... and immediately he says "forgot". Well, there's the Forget-me-not flower, usually associated in classical literature with desperate/doomed love or lovers. [3rd edit:] Okay, Murders onwards... A bit "give or take" due to the sheer abyss between the first 4 songs and these (autotune/vocoder, chiptune, modern influences), but the whole concept is so intriguing it still holds up (for me at least). I researched The Mind Electric and how it came to be in this version and it's been growing on me after a first perplexing listen. The whole album too. What a discovery.

[@AlsoStuck]

Fun fact: the french part in the japanese song (Space station level 7) has the same exact french lyrics in dream sweet in sea major

[@terramarc]

A popular theory I heard and believe on what the album… means goes as follows: In Introduction to the Snow, the male protagonist, after dying (a metaphorical interpretation of “at the end of a universe”, as well as a literal interpretation of “sparkling crystal souls”), tells the story of their love life. In Isle Unto Thyself, it begins with the male and female protagonists meeting and quickly falling in love. Apollo is also claimed to be chosen specifically because it’s the god the Apollo Program was named after, a mission to make it to the moon (the moon being elaborated on in white ball) I do forget what the interpretation of Black Rainbows was, but I do remember it somewhat involved the Stella Octangula and it’s meaning, as described by “Secrets and Mysteries of Hawaii”. White Ball is the story of the male and female protagonists metaphorically step up into the moon (which represents some sort of afterlife, elaborated on in Space Station Level 7) Just as Murders acts as the first song that isn’t really led into by the last song, the theory claims it acts as a sort of rug pull, showing what really happened in a way. The interpretation is that the male protagonist in a mental health episode kills the female protagonist (being why the male finds the girl, but the girl finds the Erlking, a figure who’s essentially Death in certain stories). They then come to this realization toward the end. (It can be assumed the entire song is about the male protagonist, as “he” is swapped out for “I” at the end). Space Station Level 7 uses space in some way as an analogy for heaven (as assumed from the only English word being heaven) .yllaciceps “yramrifni” sesu egduj eht esuaceb ylekilnu si siht hguoht ,ypareht kcohsortcele TON dna riahc cirtcele eht eb dluoc ti taht sedulcni osla yroeht ehT .)eno cificeps siht fo edistuo yroeht tsom ni neve( tsinogatorp elam eht rof ypareht kcohsortcele retal dna liart eht eb ot desu ylevitcelloc si cirtcelE dniM ehTThe Mind Electric is collectively used to be the trial and later electroshock therapy for the male protagonist (even in most theories outside of this specific one). The theory also includes that it could be the electric chair and NOT electroshock therapy, though this is unlikely because the judge uses “infirmary” specifically. Labyrinth is basically ignored because it doesn’t really make much sense to the narrative, nor is it really that great a song in comparison. Time Machine is seen as the male protagonist in the asylum looking back on their past decisions and wishing they could change it all Stranded Lullaby is the male protagonist on their deathbed being ready to see his lover once more in death, with all of the album culminating into Dream Sweet in Sea Major is about the male protagonist pleading with the gods to be let into the positive or only afterlife, though he is eventually turned down and left alone at the edge of a universe humming a tune, or merely dreaming they were snow. Variations on a Cloud and Candle on the Water are fully independent from Hawaii: Part ii, with Variations being the only song directly about 9/11 and Candle being apparently a tribute to a few deceased Tally Hall fans REedit: this was originally about the labyrinth game, but that was mentioned in the video. Stranded Lullaby actually has an old version known as Our Lullaby which Joe wrote for his now ex-girlfriend. The lyrics were seriously changed though, so it’s just a fun fact. Time Machine also has an old version, but it has the same lyrics as the Hawaii Part ii one. Edit 2: the French of Dream Sweet in Sea Major is different from Space Station Level 7’s, actually.

[@mrlee3412]

Labyrinth catching random strays

[@remy120]

i just watched a man go through the 5 stages of grief and i'm all for it

[@thenuggywuggy8389]

if u want the FULL full story, i recommend looking at Variations on a Cloud. It features altered lyrics from bands affiliated with Tally Hall, and it also brings a sort of epilogue to the story of Hawaii: Part II.

[@jaspin555]

oh man he listened to it! He should do Rob Cantors album. The KFC album. so so good also just a random thought but i would love for him to hear the album Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious. the best rap album i know

[@carimeslockdownedtree2654]

I always see the same interpretation everywhere. It's nearly accepted as the 'right' interpretation, so much so i never thought to question it, to think of it through a different pov. This was enlightening. And although i still feel the more wide-spread interpretation (which i assume everyone is telling you about in this comment section) has a stable standing, i still really like your thought process behind it. I'll check out your newer videos to see if you've touched on it again, since then! :)

[@GlacieThat1Dog]

When I comes to the lyric "oblivious of the bears and darker terrors or none were there." I find that coupled with the phrase"if a tree falls..." To mean, oh they're so oblivious to these dangers, but if it didn't effect them....were they ever there at al?

[@llamacraft6678]

3:19:59 I don't think ive heard anyone say this but theres a theory when you die for 7 minutes you dream of your past life and during Dream sweet in sea major the song is 7 minutes sharp

[@thatzanzystig]

The Mind Electric is in my true interpretation, a person going insane, they don’t know what to believe anymore and it’s hard to walk without tripping (metaphor), they are truly unable to comprehend the themselves any longer and cannot control their emotions, understanding that in all of existence they may only just be electric signals saved by life but killed at death, nothing… hence “The Mind Electric” “And you fall inside a hole you couldn’t see, and you fall inside a hole inside a- someone help me, understand what’s going on inside my mind”

[@everettmisar6031]

The Erlking is an old German story about a ghost or something of the sort that stalks kids and kills them with a touch. The story goes that a child and his father are in the forest and the child sees the Erlking, but the father couldn't see it. Eventually the child would convince the father to leave, but the Erlking chased after, eventually killing the boy in his father's arms. It's a connection to how in the story of Hawaii part ii the main character listens to the voices in his head. Long story short, the voice (Apollo) convinces our main character to kill his wife. In return, Apollo promises a stairway to heaven. "I was in the middle ground" is him considering it, and once he eventually does, he regrets it, claiming it was all for nothing at all.

[@epicboxx3838]

My favorite interpretation of the album's later tracks (labyrinth/time machine/stranded lullaby/Dream Sweet) is that inside this institution, the speaker is only able to escape after deluding himself enough to where he thinks him escaping is using a time machine. It seems very Tally Hall for that to be a plot point. Now, he's gotta venture back to his old life (hence, old lore in Isle Unto Thyself) because that was better than whatever he's caught himself up in now. One slight oversight, the boat he's gotta use to leave Hawaii has no water on it. In a makeshift boat, you're getting nowhere in three days. So, as he comes to terms with this, he's having delusions in the final track, his once lover returning and telling him a mix of "everything will be alright." and "You're gone, dude." that's why you hear the crash of the waves, and the mention of a siren's call. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he takes the quicker way out of this checkmate. Also space station level 7 and being alone at the edge of the universe, coupled with the undertones of 9/11, I think it's no stretch to say that there's an element of a soul's travel in the song. Trying to reach paradise, but Hawaii is the paradise, and he's going to the false paradise, the white ball. Perhaps Hawley likened a soul to a spacecraft or any other man made flying machine. And the fact he found the girl in the tree makes me think that the tree represents the tower, and considering how terrifying an event 9/11 was, the relative distance between the two impacts could have felt like days. The line "the galaxy extends" also makes me think that this soul is trying so hard to get to this false paradise, but it misses by a longshot, a trick of the tail.

[@KunzLevi]

Note that the bonus track variations on a cloud is considered track 0 so technically space station level 7 would be on the 7th slot

[@Cipherrr09]

You should absolutely listen to “Variations on a cloud”, which is a single by miracle musical, and also definitely some other tally hall music!

[@lunasilvermoon1786]

"i was a victim of magic, apollo" this line fits perfectly with the multiple relationships theory- in greek mythology, apollo was known for pursuing multiple (failed) relationships. he was also the god of music (among other things), so that fits in too! I really loved this video. I think listening to someone else parse out their thoughts on this album really help solidify some of the thoughts + theories i had rolling around :) the glass labyrinth idea could also tie into greek mythology? The idea of Daedalus's labyrinth, leading to him and his son being sequestered away, and then icarus' fall from the sky on his wax wings could parallel the lost in space/time/sea that the "protagonist" of this album faces. i always somewhat related the forest with no trees line to the concept of "mistaking the forest for the trees", which i think is relatable to trying to understand this album lol. Maybe relates to the way the protagonists faces his problems. I'm not usually a big commenter but this video was so good i had to. I subscribed instantly, this is my first video of yours! I really appreciate the way you speak, its clear you gather your thoughts well.

[@karmabl0ck]

Okay there is one artist who I’m pretty sure does a lot of cover esc things of these types of songs. One of their biggest is their version of The Mind Electric. They rewrote the song three whole times and made it so they all click end to end but can also be listened to separately (kinda like this album!) Their name is Chonny Jash and they have the three songs separately labeled as -The Heart Acoustic -The Mind Electric -The Soul Eclectic It also dives deeper into the story of the original version while simultaneously not doing that at all

[@anavan7]

LOL! I love your facial expressions trying to discern the precious madness turned inside out right side up and then the rug pulled from under us on this masterpiece.

[@King_bug78]

I’ve listened to this album so many times and this is my first time noticing the little background audio in the first 3 minutes of mind electric aren’t reversed

[@vertonimal]

This album is fantastic and I cannot begin to count how many times I've watched it. At least in the hundreds Actually I started to fall in love with this album because I started seeing a story. Every time I listened, each song had some new detail, some vivid imagery, some new story thread to weave together the melancholic story of a boy and a girl's awkward love blooming into a beautiful relationship. All before tragedy strikes and the boy becomes convicted and convinced of his guilt. Put through the horrors of the psychiatric ward in the 1970's. From the electro therapy to the blank white padded rooms. All to be released years later when evidence comes up to reveal the real killer. And during his descent into madness he begins to see the soul of the woman, who cries for him, urging him to live. Before he sets sail to sea, jumping off the boat and drowning. And after his death his soul reunites with the woman, finally seeing past the fuzzy white that obscured her, finally remembering her. And their one last dance beneath the waves, their last stroll on the beach, before they both walk out into the bright light of the heavens together. Honestly that's just a very bare bones rundown of the story I found. In my mind there is so much more. If I could draw I would have an entire storyboard, an animatic flowing from one song to the next creating an entire movie. The whole album is one big story. There is no break between them. They aren't scattered across a timeline. The whole story is there in chronological order.

[@arthur_agatapa9418]

A puzzle that was never meant to be solved Its meant too have infinite interpretations It has. Truly one of the most exelently crafted albums of all time

[@dillity]

Although the album was released in 2012, some of the songs, such as The Mind Electric, were already written almost a decade before.

[@tiptapdrats8454]

Rob Cantor's 40 Impressions song is actually on an album he released called Not a Trampoline (though, sung without impressions). It's a good album, very different tonally from Hawaii Part II and a lot of Tally Hall stuff. I'd absolutely recommend giving it a listen some time!

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

I love Perfect, it's one of my favourites on Not a Trampoline

[@Badfuture9191]

your lyrical dive on murders has given me a interesting sight on this song on particular.. this song to me seems to have 3 perspectives... the two lovers and the murderer.. I feels off to me if the lover is the murderer, particularly because they are lovers and usually they would have no motive to.. unless they were heartbroken by some way.. but by then the murderer and the girl lover character wouldn't come together again.. so with that insight.. I think either the girl lover from the beginning of the song (who broke the beginner male character's heart) is the same one in black rainbows, white ball, and murders but with a different male character (basically another lover) or some random other couple.. but I think it's the first option personally with how complex everything is. Zubin could be like the indicator that there is someone new.. but I don't know. purely interpretation.

[@Chris_winthers]

In the end, the narrator admits that the story he just told was about himself when he says "i was in the forest looking to see the trees", since the song started with "he was in the forest looking to see the trees". Also, the lyrics say "he found a girl, she found the earl king (the lover)", implying that the man, and by extension the narrator, is the earl king, or in other words, ther murderer

[@flickhawii]

I’d also highly recommend listening to the songs “Ruler of Everything” by Tally Hall and “Variations on a Cloud” by Miracle Musical in order to get the full gist of Hawaii: Part II - I think that no matter how many theories there are on the story, there’s a connected idea of life & death throughout, and the other two songs truly are the stepping stones to understanding that.

[@CuantumQ]

I feel like "Spring and a Storm" (also by Tally Hall, written by Joe Hawley) ties into the themes of life and death as well. It also ties into the theme of repetition that Hawaii Part II has

[@flickhawii]

@@CuantumQ also very true.

[@goldie1943]

What a fantastic video! This is a beautiful album, one of my favourites of all time, and it’s such a treat to listen to such thoughtful, in-depth discussion on it. It’s interesting to hear your discussion about the genre influences of this album - I know that Hawley has said that the Beatles are a musical inspiration for him (wrt the ““50s”” pop influences that you mentioned, maybe?), he was in the indie rock band Tally Hall prior to this album, and after made a very zany “hip-hop” album that is even more eclectic than this album, though less artsy. I think I do get what you mean with the “electronic” comment on Black Rainbows - the scope of the sound, and the almost sensory focus, if that makes sense? (I’m not that familiar with electronic music tbh). Of course, there’s more electronic elements in later songs like Space Station, Time Machine, etc. The first section of this album is definitely my favourite. The Mind Electric and Dream Sweet get a lot of attention, and for good reason, but, Isle Unto Thyself and White Ball are my highlights. White Ball is just, so gorgeous. Your discussion about the vocal melody is interesting - I’m a singer myself, so maybe that’s part of the reason I enjoy this album so much! The reaction to (reversed!) Mind Electric did entertain me a lot - it certainly makes an impression, lol. The first half is the reversed version of the song with conversation played forwards over the top, and the second half is the forward version without that conversation, although it does have some distorted parts not present in the original (reversed and edited parts of the vocals, interjections with samples of classical music), so it isn’t quite a perfect mirror. Time Machine’s similarities melody- and harmony-wise to the beginning of the album are very apparent in some of its demos. It does feel a bit like a time machine in that sense - looking back to those first 4 tracks, but seen through a different lens, with those simpler electronic instruments. THEMES AND MOTIFS!! Listen to the synth in the background of the Mind electric 5:23 - that’s the “see how I circle you” melody from Labyrinth! You also didn’t seem to spot the Space Station (2:05) callback in Dream sweet (2:10). I know a lot of people interpret this album in a number of different ways; I agree about what you said about the “poetic feeling” of some of the lyrics - it gives a sense of ambiguity and poetic beauty without any obvious deeper meaning. Personally the interpretation I find most convincing is that, ignoring most all of the (many, many) bizarre nuances and ambiguities this album has, this album is about a relationship: introducing the general shape of the story through Isle Unto Thyself, then starting and developing (black rainbows, white ball), growing conflicted and ending (the “impossible bliss” of white ball, murders), and much of the second half of the album is reflecting on this relationship (Time Machine, Stranded Lullaby, Dream Sweet). It’s vague, only semi-chronological, and explores related (?) ideas intermittently throughout, (the mind electric is the most obviously out of place within the “relationship” narrative, but, if we take the view that Space Station Level 7 is an intermission of sorts between the two halves, as I’ve seen people do, then THe Mind Electric opening the second half, in which the relationship has ended, could reflect the mental and emotional turmoil that this left behind. Like you said, it’s an older idea, so it kind of makes sense that it’s a bit disjointed). There’s so many interpretations as to what this album means, and it’s so cryptic that I think it’s impossible to know for certain even if there is a larger cohesive theme to the lyrics (much like the musical content of this album, I guess, lol), but it’s definitely fun to dig in to. (And, yeah, like some other commenters have said, this album is not about the twin towers - Variations on a Cloud is. Would love to see a reaction to that, btw!)

[@CriticalReactions]

Listening to those moments that you tagged for the motifs I can hear them now. They're a bit subdued and remind me a little of the ways that Bach was known for hiding (for lack of better word) his themes within some of his writing. They're there but not immediately noticeable nor in the spotlight.

[@knOWNd-Jeremy]

Don't know if anyone has said this. But the instrumental for Labyrinth is the same as the Bridge at the end of the Mine Electric, which I think is a cool connection

[@dard1515]

For Whiteball, at the end with the repeating bliss line. I like to think of someone reminiscing on good times, wanting to relive that. They have their wish granted and they can now only experience the bliss of those times. Reliving your best memories is of course impossible, but such bliss to consider.

[@Dr._Geno]

just in case you're not aware, there is also a 12th hidden track on the album titled "Variations on a Cloud" hope to see a reaction to that one. also would the song about "dancing with fireflies under trees" be "Fireflies" by "Owl City"?

[@jbboyz754]

This was such a nice video to watch while i was eating, i love this album so much thanks for covering it!

[@goonishereva]

Idk if anyone has mentioned this yet, but fun fact! The vocals for Introduction To The Snow were recorded in Joe’s shed in the winter, to really sell the shivering vocals

[@rainydaytales1792]

I have some thoughts about a specific theme/motif in the lyrics. I’ve never tried to organize my thoughts before, so this might be a little incoherent. I’ll do my best to make it make sense. Also, my understanding of music is shaky, so this will be mostly a lyrical and metaphorical analysis. Fair warning: this is going to be long. So: the motif that jumped out at me one day was that of a day/night cycle, or struggle. That day I read all the lyrics back to back without even listening to the music, trying to “figure it all out” (Yeah, I know how incredibly optimistic this was). My gut reaction was, “this is about night and day. As characters, and maybe as cosmic forces?” In hindsight I think I latched onto the lines in “Murders” a little too hard: “suddenly the night and day remembered how they came to be.” But I thought that summed up the relationship of the protagonist (the “I” mentioned in track 1) and his lover (the “you” mentioned in track 1) across the whole album. From here on, I’ll refer to the “I” and “You” as “Simon” and “Stella” respectively, for simplicity’s sake. Re: Day and night. They come to be by (to put it poetically and harshly) killing each other. From our perspective on earth, day and night can interact, or have a physical relationship, at dawn and twilight, which (I think) are the times of day poets find most beautiful. But eventually, one kills the other and takes its place in the sky for a time. Simon could be interpreted as being the sun, or day, and Stella is the moon, or night. In track 2, I believe Stella is referring to Simon as a “blinding shining star” which could be the sun. “You won’t see so far” indicates that Simon often can’t see far beyond his own light, or his worldview/perception. The production on the female vocals here indicates how distant, dreamy, and idealized Stella is in Simon’s mind. He can’t see her objectively; he’s blinded by his own perception of her, and he loves it. “It was the night we had to part” again, at night, day would have to part. “I was a victim of magic, Apollo” Apollo is the Greek god of the sun. The sun was depicted as Apollo’s chariot that he drove across the sky. I’m no expert on Greek mythology, so this line might have more layers I’m not seeing, but this sun/day/traveling the heavens/space idea is what I took away from it. Moving on to Black Rainbows. The moon controls the tides. The tides are of the ocean, and the ocean is water, and water plus sunlight equals rainbows. Thus “I see the praised rays, you see me smile.” Together Simon and Stella make rainbows, but Simon’s “blinding shining” light means he might not be seeing them for what they are. “I draw the rainbows, you draw them near” sounds slightly sinister in this context, as Stella makes the beauty happen, and all Simon is doing is holding it close to himself, obsessively I imagine. (With this line it’s also occurred to me that maybe Simon is the moon, and Stella is the sun, but whatever, uncertainty is another big theme of the album) “And lo the hues arrange to show it’s perfectly clear” all the colors combine to make a beautiful white light, but Simon chants “Black” in Hawaiian in the background, indicating, again, that he doesn’t see it the same way she does, and again driving home the light/darkness duality. White Ball, I admit, has a lot of mysticism that I can’t wrap my head around, but it talks of a dance, “Marble gods tango circles in space.” Greek gods are carved from marble, I think? So again, the Apollo imagery, and the sun and the moon could be said to “tango circles in space.” “Today is renewed, is reborn” and “each day, I am new, I am yours” could speak to the dawn and twilight I mentioned earlier, the beautiful, blissful times when day and night are closest together. “So please dismiss what they claim about this” is an interesting line to me, because it seems to indicate that others (people? Other beings?) might claim that Simon and Stella’s relationship shouldn’t be what it is, or something’s wrong with it. But Simon and Stella don’t want to look at what that might be. So they take “passionate steps” on a “floor suspending abyss,” focusing only the “bliss” of their dance and ignore how precarious their existence with each other is. (continued)

[@rainydaytales1792]

(continued from above) Of course, all that goes up in smoke in “Murders.” This is where one of the most ethereal (IMO) recurring images begins: the “Fountain of infinite mirror.” A place of water, being a fountain, so that ties it to the moon, but also a place of mirrors, or light, with would tie it back to the sun. A place where the two can be one. Also note that the next track, “Space Station Level 7” is the exact “middle ground,” as far as track number, of the album, and is about a space station, where you could view the sun and the moon more objectively, and you can see how the night and day come to be. Also also note that the track after THAT, “The Mind Electric” is almost a mirror of itself, AND that the entire album ends similarly to how it starts: all of Simon’s experiences might be described as an “infinite mirror.” That might be getting ahead of myself, though, and this is getting way too long already Continuing with murders: “She found the Erlking” or the fairy king, “In the light the leaves broke above then fell below” suggesting there is an “above” and “below” - the fountain of infinite mirror goes in both directions, but Simon was looking for it “in the middle ground,” Probably where you’d get the most perspective from. Also, “fell below.” In some mythology, fairy kingdoms are underground, and unsuspecting travelers in the woods could step in a circle of mushrooms and fall in - “fall inside a hole you couldn’t see” from track 7 comes to mind. There’s also a running theme in “murders” of doubt, and not knowing if the things you’re thinking or worrying about are actually real. Popular theories say Simon is a murderer and Stella is innocent (correct me if I’m wrong, please), but the doubting reality and other lyrics throughout the album throw into question, for me, at least, who is even being murdered in this part of the story. “Murders of murderers” “her for him, or him for her, shown what they were” like they were both guilty of what happened. “white wood” and a “black wood” are mentioned. Duality again “bees and birds” are mentioned one line before twilight. As stated, twilight would be one of two times night and day are intimate, and we all know what bees and birds can be shorthand for. And then Immediately after comes my bedrock line for this analysis: “finally the night and day remembered how they came to be” Space Station Level 7: Unfortunately, I haven’t digested this one’s lyrics as much as the other ones because I don’t understand them when listening to it casually. It’s clearly about space or the heavens, though, and not being able to move on from something you think you should move on from. The sudden shift to robotic vocals (and even the shift to another language, come to think of it) signifies a sense of disconnect within Simon as he’s forced to face the fact that he killed Stella/Stella killed him, and he has to reckon with whichever it is alone. The Mind Electric. So. I could write ten comments on this one song, but I’ll try to keep it brief. It could be about electroshock therapy, but my personal interpretation is that it’s about someone (in this case, Simon) tormenting themself because they believe they’ve done something wrong. The mind fractures into multiple roles-judge, jury, and executioner of itself, as it were. The song plays in reverse at the beginning to represent how distorted Simon’s view of what actually happened is. In the channel flipping part I thought I could hear snippets of “Murders” and “Black Rainbows.” As if Simon is reliving what’s happened, only for his punisher (read: his own mind) to force his thoughts back on the right track - a deeply unpleasant track, but one that allows him to live with the horrifying reality that he has killed/died. (I read one theory that the “electric” in the song’s title and lyrics could refer to the electric signals in the brain, rather than electroshock, which fueled my own interpretations.) What’s telling to me is how the robotic voice shifts tones, alternately condemning Simon and asking for help/mercy. This makes me believe the punishment comes from within, but the dissociation from shock/pain/whatever means Simon can’t recognize it. The only part of this song that supports my night/day thing, though, is the two lines “when it grows bright the particles start to marvel, having made it through the night” which kind of speaks for itself Labyrinth. Simon feels like he’s being taunted by what memories remain of Stella. The mental meltdown and self-rearrangement he went through in the mind electric have left him unsure of who he is, or what his relationship with Stella even was. He sees his previous relationship/obsession with her as a hateful maze that he still has to run. A maze whose walls are clear (like the rainbows, hmm…), so he should be able to easily solve it, but he’s bumping his head and finding all kinds of hidden traps. The stairwells leading to hell and the trapdoors call back to white ball, with its staircases and floor suspending abyss. Also “in the glass labyrinth, I am the mouse” says to me that, while he might be able to see the end, he still has to get there, and someone is watching him, like he’s a mouse in an experiment. Someone is watching all of his mistakes and slip-ups. Time Machine might be my favorite song on the album, and it is explicitly about dissociation and leaving the present time, whether literally or metaphorically, in order to escape bad feelings and wallow in nostalgia - but the price you pay for doing this is a loss of time sense. Time loses its meaning as you refuse to be present for its passing and you don’t experience it the way you should. You lose your respect for it, so it loses its respect for you. And when you don’t experience time the way others do, you often end up very, very lonely, with nothing to distract from those pains and problems you were trying to escape in the first place… Stranded Lullaby continues the themes of Labyrinth, but with the added sense of detachment and being lost that Time Machine describes. Simon is out at sea, whether literally or metaphorically, and if the sea represents an aspect of Stella…well. You could say that he’s still trying to be with her, but at this point his head is so messed up that he wouldn’t even recognize her if he was with her. He’s trying to figure out how he feels, but as he sails farther and farther through space, time, and water, the answers seem to be slipping farther and farther away from him. He feels like Stella is close, somehow. He hears her voice on the water, and thinks it’s probably a dream, but “awake would only prove the fantasy made lucid sense”. He’s beginning to wonder if maybe a dream is better than reality, anyway. People dream at night, and if day is dead while night is here, all he can do is dream of when he feels like himself again. Dream Sweet in Sea Major. And so day/sun/Simon is alone, at the edge of a universe humming a tune. And he decides that the siren, the dream, is better than nothing. So he gives himself up to it. Of note: “The stars were made for falling” if Simon is the sun, then could it be said that he was a star who fell for Stella? “She knows you heard her, staging music murder” again implies that Stella isn’t entirely innocent, whether she was the one killed or not in “murders” “The part is wholly ending” sounded like strange phrasing to me, at first. Then I realized if you chop the line early, you’d hear “the part is whole” maybe meaning that Simon finds himself again. The last few lines mention the blinding star again, all but confirming it’s the sun. The light higher than the sun…I don’t know. Maybe referring to a higher power? Knowledge? The knowledge of day’s relationship to night, only this time it brings peace rather than pain, because it’s day’s turn to be reborn? And that’s all I’ve got for evidence on the day/night theme. Writing all this out makes me see how flimsy some of my theories are, but eh. The lyrics are less than half of the experience of this album. The music helps evoke the light and dark even when the words don’t. Not sure why it struck me as so interesting in the first place. Maybe because it pulls every other detail into focus for me, and gets me thinking harder about what it all could mean. Basically I’ve decided it’s about the duality of humanity. Existence vs nonexistence. How good and evil can exist within the same space as well as far opposite each other. How relationships with different aspects of yourself can feel like relationships you have with other people. Can you really know what it’s like to be a different person? Can you ever really know yourself? Life and death exist in the same space, and contradictions are everywhere. Can you ever really know what’s real? Should you pursue your fondest dream, even if you know it’s impossible? These are all questions that I think Hawaii part ii asks. It doesn’t give much in the way of answers, though. I guess you have to find them yourself, chase them, like night following day following night, a circle without end. Opposing forces working together. The universe observing itself. Is the point of this impossible-to-decrypt album that not everything has an answer? Sometimes you just have to be, and hope that’s enough? It’s too late. I’m having 3 AM existentialism. Anyway. If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. I’m hitting send before I think too much about it and delete it all.

[@BigBoyCarp]

@@rainydaytales1792From murders i got the feeling that simons and stella relationship is forbidden and simon is talking about how this bliss should be impossible also mind electric is the middle of the album and when it goes from reverse to foward the album is halfway done

[@BigBoyCarp]

my interpretation of the album never placed lyrics as the literal meaning more as the “feeling” obviously some lyrics are more direct than others but i think if you take the lyrics with a distance and understand that you will never fully comprehend it i think the album becomes clearer somehow

[@CriticalReactions]

Fantastic interpretation that's well supported by the album. I think that even if it's isn't directly about the day and night that the metaphor of how they can never be together is something that the album reinforces constantly.

[@WD_RatLad]

you should listen to Joe Hawley Joe Hawley :D

[@Loafoftime]

I love murders' time sigs. The verse goes one measure of 4/4, two measures of 2/4 and 3/4, one measure of 5/4.

[@MinaWalker]

A reaction to one of my favorite albums?! Hooray! Keep up the good work!

[@Tactical_pufferfish]

Dream sweet in sea major apparently takes place when his heart is stopped, a human brain can last for 7 minutes while clinically dead, his brain is going back through memories to try and save him, thats why there are different parts from other songs and at the last 50 seconds, it his brain shutting down.

[@jacewhite8540]

The darkness I think you felt at the beginning was lyrics I think, talking about being alone on the end of the universe, and other such things. Its has the feeling of nostalgia, and sadness, but a happysad I guess

[@dysphanic_redshift]

only an hour into it and. the reaction to the genre shift between isle unto thyself and black rainbows was hilarious. I can't wait to see the reaction to labyrinth

[@ratogalilei]

for me, this album wants you to put your own meaning to it. It's similar to what absurdism says about life: it makes no sense by itself, so you have to give it your own meaning (if you want to)

[@vampiresquid2635]

The Mind Electric always makes me think of that last scene in Brazil where everythings going insane and hes about to be executed by the government. Its very emotional

[@Beemy0s]

in my opinion the reverse is before the electroshock therapy because electro shock therapy was though to reorganize or restructure your brain/ make things clearer for those with severe schizophrenia, depression and I think something else I can't remember rn? (i did a paper where I researched and mentioned electroshock therapy that's how I know these things lol) So I think that the backwards bit is an example of before the shock therapy and the voices that are forwards are voices in the main Character's head because they arent really there in the forwards version which would be after the shock therapy. That's just my opinion and theory though so- yeah :]

[@CardyAstral]

Basically Miracle Musical story. Introduction to the Snow: Simon is the MC (main character) in the story, and introduced himself, had hardships in life. (lives in Hawaii cuz, Hawaii: Part 2. Get- get it right? I'm not the best at jokes.) Also met Stella, his new girlfriend. Isle onto Thyself: Simon and Stella's bond strengthens. Black Rainbows: Stella trying to comfort Simon because of old times. White Ball: Stella saying that the relationship won't work out, and Simon tries to convince Stella. Stella gets convinced and doesn't break the relationship. Murders: Simon and Stella goes into a forest, but Simon lost Stella, Simon tries to find her but he found her dead body due to a mythical creature in the forest probably. Space Station: Level 7 (it was in Japanese): Simon gets arrested. The Mind Electric: Simon gets plopped into a court, the judge said that he has been accused of murder, so Simon tries to convince the judge that he was insane, so the judge took him to shock therapy, then to a mental asylum where he goes insane. Labyrinth: Simon tries to escape prison. Time Machine: Simon successfully escapes and goes to a boat to swim through the ocean, but he thinks the boat is a time machine. Stranded Lullaby: Simon gets stranded in the middle on the ocean while still on the boat. Dream Sweet in Sea Major: A recap of most of the songs from before, also Simon is dying on the boat. (fun fact: happy memories play for seven minutes in your head before you die.) Edit: Actually, Dream Sweet just has the leitmotifs of Introduction to the Snow to Black Rainbows, so I may not really say most of the songs, but some.

[@Crieffish]

Emperor and Miracle Musical in the same week! All my worlds colliding in the best possible way. Love your stuff Brian - thank you.

[@knockoutturtle]

What I think Space Station Level 7 means is that it's relating to Heaven in Dante's Divine Comedy, where Heaven is made up of 7 layers (Most corosponding to the planets)

[@cringedetector5560]

From what I believe, he either found the island or he lived there, met a girl, they fell In love, she gets killed in the forest and he finds her, the police arrest him and before a judge, he pleads insanity, but they unintentionally jumble his mind due to shock therapy, Time Machine I’m “pretty sure” he just wants to go back in time but can’t, remember this guy is jumbled. He escapes the ward, and flees to the sea, only to be stranded, die, and meet his lover in heaven