The Story of Neutral Milk Hotel

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Neutral Milk Hotel were one of the most famous and influential indie bands of all time. Headed by Jeff Mangum, a genius songwriter and singer from Ruston, Louisiana, they released only two albums in their short career: On Avery Island and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. The band’s 2nd and final album has gained cult classic status over the last 2 decades for its surreal lyricism and fascinating subject matter. Many people believe that it’s about German diarist and historical figure Anne Frank. Songs like Two Headed Boy, Oh Comely, Holland 1945 and King of Carrot Flowers include references to the horrors of World War 2 and her short but influential life. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is famous for its fresh instrumentation and style, and it is considered one of the albums that began the indie folk/rock genre. It is responsible for the styles of bands such as The Decemberists and Arcade Fire.
Neutral Milk Hotel is famous for disappearing after they released their second album, which was an instant hit. They gained popularity from blogs and 4chan and eventually came out with an EP, Ferris Wheel on Fire, in 2011. Ferris Wheel on Fire is made up of older songs from the mid-90s. They toured for a while in the early 2010s as well, but announced in 2015 that were going to stop for the foreseeable future.
#NeutralMilkHotel #Volksgeist #VideoEssay #InTheAeroplaneOverTheSea #IndieMusic #MusicDocumentary

[@Volksgeist]

How do you feel about Neutral Milk Hotel? Let me know! Support the production of Volksgeist videos on Patreon for exclusive perks including mail from me and more! patreon.com/volksgeist Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/volks.geist

[@BigBangTheory92]

Volksgeist remember when I asked you guys on twitter to do a documentary on this and you guys retweeted me? This just made my day!

[@noiceman]

I'm going to have to wholeheartedly disagree with you on your "On Avery Island" comments.

[@therealquade]

This is not even close to what ITAOTS is about. anne frank may have inspired him, but it's not about anne frank in the slightest, and I can prove it. Listen to in the aeroplane over the sea then listen to Ferris wheel on fire (at least the first half of the album. the last few songs I couldn't figure out) Then listen to the song Little Birds Then lastly, Listen to in the aeroplane over the sea..... again. both albums, and the extra song, Tell a single cohesive story between all of them. It becomes pretty clear when you pick apart the grammar of several of the songs, then the song "Home" (with all those pretty little hammers of control) starts to piece it together, and then finally little birds directly and bluntly beats you over the head with the correct answer. I'm not going to tell you everything here, I'm just going to list some of the obvious stuff. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU LISTEN TO THEM IN THE ORDER THAT I GAVE BEFORE YOU READ PAST THIS PARAGRAPH This way, you do not color your opinion of it. listening to ITAOTS in isolation can only give you the full story if you really REALLY pick it apart and become a grammar-nazi AND a massive pervert, AND a freaking poet, and even there from dumb luck. It will take you about the length of a movie to listen to them in the way I described. I highly suggest you take notes on who the characters in the story are. The only thing I will tell you is that the whole thing takes place in southern baptist louisiana, in the 1970's. the references to anne frank are the characters in the 70's talking about her, and not jeff himself. Assume that the singer is a character in the story, Do not assume that every song is sung by the same character. After you have listened to both albums, that one song, and then the first album again (knowing what you figured out, just to verify), THEN come back to this comment, and read the rest of what I said to see if you came to the same conclusion. if you didn't come to the same conclusion, (which really, little birds spells it out quite literally... come on) then knowing what I say in these later paragraphs, listen to the whole set in that same order a second time, keeping this stuff in mind. and come back and tell me what you think then. also the songs are not in chronological order, and are instead ordered this way more by theme and perspective. It's about a highly dysfunctional family, located in southern baptist louisiana, in the 1970's. based on the grammar of king of carrot flowers, we can deduce part of the structure of the family "your mom would stick a fork right into daddy's shoulder". this implies that the mother is only the mother of the person being sung to, but the father is shared between the two, meaning they are half-siblings. "as we would lay and learn what eachother's bodies are for" and "And from above you how I sank into your soul, Into that secret place where no one dares to go" implies incest, and anal at that. Skip forward to 2-headed boy, the phrase "I am listening to hear where you are", calls to mind the image of people playing hide and seek, but another way of saying that phrase is "I'm coming for you", meanwhile the 2-headed boy, all floating in glass, I can hear as you tap on your jar..... It's not 1 boy with 2 heads in a jar, It is 2 boys fucking doggy-style in front of a mirror. The "radio plays just for 2" is that the two of them are sharing stories in secret. Those stories are found with Holland 1945. These gay, incestuous boys in the 1970's southern baptist louisiana, are comparing their secrecy of their relationship to the jews hiding from the nazis in the holocaust. This analogy is strengthened quite a bit in ferris wheel on fire "your mother makes frantic and drunk calls from germany all of the time". Even in those 3 songs alone there's a TON of supporting evidence for this. I'm not going to spoil /everything/ but over the course of the story 1, one of the siblings (a family of 2 or 3 boys, a shared father, and the father's 2nd wife) is either nearly murdered or actually murdered by the father, with a hammer, then secretly buried in the bayou, when and because he is caught in bed with his lover, who is NOT one of the siblings, but is still another guy. One of the siblings is deeply hurt by this and sees it as cheating / disloyalty before the hammer attack, but desperately wants him back after. One of them (not sure which, or if it's the same one), at some point Gets married to a lesbian to help hide that he's gay and that she's a lesbian, but it is found out at their wedding, which devolves into a family feud (Ferris wheel on fire). and the youngest of them mourns the loss of the eldest sibling, and their dysfunctional family, starts to fall in love and tries to express it only to be beaten and forcibly baptized in a river, ultimately resolving to simply allow himself to drown in the baptism. oh and either the one who was baptized again, or the one that got the sham marriage, ends up alone, living in a tiny cramped apartment disillusioned with his life and place in the world and wants nothing more than for god to just take him already to be with the people he's lost. I believe this is a purely fictional story, and not jeff's life story. if it was jeff's life story uhhhhhhh there should be quite a few people in prison for hiding a bunch of lynchings, just for a start.

[@hollowtavo7612]

I only like the one song In the aeroplane over the sea

[@therealquade]

no it's probably Holland 1945

[@Bandstand]

i like this band

[@Koogai]

okay

[@oisiin]

Hello good sir

[@WMGGW1968]

i can see that

[@Cyro23]

They're pretty good ngl

[@hasbroclankus6190]

Again, you again

[@SlushTV]

How strange it is to be anything at all is one of my all-time favourite lyrics

[@augustlorcan7986]

albert camus would be proud

[@beatmcguire4973]

same here!

[@interuptingcactus]

Watch the Steven colbert episode of comedians in cars getting coffee. You won't regret it.

[@misslindseyfrost]

Same! It means so much to me.

[@amandarakestraw2915]

Same!

[@leej70]

"I wish i could save her in some sort of time machine." Most heart breaking lyric I've ever heard.

[@kavajarrace]

The Vicious Chicken of Bristol I actually think the album is about a man in the future who reads Anne Frank’s diary, is so heartbroken and sad that he makes a deal with a spirit to give him a power to time travel. In “Untitled”, he saves Anne Frank and brings her back into the future with her. The albums songs cut between the man reading the book and Anne’s own experiences. The Fool is a Nazi newsreel. Holland 1945 is when Anne was buried. Two Headed Boy is about the man that wants to change the past and worries about the future, but is also about Anne’s friend.

[@ilitardo160]

The Scout no please please shut up please no just no just don’t why God why please just don’t ever ever ever ever mention that dumb as hell theory ever again

[@henrybuchanan6613]

And in my dreams you're alive and you're crying, this one hits hard

[@CipherSerpico]

The Vicious Chicken of Bristol Most people think about using a time machine to go back and kill Hitler. Jeff thought about using one so he could go back and save an innocent girl. Wow. How did I never realize that before.

[@haikat4]

Its literally nothing but a meme to me now lmao

[@afterwalker6773]

"Depicting a girl with a thing over her head." That's a tambourine.

[@80yearsold23]

Afterwalker it’s a potato

[@michaelmcdonald8452]

It’s not anything. It’s simply a graphic of a hole cut in the cover.

[@RustinChole]

Michael McDonald it’s a snare drum. From a lyric on the album.

[@Winador13]

Afterwalker I always thought it was a coconut

[@ryanrockers]

Its a quartz cylinder slice

[@fruktumkalasbajen9647]

"Vague reflections on religion" *I LOVE YOU JEEESUS CHRIIST*

[@stopwatchingthissumedha3368]

I love you

[@gabiioiq]

LMAO

[@GR1MRACER]

Jesus was Jewish

[@jesseweneedtocook]

Jeff has said he isn't particularly relegious. He just loves the concept of him as a person.

[@izzycabbit5536]

THIS is why I always read the comments XD

[@ziggodante]

the subtle Seigfried by Frank Ocean playing in the background

[@jankuc331]

Man i love it

[@noidx]

what a seigfried moment

[@mr.nazareth4501]

It's really good background music surprisingly

[@IndieBassJA26]

Xav Odante i heard the first few chords and instantly paused the video to see if anyone had commented on it.

[@sweatpants7072]

Coincidentally one of my favorite songs of all time

[@9inchsnails675]

I'm in a band with the daughter of the neutral milk hotel brass player. I always love seeing neutral milk hotel videos and forums. and then I go and ask her dad about theories people have.

[@pyxelm]

belathebettafish woah cool

[@markyjanu10]

And what does he say? :'D

[@krow8940]

what’s you band called? :)

[@bressingham6]

tell us what the band is called 0.0

[@ricardooliveros6411]

I smell cap

[@MrShahid0072]

Jeff isn't an amazing instrumentalist or anything but he has an amazing sense of what makes a beautiful/haunting melody and a way a creating beautiful imagery through words. Being amazing at songwriting has nothing to do with how technically good you are at the instrument. Jeff has a beautiful soul and he uses this beautiful medium of music to unleash that beauty into the world.

[@shawn4189]

He's better than he gets credit for. He's not a lead guitarist. He plays rhythm and he does it very well. He has a strong sense of timing and he likes to do tricks with it. If you try to play and sing his songs accurately, that becomes clear.

[@ludwigii9329]

Of course people continue to just kinda brush past On Avery Island.. I mean I get it, but.. man that album deserves more love :(

[@annabelstafford2469]

I agree!! Three peaches, where you'll find me now, and a baby for pree are my favorites from on Avery island. Although I do prefer the a baby for pree/glow into you version

[@jncook54]

I couldn't agree more. It has more than one of my favorite NMH tracks on it.

[@allylupo6561]

Naomi is my favorite nmh song :)

[@Badassmotherhugger]

To me, the two albums are almost seamless. They fuse together so well. I can't say one is really better than the other, or more profound

[@uwugriffith]

Ludwig... Love the GTO profile pic

[@floridtv]

He poured his entire soul out until there was nothing left. That's why it's so good. He fulfilled his purpose.

[@Pickloes]

He just wanted to fuck Anne Frank so badly

[@masicbemester]

@@Pickloes award for biggest simp

[@liyre4189]

@@Pickloes nO

[@Pickloes]

@@liyre4189 that’s what the songs about though

[@liyre4189]

@@Pickloes NO??? he had a girlfriend at the time, it's unlikely that the song was about HAVING SEX with a teenage girl that died decades ago

[@ramiroh1185]

In the aeroplane over the sea influenced funeral by arcade fire

[@MrPopadopoulis]

You're not wrong, but I think even more than that it's influenced almost all indie rock afterwards, up to this day - The Decemberists, The Shins, The New Pornographers, etc.

[@viperstrikes2622]

It also basically started the folk punk subgenre

[@johnentwistle952]

1998 guys, not 1988.. there were plenty of indie bands experimenting with lo-fi folkish moods before Mangum.. think of Guided By Voices or Sparklehorse, or Magnetic Fields, and even Pavement.. but even way back in the 80s with early Yo La Tengo and shit like that.. i mean, the list could go on and on.. i love Mangum but he wasn't that innovative.. people like Shins or New Pornographers are heavily influenced by the sixties and obviously by the Pixies, like anyone else.. it's just my opinion anyway..

[@bgbd182]

I thought folk punk started with Violent Femmes

[@bgbd182]

or is that punk folk

[@inaquiilarragorri]

i always loveloveloveeed the fact that he says "Don't hate her when she gets up to leave" and then he gets up and leaves, maybe he was asking us not to hate him for leaving as well

[@Tony-yg6bz]

It's an expression of "if you love something let it go" The poor two-headed boy just wants to get with his caretaker.

[@Jonas-uh1wm]

I’m a Chinese, the band is my favorite band.

[@TheHandleOnYoutube]

张泽宇 Awesome!

[@bacht4799]

I’m danish.. and you got great taste in music 🎶

[@luciav8595]

@Fadel_novalhidayat novalhidayat mate😂😂

[@rinmarc9600]

Fadel_novalhidayat novalhidayat Event not found

[@Mary-rc8ee]

Hes a chinese

[@comi2958]

He actually did it the mad lad Thank you, Volksgeist

[@Volksgeist]

of course my child

[@getgot27]

You seriously made the video 4 seconds short of 10 minutes? At that point just get your ad revenue bro

[@andrewhearst4749]

Don't Do It it’s gonna get copyright striked anyways

[@safeinsound432]

Nah hes a real og

[@illusionprisoner4631]

MF DOOM)

[@attackbrains2095]

all he had to do is say that “he said, in one song, ‘I LOVE YOU JUUHEESUS CHUURRIIST”

[@deeznutty661]

It’s about the content and that’s the proof.

[@mkr0802]

Best known as April Ludgate’s favourite band.

[@calebhager9315]

I was watching that episode with a buddy and laughed at the scene. My friend then goes “you know that’s an actual band? They’re pretty good” So thank you P&R for helping me find this awesome band

[@KrisRN23935]

I just found out they were real from this video. But it sounds right up my ally.

[@Spleeneatrz]

I first discovered them from that show lol. I wasn't even sure it was real.

[@ThatOneGuy7550]

Oh man, I absolutely love Neutral Milk Hotel! But you should totally cover the Microphones/Mount Eerie sometime as well!

[@garjo7131]

I second this!

[@garrrett_81]

YES!

[@ballout1059]

YES THANK YOU YES!!!

[@SporeFan38]

yes

[@patricksalone5871]

This would be so great

[@pregho]

Jeff Mangum is a remarkable soul. Well said.

[@RB3Vids]

In the aeroplane over the sea! But now we are young let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see

[@neutralnickhotel]

Lay in the sun dawg

[@RB3Vids]

neutral milk hotel sorry :/

[@MrPopadopoulis]

In accordance with other recent interviews of Jeff, it sounds like he created a very personal album, which blew up far larger, on a commercial level, than anybody could have anticipated. Most reviews for the album upon release were actually incredibly harsh and negative, but it touched enough people personally that the album seems to have slowly grown into a legendary piece of art within a few years. In all this, Jeff Mangum really just sounds like a normal dude, who made something way more impressive than even he thought it was, and couldn't handle the insane celebrity now attached to him and to the album. So he straight up disappeared. The entire story behind how this album became so acclaimed in the first place is just really bizarre.

[@soulreaverable]

MrPopadopoulis ARE YOU RECORDING ME

[@bungus2012]

Jeff Mangum is /r9k/ embodied jfc

[@bobdole8830]

The story of the album goes to show how shallow and pathetic music "journalism" can be, changing their notes to the tune of the masses.

[@suzbone]

I hung out with Jeff while I was in college in Ruston, along with Robert Schneider, Scott Spillane, Bill Doss, and Will Hart, and I assure you Jeff Mangum is not some normal guy who accidentally did something big and now shrinks away from it. The album may have blown up more than anyone could have ever imagined, but Jeff Mangum was never and will never be "some normal dude." He truly is and always has been a very rare and precious soul.

[@flanplan5903]

They should make a movie about it.

[@apitsaplees4749]

I’m obsessed with this band I’ve been sleeping on it my whole life

[@davidcopson5800]

I'm obsessed with my bed. I've been sleeping on it for half of my life.

[@SOCKS_RABBIT]

@@davidcopson5800 half???

[@davidcopson5800]

@@SOCKS_RABBIT Yes, I'm 40 and I bought it 20 years ago. I'll have to change the sheets soon.

[@urmum-oe1qw]

@@davidcopson5800 where do you get the bed from

[@davidcopson5800]

@@urmum-oe1qw The shop that sells beds.

[@foxeh123]

"but don't hate her.. when she gets up.. to leave..." Always shed a tear.

[@emilydotbug]

Neutral milk hotel will always be one of my favorite bands of all time. My best friend of many years drowned in a river last year and him and I used to listen to neutral milk hotel together in his car and just cry like weirdos. Those memories are definitely bittersweet now.

[@natasha4234]

emilydotbug 7 months late, but i hope you are doing well. im sorry for your loss.

[@baseballboi5943]

i dont know why but aero plane just gives me such a strong feeling of comfort yet sadness at the same time, like I could listen to it on repeat for hours

[@saintpierre5184]

Aero plane is kind of like a soundtrack to every Wes Anderson movie

[@billbuttmeizer3149]

“Nothing to pour through in terms of greater meaning and backstory” in on Avery island 😂😂😂😂cmon brah that story encapsulates the teenage experience

[@peterwilliams2858]

“A sort of tiredness of the disappointing nature of life in general” Very well said.

[@dreamscapechaser517]

Discovered this album when I was fifteen years old. My life was forever changed.

[@madiserket2]

two headed boy is probably the most underrated song on ITAOTS

[@80yearsold23]

I like part 2 better

[@abby4684]

@@80yearsold23 same

[@athenux102]

@@80yearsold23 part 1 is my favorite on the album

[@claytonbrown7120]

Neutral Milk Hotel is the most over rated band in history

[@nick-kd2yx]

ARE YOU RECORDINGGGGGG MEEEEE

[@dasmaymay7314]

jej

[@sophiemonasterio1508]

When I was a preteen I got to see them live in Albuquerque, and it blew me away. His voice is incredible in person, so much power, so hauntingly beautiful. But at the show, they required that no one took any pictures or recorded at all. I remember when he walked out on stage, I didn't recognize him because he hasn't shared any images of himself since 1998. When a couple people in front of me started recording and taking pictures, Jeff's eyes bugged out of his head, like he was terrified. He was very kind about it, merely explaining that he wanted us to be there at that moment, not on our phones. It was sweet and I understood, but I couldn't get the look on his face out of my head. I wonder if after the breakdown he went into hiding for complete privacy. My parents theorize he's afraid of the government and being tracked, but that's a little tin-foil-hat for me hahaha

[@frannydavis5232]

the lyrics "Anna's ghost all around hear her voice as it's rolling and ringing through me soft and sweet how the notes all bend and reach above the trees" are fantastic and are probably my favourite lyrics to ever exist

[@melanatedalienplant2424]

Low key love hearing Clair de lune as background music

[@julieneilc1859]

Aaaah thaank you for highlighting this!!!

[@andrewhearst4749]

I prefer Siegfried😂

[@andrewm82]

I grew up with Jeff, Robert, and Bill (well, I met Bill in college...but we were coworkers and roommates during that time). I can vouch for the kindness and gentleness of their souls. They are wonderful people and amazing artists. I mourn deeply the loss of Bill. Jeff is generous, kind, and wonderfully creative. Robert is a genius with so much love to give. Bill was a true friend through and through.

[@Waynimations]

I freaking love this group. Always play their music on blast on my stereo

[@karlmanchur9906]

"And now we must pick up every piece of the life we used to love Just to keep ourselves at least enough to carry on." Is simultaneously the most devastating and uplifting lyric on longing for the past I've ever heard.

[@criscrypto]

ITAOTS is the most unique album i've ever heard. if you havent heard it, do yourself a favor.

[@danielerickson4893]

Thank's April for introducing me to this music

[@samhyde6395]

What's wrong with an album about loving Anne Frank

[@samhyde6395]

Nothing that's what.

[@muddycatfish5396]

okay.

[@Skip2MeLou1]

It was just edited to remove the lesbian bits and other unsubstantial things

[@setomanda3272]

that it was written by her father

[@ididgt4259]

Can someone explain this? Both the lesbian thing and her Dad forging it? Thanks.

[@marcomccormack2430]

Man I sure am glad I got this in my recommended! Great video.

[@aagantuk7370]

semen stains the mountaintops gamers rise up

[@Anjaan_Ajab]

Bapuji aap yahan?

[@andrelunaisatuna]

England is a lie that's what it fucking is

[@andrelunaisatuna]

#EnglandIsntReal #EarthIsntReal #WelcomeToTheSimulation

[@andrelunaisatuna]

Also Neutral Milk Hotel makes me super fucking happy, just the mention of Mangum gets me music boner cooking up

[@aagantuk7370]

@@Anjaan_Ajab ae jethiya

[@Teen_Drama]

I was listening to this last night and broke a glass while washing the dishes. This documentary is really beautiful, not like my right hand, which is a mess. I felt like the cuts were a sign that I should give the second album a listen. So, I gave a go to the first half of Aeroplane and it's really what you make it out to be! It's strange, but this album now has a place in me, for causing my wounds and (hopefully) eventually healing them. Thanks for this great vid!

[@saidamanda]

2:42 Actually, there is a great book out there with information you can't find online about the process. E6 member Robert Schneider had a large part in producing the album and giving it the feel it has. It also goes more in-depth into where the songs came from, the formation of the band, etc. It's the 33 and 1/3 book on the album. It has interviews with Julian Koster, some members of E6, as well as people who were involved in a less official way. 10/10 would recommend if you're really into NMH. Also just the 33 1/3 series in general is pretty rad.

[@cheesyfudge]

Was just about to suggest this, 33 1/3 really delves into the recording process for the album. I managed to see NMH live during their 2012 tour, a moment I'll never forget.

[@saidamanda]

I saw them a few times in the 2014/2015. One of them was without a doubt the best night of my life. So glad they briefly toured and we both got to experience that magic.

[@NHDAR1]

saidamanda I was going to comment the same. Finding that book was so exciting! And the testimonies are so moving. Kim Cooper did a great job there.

[@kerritemporary2011]

Another fantastic video, Volks. ITAOTS has always been one of my favorite albums, but I never knew much about Neutral Milk Hotel. As many other commenters have stated, this informative video brings the appreciation of the music to a new level. Thank you for putting so much effort into your videos, too. I've yet to see a bad or boring video from you.

[@Kilgoretrout_]

I disagree about Avery Island. I find that album to be one of the most raw, beautiful, and original works ever.

[@weeniebop9825]

I know this is just one comment out of 250 but thank you for making this, it made me really happy

[@Volksgeist]

im glad :)

[@Kmart3535]

Neutral Milk Hotel was a great band and their disappearance was sad, but don’t hate them when they leave

[@electroid4]

I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE WITH THAT REFERENCE Lol

[@medes5597]

It's a drum. She has a face you beat. It's supposed to bring forth imagery of domestic abuse.

[@80yearsold23]

Terry Beardmore a potato. It’s a face you potato.

[@danipants8608]

It's actually a tambourine, you can see the cymbols on the side. I do prefer to think of it as a spud though

[@80yearsold23]

dani vaganni yeah you’re probably right, but it makes me laugh to say it’s a funky potato

[@ciara7172]

It's a tambourine

[@medes5597]

@@ciara7172 the artist and Jeff say it's a drum. Jeffs original design document says drum. That's why the "cymbals" aren't 3d at all it's string on the side of a drum.

[@meiyagii]

Just found this video and discovered your channel. I love your content and I look forward to any future stuff you make!

[@Volksgeist]

thanks!

[@emmab5035]

this made me cry. genuinely amazing, spot on analysis of the most beautiful album. u were bang on i guess it uses the universality of the style to tell the fragility of life. also your voice is very soothing. thanks

[@mariaeduardagoncalves215]

This video made my day!Thank you!❤ greetings from Brazil

[@lusciousmustard5476]

Hearing about his reaction to Anne Frank’s story legit made me tear up. Great video!!!

[@nathancarroll7347]

The album is ultimately about the purpose of life and a plea to his suicidal father. The girl detailed throughout the album is Anne Frank. It's not her though, it is not her diary either. It is hope. The concept that life is worth living for finding the good that life has to offer. Throughout the album Mangum struggles with "her" and the battle that she faces within the two headed boy. The two headed boy struggles with her and "the brother" - before recording this album, one of Mangum's best friends shot himself in the head and killed himself. She had escaped his brother. The two headed boy is Jeff's father, who he pleas to find the girl, and not the life his brother led... The lyricism in THB2 brings the concept of this album into a much clearer and more digestable light. Daddy please hear this song that I sing In your heart there's a spark that just screams For a lover to bring a child to your chest that could lay as you sleep The opening line is stating in very clear terms that he is reaching out to his father. Pleaded his father to feel the spark of life in his heart. And in my dreams you're alive and you're crying, As your mouth moves in mine, soft and sweet, Rings of flowers 'round your eyes And Ill love you for the rest of your life when you're ready At this point, Mnagum is singing about Anne Frank. About her and his love for what she stood for. Her mouth moving in his is not a sexual act, but a reference to the words she spoke in her diary moving through his words. The rings of flowers a reference to the innocence of Anne Frank and the symbol of hope and life she portrays. Mangum ends with a promise to both Anne, as well as his father Brother see we are one in the same And you left with your head filled with flames And you watched as your brains fell out through your teeth Push the pieces in place Make your smile sweet to see Don't you take this away I'm still wanting my face on your cheek This portion is a graphic detailing of the friend that killed himself. Jeff is heartbroken at losing someone he loved so dearly. He sings a tribute to his friend, and quickly switches back to the plea for his father to choose life. The way of Anne instead of the way of his friend. Two headed boy she is all you could need She will feed you tomatoes and radio wires And retire to sheets safe and clean But don't hate her when she gets up to leave We end with his final words to his father. His thesis statement. Jeff tells his father that she (hope) is all he could need to see the purpose in continuing to see life. Hope gives sustenance. She allows for him to sleep on a bed, with life. But when she leaves, it was not her fault; it was his own fault for letting her walk away. This album is incredible. Next time you listen - listen to it as an essay. The King of Carrot Flowers introduces his father and the different perspective that life has to offer. In the Aeroplane over the Sea introduces Anne as a character in our story, and Two Headed Boy introduces us to Jeff's lost friend. From there, Jeff plays with all the perspectives of life, meaning and what is in store for us. All culminating in THB2, where the two headed boy is no longer his friend, but his father. I always loved this album for the musical performance. Now, on each listen I begin to understand and empathize more with Mangum and the heart he writes from. This is the single greatest album ever created. It is as close to flawless we will see in music. As a fun fact: Oh Comely was performed in one take, and at the end of the track you can hear a band member scream "Oh shit!" because of the solo performance Mangum had just putt together.

[@lcmps]

Discovered this video through youtube recommendations, and I absolutely loved it. Excellent description of Jeff's songwriting style, keep up the excellent work

[@bastianbernal409]

Thank you so much for making this. I've been a NMH fan for two years, and it's just cool to see someone took the time to investigate and tell the story of this amazing band. I don't know if there's another video about this, but what you did is just perfect. Thank you.

[@Volksgeist]

What should I make next? Suggest stuff here: ⬇

[@banfield1368]

Volksgeist you should do one on Dave Brubeck

[@ThatOneGuy7550]

Frank Ocean!

[@djackson006]

Black car plz

[@123BoringPerson]

Yes, Dave Brubeck!

[@alexanderchobanyan3309]

Modest Mouse maybe?

[@ryangiesbers]

That’s the beauty of NMH. It’s whatever you want it to be. That’s how their music reaches out, gently grabs your arm and leads you to a place you were all along.

[@tyler-fw6xs]

this video was fantastic, im so glad you made it. i love NMH so much and ITAOTS will always be one of my favorite albums

[@sappy.7z]

I feel like they finally needed a video like this, thank you so much

[@jxomxo]

ITAOTS is one of the most important albums I've ever listened to. I love every second of it.

[@christianmcdepressed5899]

It’s really smart of you to say it’s a “thing” on her head.

[@Volksgeist]

i'm reflecting the fact that people widely disagree about what it is. really smart of you to pick up on that

[@milk8748]

tea

[@cocyxtheskeleton]

@@Volksgeist i thought every reasonable person thought that it was a hole that you're meant to stick your head thru from the opposite side. only idiots think its a drum or a potato or whatever

[@drivedonniedrive]

god do i love your editing and the topics you discuss, underrated channel.

[@strapon8465]

These guys are one of the most powerful musical experiences in my life.Thank you!

[@dinermug]

Cried a little at the end of this video, really well done

[@foggyshades1782]

Man you make such good videos, keep it up

[@agade9178]

This video has made my day. My week. Possibly my month. Thank you thank you thank you!!

[@rohankishibae4034]

Holy shit, now i love this album even more, thank you for such a great video!

[@blakebramley9171]

It’s still crazy to me that such a popular band in “patrician” music circles online is from Ruston, a small town known for not much more other than peaches and a very affordable engineering college (LA Tech, which most of my friends and highschool classmates, as well as most people in north Louisiana, go to). Also DO A VIDEO ON DEATH GRIPS

[@nathaneley6486]

Ruston had a great music scene back then. Mangum was doing his thing, we also had 39 Stonybridge, Habitual Sex Offenders, and A few others around. It was a great time to be in highschool and making the transition to college. Bands like Dash Rip Rock, Better than Ezra, and Cowboy Mouth played the clubs pretty regularly.

[@matthewhenington8139]

Yeah same dude, went to school there in the 2000s and the music scene was much different although Sundown always attracted the weird and artful so we got some good bands. At one point I thought Giant Cloud would take off in the indie rock scene. Great band but they just sort of fizzled out.

[@jacobclayton4828]

I know Jeff, I lived in the house on Monroe Street intermittently back in the nineties, as well as briefly in Athens, Georgia. (around the time of the comet) He’s just a nice, very humble, talented guy who never seemed to enjoy the limelight much. I’ll never forget the first time I visited Athens, he refused to sleep on the couch, insisting that he sleep on the floor. I missed out on the last tour, but that’s okay. (He played a few solo acoustic sets in the living room back in Ruston, and I saw the entire band play at the 40 Watt in Athens) I could go on and on, there’s so many stories indelibly burned in my brain, but I don’t want to be even more of a bragging old fool. (I’m certainly nothing special) It was a very special time in my life, and I miss everyone from back then terribly.

[@Amateur0Visionary]

You ever catch Drive By Truckers at the 40 Watt? I know they used to do a few shows there.

[@jacobclayton4828]

@@Amateur0Visionary I don’t think so, but who knows? I certainly have heard of them, and remember seeing flyers for their shows in either Athens or Ruston, maybe even both.

[@tejjj3]

This is a great channel! You're doing good! I love watching what you put up!

[@epicmeisepic]

that was really well done and i really enjoyed it. Great video, thanks for making it.

[@marshallemmet1366]

“A thing on her head” How does no one recognize it as a tambourine?

[@lindonbrass3191]

Theres an entire debate about that thing

[@freesolja1]

Not a tambourine. It's a drum you can see it on the back cover

[@atotallyrandomperson3889]

It’s a potato slice

[@pootman784]

maybe its a coconut lmao

[@kornelparoczai1763]

I only heard of them from Parks and Rec. Their music is surprisingly good

[@ritwikpriyadarshi961]

April!

[@speaker_of_the_house66]

Ritwik Priyadarshi 1st or 8th? /s

[@iankorean1]

Thanks for making this video! I'm a fan and this video was great!

[@puscifer10000]

You did an excellent job on this and your words are just as poetic as Jeff's. I'm 55 and only discovered NMH a few years ago. It's given me a much broader perspective of what it is to be young today while also bringing forth a melancholy in myself I didn't even know existed. One of the most important pieces of music I will carry in my heart and body until I die.

[@wat3566]

Only discovered TAOTS this Summer, only ever having heard about it loosely before. This video essay is fantastically made and made me feel like I've had a little peek behind the curtain of the genius of the album. Great video dude, subbed

[@valmarsiglia]

Hard to believe that when I was a teen in Shreveport, noodling around with a four-track, Jeff frickin' Mangum was over in Ruston doing his thing. Kinda puts things in perspective.

[@FioreDeste]

I love the editing on this.

[@harrytaylor1295]

I have had this in my watch later for the last three years. Glad I saved it, was worth watching. Thanks!

[@MrBESTINTHEWORLD316]

I listen to this album like yesterday, its really a underrated classic.

[@MrBESTINTHEWORLD316]

exaclty, i don't think the album gets the reception of one of the greatest of all time from the public

[@setomanda3272]

>underrated wtf?

[@skinlizard2251]

@@setomanda3272 Do you not know what underrated means? Not a lot of people have heard of it, or it doesn't get a lot of credit, and based on my own experience, I'm banking towards the former.

[@dayra-koon5298]

"While we don't know much about how the band made the album" - there's a whole book on the making of the album from the 33 1/3 series which is very detailed

[@fosterzachary8928]

Awesome video. I wish it were an hour longer because I’d watch the whole thing. I spent 2 years of my life listening to ITAOTS non-stop to the point where other music just felt dull and did not have the same effect on me as this album did. This record got me to pick up a guitar and literally learn all of the songs just so I could experience the album in a different way. I can’t explain it, and I know there are others who have had a similar experience. These days, I don’t listen to it as much because I over played it and decided that it would mean more to me in the future if I just put it away, and if it came up on a playlist then I would immediately get a shiver down my spine and start to feel all of those things again that made me fall in love with Jeff’s music. It resonated with me in a way that I don’t feel like any other type of music could, and for that reason alone makes this album my favorite of all time and even when I grow old, will still appreciate it.

[@jacobb8397]

I genuinely enjoy the production and concepts in these videos, they feel a lot more personal and full of life than other channels that seem to copy pasta wikipedia and add some jargon to it. keep this up man, this is the life supply of youtube

[@James-sh8mu]

I kept getting these recommend on Spotify so I came here

[@rosie3356]

loved this video, i felt like the story of this band and their music should have been told for a long time. ps. what is the song playing at the end?

[@Adyman182]

My favorite album of all time. Reading the interpretations of the lyrics for the first time was my all-time favorite experience. Amazing video about the album.

[@marialeticiaborges7761]

I love this album, and thank you for this video, I feel that I will watch it again innumerous times

[@hayward325]

It may be that I have over listened to ITAOTS but I still love on Avery Island, at the very least as a great collection of brilliant lo fi indie music, and Naomi remains easily my favourite NMH song despite its contrast with their more famous and arguably better and more polished work

[@neutrallynonsensical3477]

FlyingYak ________________ Naomi is my favourite too, just plain brilliant

[@jacobclayton4828]

Naomi followed by Pree Sisters Swallowing a Donkeys Eye. It seldom gets any better than that imo.

[@outdoorsolidus]

It is not one of the most recognizable bands in the last 20 years, it's one of the most recognizable bands on the internet music forums for all the wrong reasons.

[@FinlayFosterReviews]

What a beautiful rumination on a album that means so much to so many! Phenomenal work man

[@ThinkBIGBodybuilding]

Very well done video man! Well articulated!

[@finnianlong1177]

Jeff Mangum is literally the best person

[@weepysum47]

“Everything Is” is a criminally underrated EP.

[@blartversenwaldiii]

It really is

[@kevinkeene9158]

Great, original, scary, beautiful music. Sad and happy all in one. The emotional peaks and valleys are the stuff great music is made of. Jeff is a true influential artist who transcends the main stream culture. Rock on!🤘❤️

[@trentonamori-medley9223]

Am absolutely incredibly video for an incredible album. Thank you, great job on this :)

[@alaa3275]

I randomly discovered this band years ago in a meme about shitty music but i fell in love so thanks to whoever posted it

[@potatoinasack3727]

bro slimeboy was apart of this....

[@Wouldyoujust_]

I finally got to see them at The Knitting Factory in Reno a couple years back. It was a fucking revelation. Always loved them, since the 90's, but never had a chance to catch them live. So amazing. Jeff is a MONSTER of music... He just knows what works, without it being overworked. I love that they don't allow phones/cameras at shows.. It makes it so much more like the shows you used to go see. So nostalgic and beyond rad. Amazing video my dude.

[@moi5937]

You seem like a great person and your videos are some of the best quality on KZbin.