death metal and platypuses

I just read this message since I had no idea it was there in the inbox, way to go, tumblr!

Most of Patton’s lyrics are so criptic that I just tend to overlook all possible meanings and enjoy his perfomance in general. What I do in these cases, though, is to try to pay attention to the feeling I get from the music and the lyrics. Then again, this is Patton we’re dealing with here, so I can only speculate when I say that “Stone letter” is about him trying to get some kind of reaction from someone who has known him for a long time and is showing indifference towards their relationship  (of whatever nature it is). You could think it’s nostalgia on Patton’s (the narrator’s) side, he’s like “Hey! Whatever happened to us? You have changed, I have changed, but that doesn’t mean we have to grow apart!” That is the feeling I get from this song. Very quick analysis, ha.

What do you think?

While I unfortunately have no idea who or what Stone Letter is about, I have noticed, in the interviews I’ve read at least, Patton is usually pretty evasive when asked about his lyrics. (I vividly remember one interview where, when asked if his songs mean anything he replied “They mean something to me. Hopefully they mean something to you fuckers.”)

I also recall reading an interview with Roddy Bottum once where he mentioned that Mike’s lyrics are often less personal than character studies (an obvious example of this would be RV by Faith No More), where he’s playing a part and telling a story rather than revealing something personal about himself.

I’m not sure whether or not that’s the case with Stone Letter (it seems to be his lyrics have gotten more personal as he’s gotten older, though that’s less a solid fact than my perception, which could be off), but it is a possibility.

Mike Patton | Mondo Cane

Top: Mondo Cane, tri-fold die-cut jacket, pressed on 180g vinyl.