Ready, Steady, Go! into Are You Listening Yet? feels like two dairy entries about the same thing with some time apart and different conclusions: the first being on or close to the thing, and the next later with some reflection, quite obviously with the start of Are You Listening Yet?'s first verse going: "God knows your life is on the brink, And your therapist well fed, The fix of all fixes, Un-intimate sex", with Ready Steady Go at first listen (and second and third) sounding like a one-night-stand-turned-two-three-night-stand.
So considering that, I like how In Ready steady go it goes
"Butterflied both our bellies"
and after some reflection and therapy sessions in the next song it is reduced to
"You've had your tummy tickled".
And with everybody wondering who is Leon and why are we vagueposting about Leon (And Katie, and I'm sure Carla would've been in the mix if not for the explanation in the interview with Zane Lowe), to me that bit sounds like "but you call it love [ah did you call it only in my head?]" which I think it does to most not bothering to look up the lyrics, followed by Are You Listening Yet -> "you like the way she talks but never what she said" (although "she" in Are You Listening Yet? makes sense to be referring to the therapist or the voice inside your head but I'm just running with this as a song pair and putting them in the blender ok, Ready, Steady, Go only has mentions of "you" and "me"...and Leon) and the "oh can you hear the voice the one inside your head, oh are you listening yet?", which brings up a few quite literal visuals for me, one being, and is think is the most fun: in the one-two-three night stand he Thinks she calls in Leon to join, backed up by the following "you've got enough on your hands", aka it doesn't make sense she's doing it, but, I'm just hearing what i want to hear, perhaps she's actually saying "love", but my brain is elsewhere, that a "Leon" joins the fun over that. Then
"You like the way she talks, But never what she says, are you listening yet?, It’s like you’re taking up arms, But the message is wet, It sounds inviting but you don’t believe in it yet"
turns into I'm not listening to whats actual reality here but what's in my head: Men, basically. The idea of a guy joining us [me], and I'm fighting it perhaps with in what degree it is safe / or fighting for its rights to exist, and doing so sounds so appealing but I'm not yet convinced of the outcome (+taking up arms but the message is wet in itself sounds like another of penny's jokes bro jumping on the loaded gun etc).
I think this interpretation is also fueled by imageries in his mvs, especially Late Night Talking, that's like heyyy look in bed with a girl! NOW THERES A GUY!! heyyy look the girlies the girlies [theys] are having fun, A GUY LOOK A GUY ON MY CHEST LOLOLOL heyooo is me biches me with a girl in the spotlight HEYYY MEATBALLS WITH A GUY WOOPWOOOOP CHOMPCHOMP.
And from there Are You Listening Yet then moves into more of a marching protest song "This world is screaming so, You start to scream right back, This unpredictable fun, Is fun if you know how, If you must join a movement, Make sure there’s dancing", which in that context is screaming pride. (But in any case screaming "are you listening yet" and sonically it is giving "justice" whether that be just for you, your own wants needs desires fears emotions to be heard and felt, including by yourself.)
origamiaround
stormborns
theartofmadeline
romaincrisis
