ennostiel

the lighthouse and the kraken

OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH (2022-) 1.05 ‣ The Best Revenge is Dressing Well BONUS ↴

Welcome to my Ruin conspiracy den, where I’ve spent the last 6 months frantically trying to corral the Ruin tracklist into a cohesive, chronological narrative! I’m pleased to report that I have finally succeeded, or at least reached an overarching structure I’m satisfied with, even though I could drive myself crazy for another year trying to classify Inkpot Gods. So strap in, keep your hands and legs inside the ride at all times, and be sure to toss a coin to your witcher as you exit! We’re going whole hog on this meta, from lyrical analysis to tracking motifs from song to song.

Ruin, to me, tells the story of two characters played by Joey and Madeleine (and henceforth referred to as such for the sake of convenience) who fall in love with each other, devolve into a pattern of Madeleine falling apart while Joey tries to keep her (and their relationship) together, before managing to find an equilibrium again once the relationship has completely burnt down around them. You could read Madeleine as having either mental illness that acts up from time to time or some kind of terminal illness; I’ll leave that specific interpretation up to you.

Drinking Song is, of course, comes first and tells the story of their first meeting. Here we get a sense of their characters - they’re both kind of socially anxious, both nerds, both have a bit of reliance on alcohol. This song also sets up a couple of lyrical motifs echoed in later songs: Joey’s “my steps…keep telling me this is who you are,” echoed in Secret Worlds (”if I have to be who I was / do I have to be who I am?”); “I’ll speak with my eyes” which could tie loosely to all of Secret Worlds.

From this “moment of total rapture” we move to Secret Worlds. Secret Worlds details the early stages of their relationship: getting to know each other, having adventures together, catching each other when they fall. Secret Worlds also introduces some motifs, like the trees (obviously), and burning, and the refrain “there’s something changed.” The last, in particular, is echoed in The Calling (which we’ll get to in a second), and in conjunction with “in years to come we both know it won’t be the same,” which is also sung by Madeleine, seems to indicate that something irreparable is occurring - that Madeleine’s turmoil, which seems to have been dormant until now, is rearing its ugly head once more.

Chasing Amy (1997)

RADISHN’T: Prithee, which one of you had planned to tell

Of diff'rent flavours gained by simple act

Of brewing tea with water hot, not cold?

MOTHMAN: Egad! you poured the water cold? Wherefore?!

FROG: An answer from you, Radish, I must beg.

RADISHN’T: Indeed I did, dear friends - why does this shock?

Without the guide of others I assumed

That heat was merely added for the sake

Of expediting this solution’s brewing!

Half a decade I have spent, or more,

Not questioning this worldview I had made.

In fact, I am myself a bit surprised

That you might think that I, your dearest friend,

Might have a patience of sufficient stock

To wait until a pot of water boils.

FROG: Three minutes overtaxes patience so?

The microwave will beep when it is done!

CATS'N: My friend, this answer vexes me the more!

Can it be true that thou dost boil by nuke?!

FROG: Are you in turn, my friend, so shocked to know

That I have not the patience, like our Root,

To boil upon the stove our favour’d drink?

CATS'N: It takes less than a minute!

FROG: On what plate?

Perhaps your dinner cooks atop the sun?

CATS'N: How long can take your stove to fill the task

Of boiling but a single cup alone?

FROG: In minutes?

CATS'N: Yes!

FROG: I counted seven, once.

CATS'N: Perhaps you ought to have your timepiece checked!

If on a middle heat you place the cup

You soon will have the scalding drink you crave.

Two minutes, in a mug upon the plate

Or even less, if you should have a pot.

FROG: You cause me tears - is this how thou dost live?

You place upon the iron stove a mug?

A mug, ceramic, filled with water cold?

How do these flames, though medium in height,

Not shatter like a glass this fragile thing?

Surely, then, your kitchen is bewitched

With magicks far beyond the mortal ken!

(The FOUR realise they have wandered into the THRONE ROOM. The ROYAL COURT watches with fascination.)