Gorillaz - Blog Posts
Me and my brother hittin that pose in my attempt at the Jamie Hewlett style because I'm so fuckin insane about the silly goofy band.
I'm so normal about Chalk Tablet Towers by Gorillaz. I'm so completely normal about how if you switch the perspective, you can turn it into a story about the original narrator's loved one trying to reassure them in rehab to not give in to self destructive tendencies.
Or if you want it to be even more depressing, the loved one reminiscing on what they should have said to prevent the narrator from dying.
I love the original lyrics and how well the isolation of the song is written. At the same time, I think there's something so painfully beautiful about the idea of the narrator feeling shame and like they have to isolate themself for being in rehab. Then, the loved ones' perspective works as a response to this.
No, the narrator doesn't actually want to hurt themself. They want to come home. If they leave, they aren't just hurting themself. No, the narrator does not need to worry about everyone abandoning them. The loved one still cares for them regardless of their mental state, and they say this in a way where the loved one feels it should be obvious how much they care.
So many times in media and writing, characters struggling are often depicted as all alone and only able to help themselves. While it is true that it is ultimately up to the person struggling to make the choice to save themself, I think the reminder that there are still people there to support them is important. It gives some hope.
I love call and response songs (To Binge and Souk Eye or the English and Spanish versions of Latin Simone for example), and I love the idea that even if two characters aren't communicating face to face, they're still trying to speak to one another, which is what I feel when switching the perspective on Chalk Tablet Towers.
I'll attach the og lyrics with my own response lyrics below here. There really isn't much change, but I feel like the differences in how the narrators feel is important.
My own:
Chalk tablet towers like drawing shadows
Chemical distraction, you are not with me
You departed in the spring to a distant star
But you could not get back, you had gone too far (oh-oh-oh-oh)
You wanna get drunk?
You wanna get stoned?
You wanna give up?
You wanna come ho-o-o-ome.
Watching rockets take off
From the parting sea
How will I ever touch you
If you are not with me? (oh-oh-oh-oh, out here)
There's only silence (out there)
No form of contact (out here)
You am dreaming
Looking into the darkness (oh-oh-oh-oh)
Home (Home)
Home (Home)
Home (Homе)
Home (Home)
Home (Homе)
Home (Home)
Home (Home)
Home (Home)
You say you won't be back 'til the end of summer
Y'know I'll still be here.
I won't give up on you, darling
You know that I care
I don't need no trophies
No cell with a view
There's nothing I wouldn't give
One minute with you, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
You, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
You, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
Original:
Chalk tablet towers like drawing shadows
Chemical distraction, you are not with me
I departed in the spring to a distant star
But I could not get back, I had gone too far (oh-oh-oh-oh)
I wanna get drunk
I wanna get stoned
I wanna give up
I wanna go ho-o-o-ome
Watching rockets take off
From the parting sea
How will I ever touch you
If you are not with me? (oh-oh-oh-oh, out here)
There's only silence (out here)
No form of contact (out here)
I am dreaming
Looking into the darkness (oh-oh-oh-oh)
Home (Home)
Home (Home)
Home (Homе)
Home (Home)
Home (Homе)
Home (Home)
Home (Home)
Home (Home)
I won't be back 'til the end of summer
Will you still be there?
I won't give up on you, darling
Just tell me that you care
I don't need no trophies
No cell with a view
There's nothing I wouldn't give
One minute with you, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
You, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
You, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh.
Alright, thanks for coming to my not so eloquently written Ted talk.
Looking at Russel Hobbs with the biggest softest eyes. My favorite animated and occasionally possessed drummer. They could never make me hate you.
One thing ya gotta know about me? I'm gonna analyze a Gorillaz song. I'm gonna dissect it like a mad scientist. I'm going to play the same Gorillaz song over and over again until I have it SWIMMING in my brain. I'll listen to so much of it that my inner monalogue will turn British.
Are my takes on the songs gonna be what was intended??? PROBABLY NOT! BUT THATS OKAY. Because I'm having fun.
I will never shut up about Chalk Tablet Towers or Souk Eye or Fireflies. OR TO BINGE.
Mmm Gorillaz.
Which one do you like more?
Almost forgot I made this one. It's Stu from the Humility vid💚❤️💙
Rhinestone Eyes Stu because I fricken love this boi💙
I didn't realize this had valentine's colors until now lol
I love Stu sm tho 🥺💙💕
★ CD COLLECTION ARCHIVE ★
ARTIST: Gorillaz
ALBUM: Gorillaz (2000)
Credit if you’d like to repost ! :)
I literally heard this
A bit bloody innit
—
Here’s some of the progress shots!!!
I made this a while ago...I still think I'm right XD
What do y'all think? Any points to add or other lads who fit in these categories?
hello i am calling all fans of the altogether!!!
pspspsps content (i took ages to explain what and why it is which is why there is a cut)
please open it if you want jonah and sierra’s covers of good songs and one (1) original jonah creation
basically if yall arent already aware, the altogether has an instagram where they’ve been doing some fresh funky instagram lives and sometimes they do good covers of songs in those instagram lives
i got tired of running back to instagram every time i wanted to hear them so here they are! (i was unfortunately only able to grab the saved ones, so i did not get jonah’s cover of see the day, which was as painful to me as it is to you. jonah save your practice streams challenge.)
these feature more of jonah and sierra than most people see!! and lemme tell u sierra scott is a talented motherfucker and i love her SO much. yall need to stop sleepin on them because brian is very good but sierra and jonah deserve some of that Lime Light
i have uploaded to youtube unlisted, more or less in order:
- their cover of canyon moon by harry styles
-their cover of from here on out by the killers
- an unfinished original song called bad news, by jonah
- their cover of on melancholy hill by gorillaz
Gorillaz art and Craig McCrackens's redraws of it
No actually let me explain the whole au because it's like a horrible y2k drama series. It somewhat follows the lore but with sci-fi tuned down a bit for the popstar drama
So, here Murdoc is trans and hides it from the public because he's Murdoc, and Noodle is either related to him or is his kid or something but instead of her canon origin she gets dropped off on Murdoc by someone from his past and he's stuck with her. He's bonkers in the head and horrible but there's like
Some minimal amount of trying and single parenting
Somewhere in the big in-band drama and many of Murdoc's disappearances he runs into Ace trying to start his big stage music gig and plays the evil producer man for him. Pretty, like, stereotypically, Ace's like 25, somewhat broke, somewhat silly, and Murdoc is well in his 30s, rich and insane. The problem is that Ace matches his bonkers energy perfectly and while Murdoc is in denial and "I'm just shaging my mentee like any other big musician" delusion Ace just wraps him around his finger. He's shameless about them, too, public and unapologetic and Murdoc doesn't even notice how he goes from producer man to Ace's groupie in public's eye. At some point reality and Ace's commitment catch up to him and he just runs for dear life, in love and pathetic and making everyone's lives 10x worse for next years
They go on and off their entire lives. Murdoc completely off the rails, Ace as his generally easy-going, kind, chill counterpart. He likes Murdoc for his brain and rare genuine affection, Murdoc is completely gone for him
So they just grow older, tired and less violent and Ace just never goes completely out of sight
I remembered that I had a week when I only talked, drew and thought about gorillaz lore
Désolé - my take on what the video/song means
So overall i think this video/song is about Murdoc not feeling like the band needs him and he finally realizes what he's done towards them and how horrible it was.
Désolé means sorry in French and this can be either from the band saying that they're sorry but they cannot accept Murdoc yet or it's Murdoc saying that he's sorry for what he's done.
"I'm a long way from land
Désolé
I don't know what to do
Désolé, désolé
Try to hold on to you"
This is about Murdoc trying to hold onto the band but he can't because they've come so far without him.
Symbolism
The gloves - symbolizes that anyone can take Murdoc's place. That's why they're green because they could be his hands. Noodle is the only other one in the band that can also play the bass.
The monsters - there are monsters in our everyday life, this can mean trauma or some form for inner demons. They're foggy but they are still there.
Ties to Plastic Beach
Désolé seems like it is also about 2D getting over Plastic Beach. We can see this through 2D going on a boat ride. He's happy and has an overall good time compared to Murdoc being left behind and crying.
I've seen people say this is like a reverse Plastic Beach and that Murdoc and 2D have switched roles in a way
Here are 2 parallels i noticed between Désolé and Plastic Beach
