Rylan – The National

 

Rylan – The National

 

          Time is the lens that refracts the spotlight of meaning. To me, this is most apparent in my relationships with the music I love. On countless occasions I have found myself clinging to a particular lyric or melody or instrument on the eleventh time listening to a song because I had yet to experience, until then, something with which it would strike a chord.

         For a long time, Rylan was merely just another love song to me. Sure, the immaculate and grandiose production by the Dessner brothers accompanied by the lamenting baritone singing of Matt Berninger made for adequate ear-candy, but the track failed to move me. I feared that, unlike a lot of the band’s work, this tune would simply fail to hold a special place in my heart’s discography.

         Never was I more elated to be proven wrong.

         I am still unsure of why that particular morning bus-ride to school came to be the stage upon which this parable revealed itself before me, but I am eternally grateful for it. Sinking into a lull as the bus droned on, the opening drums of the song wrenched my attention toward the words: “Rylan, you should try to get some sun.”

         In that instant, lyrics that always appeared to yearn for some enchanting anchorite now seemed like a close friend’s concerned advice spoken directly at me. I listened intently, and as syllables passed me by, and the instrumentation swelled and congealed into a cacophony that felt like liberation, I became Rylan.

         I, just like many, often weave distinct narratives into the music that I hold dear. You will not be surprised to hear that I find no small joy in intimating these tales with those willing to lend an ear; and, likewise, listening to them in return. It is in this spirit, dear reader, that I offer up the image I see in the mirror that is this song.

         “Rylan you should try to get some sun,

         You remind me of everyone.”

         If you were to speak to an individual disinclined to participate in social excursions with large groups of people (author’s note: “large groups,” i.e. a party of more than three), such as myself, you’d find them to be entranced within their rich inner worlds and self-penned narratives. Oftentimes, these stories cast their writers as a social deviant – a narrative device that only serves to push oneself further inward and away from genuine connection. It is for this reason that I find Matt’s opening lines to the song to be an ingenious hook and poignant reminder for those like me: it is not “me against the world”, nor is it just me who feels like it is.

         “Rylan did you break your mother’s heart?

         Every time you tried to play your part.”

         I see the specific invocation of “mother” here to be a stand-in for the people closest to me. Societies are generally catered to averages, and most of us can understand the feelings of unworthiness or loneliness that arise from being an outlier in any aspect of society. These lyrics, in turn, feel like the song is empathizing with my struggles when it comes to the social aspect of it, reminding me that I do not disappoint or hurt those closest to me for simply falling outside the average.

         “Rylan, we can take the quick way out.

         We can turn blank white in a blank white house.

         Say that you’re a pervert, you’re a vulture.

         Don’t you wanna be popular culture?”

         So far, it is abundantly clear that in my interpretation of the track, the subject is none other than me. But who do I imagine singing it? The answer: music itself. This, dear reader, is where I draw the second major theme of the song from. To me, not only is it a reminder that I am not alone in my experiences, but it also provides a place for solace and genuine connection for the times I do choose to look inward. To borrow a line from the great Jim Morrison, “Music is your special friend.”

         This verse in particular takes on more of a facetious tone for me. The irrational suggestion of turning blank white in a blank white house as an activity just to satirize the mundanity of the everyday; the absurd and empty excuses of being a pervert to brush off pricking questions about being reclusive; the cheeky rhetorical tone when asking if I wanna be popular culture – the lyrics ring like passing one-liners exchanged between old mates.

         “Stay with me among the strangers.

         Change your mind and nothing changes.

         Don’t let show any emotion,

         When you climb into the ocean.”

         Echoing the previously mentioned notions of the song representing my interpretation of the purpose and importance of music as a whole, Matt’s words here have provided me compassion and tranquility whenever I have been caught in a tempest of unruly emotions. When I feel lost and alone in a crowd of strangers, or frustrated and scared of my insignificance in the world, I return to the vast ocean comprised of melody, rhythm, and soul to escape it all.

         “Is it easy to keep so quiet?

         Everybody loves a quiet child.

         Underwater you’re almost free.

         If you wanna be alone, come with me.

         Is it easy to live inside yourself?

         All the other kids are high and hazy

         Everybody’s got nowhere to go.

         Everybody wants to be amazing.”

         In my opinion, the true prowess of lyricists such as Matt Berninger lay in their ability to write songs that capture both the specificity and the universality of human experience. I, for one, am always left speechless at how succinctly this chorus puts into words sentiments I have struggled to explain for years. The effect is only amplified by how Matt annunciates each phrase, singing with such tangible empathy.

         The repeated questions in the chorus reflect others’ inability to understand and relate to dispositions such as Rylan’s, ironically resulting in them living more and more of their lives inside themselves. Certainly, I have faced my fair share of such questions. But, just as the track drives home, there is still plenty of community and kindness to be found both with others and oneself, no matter who you are.

         Concluding the (second occurrence of the) chorus are my two favourite lines in the entire song: “Everybody’s got nowhere to go. Everybody wants to be amazing.” Why these in particular? Simply due to the fact that they parrot one of my most intimate fears/frustrations. Just like the character of Holden Caulfield finds his environment and peers to be “phony”, I am often unsettled and overwhelmed by the homogeneity of the world around me. The only thing that can break this paralyzing monotony, I find, is art.

         “Rylan you should try to get some sun,

         There’s a little bit of hell in everyone.

         Rylan you should try to get some sun,

         You remind me of everyone.”

         The track concludes with a reprise of the opening lyrics, accompanied by an additional phrase. Although I do not have much to add here, I would like to point out that on my first few listens of the song, I misheard this additional phrase as: “There’s a little bit of heaven in everyone.” Given the song’s significance to me, I find this rather fitting. Even now, I often sing along with this misheard lyric thrown in; because, of course, there’s a little bit of heaven and hell in everyone.


Credits and References:

Rylan (from the album: I Am Easy To Find); song by The National.

The National, comprised of: Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, Scott Devendorf.

Jim Morrison, front-man and lyricist of The Doors.

"Music is your special friend," line from When The Music's Over (from the album: Strange Days); song by The Doors.

Holden Caulfield, character from the novel The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger.

Comments

  1. This was a genuine pleasure to read!

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  2. Fascinating thoughts that are well expressed! Can’t wait for your next one :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very well written...Don't be scared of the monotony and homogeneity of the world...Live your life to your liking...Find joy in what you do...Hurt no one...Nothing else matters...

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