MUSIC+: "Rollercoaster" by Everything But The Girl

Tonight, I went to the gym after almost a week away, consumed by other pursuits. I ran the half mile there and did my 5 pre-workout laps (which included an interval to ProStretch [3/side]).

I completed 6 stations with some marked improvements, and as I did my 5 post-workout laps, I could feel the back of my shoulders, full with glorious exhaustion.

I spoke briefly with a fellow Toastmaster at the gym about finishing our communication manuals; and the conversation was a refreshingly optimistic.

As I made my way down the stairs, I passed my favorite male staff member and received positive reinforcement. I was on air. It was a sweet moment -- with my tastefully conservative workout clothes nicely sweated, my chest and arms pleasantly swollen from just having worked out, and my smile natural and relaxed, fueled by waves of endorphins.

Before I left the gym and started the 1/2 mile jog back home, I tuned the iPod to an album of a favorite band of mine -- one that I haven't listen to in quite a while, and one that brought me be back to a more innocent and hopeful time -- Everything But the Girl's "Amplified Heart".

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I closely associate this album to my memories of science camp at Erskine College the summer before my junior year of high school.

I had been running hs cross-country for a couple years and had gotten infatuated with the local radio station's Saturday night dance remixes. I recorded them, made my own mix tapes, and listen to it on a cassette Walkman on my long runs.

My favorite track was the remix of EBTG's "Missing" (like the dessert's missed the rain). I bought "Amplified Heart" (1994), the album that contained the track, only to find that it wasn't filled with similar dance tracks but with acoustic pieces with very touching lyrics. I quickly fell in love.

AllMusic.com's 4.5/5.0-star review of the album mentions that:

"[the simple instrumentation of guitars and keyboards] serves to set up a series of songs of romantic disillusionment."

The review continues:

"... among other things, over and over the songs speak of confusion and disappointment deriving from failed love affairs."

'Introspective' is another word that is used. I was comforted by this discovery of others who share my mix of idealism and disillusionment. This explains a lot about my later fascination and admiration of Aimee Mann.

Anyways, the jog home was nostalgic and ephemeral, a snapshot I'd like to have developed and saved.

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"Rollercoaster"
by Everything But The Girl (EBTG)(the video skips a little in places, but I feel like it captures
the mood of the song better than the official video)

Lyrics:

I still haven't got over it even now
I want to spend huge amounts of time on my own
I don't want to cause any serious damage
I want to make sure that I can manage
because I'm not really in your head
I'm not really in your head

And I see love and disaffection
and the clouds build up and won't pass over
This is my road to my redemption
And my life is just an image of a rollercoaster anyway

I still haven't got over it even now
I want to spend huge amounts of time in my room (hey)
And I'm not comin' out till I feel I'm ready
I'm not running out while my heart's unsteady
and I'm not really in your head
I'm not really in your head

And when you sky falls to minus zero
well some things must dissappear
and this is my road to my redemption

And my life is just an image of a rollercoaster anyway
And the names may have been changed but the faces are the same
And the names may have been changed but as people we're not the same

And I'm not
no I'm not
no I'm not really in your head

And my life is just an image of a rollercoaster anyway
Yeah my life is just an image of a rollercoaster anyway