When Salon launched in November 1995, the web was a very different place. A small group of journalists set out to create something original: a publication with a strong voice, a curiosity about the world and a belief that the internet could bring journalism and readers together in new ways. They helped pioneer a form of journalism that would come to define an entirely new era of publishing. Over three decades, Salon has brought together politics, culture, criticism and ideas in a way that was distinctly our own…
“Blue Skies” is a song by American electronica artist BT with featured vocals by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos. Released as a single in the United Kingdom in October 1996, it hit number one on the United States Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in January 1997. “Blue Skies” also appears on the Party of Five soundtrack. Many versions (remixes) of the song exist.
While originally announced for BT’s follow-up album, ESCM, it was later appended to the double-disc reissue of his first album, Ima.
In the album notes for BT’s 10 Years in the Life compilation, BT says that Tori Amos performed 15 minutes of improvisational singing over his track “Divinity”, which later became the vocals for “Blue Skies”. He says that Tori never sang the words “blue” or “skies” in the recording. He joined together syllables and breaths to make new words through editing.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Those blue skies are ahead
Blue skies are in my head
All the town clocks and marching soldier’s socks
I say, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go to this magic wonder show”
And I’m walking, and crawling
And so tired, I’m insane
I, I, I, I, I, I, I see
I was first introduced to This American Life about a decade ago, right after the podcast, then a relatively novel media format, got sensationalized by the true crime show Serial. Only later did I find out about the shared DNA between the two shows. Life comes full circle.
Over the past thirty years, since Ira Glass started This American Life, the show has grown from a personal passion project (formerly called Your Radio Playhouse) discussing the everyday lives of ordinary Americans into one that touches millions of listeners, covering major events across the globe and making a real impact on the people its team cares about.
As the show approaches its 900th episode, every one of which I’ve listened to at least once and many more than that, I decided to dissect it and find the recipe for what makes it such a fascinating show to me and millions of others: what it talks about week over week, who has been telling these stories, what makes them so immersive to listen to, and all the real-life impact it has made. Let’s go.
I used 3 weeks to gather data, analyze, and build a site dissecting ~900 episodes of This American Life over 30 years. As a die-hard fan of the show, some insights are as expected (e.g., themes, contributors), but some are genuinely surprising (e.g., songs & artists).
Why Do Birds Sing? is the fifth studio album by Violent Femmes, released on April 30, 1991. It was the band’s last album with original drummer Victor DeLorenzo, who left two years later to devote his time to acting, and was produced by Michael Beinhorn, best-known then for his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers on Mother’s Milk and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.
The album featured the single “American Music,” which rose to number 2 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart during the week of May 18, 1991, and became a staple of the band’s live shows.
Well, you’re barking out what you think
And you’re drinking your expensive drinks
You’re in your car and you’re on the phone
Think you better follow that cord back home
Is that a pearl I’m supposed to keep?
‘Cause you are putting me to sleep
Well, I know you think you’re deep, alright
But you should stay in your shallow end
Now you’re feeding me watery drinks
And I’m singing while your sunfish sinks
You got a ponytail dragging you down
Like the cloud that follows you around
Is that a call I’m supposed to keep?
‘Cause you are putting me to sleep
Well, I know you think you’re deep, alright
But you should stay in your shallow end
NOTE:
One of the first things I remember looking up on the internet was the name of this song. I’d heard it on the radio and recognized the voice, so I figured it was a Superchunk song. I believe I posted a message on an alt music site/message board, something like, “What song has the lyrics ‘I know you think you’re deep… You are putting me to sleep…'” Got a response and bought the CD.
Van Der Beek shot to fame in 1998 as Dawson Leery, the teenage film buff who was as obsessed with Steven Spielberg as he was with his neighbour and lifelong crush, Joey Potter (played by Katie Holmes). Later that year, he was voted one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People in the World. On the 25th anniversary of the show starting, Van Der Beek wrote: “Twenty-five years ago today, my life changed. Not gradually, not day-by-day … instantly. It was the culmination of five years of auditioning, hundreds of hours on stage, thousands of hours travelling, preparing, dreaming, hoping, hearing ‘no’ and making up reasons to keep going. But the shift was overnight.”
The intense pressures of celebrity proved difficult to cope with given his youth. After Dawson’s Creek became a smash hit, he said in an interview: “Walking around at that time was very tricky because one autograph could turn into a mob scene. So I walked around in fear of teenage girls.”
…which Dawson picks up at the office in Los Angeles. “It’s us!” Pacey and Joey squeal, offering him their congratulations. “I can’t wait until next season,” Joey says, and Dawson tells them that he can’t wait for the next day. Because he’s meeting Spielberg. Whatev. Pacey and Joey, like good friends (and unlike me), are thrilled for him. The three of the yammer about what he ought to wear to the meeting, as the camera pans to framed photo of Pacey, Joey, Dawson, and Jen, framed on Dawson’s desktop. “Say goodnight, not goodbye,” the soundtrack sings.
And that’s it. We’re out. Thanks for coming along for the ride. It was long and occasionally painful, but I don’t regret a second of it. See you around.
“Just a Girl” is a song by American band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). Released as the record’s lead single in the United States on September 21, 1995, it was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and produced by Matthew Wilder. It has also made an appearance on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Lyrically, “Just a Girl” is about Stefani’s perspective of life as a woman and her struggles with having strict parents. “Just a Girl” was the first song Stefani wrote without the assistance of her brother Eric.
“Debaser” is a song by American alternative rock band Pixies, released in April 1989 as the opening track on their album Doolittle and later as a promotional single following the dissolution of the band…
1929 short film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. The film includes a scene in which a woman’s eye is apparently cut open by a razor, which is referenced in the lyric “slicin’ up eyeballs.” According to frontman and songwriter Black Francis:
I wish Buñuel were still alive. He made this film about nothing in particular. The title itself is a nonsense. With my stupid, pseudo-scholar, naive, enthusiast, avant-garde-ish, amateurish way to watch Un chien andalou (twice), I thought: “Yeah, I will make a song about it.” [He sings:] “Un chien andalou”… It sounds too French, so I will sing “un chien andalusia”, it sounds good, no?
The title “Debaser” references the fact that Un Chien Andalou “debases” contemporary morality and standards of art: “I guess it means: one who debases. A debaser. It was an attempt to introduce a new word into the lexicon, but I don’t think it’s been successful, else I would have heard about it.”
When asked if he really wanted to “blow up the outside world”, Cornell said, “All the time, so it doesn’t encroach on me—you can hibernate and not have to worry about it.”
Nothing seems to kill me no matter how hard I try
Nothing is closing my eyes
Nothing can beat me down for your pain or delight
And nothing seems to break me
No matter how hard I fall
Nothing can break me at all
Not one for giving up though not invincible I know
I’ve givin’ everything I need
I’d give you everything I own
I’d give in if it could at least be ours alone
I’ve given everything I could
To blow it to hell and gone
Burrow down in and blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside world
Someone tried to tell me something
Don’t let the world bring you down?
Nothing will do me in before I do myself
So save it for your own and the ones you can help
I’ve givin’ everything I need
I’d give you everything I own
I’d give in if it could at least be ours alone
I’ve given everything I could
To blow it to hell and gone
Burrow down in and blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside world
Want to make it understood
Wanting though I never would
Trying though I know it’s wrong
Blowing it to hell and gone
Wishing though I never could
The band’s final name is a reference to The X-Files. Fagenson, a fan of the show, suggested the name after seeing an episode titled “Eve,” which included a character who went by the name of “Eve 6.”
I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds
But the lack thereof would leave me empty inside
Swallow my doubt, turn it inside out
Find nothin’ but faith in nothin’
Wanna put my tender heart in a blender
Watch it spin ’round to a beautiful oblivion
Rendezvous, then I’m through with you
I burn, burn like a wicker cabinet
Chalk white and oh-so-frail
I see our time has gotten stale
The tick-tock of the clock is painful
All sane and logical
I wanna tear it off the wall
I hear words in clips and phrases
I think sick like ginger ale
My stomach turns and I exhale
I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds
But the lack thereof would leave me empty inside
I would swallow my doubt, turn it inside out
Find nothin’ but faith in nothin’
Wanna put my tender heart in a blender
Watch it spin ’round to a beautiful oblivion
Rendezvous, then I’m through with you
So-Cal is where my mind states
But it’s not my state of mind
I’m not as ugly, sad as you
Or am I origami
Folded up and just pretend
Demented as the motives in your head
I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds
But the lack thereof would leave me empty inside
I would swallow my doubt, turn it inside out
Find nothin’ but faith in nothin’
Wanna put my tender heart in a blender
Watch it spin ’round to a beautiful oblivion
Rendezvous, then I’m through with you
(Rendezvous)
I alone am the one you don’t know you need
Take heed, feed your ego
Make me blind when your eyes close
Sink when you get close, tie me to the bedpost
I alone am the one you don’t know you need
You don’t know you need me
Make me blind when your eyes close
Tie me to the bedpost
I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds
The lack thereof would leave me empty inside
Swallow my doubt, turn it inside out
Find nothing but faith in nothing
Wanna put my tender heart in a blender
Watch it spin ’round to a beautiful oblivion
Rendezvous, then I’m through, now I’m through with you
Through with you
Rendezvous, then I’m through with you
I did it all for the nookie
(Come on) the nookie
(Come on) so you can take that cookie
And stick it up your (yeah)
Stick it up your (yeah)
Stick it up your (yeah)
Stick it up your
Limp Bizkit is an American Nu Metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band’s musical style is marked by Durst’s angry vocal delivery and Borland’s sonic experimentation. Borland’s elaborate visual appearance, which includes face and body paint, masks, and uniforms, also plays a large role in Limp Bizkit’s live shows. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, sold 40 million records worldwide, and won several other awards.
