Many Lives 49 MP

Owen Pallett's song 'Many Lives 49 MP' delves into the human desire for foresight and self-awareness. The lyrics open with a wish for clairvoyance, a longing to see into the future to understand one's life trajectory, including family and personal fate. This desire is driven by a mix of fear and self-absorption, as the narrator hopes to learn from future mistakes to avoid the pitfalls of life, such as drug use. The repeated advice, 'Son you should!', underscores the urgency and importance of this quest for knowledge and self-improvement.

The song paints vivid pictures of different men, each struggling with their own issues. One man misses his father and has never learned to cook for himself, symbolizing a lack of self-sufficiency and an overemphasis on physical appearance. This character's focus on his waistline suggests a preoccupation with superficial aspects of life, possibly as a way to cope with deeper emotional voids. The advice to 'invest' implies that he should invest in himself, perhaps in skills or emotional growth, rather than superficial concerns.

Another man lives in the past, clinging to photographs of his younger, more clairvoyant self. This character's attachment to his past self indicates a struggle to move forward and adapt to the present. The repeated advice to 'invest' suggests that he should focus on the present and future, investing in personal growth and self-awareness. Through these narratives, Pallett explores themes of self-discovery, the fear of the unknown, and the importance of personal growth and self-sufficiency.