HW: The words

[Rudich, Robert A]

I have to admire Jill's ability to discern the words on Alien.  I have a
hard time picking out HW lyrics, unlike most other bands.  It took a long
time for me to figure out all the responses to "it is written" in "Assassins
of Allah" until I found the clearest version.  On the adjective for the
"garden of delights" I think I've caught a "golden" and something more
guttural on live versions, but can't be sure.  Had it not been for the lyric
sheet, I'd never have gotten "your life's entwined with mine" from "Needle
Gun," no matter how often I listened to it.  "Your life would soon be mine"
was my best guess, based on what I figured made sense.

Jill, you're right that HW isn't the cheeriest band as far as lyrics, but
somehow the music and the manner they're sung compensates.  "Damnation
Alley" makes the run through a radiation wasteland sound like something
worth trying, for example.  I gather the same effect occurs for "Festival".
 The concept of the enemy within is just something that really resonates
with my own fears.

I can't figure out why HW put so much effort into making the lyric content
so weighty and then they make them so hard to figure out.  I'm always
apologizing for the vocal mix to people I try to turn on to HW.   I usually
say, "It's like impressionistic art, meant to suggest something to the ear
rather than be very distinct."

Rudy