TARO BY ALT-J (SONG REVIEW)

Oleh 

Aulia Prasetioadi

“Do What You Love and Let It Kill You” -Charles Bukowski

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I’ve been listening to this song over and over again. Fun fact, because of this song I’ve decided to bought an Audio Technica CLR100, cos it was really good!  This song became special for me because I’ve just found out, Alt-J blends history into their music.

This song is about the life of Gerda “Taro” (the first female war photojournalist) and her life partner Robert Capa, who both died doing what they love. Now you understand why I put Bukowski’s quotes, above. They both died separately covering wars. Gerda died during Battle of Brunete on July 26, 1937 while Robert died several years later in on May 25, 1954.

SO ROMANTIC :’)

More about the song, let see the lyrics:

Indochina, Capa jumps Jeep, two feet creep up the road
To photo, to record meat lumps and warThey advance as does his chance, very yellow white flash
A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags

Burst so high finally Capa lands
Mine is a watery pit Painless with immense distanceFrom medic from colleague, friend, enemy, foe
Him five yards from his leg, from you, Taro

Do not spray into eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes
3:10 pm, Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes
All colors and cares glaze to gray, shriveled and stricken to dots
Left hand grasps what the body grasps not, le photographe est mort

Three, point, one, four, one, five, alive no longer my amour, faded for home May of ’54
Doors open like arms my love, painless with a great closeness
To Capa, to Capa, Capa dark after nothing, re-united with his leg
And with you, Taro
Do not spray into eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes
Hey Taro

• Lyrics:

“Indochina, Capa jumps Jeep, two feet creep up the road to photo, to record meat lumps and war”

• Facts:

Robert Capa headed to the Indochina front. The regiment was passing through a dangerous area under fire when Capa decided to leave his jeep and go up the road to photograph.

• Lyrics:
  “Burst so high finally Capa lands. Mine is a watery pit Painless with immense distance. Him five yards from his leg, from you, Taro.

3:10 pm, Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes. All colors and cares glaze to gray, shriveled and stricken to dots. Left hand grasps what the body grasps not, le photographe est mort.”

• Fact:

At about 3:05 or 3:10 PM, Mecklin and Lucas  heard an explosion; Capa had stepped on a landmine. When they arrived on the scene he was still alive, but his left leg had been blown to pieces and he had a serious wound in his chest

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• Lyrics:

“3.1.4.1.5, alive no longer my amour, faded for home May of‘54.”

• Opinion + Facts:
  I don’t really get what 3.1.4.1.5 means but I guess Alt-J trying to describes the time when Robert Capa suffered the injury before he passed away “3.14–3.15.” in May, 1954.

Capa was taken to a small field hospital where he was pronounce dead on arrival. Still clutching his camera Robert Capa lost his life.

• Lyrics:

“Doors open like arms my love, Painless with a great closeness. To Capa, to Capa Capa dark after nothing, re-united with his leg and with you, Taro.”

• Opinion:
  Alt-J describes the reunion between Capa and Taro in the afterlife.

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• Lyrics:
  “Do not spray into eyes – I have sprayed you into my eyes.”

I still don’t get what it mean. Is it about love between Taro and Capa? I don’t even know.

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST

YEAH I KNOW MY GRAMMAR SUCKS. But anyway, this song is really good. Alt-J made this song in the unique way possible. Just like what I said, this song is about reunion between Capa and Taro in the afterlife. Well, the title is Taro, but if we read the lyrics and the history, this song is more about Robert Capa. Alt-J put this song in their album “An Awesome Wave”, released on 25 May 2012 which really is awesome, at least for me.

Wait 25 May? Yeah, I was thinking the same thing! It’s the same date when Robert Capa died. Is Alt-J did it on purpose or is it by coincidence? We never know. Unfortunately, Alt-J didn’t make music video for this song.

But before you go, you have to watch this guys! Sometimes Live Version much better than Music Video, amirite?

Did I already mention “the unique way possible”? HA! Well, if you falling in love with this song, you can thank me later!

Ciao~