I'm Climbing Up Those Walls Again

Thought that the end of the year warrants supplying everyone with a couple songs I think everyone should have. I'll leave each one up for only a day or two, so download it now (right click on the link and go to 'save as').

The first is "Tyler" by the Toadies (download here), a song that has always fascinated me. On its surface it's a poppish love song. Lead singer Todd Lewis's voice seems content with this fairy tale that begins in the first half:

And she runs through her days with a smile on her face
And she runs, and she waits, and I wait

We can drive to anyplace, day or night, across the state
And in the morning, into Mexico, we will wake up

He pauses for a while, and lets the music catch up and begin to build. The main riff re-assures us that everything will be ok, but then Todd Lewis screams:

I find a window in the kitchen, and I let myself in
Rummage through the refrigerator, find myself a beer
I can't believe I'm really here, and she's lying in that bed
I can almost feel her touch, and her anxious breath!

I stumble in the hallway, against the bedroom door
I hear her call out to me, I hear the fear in her voice
She pulls the covers tighter, I press against the door

I will be with her tonight!

This makes from an awesome song, however the first time I listened to it, Lewis's lyrics weren't very clear. You get the idea that he's going to be with the one that he loves, and everyone is content with that ending.

But listen again and read the lyrics:

He's breaking in, and the first thing he goes for is a beer. He's probably drunk. As he moves towards her room, he hears her call out in fear and that she pulls her covers tighter. She is obviously not going to be his willing partner.

The first half of the song must be fantasy, and the second half must be fantasy slamming head on into reality. The man entering the house is convinced that this woman loves him, and they are going to escape together (or he is going to kidnap her). If the song really does deal with rape, then it is through the mind of a sick person, unlike the evil we see in songs like "Sex Type Thing" where the character is just looking to rape someone.

With a little bit of research (although I have yet to find a solid news article), I've found that this is exactly what the song was about. Apparently, in the early 90s, Tyler, Texas had a huge problem with a serial rapist who kidnapped women.

Still, it's a beautiful and chilling song, and one worthy of contemplation.