What's up with Neutral Milk Hotel?

OBIWAN37 · 03-07-2014, 03:19 PM

I have a dilemma. I really wouldn't want to offend anyone, or Neutral Milk Hotel, because I'm might be being ignorant somehow, but, I need answers. I used to love Neutral Milk Hotel. I mean LOVE them. But, recently I've been dealing with OCD and another disorder which i'd rather not mention as its a sensitive issue for me, and so a couple of years ago after a few listens to Neutral Milk Hotel's songs, I realized that a lot of it was about World War II, the holocaust, Anne Frank, and such, and although I realized they were probably just trying to help people remember how horrible those events were, I started obsessing that, due to some of the graphic lyrics they used (i.e "Raaaising fingers through the notches in your spine", etc.) they were possibly bad people, like neo nazis or something. Then I read that Jeff Magnum "believed in peace" or something, and that the album In the aeroplane over the sea was "dedicated" to Anne Frank, and I got over it. But then I noticed a few more graphic lyrics about the holocaust ("peel your skin", "And you left with your head filled with flames,
And you watched as your brains fell out through your teeth"), and I started to wonder, do they deliberately use lyrics like this to be cool or something, and I haven't been able to listen to Neutral Milk Hotel in months. So I really didn't want to offend anyone by touching such sensitive subjects as WWII, the holocaust, and Anne Frank, and I know Neutral Milk Hotel are probably just helping people realize how horrible such events were, but, are Neutral Milk Hotel bad people or even people who take pleasure in writing songs about such graphic experiences?

WWWP · 03-07-2014, 03:50 PM

kiekiekiekiekiekiekie

Urban Hat€monger ? · 03-07-2014, 05:48 PM

One of the reasons they remained obscure for so long was because Jeff Mangum would regularly dress up as an SS officer while recording and some people found this a tad offensive.
They try to bury that truth these days though.
I hope this helps.

**Janszoon** · 03-07-2014, 05:52 PM

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

OBIWAN37 · 03-07-2014, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

One of the reasons they remained obscure for so long was because Jeff Mangum would regularly dress up as an SS officer while recording and some people found this a tad offensive.
They try to bury that truth these days though.
I hope this helps.

Is this guy trolling?

WWWP · 03-07-2014, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OBIWAN37

Is this guy trolling?

Of course not, he's a moderator.

03-07-2014, 03:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
OBIWAN37 Groupie Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 2	What's up with Neutral Milk Hotel? I have a dilemma. I really wouldn't want to offend anyone, or Neutral Milk Hotel, because I'm might be being ignorant somehow, but, I need answers. I used to love Neutral Milk Hotel. I mean LOVE them. But, recently I've been dealing with OCD and another disorder which i'd rather not mention as its a sensitive issue for me, and so a couple of years ago after a few listens to Neutral Milk Hotel's songs, I realized that a lot of it was about World War II, the holocaust, Anne Frank, and such, and although I realized they were probably just trying to help people remember how horrible those events were, I started obsessing that, due to some of the graphic lyrics they used (i.e "Raaaising fingers through the notches in your spine", etc.) they were possibly bad people, like neo nazis or something. Then I read that Jeff Magnum "believed in peace" or something, and that the album In the aeroplane over the sea was "dedicated" to Anne Frank, and I got over it. But then I noticed a few more graphic lyrics about the holocaust ("peel your skin", "And you left with your head filled with flames, And you watched as your brains fell out through your teeth"), and I started to wonder, do they deliberately use lyrics like this to be cool or something, and I haven't been able to listen to Neutral Milk Hotel in months. So I really didn't want to offend anyone by touching such sensitive subjects as WWII, the holocaust, and Anne Frank, and I know Neutral Milk Hotel are probably just helping people realize how horrible such events were, but, are Neutral Milk Hotel bad people or even people who take pleasure in writing songs about such graphic experiences?

03-07-2014, 05:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	One of the reasons they remained obscure for so long was because Jeff Mangum would regularly dress up as an SS officer while recording and some people found this a tad offensive. They try to bury that truth these days though. I hope this helps. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

03-07-2014, 05:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	These aren't the droids you're looking for. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm