Pinkerton is Weezer's sophomore album released in September of 1996, two years after their self titled album commonly referred to as "The Blue Album". The name's derived from a charcter named "Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton", from the story turned opera "Madame Butterfly".
It goes over the frontman of the band, Rivers Cuomo's experience of the rockstar life, how it wasn't how it was chalked up to be, and his own less than ideal love-life at the time.
You can read much more about the album over on Weezerpedia, the Weezer Encylopedia. The rest of the page will be my own personal surface-level blabbering. I suppose you could consider this page my own little tribute to the album.
When I first heard this album, I was kinda mixed having come directly from the blue album.
It was quite different tonally, being sad and perhaps emo rather than the nerdy sincerity of their previous work.
Plus I was quite thrown off by the mentions of half-japanese and 18 year old girls who live in small city of Japan.
Later on, I decided to give the album another shot. I mean, blue was really good; and I didn't hate Pinkerton at all! So, here we went again.
Tired of Sex, the first song on the album. Starts off with microphone feedback, the drums come in, then a harsh synth with the guitar rolling in soon after. The instruments are then followed by Cuomo singing about all these one-night stands, the lack of any true love or romance that comes with them, and the shame of such actions.
Yeah, the rock star life doesn't sound too nice, especially if you came in with high expectations of enjoying yachts of money, and as much women (or men!) that you can handle. Supposedly living The Good Life if you will...
Well, the money doesn't sound too bad.
I'm tired, so tired
I'm tired of having sex. (So tired)
I'm spread, so thin
I don't know who I am. (Who I am)
Monday night I'm making Jen
Tuesday night I'm making Lyn
Wednesday night I'm making Cathrine
Oh why can't I be making love come true?
I'm beat, beat red
Ashamed of what I said (what I said)
I'm sorry, here I go
I know I'm a sinner but I can't say no (say no)
Thursday night I'm making Denise
Friday night I'm making Sharise
Saturday night, I'm making louise
Oh why can't I be making love come true?
(What can I do?)
Ohhh!
Tonight, I'm down on my knees
Tonight, I'm begging you please
Tonight, tonight please
Oh why can't I be making love come true?
Getchoo is up next, starting off with an even harsher beginning. Pain, regret in your actions.
This is beginning to hurt
This is beginning to get serious
It used to be a game
Now it's a crying shame
Cause you don't wanna play around no more
Sometimes I push too hard
Sometimes you fall and skin your knees
I never meant to do
All that I've done to You
Please baby, say it's not too late
To getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, getchoo, getchoo
Ah-huh
You know this is breaking me up
You think that I'm some kind of freak, uh-huh
But if you'd come back to me
Then you would surely see
That I'm just foolin' around
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, getchoo, getchoo
I can't believe (I can't believe)
What you've done to me
What I did to them (What I did to them)
You've done to me
Woahhh!
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, ah-huh
Getchoo, getchoo, getchoo
This is beginning to hurt
This is beginning to hurt
This is beginning to hurt
This is beginning to hurt
No Other One, third one in the album. A lot of denial in here, despite the circumstances found within it. Desperation.
My girl's a liar
But I'll stand beside her
She's all I got
And I don't wanna be alone
My girl don't see me
When she's with my friends
She's all I got
And I don't wanna be alone
No! There is no other one
No, there is no other one
I can't have any other one
Though I would, now I never could with one
All of the drugs she does
Scare me real good
She's got a tattoo
And two pet snakes
Nobody knows me like her
Nobody knows her like me
We're all we got
And we don't wanna be alone
No! There is no other one
No, there is no other one
I can't have any other one
Though I would, now I never could with one
No! There is no other one
No, there is no other one
I can't have any other one
Though I would, now I never could with one
Why Bother? is about defeat, giving up. Why bother? It's gonna hurt me, it's gonna kill when you desert me.
I know I should get next to you
You got a look that made me think you're cool
But it's just sexual attraction
Not something real so I'd rather keep whackin'
Why bother?
It's gonna hurt me
It's gonna kill when you desert me
This happened to me twice before
It won't happen to me anymore
I've known a lot of girls before
What's the harm in knowin' one more?
Maybe we could even get together
Maybe you could break my heart next summer
Why bother?
It's gonna hurt me
It's gonna kill when you desert me
This happened to me twice before
It won't happen to me anymore
It's a crying' shame I'm all alone
Not with you, nor her, nor anyone
Won't you knock me on my head
Crack it open, let me out of here!
Why bother?
It's gonna hurt me
It's gonna kill when you desert me
This happened to me twice before
It won't happen to me anymore
(Why bother?) Why bother?
(It's gonna hurt me) It's gonna hurt me
(It's gonna kill when) Why bother?
(You desert me) It's gonna hurt me!
(Why bother?) Why bother?
(It's gonna hurt me) It's gonna hurt me
Why bother? It's gonna hurt me!
Across the Sea is when I first got weirded out. The beginning is pretty, but right after that you hear, verbatim: "You are eighteen year-old girl who live in small city of Japan." Not only is the sentence itself weird and just kinda out of nowhere, but why is it in broken English? Could it be stereotyping due to the fact that the letter the song references was from an Asian girl? Just weird, but that's Weezer for you.
The rest of the song isn't much better in that regard. I too, would wonder what a girl I fancy wears to school, how they decorate their room, & how they touch themselves while they think of me. That is if I ever had a letter from a girl :'). Across the Sea is angsty, personal to a fault, but damn is it good. A perfect example of exploring one's inner pinkerton.
You are
Eighteen year-old girl
who live in small city of Japan
You heard me on the radio
'bout one year ago
And you wanted to know
All about me, and my hobbies
My favorite food and my birthday
Why are you so far away from me?
I need help, and you're way across the sea
I could never touch you
I think it would be wrong, ohh
I've got your letter
You've got my song
They don't make stationary like this where I'm from
So fragile, so refined
So I sniff, and I lick
Your envelope and fall to little pieces every time
I wonder what clothes you wear to school
I wonder how you decorate your room
I wonder how you touch yourself
And curse myself for being across the sea
Why are you so far away from me?
I need help, and you're way across the sea
I could never touch you
I think it would be wrong, ohh
I've got your letter
You've got my song
At ten I shaved my head
And tried to be a monk
I thought the older women would like me if I didn
You see mom
I'm a good little boy (good little boy)
It's all your fault, momma
It's all your fault! (It's all your fault!)
God damn! This business is really lame
I gotta live on an island to find the juice
So you send (So you send)
Me your love (Me your love)
from all around the world (from all around the world)
As if I could live on
Words & dreams and a million screams
Oh, how I need a hand in mine to feel
Why are you so far away from me?
Why are you so far away from me?
I could never touch You
I think it would be wrong
I've got your letter
You've got my song
I've got your letter
You've got my song
The Good Life feels like the opposite of Tired of Sex (Tired of No Sex?). Rather than going on about how all this false love and rockstar stuff really hurts, it's about missing not just that, but all the stuff you've done and experienced in what you see/saw as your prime before falling into such a sad, sad slump.
Yeah... check me
When I look in the mirror
Can't believe what I see
Tell me who's that funky dude?
Starin' back at me?
Broken, beaten down (down)
Can't even get around
Without an old man cane
Fall and hit the ground
Shiverin' in the cold
Bitter and alone
Excuse the bitching'
I shouldn't complain
I should have no feelings
'Cause feeling is pain
As everything I need
Is denied me
And everything I want
Is taken away from me
But who do I got to blame?
Nobody but me
And I don't wanna be an old man anymore
It's been a year or two since I was out on the floor
Shakin' booty makin' sweet love all the night
It's time I got back to the good life
It's time I got back
It's time I got back
And I don't even know how I got off the track
I wanna go back, yeah!
Screw this crap I've had it! (I've had it!)
I ain't no Mr. Cool
I'm a pig, I'm a dog!
So excuse me if I drool
Ain't gonna hurt no body
Ain't gonna cause a scene
Just need to admit that I want sugar in my tea
Hear me? Hear me, I want sugar in my tea
And I don't wanna be an old man anymore
It's been a year or two since I was out on the floor
Shakin' booty makin' sweet love all the night
It's time I got back to the good life
It's time I got back
It's time I got back
And I don't even know how I got off the track
I wanna go back, yeah!
I wanna go back, I wanna go back
And I don't even know how I got off the track
It's time I got back, it's time I got back
And I don't even know how I got off the track
I wanna go back, yeah!
And I don't wanna be an old man anymore
It's been a year or two since I was out on the floor
Shakin' booty makin' sweet love all the night
It's time I got back to the good life
It's time I got back, it's time I got back
And I don't even know how I got off the track
It's time I got back, it's time I got back
And I don't even know how I got off the track
I wanna go back, I wanna go back
El Scorcho is about being unable to admit one's self to another, not being able to even start commitment. Can't talk about it, scared to say, a stupid dream that won't be realized. Simpily admitting that you love someone can indeed be very tough to do, sometimes no matter how hard you try it just won't come out.
This song also mentions Cho-Cho-San, a main, if not, the main character in Madame Butterfly; the direct references and homages to this story being a core part of the album.
Just a hunch, but I think Rivers Cuomo preferred asian women.
¡El Scorcho!
¡Ay caramba!
God damn you half-japanese girls
Do it to me every time
Ohh the red head said you shred the cello
And I'm jello, baby
But you won't talk, won't look, won't think of me
I'm the epitome, of public enemy
Why you wanna go and do me like that?
Come down on the street and dance with me
I'm a lot like you, so please
Hello, I'm here, I'm waiting
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
I asked you to go to the Green Day concert
Said you never heard of them (How cool is that?)
How cool is that?!
So I went to your room, and read your diary
"Watching Grunge leg drop New Jack through a press table."
And then my heart stopped
"Listening to Cho-Cho-San, fall in love all over again."
I'm a lot like you, so please
Hello, I'm here, I'm waiting
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
How stupid is it? I can't talk about it
I gotta sing about it, and make a record of my heart
How stupid is it? Won't you give me a minute
Just come up to me, and say hello to my heart
How stupid is it? For all I know you want me too
And maybe you just don't know what to do
And maybe you're scared to say:
"I'm falling for you"
I wish I could get my head out of the sandbox
'Cause I think we'd make a good team
And you would keep my fingernails clean
But that's just a stupid dream that I won't realize
'Cause I can't even look in your eyes
Without shaking, and I ain't faking
I'll bring home the turkey if you bring home the bacon
I'm a lot like you, so please
Hello, I'm here, I'm waiting (Waiting, noo)
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
I'm a lot like you (I'm a lot like you)
I'm a lot like you (And I'm waiting, noo)
I think I'd be good for you
And you'd be good for me
Pink Triangle, like the title suggests is about a lesbian. It must really suck when the person you fell for turns out to be into your opposite gender, but it must suck even more when it turns out that your conclusion was false. That's what happened to Cuomo. The girl that he wrote a song about wore a pink triangle to show support, not to show that she herself was a lesbian. Ouch.
When I'm stable long enough
I start to look around for love
See a sweet in floral print
My mind begins the arrangements
But when I start to feel that pull
Turns out I just pulled myself
She would never go with me
Were I the last girl on Earth
I'm dumb, she's a lesbian
I thought I had found the one
We were good as married in my mind
But married in my mind's no good
Ohh, pink triangle on her sleeve
Let me know the truth, let me know the truth
Might have smoked a few in my time
But never thought it was a crime
Knew the day would surely come
Where I'd chill and settle down
When I think I've found a good ol' fashioned girl
Then she put me in my place
Everyone's a little queer
Oh can't she be a little straight?
I'm dumb, she's a lesbian
I thought I had found the one
We were good as married in my mind
But married in my mind's no good
Ohh, pink triangle on her sleeve
Let me know the truth, let me know the truth
I'm dumb, she's a lesbian
I thought I had found the one
Ohh, we were good as married in my mind
But married in my mind's no good
Ohh-ho-ho, pink triangle on her sleeve
Let me know the truth, let me know the truth
I'm dumb, she's a lesbian
I thought I had found the one
Ohh we were good as married in my mind
But married in my mind's no good
Ohh, pink triangle on her sleeve
Let me know the truth, let me know the truth
Let me know the truth, let me know the truth
Falling For You is directly connected to Pink Triangle, smoothly transitioning into each other flawlessly (that is, if your media player is seamless.) Falling For You completely pours the figurative contents of the heart into its lyrics. It's also the only deep song that I've heard that includes "Holy cow", and "Holy moly", or song in general that does.
Holy cow I think I've got one here
Now just what am I supposed to do?
I've got a number of irrational fears
That I'd like to share with you
First there's rules about old goats like me
Hangin' out with chicks like you
But I do like you and another one
You say like too much
But I'm shaking at your touch
I like you way too much
My baby I'm afraid I'm falling for you
I'd do 'bout anything to get the hell out alive
Or maybe I would rather settle down
With you, ohh
Holy moly baby wouldn't you know it?
Just as I was busting loose
I gotta go turn in my rockstar card
And get fat & old with you
'Cause I'm a burning candle, you're a gentle moth
Teaching me to lick a little bit kinder
And I do like you, you're the lucky one
No, I'm the lucky one
I'm shaking at your touch
I like you way too much
My baby I'm afraid I'm falling for you
I'd do 'bout anything to get the hell out alive
Or maybe I would rather settle down
With you, ohh
Holy sweet god damn! You left your cello in the basement
I admired the glowing stars, and tried to play a tune
I can't believe how bad I suck, it's true
What could you possibly see in lil' old three chord me?
But I do like you and you like me too
I'm ready let's do it baby
I'm shaking at your touch
I like you way too much
My baby I'm afraid I'm falling for you
I'd do 'bout anything to get the hell out alive
Or maybe I would rather settle down (Down)
With you (You)
Down (Down)
With you (You)
Ohhh....
Butterfly's very personal and touching, I'll let it speak for itself.
Yesterday I went outside
With my momma's mason jar
Caught a lovely butterfly
When I woke up today
Looked in on my fairy pet
She had withered on away
No more sighing in her breast
I'm sorry for what I did
I did what my body told me to
I didn't mean to do you harm
Everytime I pin down what I think I want it slips away
The ghost slips away
Smell you on my hand for days
I can't wash away your scent
If I'm a dog then you're a bitch
I guess you're as real as me
Maybe I can live with that
Maybe I need fantasy
Life of chasing butterfly
I'm sorry for what I did
I did what my body told me to
I didn't mean to do you harm
Everytime I pin down what I think I want it slips away
The ghost slips away
I told you I would return
When the robin makes his nest
But I ain't never coming back
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
