Wednesday in Words (#5) Fanfarlo-"I'm a Pilot"

A new feature we started up last month taking a closer look at some lyrics that have caught our ear. This week we take a look at a track off of Fanfarlo's uplifting debut disc, Reservoir, and the song, "I'm a Pilot." There was always the theory floating around that the song was loosely centered around Howard Hughes, but I was never quite sure if that was true or not. But in a recent interview with the website laist, singer Simon Balthazar spoke to the songs origins.
Here's the question and what Simon had to say ... (the lyrics are below)
Is anyone in the band really a pilot?
Ah, no. The name kind of came first. Then I thought - who's a pilot? And thought about Howard Hughes, so the song is about certain aspects of his persona, specifically him going nuts, locking himself into a room recording endless tapes.


Fanfarlo- "I'm A Pilot"
You can't trust that sound,
You're sleeping in all the time,
You'll see me on the screen,
Through all the other soul's dark walls,
With the sun.
The mad circus says good night.
The tape machine exposed,
from all its spinning round the moon.
I've scratched all my reels,
I've bitten all my nails to the bone,
Like a stone.
You come back and thrown up.
Away From the top,
and away from the drills,

But kid I'm a pilot,
It's all I believe in (x2)
You can ride on my back.

And time on your hands.
You spent your money down by the tracks,
you had the drivers sign your arms.
My hospitals will welcome you home,
Like a tomb.
With gun marks aching,

To look at your grace,
and believe what you say.
But kid I'm a pilot
It's all I believe in (x2)
You can ride on my back.

If I stay in this room, they'll remember me for my youth
If I stay in this room, they'll remember me for my youth.
If I give it all up (x3)
But kid I'm a pilot,
It's all I believe in (x3)
You can ride on my back

The band will be appearing next week in NYC with a few shows scattered across the CMJ festival.
Oct 19 CMJ: The Syndicate presents at Rebel NYC
Oct 20 CMJ: The Music Slut & Sneak Attack Media present at Pianos NYC
Oct 20 CMJ: Brooklyn Vegan presents at Music Hall of Williamsburg Brklyn
Oct 21 CMJ: The Bowery Presents at Bowery Ballroom NYC
Nov 7 Festival Les Inrocks at Boule Noire Paris

Fanfarlo on myspace.