Song 4 from the Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk at Cubist Castle.
We cover the surface
and into the distance
constantly showering me
with decision
define a transparent dream
define a transparent dream
feel the atmosphere
breathe with life
model portrait heads of
Gertrude Stein
define a transparent dream
define a transparent dream
it's always back and forth again
dreaming on the doorstep
we always read society
comes to visit me
when I'm dreaming of a sunset (dreaming of a sunset)
it's juice and coffee in the morning
after staring at the stars all night
we always knew that society
runs rings around the sun
(and saturn too)
all night...
all night...
Beginning with a spinning organ and fuzz guitar that dances around a very memorable melody, William Cullen Hart's voice tones in the lyrics, sounding like the Beatles on some stronger acid. The content of the song describes those wonderful youthful night's of acid dreams, "staring at the stars all night" and captures, for me, the magic of the morning after: "juice and coffee in the morning after staring at the stars all night." All that almost-idle wondering about society, back-and-forth. The back-up vocals are classical harmonizing, as if the id of the narrator were given a voice to sing behind. The reference to "model portrait heads of Gertrude Stein" grabbed me the first time I heard this in particular, as I've always had a particular obsession with her.
In regard to the continuing narrative of this 1996 album, this song describes the Cubist Castle in some ways. One can imagine a hallway, with busts on pedestals, including Gertrude Stein. Classic psychedelia.
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