Keep It Glowing All The Time

Boston Spaceships “You Satisfy Me”

“You Satisfy Me” falls into a line of Robert Pollard compositions that are catchy and ingratiating throughout, but essentially put off their best hook until the end of the song. In some cases, like “Portable Men’s Society,” it’s a matter of building up tension and creating a foreboding atmosphere, and in others, like “Psychic Pilot Clocks Out,” certain thoughts and emotions have to be articulated before Pollard can deliver the big pay off — “I feeeeeeel life passing on by us!” “You Satisfy Me” is more like the latter, but it is certainly understated in comparison. Not to diminish the fine melodic turns in the middle of the song, but the number is really about its conclusion, in which the guitar hook is paired with a twinned vocal part, and Pollard makes one of the simplest, boldest declarations of his career as a lyricist: “You satisfy me!” He sounds surprised, a bit resigned, and fully aware of the fact that there’s something a bit hollow and distinctly unsatisfying about being on the receiving end of this statement. He could be saying more, he could be framing his feelings in a less self-absorbed way, but he’s not, and he knows it.

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