Punisher Analysis- "Graceland Too"

watching the Punisher videos just now! the song is about one of Phoebe's best friends, Julien Baker... I think about the line "Laced up her shoes" which maybe talks about hospitals not allowing the use of sneakers with laces because patients might try something on themselves or other people with it, and it's meaningful and beautiful that she can tie her shoes now that she's fine and no longer poses a danger and also, Lucy Dacus, a friend of Phoebe and Julien, has a song called "Please stay", which was also written for Julien Baker and then, Julien wrote a song called "Favor" in response to these two songs by her best friends

Kleverton Oliveira

Yes to all of this! The connection to "Savior Complex" is super significant because you're right--there is a certain desperation in wanting to "fix someone" and "give them everything". I also really appreciate that Phoebe talks a lot about mental health!

English Teacher KP

Ahhhhh, I see! Thanks for this!

English Teacher KP

Thanks so much for the info, guys! I didn't realize that there was a Graceland Too; it does sound both creepy and awesome!

English Teacher KP

I didn’t know the song was about Julien, but that absolutely makes sense. Also, apparently Julien is from Memphis and “Graceland Too” is different from the official Graceland. Julien talked about it in an interview and explained “There used to be this thing called Graceland Too. It was this guy’s house and it was full of Elvis memorabilia, it was kind of creepy but it was kind of awesome. It was like a cult legend and if you drove out to his house in the sticks, it was across the bridge, really far away. If you drove out there and you bought him a six pack of Coca Cola, he would show you around his weird house where he lived alone with all this Elvis memorabilia. Once he died, it was in the paper and everyone collectively mourned the owner of Graceland Too, and if you went three times you got this lil card, that said ‘life time member of Graceland Too.’“

I think this can also connect to the theme of being a savior. While unlike the unhealthy approach in the song savior complex, I think the speaker is giving wanted support in this song, it’s still another instance of the speaker/ Phoebe needing to support someone with mental health and/or addiction. From her father to her romantic partners to her friends to her idols to her own experiences, Phoebe has a lot of experience with mental health and substance use and I really appreciate the way she talks about it

I also love this song. The end is so sweet but also has a slight layer of desperation or begging. I think anyone who loves someone who struggles with mental health can relate to just wanting to do anything that can help them and telling them you would do anything for them. The line “said she knows she lived through it to get to this moment” is sweet but it’s also scary for the speaker that the subject potentially could have not lived through it and likely will struggle again in the future. I’m also just now thinking of the Taylor Swift lyric “I’ll be your summer sun forever” from forever winter which is also a declaration of unlimited and unconditional support

Phoebe explained on twitter that “I did MDMA with someone who ate a bunch of saltines after because their stomach hurt”. Since mdma is a stimulant, chewing your checks is a common side effect. So you were spot on in your analysis that they took something to get serotonin

This song is about one of phoebes best friends Julien Baker, she’s also a musician and they’re in a band Boygenius, with another musician Lucy dacus. They both have background vocals in this song too. Julien has suffered with addiction and mental health issues, so you’re right about that. I would love to see you react to the new boy genius album The Record, the lyricism is amazing.

Giana

I think I have a new favorite Punisher song, y'all!

English Teacher KP