[obstaclespecialist]

“To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind”
— Theophile Gautier

Admire is one of those words that Interpol owns in my mind and that quote had both love/admire. It makes me think about the meaning of the OLTA title. That our love to admire really means our love to think about and try to understand logically, not emotionally. He’s trying to figure out romance and love by admiring with his mind. Or something. He’s torn between loving with his heart vs his mind? A heart vs head battle. Feeling vs logic. Acting on irrationally impulse vs being rational and reasonable. It does seem that Paul is overthinking the romantic relationship in OLTA. Maybe the mistake is trying to intellectually explain and scrutinize something like love that can’t be comprehended with any sense or knowledge. Maybe love isn’t meant to be admired or understood, it’s just a feeling that’s inexplicable and mysterious.

“I don’t know a thing”-Pace is the Trick

“Well, if there’s something I should know
I seek no science where there is no shade”- The Scale

Just a thought because I never could figure out what the fuck that title meant. :unsure:

[hazey jane]

And OLTA is a break up album. I mean, the relationship is falling apart and he's trying to save it.

You're so smart, obstaclespecialist.

:D

[obstaclespecialist]

hazey jane, on 12 May 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

And OLTA is a break up album. I mean, the relationship is falling apart and he's trying to save it.

You're so smart, obstaclespecialist.

:D

I think way too much about Interpol and Paul's lyrics :blush:

[Scavenger]

I've always taken the title as word play. On one level it's an invitation to the audience to be voyeurs of Interpol's album. Like them saying "Our gift is our love for you to admire". And the retooling of the title to suggest "Our Love of Admiration" or "Our constant compulsion to Admire as a human trait".

The other side is the relationship between rationale communication and poetic notions of love. As a break-up album it goes from our "Love" (the poetic and romantic) to "Admire" (the rationale and objective).

[EtoileMaris]

obstaclespecialist, on 12 May 2012 - 11:53 AM, said:

“To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind”
— Theophile Gautier

This would likely fall in line with writers that Henry Miller would have read, or referenced at some point. It wouldn't surprise me that Paul would bring them together in such a way. He mentions that the lyrical writing process for this album was particularly difficult for him. He was seeking perfection since they were "making it big" by signing with that big label I forget the name of at the moment. Perhaps, turning to those he admires, he found what he could offer us to love.

All of the songs seem to make a looking into the relationship, trying to extort meaning, or some how evoke a response from the person he sings to. As if he seeks to have all the cards turned up, on the table. Trying to shed light where there is shade. So if there is no shade, then there's nothing mysterious that needs to be sought.

Scavenger, on 12 May 2012 - 05:20 PM, said:

I've always taken the title as word play. On one level it's an invitation to the audience to be voyeurs of Interpol's album. Like them saying "Our gift is our love for you to admire". And the retooling of the title to suggest "Our Love of Admiration" or "Our constant compulsion to Admire as a human trait".

The other side is the relationship between rationale communication and poetic notions of love. As a break-up album it goes from our "Love" (the poetic and romantic) to "Admire" (the rationale and objective).

Equally an interesting analysis. I think they are very conscious of how they are being perceived and the effects that what they say and do - very much in tune with their extreme privacy with their lives. The show they give us, the songs are there to admire. For them, their songs are a labor of love. And clearly, they are very visceral at every level.