Water by Sadgirl
by Lana Fleischli
If you’ve listened to Sadgirl, you would know what I’m talking about when I say that the music is reminiscent of days gone by. Sadgirl’s music errs on the side of nostalgia with their 1950’s style. Utilizing brass instruments in a lot of their music, it makes you feel like you should throw on your poodle skirt and go to the sock-hop or something! But what is also great about Sagirl’s music is that it is still music of today, meaning that the style varies, giving it a fun originality.
The songs throughout Water are about looking internally, and looking to and questioning others. Misha Lindes plays with metaphors and comparisons. In the song “The Ocean,” it isn’t about the ocean as much as it is about self reflection. Misha Lindes sings about his personal flaws. The song is about looking in on yourself. The ocean is merely a simile for himself. The ocean is like his perception of himself. It is a pure, salty, and untouched substance.
The same goes with “Chlorine.” It’s not even a metaphor. It’s the name of a girl (whose hair is in a beehive -- 1950’s vibes). Chlorine isn’t used as a metaphor. It’s a song about a girl. Classic. It’s a song that focuses on her and not internally. It describes her and how she was “a sight to be seen.” Except that, eventually, the moral is about how much Chlorine affected him. The song isn’t really about the girl as much as it is about his perception of her.
“Water” is, once again, about his internal view of himself. It’s about not being able to recognize yourself, because you don’t feel like yourself anymore. This idea hit me hard, as I have been feeling the same way recently. The music is somber and melancholy. It’s terrifying and it hurts to not know yourself and not really see yourself in your reflection. Misha Lindes uses water as a metaphor for how he has changed. “Water doesn’t quench my thirst the way it used to.” That line isn’t just about water, it’s saying that things that he used to like, he doesn’t like as much anymore.
The thing about the water theme throughout the album is that it goes along with the theme of change. It starts with “The Ocean,” which is a pure substance, salty and untouched. Then “Chlorine” comes in. Chlorine changes salt water. Then the song “Water” is like a new person that he just doesn’t recognize anymore.
Arguably Sadgirl’s most famous song, “Little Queenie,” is one of the only songs on the album that does not have an internal view. It’s not about him. It’s about her and just how much he loves her. It still fits with the overall mood and feel of the album, because it’s vulnerable and it comes from such an internal place. Even though it doesn’t mention water, it’s the change that he has been talking about. Change can be good, but scary.
Now I want to tell a quick story about the song “Little Queenie.” I saw Sadgirl play at Zebulon pre-pandemic, and I was confused why the band was called “Sadgirl” when only men were playing. Then suddenly, “Little Queenie” came on and a girl ran past us crying. My mom tapped her shoulder and asked if she was okay, and she said, “I just love this song so much!” and scurried away. My mom looked at me and said, “Now there’s a Sad girl!”
This album really helped me do some personal self-reflection, meaning internally, or just remembering stories like the one about the Sadgirl. The music in Water has deep meaning that goes way beyond the surface level meaning. I really love the metaphors used throughout the album that are actually about looking in on yourself. I think there is so much value in music that reminds us to think about who we are and how we are, which is why this is a great album.