In Case Of Credulity

One of the first things I noticed listening to this song today was that the opening guitars riffs remind me of the melodic line of the verses in "Therapy."

So there's that.

Actually, I'm not done talking bout the musical aspects of this song.  Because they're amazing, frankly.  I don't have the modern musical vocabulary to explain to you what exactly about the blend of guitar and piano with right-on drums works so well, but it does.  There is one thing:   throughout this song there's a piano part running arpeggios at a brisk pace under the guitars and drums, and then at the end of the song that part comes out again, ending "If You Believe Me" on a reflective note—which is perfect to transition into the albums final two tracks.

I talked about how the end of Forget and Not Slow Down quiets as it comes to a close, but "If You Believe Me" is anything but quiet.  It's got some of the fire left over from Sahara, blended into a return of the more typical Relient K energy from the first few tracks, as if Thiessen is showing us that if he did slow down for this album, it's not because he's gonna stay that way.  I think, looking to the future beyond Forget and Not Slow Down, having this song here, with the energy it has, is essential for the message of the album.  Relient K isn't turning into a sad bad with extinguished fire.  They're still going strong.

This is in a bit of contrast with the words of the piece, but I'll let you take a look for yourself first.


If You Believe Me
(lyrics by Matthew Thiessen)

I got a chill and I wanted to say it was you
Be still because what I'm about to say is the truth
Unless we stretch until the point of nearly breaking in two
We'll never find our weakness coming unglued

A cracked sculpture I wanted to say it was you
Feeding vultures are why I feel the way that I do
I fell in love and I wanted to say it was you
I wanted to say it was you

If you believe me
We could stand the test of time like no one else
If you believe me
It means you'd have to disbelieve yourself

A sudden wind and I wanted to say it was you
I've never been so confused about who knows the truth
Where to begin well I wanted to say it was you
Because you swore you had your hand in this too

If you believe me
We could stand the test of time like no one else
If you believe me
You know it means you'd have to disbelieve yourself
If you believe me

'Cause I'm here wondering what could you be thinking?
Though I know you're there thinking that I wonder that all the time
I can still invade your thoughts when you're not with me
Yeah don't mind me I'm just a parasite on your mind
Yeah don't mind me I know you're wondering all the time

If you believe me
We could stand the test of time like no one else
If you believe me
It means you'd have to disbelieve yourself
If you believe me

----

Before I dive right into my lyrical analysis, I wanted to mention that this particular song is that hardest for me to decipher when it comes to what words Thiessen is actually saying.  So hard, in fact, that I actually dug out my cd case and consulted the official lyrics.  I've not done that for any of the songs before this one.  So this one has exactly the right lyrics, whereas the others might be a little off.  Now to the analysis.

He's talking to her again, clearly.  This song's placement after "Savannah" is important for another reason than just as a demonstration of good energy at the end of the album.  Yesterday I talked about the sort of flight of fancy "Savannah" entailed.  In it Thiessen both reflected on the relationship that was lost and told a sort of story about how it could get better again.
Now, Thiessen is addressing that story.

The thrust of this song is that the relationship Thiessen and the lady had was better than she thought it was, But he knows she's not going to have any of that.  This starts in the first verse, where Thiessen flat out tells her (with a warning to "be still" or pay attention) that if they got back together (thus the glue) it would take something very huge to break the relationship again.

Then, before we get to the chorus, Thiessen moves into another verse/stanza.  I think the cracked sculpture is a reference to the metaphor of the previous verse, that something damaged can still be beautiful.  The vultures I think are a call-back to "Sahara" and that song's theme of desertion and dying, and are probably why there's a bit of bite in Thiessen's voice and why he feels that, though the relationship could work, she's not going to give it another shot.  Still, he "fell in love" and he "wanted to say it was you."

The chorus just makes this feeling more explicit, because he says that if she believe him, believed the story he told in "Savannah" and what he's saying now, their life together would still be completely awesome, but she'd "have to disbelieve [herself]" because she, clearly, believes the opposite to him.

In the verses, Thiessen mentions that there are things he wants to pin on his ex, like chills and cracked sculptures and sudden winds.  He explains the reason for this at the end of the third verse, when he "begin[s]" with her swearing she "had her hand in this too."  I take this to mean she had promised to do her part in the relationship, but the way Thiessen says it makes it pretty clear he thinks she's not actually doing her part by bowing out.


And in the bridge, Thiessen reveal that, while he seems to do what she will decide, he doesn't know what she's thinking.  There's also the second meaning of "what could you be thinking:"  Incredulity that she's making the choice that she is.  This, and the line after it about her knowing that he's thinking about what she's thinking, are a pause in the song, which kicks right back up when Thiessen says he can "invade [her] thoughts" even "when [she's] not with [him]," that he's sure she thinks about him often, though she probably finds it unpleasant ("parasite").  And with a sort of triumph, Thiessen declares that the decision isn't so easy for her, that she's trying to decide if she believes him.


In this way, I think that this song is also narrator-Thiessen giving her another chance to be with him, even after what she did to him.  And we'll see what happens with that tomorrow, when I finish up my review/analysis of Forget and Not Slow Down with the final tracks "This Is The End" and "(If You Want It)."


See you then.